A Miami boat brokerage has filed a lawsuit alleging that yacht buyers are being cornered and overcharged. The suit claims that the owner of several prominent online platforms for buying and selling boats and yachts has established an illegal monopoly in the U.S. marine vessel market.
The antitrust lawsuit, filed in a Florida federal court by Brill Maritime Inc. (doing business as Export Yacht Sales), accuses Boats Group of using coercive tactics to eliminate competition and inflate prices for brokers and dealers. The company operates popular platforms such as Boat Trader, YachtWorld, and boats.com. The lawsuit argues that Boats Group has maintained and expanded its monopoly power through exclusionary practices instead of fair competition, which has negatively affected both sellers and consumers.
Boats Group is said to control around 75% of the global market for online marine vessel listings and marketing services, with a similarly high share in the U.S. market. Its platforms reportedly attract over 65 million visitors annually, providing sellers with significant exposure to potential buyers. However, the lawsuit highlights that Boats Group’s subscription agreements often contain provisions that either prohibit or heavily discourage sellers from listing their inventory on competing platforms.
Export Yacht Sales states in its lawsuit that it has been forced to pay “supracompetitive prices” for essential marketing services, claiming its costs for listing on Boat Trader and YachtWorld surged over 400% from 2014 to 2024, increasing from $1,004 to $5,128 per month. In 2025, the brokerage was charged $2,900 monthly by Boat Trader alone.
The alleged exclusionary behavior of Boats Group has led to diminished competition, higher prices, and fewer options for consumers. The attorneys representing Export Yacht Sales emphasize that the lawsuit sheds light on the severe impact of Boats Group’s anticompetitive practices, asserting that the company has imposed steep and sustained price increases while leaving brokers with no viable alternatives.