Boat Purchases

[PinHead]

There have been quite a few topics on here recently regarding problems after taking delivery of a boat.

I am perplexed as to why people have not checked that everything is as ordered prior to taking delivery and an on water test before making the final payment to the dealer. I bet the dealers will rectify things quickly so they can get the final payment.

Another thing I find surprising is the build times ..some of the time frames from date of order to date of delivery seem awfully long.

I know I went over mine with a fine tooth comb prior to going into the water and straight after launching and a 2 hour on water run.

Perhaps it is the excitement of the new purchase and just wanting to get it home quickly..I don't know..but as there is considerable money involved in these purchases it certainly would be prudent to check everything first.

Not having a dig at any particular member or dealer/manufacturer but it appears the old adage of buyer beware sure rings true in some instances. Plus...dealers/manufacturers are either extremely busy and are missing some items or else have a lacksadaisacal attitude which is not good for the industry in general or their business.

[PADDLES]

agree totally pinhead, we've all gotta be more aware of all the issues with our purchase and fully check it all out. of course there's some times when things just plain old conspire against ya (like in pedro's case in that other thread) and when ya drop your guard ............. wham!

maybe a boat buyers beware check list should be put up in the stickys at the top. trailer rating, tyre rating, transom rating, basic electrical checks ....... blah blah blah ....... the list goes on. this would be a pretty good reminder for people to check those little details that maybe we would overlook in the excitement of getting that new toy. ;)

[DR]

has to be something wrong somewhere, when you pay the amount of money that some do , they should not have to check the boat, it should be done & tested by the dealer. it appears waaay too many people are receiving boats that have problems, shouldn't happen.
you should be able to pick up your boat & go fishing. i know some unforseen problems can arise, but, things like leaks, missing or different parts to what were ordered etc.are just a sign of slack service & attention to the job.

should not happen, & when it does it should be rectified immediately, not next week or when i get time, it should be NOW.. they have the money, they should give what was ordered, if not there should be some kind of wrist slapping.

the gov. needs to bring in some sort of legislation to bring these people to heel if the problem is not rectified pretty quickly, as it is they don't care because they have your money & there is no come back if it takes months to get around to rectifying the problem..

as for naming the people concerned, unless you are 110% telling the truth & not colouring the story from your side i wouldn't do it, if what you say is 110% true & you can prove it.. name away as they do not deserve to get the business anyway.

having said that i checked mine over pretty thoroughly anyway, which was unecessary as they were great to deal with, even fitted some of the electrics i already had at home without charge while doing the rest of the fitout. 5 years down the track & still no probs..

[Big_Kev]

I had a mate buy a new boat a few years ago. He asked me to check it out the day before he picked it up so he didn't miss anything in the excitement.
The dealer was more then abliging.
I found a few small issues with loose carpet and paint scratches, they were all rectified before he took delivery.

[Sportfish_5]

Another thing I find surprising is the build times ..some of the time frames from date of order to date of delivery seem awfully long.


I think you need to take into consideration that manufacture process of a custom built plate boat is entirely different to that of a high production GRP or pressed tinnie. The likes of AMM, Fisher, Noble, Riptide and Rebel etc are also relatively small business (in terms of people) and do require tradesmen of higher skill levels to weld the boats when compared to the lay up of any fiberglass boat - (not trying to be derogatory to people who do that job either). The massed produced boats (glass or alloy) are very limited to changing fitouts aside from the scheduled "Options" listing that are sometimes dealer installed and can be churned out very quickly especially by the bigger global companies. That is all OK too if that suits your requirements.

We all know the current situation with lack of skilled tradesman atm but without even taking that into account of that they also need to build boats at a rate that they can resource for and then realistically deliver to customers. It also may not fit into their business plan to get any larger than they currently are - who knows and whose business is it anyway but the guys that own their business. The ones in it for the long haul are right up front with delivery times and schedule progress payments only upon commencement of hotwork anyway.

