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What would you do ?

Paradise bound

Paradise bound

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Lake Elsinore ,California
I have a question for the group ,I recently discovered the flooring had some fading issues ,I Put a warranty claim in with Bennington which they approved for a new floor . The dealer that has been servicing the boat almost since day one is not equipped to handle this big of a job, so they are going to source it out to another company. Thats where my concern is, The shop is not the cleanest nor is it in a great neighborhood, also there google reviews are not that great either. I did ask the dealership if they have used them often and the reply I got was they used them one time about 2 years ago for another customer .They did state they never heard from that customer whether the experience was good or bad . Does anybody know if I can refuse to have the shop make the repairs ? is it possible to send it back to the factory for this claim .
 
Have you contacted Bennington to express your concerns? You can do a search in the upper right corner for their phone number, I don't have access to it right now to post it .
 
What would I do ? Not take your boat to that shop. Are there any other Dealers close? And like Jack M said contact Bennington because they approved your claim
 
Ditto contacting Bennington. I wouldn’t want to do that. I had major work done on my boat 3 yeas ago. Down for almost 12 months (covid part and labor problems in the supply chain at the time) at a shop that you’d never expect to have problems with looking at them on the surface. All sorts of minor damages due to length of time and sloppiness over time while the boat was in their care. :mad:

In addition to reaching out to Bennington directly as recommended above, I would start looking into the nearest Bennington dealerships aside from your normal one. With warranty approved, any of them might be able to handle the job (if they do things of that magnitude), as well.

Between those two options, I feel like you can find a more acceptable shop to complete the warranty work.
 
Here is the number for Bennington ,United States & Canada: 888-906-2628
 
I wouldn't automatically discount a business, especially a low-volume one, just over its geographic location. Maybe they can't afford the higher rents on "the other side of the tracks". Or maybe the business has been around forever but the neighborhood is the one that declined. Or maybe the person lives in that neighborhood and doesn't want to commute, but still does good work.

I've used plenty of businesses in shady parts of town with satisfactory results. I've also had terrible experiences with businesses in nice parts of town.

The lack of reviews certainly hurts your ability to size these guys up, but again they may not have a lot of volume.

Your instincts might be right, but I would always default to defining your expectations and go from there. 1) job performed to your and Bennington's standards, 2) job done within a reasonable timeframe, 3) no unreasonable ancillary costs, 4) good communication, and 5) reasonable protection of your boat while it sits in their yard waiting for work to be completed.

I don't think you have the luxury to demand WHO does the work, check the fine print but typically you're at the discretion of the manufacturer. They don't want to deal with poor work or an unhappy customer either, so the advice here is good to at least discuss your concerns with Bennington and go from there.
 
Poto raises some great points! So adding the place they were going to send it to into your mix of contacts would be very worthwhile. If you haven’t yet, go in and talk to them to get a feel for them as well.
 
Paradise, convey your feelings/concerns about the shop in question that you don't feel comfortable that your boat is going to be fixed there. Then maybe you can find a reputable shop in your area on your own that is capable of completing the flooring replacement. Then contact the dealer or Bennington to see if they will approve your choice! All they can say is No right?!? Worth a shot.....
 
Mine was shipped out for my floor replacement. Pro tip…make sure you and the dealer take photos and are in agreement of any dings/dents before it leaves. That way they don’t say it was dropped off like that when it comes back with new ones….

Ask me how I know
 
lakeliving said:
Mine was shipped out for my floor replacement. Pro tip…make sure you and the dealer take photos and are in agreement of any dings/dents before it leaves. That way they don’t say it was dropped off like that when it comes back with new ones….

Ask me how I know
Click to expand...
This advice is essential! I DID NOT think of doing this before my Bennington went into the shop for 12 months for a near electrical system fire. Huge regrets in my not having the foresight.

Dealership beat our boat to heck with poor handling and care while they had it in their shop for 12 months (2021 - so Covid and parts did not help expedite our situation). When I got it back, they disputed pretty much all of the new damage they had caused (scuffs, scratches, torn bimini cover, bent rear ladder rail, cut in my rear seat, etc). They “compromised” and covered 2 items, and absolutely refused to take responsibility or fix the other 2-3 areas of damage from their careless handling of our boat.

Take pictures of EVERYTHING before sending it out.
 
Or maybe see if they would be willing to just give you the amount it would cost in materials and labor, and you can do it yourself or find a shop of your choosing?
 
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