Question to Boat manufactors??

[BOMBIE]

Hi to all the boat manufactors that check out the "info " we chat about on these pages(trust me I know that you do)!!:o . One Question but, why is it when my Jap 4wd VEHICLE manufactor finds a fault in a model , they then "R E C A L L " that model/make , they then find me who owns a 5 yr old 3rd hand one,sends us a SAFETY recall and what not do to until it gets checked ,and then they get us to take it to a local dealers to inspect the vehicle and FIX THERE MISTAKE !!!:o .All this time there are NO question of what /who/ how the vehicle was driven or Ks on clock ETC , and no monies are asked for it is just fixed!8-) . MR Manufactor why is it then when there are faults found on your BOATS that get mentioned on these pages( compaired to numbers sold) that when someone has a problem with a item you make, that it is an act of frustation on our part to get somesort of acknowledgement/ satifaction with you people.I know there is no (as yet!)Industry Standard on your products,BUT surely somesort of customer service should arrise. I will not be waiting for YOUR responce as I am well an truely use to it falling on an ignorant Industry that answers to noone>:(

[kizza1]

I am no boat manufacturer but here is my theory
in cars they all have a chassis number which is recorded on a database through qld transport and the likes.
engines cannot be searched in the same way.

the manufacturers do there best by updating all there dealers on all recalls regularly. now if the current owner of the outboard is not having it serviced regularly ie 12monthly at there dealer of that brand outboard then they will not get notified.
if they are getting it serviced then the dealer should pick up on it and sort out the problem.
i know for a fact that mercury has done recalls outside of warrenty periods and have sent letters to all owners that are on there database.

they do the best they can from what i see.
the marine game is miles behind the automotive industry as far as qld transport is concerned. look at how easy it is to register a stolen boat or trailer. it is ridiculous

[Crocodile]

Hello BOMBIE (http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/member.php?u=45645),

Boat manufacturers are often small businesses and do not have the resources to track down owners.
The bad publicity is often crippling.
How much do you want to pay for your boat?
How much extra would you pay for a lifetime register of owners, boats, defects etc.
Joe Public would typically not want to pay anything extra.

Try this link;
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/952854 vbmenu_register("postmenu_1196209", true); vbmenu_register("postmenu_1196209", true);

[Daisy Burnett]

Well I know that the HIN number and motor ID number is recorded on my boat registration, the very same as my car so if dealers wanted to put in the effort they could carry out recalls the same as vehicle manufacturers. I realise that the boat manufacturers dont have the same resources as the big vehicle guys but a little free advertising, say on a web site where a lot of boaties read info would help. But where, I wonder, would they find such a free service web sight..... Gee, maybe someone should make one they could call it Ausfish..maybe

Cheers
Daisy

[Daisy Burnett]

OK I just went to link from Croc and that is good I shall now pull my head in.

Daisy

[BOMBIE]

I am no boat manufacturer but here is my theory
in cars they all have a chassis number which is recorded on a database through qld transport and the likes.
engines cannot be searched in the same way.

the manufacturers do there best by updating all there dealers on all recalls regularly. now if the current owner of the outboard is not having it serviced regularly ie 12monthly at there dealer of that brand outboard then they will not get notified.
if they are getting it serviced then the dealer should pick up on it and sort out the problem.
i know for a fact that mercury has done recalls outside of warrenty periods and have sent letters to all owners that are on there database.

they do the best they can from what i see.
the marine game is miles behind the automotive industry as far as qld transport is concerned. look at how easy it is to register a stolen boat or trailer. it is ridiculousFellas ,this has nothing to do with ENGINE manufactors, their warranty is not at question here, but BOAT ones are , what I am stating is simply by your responce (not Theirs)how many times do we the purchaser have 'faults" with boats and when /if there its a problem its like pulling teeth,why if car producers can look after their products SURELY the boat ones could do the same!!!!

[LoungeLizard]

why if car producers can look after their products SURELY the boat ones could do the same!!!!

I think you're oversimplifying things. To say that cars manufacturers = good, boat manufacturers = bad is simply not true. Most people have a horror story or two about cars. Just the same way you get good & bad boat builders. The same thing happens in every industry (ever had a dodgy builder? what about a dodgy premier ;D )

The difference is that there are 1000's of times more cars sold than boats, so if something goes pearshaped with a car there are 1000's of owners that can take action, legal or otherwise. With a boat it's normally a single person or maybe a handful.

[Steeler]

Recalls i am thinking in vehicles are more of a consistent issue across a particular model, where as i am guessing what your alluding to is issues with boats that may not necessarily be consistent with a particular model.

A stuffed weld on a boat is an issue of course but does that mean every boat in that line up will have the same issue ?.

[deckie]

A stuffed weld on a boat is an issue of course but does that mean every boat in that line up will have the same issue ?.

