Thread: WARNING: Do NOT EVER buy a boat from an out of (your home) state dealer

This is an email I just sent to the general manager, powersports manager and service department manager of the dealership where I bought the boat. Do not make any derogatory comments toward the manufacturer or dealership on this post please. This post is being monitored and will stay up as long as we keep it respectful. PM me any questions or comments not appropriate for posting here. Thanks BTW my video is on youtube as *** (PLEASE PM NCFARRIER). We took the boat back out yesterday afternoon for more leaking documentation and discovered the bilge pump no longer works. I do not have time to have one shipped before our meeting Tuesday and would appreciate you bringing one when you come. If need be, I will give you my credit card number to purchase one. I do not want anything changed on this boat before we do this testing and documenting on Tuesday but I want a functional bilge pump on board for safety reasons.
We got on the water on High Rock again yesterday at Tamarac and I have a Garmin GPS recording and documenting our route. We immediately began taking on a small amount of water during our trip at low to medium speed but with careful monitoring of water level in the boat, proceeded to ride around without turning on the bilge pump. Leaving bilge pump off is the only way to accurately document the amount of water the boat takes on in a given test. We proceeded to a landmark on the lake known as the "pink roof house" that is a popular catfishing hole. We drifted about 15 minutes but nothing was on sonar so we left and went up the channel to an area called "swearing creek" that is about a 20-30 minute boat ride at the medium speed I normally travel. There was more water in the bottom of boat when we stopped at this location and documented the depth of water that had entered the boat. I estimate 6-10 gallons of water in the boat at that point. We drift fished this area for 45 minutes to an hour while monitoring water intake and there was no detectable change in the amount of water in the bottom of the boat after this hour of drift fishing. We began our backtrack and stopped at the pink house to see if it was worth trying and when we stopped my passenger indicated that we had taken on a bunch more water, all pumps were completely submerged, water was way up on the battery and fuel tank and I witnessed water 5-6 inches deep in the back of the boat when I left the console and stepped on the back deck. Unfortunately, this is when we discovered the bilge pump had quit. We immediately began heading toward the boat ramp at this point. We are approaching dusk and the ramp was quite crowded so I announced upon arrival that we were taking on water and bilge pump had quit. The folks around the ramp were very respectful and we got out of the water very quickly. As we pulled the boat out of the water quite a few boaters came to check on us. We had about 15 people that gathered and began talking about the boat. I showed the video on my phone that I had sent to *** and *** back in July to the group and briefly summarized the details of what has and has not transpired over the several weeks. While in the boat ramp parking lot with this group present, I pulled the left plug and began measuring water and documented just under 27 gallons of water that was in the boat. One of the first comments made from the group was "dang those sure are some cheap, lightweight plastic plugs to be put on a boat that nice" (and I totally agree)along with "dang, that is a lot of water coming in especially for a new boat" and "Man, I would be pissed if I were you". When the left side drained I moved to the right side plug and another half gallon came out of that plug. One guy in the group spoke up and said I work on boats, do you mind backing that boat back in the water and letting me look at it. Of course, I do not mind so I back it back in the water and he does some checking while the bow is still hooked to the trailer. Before he got in the boat I used my phone to open the scan of the written report of testing emailed to me by ***. He gave me his opinion, name, phone number and sincere condolences. The group gathered around the boat was astounded that neither *** or *** had made this right in this length of time since they were made aware of the leak and the video I posted on youtube. I told them all of our pending meeting on Tuesday at Kerr Scott Reservoir in hopes of getting this resolved. They are anxious to hear the what transpires but not nearly as anxious as I am.


Thanks

As stated above go get a lawyer. Really don't the idea of having to get one but in your case it seems pretty straight forward. They should return any and all expenses you have had as well as compensation for all your trouble. At this point I would stop bickering back and forth with them. Longer you wait is not good. Not really an issue of weather you buy a boat or anything else from out of state but more on the dealer and boat manufacture when there is an issue.

Chad, congratulations!! Persistence pays off my friend. You are about to get a new boat...I do believe. Smiles, G <€€><

I did speak with the manager of **** this morning and I told him that this had been drug on way too long. I asked him after watching that video would he put his 3 year old daughter on that boat? He said no he would not. That was the most positive reaction I have got yet.

That sounds like some good news. Keep us posted on the results.

I hope they do something for you tomorrow! I can't believe this has took this long!

I did get an email today from the store manager that Corperate has authorized to reimberse me all 3 payments I have made on the boat thus far. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Hope this is near the end too!

We are meeting at Damsite Park Ramp at the Kerr Scott Vistors Center tomorrow at 11 am. I have family showing up as support and it would tickle me to death to have a whole bunch of folks there as onlookers. The more witnesses I have, the more pressure is put on them. You know this has to be embarrassing for a company and manufacturer. I would have thought they would have wanted this put to sleep before now.

Good Luck tomorrow NCfarrier!! I hope everything goes well.