Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

[ricohman]

I've posted before about my warranty concerns on my new boat and how the dealer refused to work on it ( http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=530026&highlight=islander ) but I think I'm resigned to the fact that I will do all my own work regardless of what it is.
I went to the local boat show on the weekend and approached two different dealers about buying a 9.9 kicker and having it installed. And both gave me the same answer of "maybe we could do it after all our customers that bought boats have been dealt with".
At first I thought that was fair. First come first served. But when I was told that they really weren't interested in doing it in the boating season and maybe in the fall after all the winterizing was done I realized they would put future work ahead of my job as well.
So I asked the one salesman what the difference was if I spent $6500 on a kicker install or bought the new 14ft boat we were standing beside since the price was the same. At first he didn't know what to say but he eventually mumbled that people that buy boats would be served first or something like that. Then he told me if I gave him a cheque for $1500 they would order the motor. But the total would be due when the motor arrived. No date on installing it.
I told him no thanks. I have had enough of this and I would order it on-line, save thousands, and have everything delivered and install it in my driveway.
He told me this takes special knowledge and tools. I agreed and said goodbye.
I'm no boat mechanic but I've been a journeyman auto tech for over two decades and I like to restore vehicles and tractors. And apparently I'm about to become a boat technician.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

Go for it.

Dealers like that are all to common.
You would think they are cutting diamonds, or storing nuclear waste.

What exactly do they tell potential customers who move into the area from 1000 miles away.
"Sorry, we won't service your boat until we need the business, maybe in 2017?

Sure, some things require special knowledge, equipment, and experience, but to turn away business for 6-9 months, and expect the paying customer to be happy is ridiculous. Thats the easiest way to lose a potential customer in my opinion.

They are limiting their business and profits. They should be expanding capabilities to meet demand.

Short-sighted fools.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

I will just post a new thread with a bunch of pics and questions as I work. I am certain I can do this with a few hints from the experienced crew that uses iboats.
My first thread will be in April as I install a fish finder and GPS. Drilling that first hole in the transom seems daunting so I might as well start small (transducer cable). I am going to use a Sternmate so this should cut down on the amount of holes I am drilling.

 

[Philster]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

In some areas, boats are like old-time hobbies, where you did everything yourself after mail-ordering what you need. In many bustling areas, especially coastal regions, boats can be hobbies or they can be vehicles (needing service/repair is similar to an experience you'd have with the family car).

You can get plenty of service/repair in my neck o' the woods. I wouldn't recommend walking in to a shop on April 15th and expecting everything in a week; that would happen in February though.

When the local support is minimal, you, the consumer, has little leverage. I know around here there is a ton of leverage off-season.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

Oh well.
I will end up saving money if I do this myself and learning about my boat can't be a bad thing anyway.
You are correct though. I have zero leverage!

 

[coreybv]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

He told me this takes special knowledge and tools. I agreed and said goodbye.

Yup...

I've been told the same thing when I mentioned that I winterize my boats myself. Guy even said "I'll see you next spring for a new motor", or something to that effect.

In my neck of the woods it's very, very hard to find a good, trustworthy, honest boat mechanic. There are some, but most that I run across pretty much feed off of people who are intimidated by boats and think that there's something "magical" about working on them.

Also had a Mercruiser dealer in Des Moines try to refuse to sell me an impeller. Told me it wasn't a "user serviceable" part or some such nonsense. Would be more than happy to schedule an appointment to install it for several hundred dollars, but I had to raise a pretty big stink (in front of customers on a busy Saturday morning) to get them to let me walk out the door with the impeller in my hands.

Sure, some things require specialized knowledge and tools. But ya know what? I can buy a book for 35 bucks that contains the specialized knowledge, and the specialized tools are available at NAPA or online.

My apologies to the good, honest boat technicians. I know you guys are out there, but at least in my neck of the woods you are the needle in a haystack of scumbags.

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

You can get plenty of service/repair in my neck o' the woods. I wouldn't recommend walking in to a shop on April 15th and expecting everything in a week; that would happen in February though.

When the local support is minimal, you, the consumer, has little leverage. I know around here there is a ton of leverage off-season.

Said the guy who just bought a new boat.

 

[Philster]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

Hey... I earned me keep by owning older boats and working on them or hitting up local repair shops!

Nyah!

 

[coreybv]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

You don't say where you are located but if you are in Des Moines, I feel sorry for you. I hear horror stories about them all the time when customers bring me their boats for service. Honestly, I've never seen any place else that was so clickish when it came to boating.

I'm in Moline, IL now, but lived in Des Moines for about 20 years, and boated on Saylorville Lake for most of them.

In Des Moines there are only two types of people who can own a boat. You're either capable of doing all the maintenance yourself, or you're obscenely, filthy rich. You can't be of "average income" and afford to "take your boat in" for anything around there.

I've heard stories of people paying around a grand for "boat launching service". The marina backed their boat down the ramp with their tractor, and drove it to their slip. For a guy who spent $2000 on a "decent" boat and got over 10 good years out of it, that sounds pretty steep to me. (I don't have first hand knowledge of that fee, but I heard the story enough times that I don't doubt it. Also, I know that marina has changed ownership, so it's possible that the situation has improved, although from the rumors I heard while that sale was in the talking stages I think it's more likely to have gotten worse.)

Anyway, yeah, you can feel confident believing the horror stories about the situation in Des Moines. After 15 plus years of boating there it would be hard to come up with a price gouging story about the local "professionals" that I wouldn't believe.

And "clickish" (cliquish)? Oh, don't even get me started. On that lake you don't even offer a friendly wave to the Baja people.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

You don't say where you are located but if you are in Des Moines, I feel sorry for you. I hear horror stories about them all the time when customers bring me their boats for service. Honestly, I've never seen any place else that was so clickish when it came to boating.

I have. And I seem to live there!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

rico...

My confidence level in marine dealers is pretty well non exhistant to be honest.

Example:

When I bought my Johnson OB I really wanted to have it checked over by the pros just to be sure all was good. The fist "Certified" marine dealer I brought it to (in biz longer than I've been alive) said that they couldn't work on it as...

"it's not hooked to a boat".

"Huh?"

"Yah, it's gotta be mounted on the transom and controls installed."

"Why?"

"Well, we don't have any way of starting it and checking it out."

"Seriously?"

"Yah. Now we might be able to order new BRP controls for you and figure it out that way."

"Really, what's that going to cost?"

"$450, plus the engine test at $150, plus any parts/labor that are needed."

"Humm, ok, bye."

Then I went home and (0 years of experience wrenching on OBs) apparently figured out what they could not (or would not).

--------------------------------


When I was working through the process of the transom on my Islander I had one "professional boat builder" who specializes in transom rebuilds and repower, tell me Seacast is the only way to go. He had also never heard of outboard brackets (pods). He also had no answer as to how to transplant a Merc where a Stringer once sat.

Apparently (with my 0 years of experience wrenching on Mercs) I was able to figure out what he couldn't (or wouldn't)...

These are just two examples, it goes on...

Now, the only way I was able to get these things to happen was with the awesome help right here on iboats and some determination. But, I am completely convinced that anything can be done on our boats, on our own, in our driveway. Further, I am convinced that in many cases we can, and often do a better job than what happens at the dealer/tech/factory.

Now, this is not a bash on dealers, not at all. I am certain there are awesome ones out there.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Had enough of these wacky boat dealers.....

Jason, your build inspires me to to the best job I can installing a kicker and fitting my boat with quality parts.
In a few months I will start my threads asking for help as needed. You have done an outstanding job on your Islander and it looks like it will outlast you!