So what would you do if this happened to you

[oilguy]

How would you handle buying a new boat from a distant dealership only to find there are a lot of compiling minor problems prior to the maiden voyage?

What would your steps be once you realize the dealership is not standing behind their word of "making it right"? Of course a full refund would be nice but really, how would you truely go about returning the lemon or getting reimbursed for $$ you have paid out to get the boat ready for the water? Remember the dealership already has payment on the boat and they have installed a lot of aftermarket stuff for you too....

I'd love to hear a few real life stories on how you guys handled deals gone bad on boats or any major purchases.

[Leinie]

Lemon is a strong term , indicating the boat and motor have serious recurring issues. ( does that fit the situation? )

I think you need to be more specific about the nature of the problems.

[walleyedmike]

Is there a particular reason why you purchased from a "distant dealer?" Price should NEVER be the determining factor as to where you purchase your boat. Service and reputation are at least as important..... Sometimes more.....

When I purchased my new boat, I did experience a few issues, one of which occurred more than once. I drove the 20 minutes to my dealer, they apologized for the inconvenience, and went above and beyond the call to take care of the problem.

Unfortunately, some minor issues are not unusual. No one is perfect. It is how they are handled that determines the quality of a dealer.

[dutchboy]

Originally Posted by walleyedmike

Is there a particular reason why you purchased from a "distant dealer?" Price should NEVER be the determining factor as to where you purchase your boat. Service and reputation are at least as important..... Sometimes more.....

When I purchased my new boat, I did experience a few issues, one of which occurred more than once. I drove the 20 minutes to my dealer, they apologized for the inconvenience, and went above and beyond the call to take care of the problem.

Unfortunately, some minor issues are not unusual. No one is perfect. It is how they are handled that determines the quality of a dealer.

Ditto

[oilguy]

At this point I can't get into anything too specific with the situation. If things don't get resolved, I will have no choice but to seek legal representation.

The reason for the post (and why it is so vague on specific details) is to see if I can get some suggestions on how you would handle a bad deal on a major item (It just happens to be a boat). Point your finger and blame me all you want (that really helps). It's the consumer's fault for a bad deal on an expensive item from a dealer who has a good track record? This is not a situation I wish upon anyone, but unfortunately I found myself in it. Local dealership, or one from another continent wouldn't make much of a difference right now. The bottom line is there are some major things wrong with the package (that I have found AFTER PAYING IN FULL) that I need resolved.....how would you go about it?

Trust me, I REALLY WANT to start a rant about the situation, but I'm still holding some hope that I can get my issues resolved.....and if it doesn't happen, I'll be sure to inform you all on my experience with this particular dealership. So I ask again, does anyone have any helpful suggestions that I may not have thought of? At this point I could really use some....what a stressful Spring

[perchjerker]

yeah I dont really see any answers to your question.

I guess I would start by talking to the dealer and seeing what he would do about it.

Sounds like you have but you are not clear on that.

If he wont, I dont know what else you could do except take legal action.

[Blackmacs]

It depends on what is wrong. Is is something the dealer did, like mess up the rigging, or is there something wrong with the boat or motor themselves? If it is something the dealer did while rigging then hold their feet to the fire. If it is a warranty issue hopefully your local dealer can work to make things right.

Honestly this is the nightmare that people have buying from distant places. Sorry you're having issues. That really stinks to have a new rig and have issues.

[oilguy]

It really is too bad. I have bought a lot of big ticket items from major distances in the past and have never had issues. I try to do as much homework and research as possible before pulling the trigger on buying something outside the local area and have been pretty successful in the past. I have also dodged some VERY UGLY "deals" by doing my homework too. There were both warranty issues and rigging issues. Things happen and even though it was a real pain, I agreed to work with my original dealer to rectify the problems. The new problem is my dealer still promises the world with no results. I'm sorry I can't say much more on the specific situation at this point, but the facts are the dealer is not coming through on the promises they made.....so now what?

Would you bypass the dealer and contact the manufacturer directly? Would you file a claim with the better business bureau?
Would you seek out a lawyer?
Would you ..........? PLEASE FILL IN ANY BLANKS I MISSED

How long of a timeline would you give the dealer to get you missing items (like a spare tire) and reimburse you on your expenses to get the boat ready for water before you decide to take another means of action?

Would you dare launch the boat for a maiden voyage before getting everything recitified (the boat is now ready for water minus a couple of minor items)?

Am I missing a step somewhere? Is there any other actions you would take to get reimbursed for the promised $$ that I'm overlooking? I can't think of any more so that's why I thought I'd quiz you folks.

Sounds like your preferred option is to have the dealer fix the boat (vs. legal action, getting screwed, etc.) So, what is the best way to get that done?

Based in the limited info so far, I am assuming you have communicated the problems to someone at the dealership. Maybe you can escalate to the owners. Hopefully they care. Write them a detailed list of what is wrong and what you want to get it fixed. Make it as easy as possible for them to understand the problems and how to fix them. You can add some history too – but only to provide all information. Your objective is to get stuff fixed, not fight (yet). Try not to attack, badmouth or bash – as they might get defensive. If someone is screwing up it will be obvious – no need to rub his nose in it. Hopefully the owner will see that things are wrong and try to fix it.

I had bad luck with a service manger and his useless department. I bumped into the owner in the showroom and explained what I needed. He understood what needed to be done and started immediately. No argument. I didn’t have to convince him what was the right thing to do. In this case, I needed to communicate to someone who gave a darn.

6 months later he sold the dealership. Unfortunately, the new service manager was worse than the old one the owners were clueless. Aahhhh.

Send the owner an email or letter detailing the issues and follow up with a phone conversation. Give him/her a day or two to research and hopefully prepare to address the issues. Now, you have done everything you can to help get things fixed. Next step is maybe asking the manufacturer for help. They can to lean on the lame dealer or might step in directly.

If find they are still not cooperating take off the gloves.

p.s. - Lots of good boat purchases are made from dealers close and far. Dealer proximity is not always equal to dealer quality. Lots of local dealers are goofs too.

[v-bay gord]

"Would you ..........? PLEASE FILL IN ANY BLANKS I MISSED"

Pretty hard to have an opinion on your problem when you are talking in circles. What are the problems with the boat??? If you want some input.......FILL IN THE BLANKS!!!