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Rental Boats

whitey1736

whitey1736

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Hello, don't think I've posted anything here yet as I don't have a pontoon...so I guess that makes sense. I was leaning towards purchasing around the 2020 New England boat show but then held off and have since regretted given the current market. Anyways, has anyone purchased a boat previously used as a rental? Is it worth the savings in money? I assume they will be high hour boats.

As an aside, given the current market, are there any thoughts on what the 2022 boat shows will be like? Is there any incentive for dealers/manufacturers to put out any decent deals? Last April when I was at a dealer, they said that if we waited untill the 2022 boat show, with the inventory lag, we still won't likely get a boat for the start of the season.
 
Yea, I would stay away from rentals but that is just a personal preference. The market right now is "interesting" I have never seen anything like this before between boats, motorhomes, cars, houses, furniture, etc. it is just a wild time to buy bigger ticket items. I would just be patient and see what the next 12-18 months has in store for us.

The huge surge in covid buying might play out well for some of us that can be patient - I wish I had better insight but I am also waiting for a potential massive sell off of 1-2 yr old recreational vehicles that can be picked up for a steal.
 
personally, hard pass on a rental boat. For me it would be the equivalent of marrying a former prostitute. Renters have no concern for the long term condition of the boat, just pay their rate and screw around for a couple hours before saying goodbye. I’d always be worried about what the prior guy(s) did with it.
 
There is no way ,I would buy a rental . All you need is a credit card to rent one . They are very abused .
 
Another negative on a rental. High hours and probably beat up!
 
There's boat rentals on our chain of lakes - probably half-dozen times I've seen those poor things going through the channel with the motor all the way up, spinning the prop like crazy, sucking air. Between that and running aground, those boats are shot after a season. I heard that company was selling their boats for up to $100k after a year - who'd be insane enough to buy one? Yikes.
 
All good points and with the same conclusion, thank you. I assumed so much as I recall renting a couple boats for my brother's bachelor party before. The boat I was driving under my name had a 70hp and must have had 23" pontoons and a couple heavier guys...the other boat had a 60hp and must have had 25"...it went circles around mine. It was very stressful when the two groups decided to start launching ice chunks from the cooler at each other like they were pirates in a naval battle. My boat was essentially the Antelope from the song Barrett's Privateers but luckily we largely escaped unharmed.

I might stop by the dealer in the next week or so and see what their current outlook is leading up to next boating season. With two small kids, I'd rather not miss next season with a pontoon since I think they will enjoy it a lot more than my current boat on our very small lake.
 
Having watched two years of rental pontoon boats being docked or moored off next door to our cottage at a VRBO property, I would NEVER buy one.

The things people do…and don’t do…is shocking. Be it inexperience, stupidity, inebriation, combinations of those factors, etc…. I have seen too much abuse of them to ever trust one.
 
Everything has a price. If you could buy a 50hp 20' pontoon for handful of beans or old Topps trading cards, then go for it. Abuse it like those before you and not worry about paint scratches or broken biminis. Come to think of it, that actually sounds wonderful.

But no way would I spend anything more than couch change on a rental.
 
CLDave said:
There's boat rentals on our chain of lakes - probably half-dozen times I've seen those poor things going through the channel with the motor all the way up, spinning the prop like crazy, sucking air. Between that and running aground, those boats are shot after a season. I heard that company was selling their boats for up to $100k after a year - who'd be insane enough to buy one? Yikes.
Click to expand...

I've seen some things on the chain this year that you cant even make up with rentals.. Just last weekend in "2 beer lane" (from Grass lake to lake Marie) I seen the "Captain" reach over the side trying to grab someone's hat that they lost in front of them in a water gun fight. He flipped overboard off the side.. :rolleyes: Not that it hurt the boat but that's the kind of people that rent.

I would NEVER buy a rental!
 
For reference, true or not, here is what the dealer said on warranty:

"Since this boat was brand new this year you would be the first owner and it would come with the full factory warranty for the boat and the engine; the boat comes with a 10-year bow to stern warranty and the motor will have a 3 year warranty."
 
whitey1736 said:
For reference, true or not, here is what the dealer said on warranty:

"Since this boat was brand new this year you would be the first owner and it would come with the full factory warranty for the boat and the engine; the boat comes with a 10-year bow to stern warranty and the motor will have a 3 year warranty."
Click to expand...

I think your dealer is WRONG. Get him to put that in writing and agreeing to warrant boat if Bennington does not. I guarantee he changes his response.
 
https://cdn1.polaris.com/globalasse...ington-limited-warranty-2021my.pdf?v=8c3015f0


Paragraph #2

" 2. Commercial Boat Use: For commercial boat use (e.g., rental fleets, demonstrators, subscriptions, or in the event a consumer purchaser uses his/her/its boat for non-personal or nonrecreational personal use) POLARIS BOATS will warrant the brand against material defects in materials or workmanship supplied by or performed by BENNINGTON for all parts and components, not otherwise excluded, for a period of two (2) years from the date of the original purchase. At its discretion, BENNINGTON will repair or replace the items listed under this limited warranty **NOTE: Additional boat component warranties may be provided by the respective manufacturers directly. Such warranties may be found in Owner’s package or by contacting BENNINGTON’S Customer Service Department (see page 6). BENNINGTON is not responsible for and will not pay for or honor any such warranties regardless of whether the boat is being used for non-commercial or commercial use. Components that are covered by another manufacturer’s warranty are hereby expressly excluded under the terms of this limited warranty. "

whitey1736 said:
For reference, true or not, here is what the dealer said on warranty:

"Since this boat was brand new this year you would be the first owner and it would come with the full factory warranty for the boat and the engine; the boat comes with a 10-year bow to stern warranty and the motor will have a 3 year warranty."
Click to expand...
 
I have a friend who bought a rental Bennington a few years ago and Bennington is honoring warranty on seams in the seats coming apart.
 
I think the dealer is keeping the rental boats in the dealership name and then selling them as "new". Like the Demo car the car dealership drives for 5,000 miles and then sells as new. My boat came from the Nashville boat club and when I called Bennington about an issue, I was told there was no warranty on a commercial used boat.
 
Remediation said:
I think the dealer is keeping the rental boats in the dealership name and then selling them as "new". Like the Demo car the car dealership drives for 5,000 miles and then sells as new. My boat came from the Nashville boat club and when I called Bennington about an issue, I was told there was no warranty on a commercial used boat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, im thinking same. Never titled.
 
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