View Full Version : STRATOS/EVINRUDE HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.For all the potential OMC owners and owners of stratos/evinrude products. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
I'll start from the beginning and try to keep it short. On 5/5/00 my '99 stratos 295PE with 200hp ficht broke down. Turns out that an injector head failed causing a piece of metal to be sucked into a cylinder. Now I need a new power head. Not a real big deal(stuff happens). But, this is were I loose my patience. New power head was ordered on 5/8/00. Evinrude tells dealer it will be 3-4 weeks. I don't believe this to be acceptable. I start calling Evinrude and asking questions. I don't get very far. Nobody has a answer. I start leaving messages for people higher up. Nobody call back. Finally, I get Dave on the phone. He has all of the excesses. I.E. new tooling for the new RAM Ficht causing all the delays. No power heads being produced for my motor right now and MAYBE 3-4 weeks til they will start production. Dave says he will do nothing further to accommodate may down time. By now I have fax-ed 2 letters to the vice pres. office. 5 days later they reply( just yesterday). Saying Sorry... bla bla. Then with the excuses. Then the letter said they will extend my warranty for another 6 months past my original warranty. GREAT. But, I live in WI and the extra months I would have would be Sept.-March. The boat will be in storage. He ends the letter by saying that he anticipates my power head being shipped out very soon. I was told today (by my dealer that had to call and see what was going on) that it will hopefully be shipped out next week sometime. The fat lady hasn't sang yet and I am very frustrated with this company. My boat will have sat on dry ground for almost a month before this could be all over. Evinrude and Stratos have fallen way short of trying to get me on the water in a timely manner. And yes, I've ask for just about anything that would help get me back on the water. Rental boat,rental motor,new motor,new motor with my trade in. They are unwilling to bend with a lethargic attitude. Definitely not what I counted on nor what I payed for. This is my 3rd bass boat and the worst experience I've ever had with a company. Will I ever give OMC another chance? NO! This has been my own personal experience. This has been for others to learn from. Good luck all. gil.
lundfisherman
06-02-2000, 01:26 PM
Wow thats terrible good luck.
Robertp
06-02-2000, 02:28 PM
Sorry to hear of your difficulty and wish I had a suggestion. It is continuing evidence that OMC has fallen way short of the mark with the FICHT engines. Similar comments have been made on the Merc Opti's, though I have not heard as many as of late. It seems they either run flawlessly or they don't run at all. It is a sad commentary on US outboard mfgrs. They have manufactured clearly inferior products. It sounds like fodder for lawsuits, but again, most of us do not have the time, or money, to pursue this avenue. Thanks for sharing your comments.
GregK
06-02-2000, 02:42 PM
My opinion of OMC is in the same place your's is. I had a two year old 40 hp blow up on me the day I got it back from the dealer "fixed". I have since purchased a Mercury and have had reed valves go out on a two year old motor.
I guess these guys are going to have to learn the same lesson the car manufactures did. My next purchase will be from Japan.
Sorry for all your troubles. That is quite frustrating.
One thing though. Your problem not getting a trade in deal, a loaner boat etc. is your dealer's department of responsiblility. I have had boat problems in the past, and my dealer had a loaner for me pronto. I know others who have had problems with motor s and boats and the dealer supported them with a loaner. Same thing happens in the car business. I think maybe your dealer is a little out of touch if he's not anymore help than that.
Maybe this is a case where the lowest priced dealer is showing his "customer service"? That is not a shot at you, it's at the dealer.
it's interesting, this motor dilema. It seems no matter what brand you mention, there are thousands of people who absolutely swear by them, and thousands of others who say they are absolutely junk. my tourny partner swears by evinrude because he bought a mercury 20 years ago and it gave him trouble. I have owned 3 Mercs and have never had trouble. It seems to boil down to luck.
You can get a lemon from any company. Fortunately, i have been lucky.
I do believe Yamaha's are a little better quality though from what i have seen. Good luck to you.
Doc_wi
06-05-2000, 09:06 PM
Bingo on the dealer involvement in regards to loaners and deals etc.
The Great Guide
06-06-2000, 11:09 AM
What is the name of the dealer we all need to know? Do they have an email address? A little email campaign might move them to help you out. With a rig the price of yours they should be flipping over backwards to get you on the water. They must be forgetting that they are in the FUN business.
I referred a friend of mine to my dealer RJ Sport in Duluth, MN. He purchased a Yam 150 HPDI in November. A week before the MN opener his engine had not been delivered. The dealer told him not to worry they would provide an engine so he could get going. As it turned out the HPDI arrived, they promptly installed it, and we went fishing. TGG
DAKOTADAVE
06-06-2000, 06:30 PM
BOY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE MY CASE...OMC IS GETTING A LETTER FROM MY ATTORNEY AS WE SPEAK.
MAYBE IT TIME FOR THE " FICHT WITH PROBLEM OWNERS"
TO DO SOME CLASS ACTION.
OMC HAS LEFT ME ON SHORE LONG ENOUGH. MY 1999,
115 HAS NOT RUN RIGHT YET, I AM TALKING NEW OUT OF THE CRATE. THE FIX KEEPS COMING BUT NEVER GETS HERE. I AGREE EVERYONE CAN HAVE A LEMON, BUT #####
OMC AT LEAST DO WHATS RIGHT. YOU HAVE OUR MONEY
NOW GIVE US WHAT WE PAYED FOR.