[SIZE=medium]I’ll keep this as professional as possible. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I’ll start with your comment that we didn’t inspect the boat before buying. We did and unfortunately when the boat is not completely rigged and in a warehouse it can be difficult to view. Also, this is a new boat and Bennington has a history of being customer service oriented so if there was an issue, I was confident it would be taken care of. And since you’ve memorized all my posts I’m sure you recall that during inspection I noticed the live well was missed (Pat Call co-founder of Bennington missed it on the order) and the rail was crimped bad on one of the panels. The bimini frame had not been installed yet so once we took delivery it was discovered the wrong one was installed. Maybe I should have borrowed your crystal ball so I could have seen that one coming. There were also some dents observed to the bow gate and front panel as a result of road debris etc. that occurred during delivery. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]So on to you next topic. “To save what??” How about approximately $5 grand? I did price the dealer I originally bought from, he low balled me on my trade ( no big deal), so I sold it myself. Then quoted me quite high on the new one. So you’re way off thinking I didn’t give him a chance. I was not looking to go to market at that time. I’ve even referred business his way as well. This boat was going to be substantially more than our first one too. We were going with the 200hp on this boat which I think we can agree costs quite a bit more than a 50 merc. So warranty was important to me. At the time Yamaha was not offering an extended warranty past the standard 3. My old dealer guaranteed me the 200 would be on the next promotion….but wasn’t willing to put it in writing. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]So being the conscious buyer I am I begun to look around. Essentially calling various dealers within the state to see what leftover models they had to see if one would fit our needs. When talking to another dealer he asked what I would want if ordering a 2014 and said he’d love to quote it. He did and the price was great, he also agreed to put in writing if the motor was not on a promotion through Yamaha he would eat the cost of an extended one (2 additional years), included a stainless steel Yamaha reliance prop (not cheap) as well as some other options and was still less than my first dealer. Here is another interesting fact about me. People have one chance to earn my business, I don’t like to hassle and negotiate. If you’re going to high ball me, don’t expect me to come back, and I’m not going to come back and convince you to sell me a boat for what another dealer will. That is not fair to the other dealer who provided a lower quote. And as far as service, the dealer we bought the latest one from showed us all around the facility before we paid and it was impressive, giving me confidence in purchasing through them. So I guess shame on me for making my dollar go farther. Maybe its bad decisions like that which have allowed me to buy a house on the lake at age 24, make enough money so my wife doesn’t have to work and have two brand new cars, boat, jet ski, dune buggy and let’s not forget one nice retirement fund already. Also no credit card debt, student loans and I have less than 15 years of payment due on a home worth double of what I owe. I think I’m doing pretty good for under 30. Shame on me I guess. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]As for trailering it back to the dealer, they offer dockside service. So why accrue the wear and tear on the truck, trailer and my time? The boat is stored in a nice building and completely accessible for repairs. The tools required to repair my issues are not complicated. A couple wrenches, sockets and a rivet gun and drill. I like to open doors before I run into them, so trailering the boat back and forth provides an opportunity for more issues. That is called risk management. Also, I left it up to the dealer when they could come out and they let me know. I didn’t have a gun to anyone’s head saying to come on a certain day. Here is another fun fact, after servicing mine they were driving another hour further away from the dealership to work on another boat. So clearly they are ok with making the drive out to their customers. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]As for it being winter- there are multiple boat shows happening all over the country. New orders are being filled and I guarantee Bennington and the dealer is pretty bust right now. I’m confident the issues will be resolved as I am not a push over. I’m happy I now have a boat that I can steer safely and only have cosmetic fixes now. I just realized I didn’t even get into the leaking steering fluid issues. You already know about them though. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Hopefully now you have some facts to better understand my frustrations with this boat. There is more but frankly I’ve already spent too much time defending myself and actions to you. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I apologize if my comments come off as bitching. When you’re passionate about something emotions come through. I’m not one to bend over and say oh well, maybe it’s my fault because honestly, aside from selling myself the boat, manufacturing it myself, and rigging it. I’m not sure what I could have done differently to avoid all of this. And believe me, I do not enjoy going through this at all. The service rep even joked, “You should have bought a new boat so you wouldn’t have all these issues” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Happy boating. [/SIZE]