An enormous problem (obviously not just in boat building) this country had was quality control right across the broad manufacturing base. Getting FAR FAR better these days but still the odd industry or sector that just see's this as an added expense.

In some ways its self inflicted..we're a very tolerant bunch and that can be taken advantage of.

I read in here recently a guy taking delievery of a tinnie by a well known manufacturer and thought some of the things wrong were a bit of a pain but in general he was "happy". Things like wiring done backwards and dodgy looking welds. Tolerant bugger but thats working against all buyers long term.

This tells us what ?...noone even bothered to check it before it left the factory. Zero quality control even at the end and if thats the case how on earth can u trust their manufacturing process or the guys working on it.

Geeez there's some great boats made here nowdays tho.

[kizza1]

Recalls i am thinking in vehicles are more of a consistent issue across a particular model, where as i am guessing what your alluding to is issues with boats that may not necessarily be consistent with a particular model.

A stuffed weld on a boat is an issue of course but does that mean every boat in that line up will have the same issue ?.

exactly

cars are made by a robotic assembly line which makes everything more consistent including if there is a problem.
boats on the other hand are generally handbuilt and each boat is different.

[BOMBIE]

Recalls i am thinking in vehicles are more of a consistent issue across a particular model, where as i am guessing what your alluding to is issues with boats that may not necessarily be consistent with a particular model.

A stuffed weld on a boat is an issue of course but does that mean every boat in that line up will have the same issue ?. Thanks Steeler, you are getting close to what I am talking about,WHY is it that when we have a fault , RE: WE SINK!! NOTHING to do with numbers made ,robots etc,etc. A number of certain brands DO have splits/cracks/paint peel, WHY does the MTAQ cars,MBA Master builders, MPA Master plumbers , ETC look after the public Re Insurance in regards to FAULTY workmanship (BAIQ now martitime Qld is boys club)) N O T H I N G exsist within the boating Industry to look after us ?? Including the Government Depts.. WHY!!!!!!!!

[testlab]

WHY!!!!!!!!

In my opinion, which agrees with other posts here, its because there is no standardised method of assessing the quality - there is no benchmark regarding what is acceptable. What one person accepts, another may reject.

The design of a boat is very subjective and parameters regarding strength and construction method are not uniform across the industry, plus they will vary for the use and price.

So what does one do about it?

Quality and attention to detail are generally driven by market forces, not regulation. So it is up to us... boat buyers and boat users to establish what is acceptable. User forums and consumer groups often drive the process and with enough support force the voluntary adoption of codes of practice and other 'standardised' processes. If makers adopt the CoP it means us (buyers) have some come back against them if there is a defect... which in turn means buyers have more confidence choosing brand X over brand Y.

See http://www.bia.org.au/pdf-forms/CodeCOMPLETE.pdf

Govt may eventually join the bandwagon when the bureaucrats see something they can exert their influence over, or pollies think there are votes to be had, but this usually just drives up prices and creates massive regulatory burdens (paperwork) for no tangible benefit.

If a boat builder does not follow a CoP then ask them how they deal with issues. Its the small issues that generate the most angst so get down to nitty gritty. If you get brushed off because you're being a nuissance now, imagine the reception if you have a problem later.

From my experience the boat building industry has a lot of very skilled people yet many use very unskilled approaches to customer demands/expectations. The trade skills are perhaps no longer the only or even most important skill needed to make a good product. It takes a holistic approach.

.

[Lovey80]

Testlab may have a point. Right now the best thing we have is the net and spreading the word. Every time there is an issue with a boat that is under warranty and it is not sorted out with utmost customer satisfaction then we have a duty to each other to get on these and other pages and scream from the roof tops. Words spreads pretty fast and they will be affected through the bottom line. a good example is Quintrex. I had a high opinion of Quintrex boats but had only ever had experience with the older models. After reading these pages for the past few years over Quintrex issues, I would not touch one and will also advise anyone I know to do the same. Yes Quintrex is huge and probably arent going away too soon but every bit helps.

[BOMBIE]

Testlab may have a point. Right now the best thing we have is the net and spreading the word. Every time there is an issue with a boat that is under warranty and it is not sorted out with utmost customer satisfaction then we have a duty to each other to get on these and other pages and scream from the roof tops. Words spreads pretty fast and they will be affected through the bottom line. a good example is Quintrex. I had a high opinion of Quintrex boats but had only ever had experience with the older models. After reading these pages for the past few years over Quintrex issues, I would not touch one and will also advise anyone I know to do the same. Yes Quintrex is huge and probably arent going away too soon but every bit helps.Great point Lovey8-) ,but"Q" boats are NOT the only ones;) like you've said just check out the blogs ...oh and just to make a point, STILL no contact/ comment from any Manufactors:o :o !!!!