With "45% early bird" discounts, the Slovakian online charter agency Boataround is currently enticing sailors to book early. However, there are an increasing number of cases in which customers have had to worry about their boats and their advance payments.

Case: Marcus Neumüller — last-minute drama

Marcus Neumüller wanted to spend another week on the water with three friends in mid-October. Back in August, he had found a one-year-old 40-foot Beneteau near Athens online; it was priced at €2,600, including SUP. "You can't go wrong with that," thought the Austrian, who lives south of Steyr. He booked directly and transferred the full charter amount on August 24 after receiving the reservation confirmation.

Six weeks later, just one day before his departure, he received disturbing news out of the blue. A fellow sailor who had already arrived had learned from the fleet operator in Alimos that he would not be handing over the boat. The reason: Boataround, the online agency through which Neumüller had booked, had failed to pay the final installment of €1,200, even though it was long overdue. This was apparently common practice, as the head of the charter base noted: "We often have trouble with them."

Final installment transferred one hour before departure

What followed for Marcus Neumüller and his crew member was a race against time, accompanied by frustration, anger, and the worry that they would have to pay the final installment again in order to get the charter yacht. He contacted Boataround by email, phone, and via the fleet operator, demanding that they fulfill their contractual obligation immediately. The pressure had an effect. In the afternoon, the Slovakian online agency finally transferred the outstanding amount — just one hour before the final deadline expired.

"No one needs that kind of stress!" says the doctor in retrospect. After his recent experience, he will "definitely not book with Boataround again." There are plenty of other agencies that are known for their quality and are also certified. "We were simply blinded by the low price."

Charter crew is fobbed off with a smaller catamaran on site

Nico Gast from Neuenhagen near Berlin experienced a whole cascade of unpleasant surprises. He had booked and paid for a 14-meter catamaran through Boataround for a trip in September. Because it was not available at the desired time, he was offered a competing model of the same size as a replacement. Gast paid the last two charter installments in July and August and arrived on September 27 "full of anticipation."

But he and his crew were also denied the replacement boat because, as in the case of Marcus Neumüller, the last installment had not been forwarded. The base manager then canceled the contract and chartered the 46-foot catamaran elsewhere.

As a replacement, Boataround only offered a much smaller 40-foot catamaran, which was not due to be available until the following day and was also around 350 kilometers away. Faced with no other option, Nico Gast agreed to the exchange, rented a car, and set off with his crew.

Agency responds only after massive pressure

He was not credited for the additional costs for the car and the lost sailing day. Boataround even failed to reimburse the difference in the charter price of €906 for weeks. It was only when the guest set a deadline of the end of October and threatened to file for bankruptcy if this was not met that the agency responded.

On Trustpilot, a leading customer satisfaction portal, the company, founded in 2016, continues to enjoy a good rating. However, among the one-star reviews, dozens of scathing comments have appeared since August.

Events reminiscent of major charter bankruptcy

The events are reminiscent of the final phase of another online agency that started with tens of millions in investor funds and high expectations: Zizoo. The start-up company, headquartered in Vienna and managed in Berlin, retained charter fees from customers for months in 2023 before the fraud was uncovered at the beginning of last year and insolvency proceedings were initiated at both locations.

Zizoo had set out to monopolize the fragmented charter boat brokerage market, which is still dominated by many family-owned businesses today — similar to how Booking.com dominates the global travel market. With an easy-to-use website, aggressive marketing, and high discounts, they wanted to undermine traditional agencies and fleet operators. But they burned through money faster than they gained market share.

Industry reaction

There is now growing concern in the industry that Boataround could face similar difficulties. At the boat show in Biograd, representatives of several charter companies met to jointly oppose the discount strategy, which is eroding their already slim profit margins.

Charter fleet operators resist discount wars

Some are already considering ending their cooperation with Boataround altogether. Before the early bird discounts, Boataround advertised so-called "secret deals" of up to 50%, where customers didn’t even know what boat they would actually get. Fleet operators protested.

One provider ends collaboration

Simone Morelli, head of North Sardinia Sail, ended collaboration earlier this year, calling Boataround's business model "unscrupulous and discount-driven." Many companies support limiting chaotic discounts.

Charter insurer warns

Friedrich Schöchl of Yacht-Pool has long advocated for transparency. He claims some online agencies backed by VCs would never pass a proper credit check. He even refuses to insure charters made through questionable companies.

He warns: using customer deposits to finance operations is misuse of funds — and dangerous for customers.

Financial situation

Boataround's financial reports raise concerns. According to Finstat, the company had around €5.8 million in liabilities by the end of 2023 and even owes unpaid social security contributions.

In the 2023 financial year alone, Boataround reported a loss of €1.07 million. More recent figures are not available. The management board has not yet published a balance sheet for 2024 and ignored the last submission deadline in September. The company has remained silent on why this is the case. Boataround also failed to respond to repeated inquiries from YACHT about the latest developments.