If the lead times are too long and you are not prepared to wait then of course you go with other options but you also loose that boat that was built to suit your own requirements. It was the same for me in 2000 with Sportfish and it is the same now as I wait for "my" boat to be built.


Cheers

Greg

[PinHead]

Greg..I have seen posts where boats have taken weeks or months longer than initially advised..that is the main concern. I got "my" boat built (fibreglass).... advised 12 weeks from placement of order with all the options I wanted...boat was 2 days late and I was advised prior...the delay was no fault of the manufacturer. I have also seen delays from large alloy manufacturers etc...all in all the service or at least communication to the purchaser needs some improvement.

[Sportfish_5]

Yeah - good point, communication is the key to all good transactions - monetary or personal ;D ;D ;D

Good to hear you had an enjoyable purchase process. My main point is getting a custom built plate boat is different to selecting stuff off a list of options for a production boat and lead times are known upfront before you even sign the contract.


Cheers

Greg

[PinHead]

Greg..I doubt it matters what the boat is made from...surely any manufacturer can tell you how long they take to build a boat...and when they can start the boat. Why is it any different in stating the build time on a plate boat to a glass one...if a glass takes 4 weeks then let the customer know 4 weeks and stick to it....if the plate takes 6 then ditto..stick to it...if they cannot then at least advise all customers. If a manufacturer cannot state how long it takes to build a boat then I would be looking elsewhere as it would appear as if that manufacturer does not know much about his product.

Purchasing any boat is about choosing the options required etc..no one buys the standard product.

[Chimo]

Hi PinHead and others

Would it be worthwhile getting a bit of a pre purchase / pre delivery checklist put together?

The draft could be then be discussed and amended and if deemed appropriate and worthwhile perhaps Steve could give it / them a home on the site so that Ausfishers could then use the bits they want and need when changing toys. ;D Boy the "grin" sure has got toothy, just been to the dentist too so no more toys for me for a little while!

Cheers

Chimo

[disorderly]

Chimo,
Its a great idea.You see so often on ausfish and other sites,gripes about dealers who supposedly have let down the customer.If the average bloke had a checklist and perheps the options he has in order to make the dealer comply with as little grief as possible then I think it would certainly empower the customer and make for a much less stressful purchase.
So how about it some of you guys, who,so quickly jump on some poor bloke and tell him what he should have done, getting your collective minds together and compile a checklist to make buying a newboat the fantastic experience it should be .
I am sure plenty of us out here would appreciate the effort.

cheers Scott

[PinHead]

Chimo,
I did something similar when I was looking around for my boat..I printed out a spreadsheet with all the items I could think of..2 columns..one for standard equipment...one for optional extra..I got the dealers to answer on every item so I could do a comparison between makes etc.

[FNQCairns]

Far more worrying is when the boat is built faster than it was supposed to be!!! happened to me not long ago, for piece of mind a minor delay would have been better result. ;D

cheers fnq

[mhdbl]

Guys
I believe that if you are going to buy a new or second hand boat sit down and write a list of all the questions you want to ask a the time. Most people I know don't think on a whim and walk into a boat shop and say I love that boat i will buy it now. Most people have a idea of what they want but when they get into the store all reason sometimes go out the window and they are talked into something they don't really need. ( thats what good salespersons are good at). When I am thinking of buying something i sit down and write a list out of everything I need to know. This sometimes take a couple of days. Then after speaking to sales rep I write the answers and go home and think about it and if need be ask more questions. Yes you may look like a dick but now days my hard earned cash is mine and it takes too long to earn it so if they start the smart arse comments about all the questions and writing the answers i usually tell them politely that I am after a sale and it is my money and I am after a deal and i am going to shop around. The reps that want the deal should and hopefully bend over back ward and help you (most have for me)

just my thoughts while having a cold beer

[blaze]

What about when buying, before you pay a deposit or sign a contract you present the seller with a contract to sign outlyaying the terms and condition you will accepct them as a supplier of your boat.
blaze

[PinHead]

not sure if they would accept it blaze but you can add anything you want to any contract as long as both parties are agreeable and sign off on same