What Should Be Done Here??

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Overextended

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Feb 13, 2007
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Everyone has an opinion and I have mine - let's see what you think...

My buddy goes to settlement on a NEW 44DB with 3 hours on it in December from let's say Boat Max...Dealer decides to splash the boat from where it was located to where it will be rigged. In the process of getting the boat into their travel lift basin (with 40 MPH winds) the boat gets T-boned at mid-ship and suffers damage. Stainless rub rail ripped and mangled - plastic rubrail underneath broke completely off - spider cracks three to four feet in both directions...I saw it and it was ugly. Service Manager was trusted to do the right thing. Boat got work done so that repair looked like new - good for delivery.

Since this event more spidercracks (50-100) have shown up around the cleat, the bow rail stanchions, in the non-skid, around the gunwale and down to the rubrail. In fact more cracks were found on the inside of the hull around the stanchions and cleat.

Boat Max has tried to fix it three times - I have seen this also (I agree it is far from fixed). Boat Max says give us the boat over the winter and we will make it right. He thinks this is an okay solution - I think he should have his boat replaced by Boat Max with a new boat.

What do you guys think? Also I am going to e-mail him the link once there is some constructive criticism so let's keep it above board.
 
Overextended said:
Everyone has an opinion and I have mine - let's see what you think...

My buddy goes to settlement on a NEW 44DB with 3 hours on it in December from let's say Boat Max...Dealer decides to splash the boat from where it was located to where it will be rigged. In the process of getting the boat into their travel lift basin (with 40 MPH winds) the boat gets T-boned at mid-ship and suffers damage. Stainless rub rail ripped and mangled - plastic rubrail underneath broke completely off - spider cracks three to four feet in both directions...I saw it and it was ugly. Service Manager was trusted to do the right thing. Boat got work done so that repair looked like new - good for delivery.

Since this event more spidercracks (50-100) have shown up around the cleat, the bow rail stanchions, in the non-skid, around the gunwale and down to the rubrail. In fact more cracks were found on the inside of the hull around the stanchions and cleat.

Boat Max has tried to fix it three times - I have seen this also (I agree it is far from fixed). Boat Max says give us the boat over the winter and we will make it right. He thinks this is an okay solution - I think he should have his boat replaced by Boat Max with a new boat.

What do you guys think? Also I am going to e-mail him the link once there is some constructive criticism so let's keep it above board.
Click to expand...

He should contact Sea Ray. They had their shot to make it right.
 
What I would do if it were me is get a qualified Marine Surveyor to take a look at it. The Surveyor should outline exactly what needs to be done to fix the boat correctly and properly.
 
Unfortunately, Sea Ray isn't going to assume responsibility for this one. They may, however help you to bring pressure on the dealership to do the right thing up to and including buying the boat back.

Dealers must pay for the boats before theuy leave the factory or before they are unloaded off the truck at the dealership, so the damage to the boat is the responsibility of the dealer since Sea Ray is only responsible for is manufacturing defects, not physical damage after delivery. You friend is going to have to handle his concerns with the dealership management and owner.

This one is like closing the barn door after the horse is gone. If your friend closed on the boat, then it is his and any resolution is going to have to be with the dealer normal dissatisfied customer avenues up to and including civil court action.

What should have been done in December was to refuse the boat and reject the dealers rush to close the sale. If the buyer was still interested, that was when a surveyor should have been involved, and the boat should not have been paid for until the buyer was satisfied with the repair and the fact the the boat was going to be his to deal with from now on.

I wish you luck in working out a suitable resolution.......
 
Once he settled the boat was his and it becomes an insurance/civil issue. The dealer should try to make it right but obviously is limited as to how much they'll spend. Once they decide they are done the guy to should go to Sea Ray or his insurance company.
 
Agreed - outside opinion at their expense. Be firm in that you've given three attempts and yet they have been unable to make adequate repair. I would rather spend the winter getting it fixed correctly by a reputable source knowing the complete ins and outs, as opposed to giving them another crack at it during the off season only to find out that it'll take major repair next boating season.
 
I don't understand why on earth he continued with the deal once it had been pranged :huh: I would have walked away there and then.

The dealer is going to make/authorise the absolute bare minimum repairs in order to limit their loses :smt009 But now given the boat belongs to your friend i would say he needs a full independant survey done with all remedial work required to put it right, ofcourse the cost of the survey should then be bourne by the dealer as they have had 3 attempts to get it right :smt009
 
My comment regarding contacting Sea Ray was to get them to pressure on MM to fix the damned thing properly.
 
fwebster said:
Unfortunately, Sea Ray isn't going to assume responsibility for this one. They may, however help you to bring pressure on the dealership to do the right thing up to and including buying the boat back.

Dealers must pay for the boats before theuy leave the factory or before they are unloaded off the truck at the dealership, so the damage to the boat is the responsibility of the dealer since Sea Ray is only responsible for is manufacturing defects, not physical damage after delivery. You friend is going to have to handle his concerns with the dealership management and owner.

This one is like closing the barn door after the horse is gone. If your friend closed on the boat, then it is his and any resolution is going to have to be with the dealer normal dissatisfied customer avenues up to and including civil court action.

What should have been done in December was to refuse the boat and reject the dealers rush to close the sale. If the buyer was still interested, that was when a surveyor should have been involved, and the boat should not have been paid for until the buyer was satisfied with the repair and the fact the the boat was going to be his to deal with from now on.

I wish you luck in working out a suitable resolution.......
Click to expand...
Why oh why didn't I save some rep points:smt021

Sane answer.
 
Isn't there a way to jump FrankW to the front of the line and give him a "Boating Genius" ranking?

I bought a bed over the internet and it weighed like 600lbs. When it arrived, the crate was a little banged up, some things were rattling around in it etc... I signed thinking I would get whatever it was taken care of. NOT.

Once I signed, I okayed the bed, it was mine, cracked wooden leg and all. Family members and friends come to visit and say "wow, what a great looking bed... what's with the crack in that leg?" It's a constant reminder to never accept anything damaged.
 
Unfortunately, the boat's owner had no insurable interest in the boat when it was damaged...........want to guess how quick his claim will be denied?

Using the customer feed back system Sea Ray has in place to get into the dealer's pocket is the leverege here. Any survey or rating he gets from Sea Ray should be handl;es by calling the general manager of the dealer and asking how to fill it out when he is totally dissatisfied with their treatment of his deal. Here's why:

Sea Ray regular dealers have their warranty labor rates discounted to almost their cost + overhead, whereas Master Dealers are paid their full retail labor rate.......Sea Ray is therefore charged the same rate you and I are. Maintaining Master Dealer status meand a ton of income for the dealer and is critically important to them. Many will almost pay a customer to give them all 10's on customer survey forms.........because more than 90% of the score card for master dealer status is based on initial customer satisfaction surveys.

My advice is to learn the Sea Ray system and try to make it work for you............
 
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