Repair estimate

Brian 59

Brian 59

Member
Oct 5, 2006
451
Lockport New York
Boat Info
280 Sundancer 2004
Engines
4.3 MPI w/ alpha drives
I had a small scrape on the keel right at the bow about 10-12 inches long and 1/4" wide and not very deep that I wanted repaired. I told the service dept about it and he gave me a price without looking at it of couple hundred bucks. He said if it is more we will call you. I gave them my cell and they have my home number. I got home the other night to a message on my machine saying the repair was finished and the bill was double of what he said. I never received a phone call to say " hey its gonna be this much, should we go ahead?" or anything. I guess I am just venting here, but would you guys be ticked off?? Its not alot of $$$ its just the principle of the whole thing.
 
What amount do you mean when you say the cost is double, when I say a couple I do not necessarily mean 2. Was the total bill $400, I would consider that a couple hundered dollars. Just my opinion:huh:

Wesley
 
Wesley, Yes he said no more than $250, it was closer to $500 according to the phone call. I just was surprised there was'nt a phone call prior, like he told me he would do is all.
 
Oh, if he told you he would call if it were more than a specific dollar like $250 and they did the work without calling I would be upset as well. I would remind him of your conversation.

Wesley
 
You don't say if colored gelcoat was involved........and that could have a huge effect on costs.

In today's world, it doesn't take much of a repair to burn up $400, when you consider the cost of gelcoat, sand paper, solvents etc. and I've seen a scratch take a half a day to prepare, spray, block sand and buff out. So, $400 may not be unreasonable.

The other thing to consider is that the service manager probably didn't even see the work order when it was billed.some billing clerk just keyed in the shop rate and supplies at retail. Give them the benefit of the doubt and call the service manager, or whomever you spoke to and explain: "You estimated this repair not to exceed $250, would you mind looking at the work order and see if someone made a mistake in billing it?"

My final point is are you sure you want to get upset and "go to the mat" on a $150 over-charge? There may come a time when you really need the dealer and the service manager to go to bat for you. I have learned to make friends of the guys at the dealership who can make my life easier, especially when the chips are down and that there are times when you need to pick the battles you really want to fight with the dealer's personnel.
 
Frank, I do agree with you and it isnt the dollars, and I will pay it. The only problem is that they dont have a constant work force and who is the service manager today might not be tommorrow. There has been 3 people leave since I got the boat in 2004. Its tough to maintain a relationship with people. I was just annoyed at the lack of courtesy. I had to tell someone :)
 
typical. there've been conversations about service on boats and the inattentive, rude, f-you attitude that many providers have, so this doesnt surprise me at all. that is, of course, assuming he doesnt have a reasonable explanation for not contacting you as he said he would.

out of curiosity, when you say at the bow, do you mean it was above the water line?
 
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Ron, It was below the waterline lever. It had to be from me loading it on my trailer, or from them storing it in a rack at the marina for the winter. I have never been that close to shore to do that.
 
Brian 59 said:
I had a small scrape on the keel right at the bow about 10-12 inches long and 1/4" wide and not very deep that I wanted repaired. I told the service dept about it and he gave me a price without looking at it of couple hundred bucks. He said if it is more we will call you. I gave them my cell and they have my home number. I got home the other night to a message on my machine saying the repair was finished and the bill was double of what he said. I never received a phone call to say " hey its gonna be this much, should we go ahead?" or anything. I guess I am just venting here, but would you guys be ticked off?? Its not alot of $$$ its just the principle of the whole thing.
Click to expand...

You tell me this was a Marine Max dealer and I will tell you that's typical of something they do.

My $600 1 yr service almost cost me $2400 until I put my foot down that I never signed anything that authorized them to do anything other then the 1 yr service.
 
In my neck of the woods, $500 for a repair like that and I would be kissing the ground they walked on. Haul out, repair, bottom paint touch up, drop back in, it adds up quick. In my short boating time, I've learned to be face to face with them at the boat when talking about a repair, more personal and thorough. I also have them email me an estimate for the repair after the discussion. I've never had a price come in over the estimate since.
 
i've repaired two 1/2 dollar size chips in the gelcoat of the bottom of my boat with marine-tex. if it is going to be covered with bottom paint, it aint rocket science. if it has to match a gelcoat or your bottom is not painted, than more artistry (and preferably gelcoat material) is necessary to match the color. preparation is the key and if your scrape didnt go through the gel-coat, than it was a very simple fix. after proper preparation you mix and spackle on the marine tex and allow it to dry. once dry, you sand it like you would drywall, and paint. if you have prepared the surface properly and it is completely clean and dry, the marine tex will form a bond and be less susceptible to cracking than gel-coat material.

above the water line, i have done minor gel-coat repairs with both marine-tex (white matches my hull perfectly) and with gel-coat stuff and thh marinetex fared much better than the gel-coat material, which is definitely more tempermental and tougher to work with.
 
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maybe original estimate was thinking you had bottom paint, but you dont?

makes the repair more.
why they did not call is not something you should be asking the board, you should ask them.

few bucks extra + sales tax?
 
My dealer wouldn't even haul and block the boat for $400.

For body work? I surprised you didn't have to take a mortgage out on your house4.

To contrast, I recently brought in my car in for service - Bum A/C. Said "don't bother me for less than $250". The called, and said "Gonna be $300. That ok?". Final bill: $250.
 
Morpheus said:
You tell me this was a Marine Max dealer and I will tell you that's typical of something they do.

My $600 1 yr service almost cost me $2400 until I put my foot down that I never signed anything that authorized them to do anything other then the 1 yr service.
Click to expand...

Yes, finally someone who will admit that the MM boys are a bunch of theives. I take it for warranty work only. I have warned people before, oil change $300, 100 service $1200 with no parts. :wow::wow::wow:
 
Fishnut: If you look at the threads, there is a running theme with MM service across the country. There are a few exceptions. . .l but still.
 
I guess I am one of the few who has had good luck with MM. We use the Tampa store and they've been nothing but great so far.
 
water rat said:
I guess I am one of the few who has had good luck with MM. We use the Tampa store and they've been nothing but great so far.
Click to expand...

Your the second one that's said that, I'm gonna have to give them them a try the next time I need service.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. The boat hadn't been in the water this season and still was on the hard. RobF300, I wasnt asking the board why they didnt call, rather how you guys felt about stuff like that. I can see now it happens alot more often than I thought. I am not concerned about the dollars involved. I guess it just struck me odd that they were the ones who said " We will call you if it is going to be more than that" before we proceed. Well enough said, lets go boating.
 
I found the company that manufactures a "Factory Matched Gelcoat" repair product. You select the make and year of your boat and then select the color (Yes, they have all the Searay colors, red, black, yellow, blue, white, etc.) I started doing my own gelcoat repairs
a few years ago and each spring it takes me about three hours to repair scrapes, scratches, chips and gouges. It is so simple that this year my wife did a few repairs without a problem. Clean up the damage with sand paper, clean the area with actone, mix the gelcoat with the provided hardner, fill in the damage and wait two to three hours. Sand the area with 2000 grit wet & dry sand paper, wax or polish the area and it's done. I spend more time waiting for the gelcoat to set than I do making the repair. It cost me about $30.00 a year to make repairs.
 
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