How are you people getting on with Fisher?

[bluefin59]

When i bought my bluefin i paid 10% down as deposit as well even though it wasn't custom i had a few extras added and it all went smooth as . Having said that i would have liked to have a fisher as well but there is no way in hell i would be BUYING or RECOMENDING them now or in the future i just cant see how i could give any money to someone who obviously has a shady business manner KARMA will deal with fisher too ,good luck col & nancy i hope the future comes up trumps for you ...matt

[White Pointer]

G'day,

This will be my last post on this thread for the time being, until sombody alerts me that they know where my instruments are or an offer of $ is made.

I would like to thank Finga for starting this and Nickstock for attracting my attention and to all the others who have helped Nickstock make a decision about what he shouldn't do.

The past few posts on this thread have been very constructive - dealing with the issue of security over deposits and progress payments. The reality is that custom boat builders need these $ to fund working capital in their businesses. They usually don't own the property they work from and therefore find it extremely difficult to borrow for working capital and to fund growth.

But, as I know only too well this exposes the buyer to a huge risk and the risk may not be just the solvency of the business as a trading entity. It could be a dispute between partners, extreme financial volatility, business failure by key suppliers, lots of things.

I suggest that these issues may be better explored and discussed in a new thread so that it attracts the attention of a wider and perhaps better skilled audience to come up with some solutions.

Thank you all for your support.

White Pointer

[Systemic]

[Mister]

Now there are quite a few lessons in all of this for other players. The principle has nothing to do with boats and the principle is you can't trust nobody these days and if you do then you only have yourself to blame. Has nothing to do with gut feeling either, simply the way the world is, you weigh up the risks and accept the responsibility for your own decisions.

[tin can marlin]

Now there are quite a few lessons in all of this for other players. The principle has nothing to do with boats and the principle is you can't trust nobody these days and if you do then you only have yourself to blame. Has nothing to do with gut feeling either, simply the way the world is, you weigh up the risks and accept the responsibility for your own decisions.

I think we have to be carful we don't tar all custom plate builders with the same brush. Lets face what happened is a major one of. I know others have gone bad but there is only a very small amount. I think trust is important from both sides. So lets not bash up on the plate industry as a group lets only bash the ones that are doing or have done the incorrect thing by it's customers.
Cheers Mark

[Mindi]

I think we have to be carful we don't tar all custom plate builders with the same brush. Lets face what happened is a major one of. I know others have gone bad but there is only a very small amount. I think trust is important from both sides. So lets not bash up on the plate industry as a group lets only bash the ones that are doing or have done the incorrect thing by it's customers.
Cheers Mark

Mark...read the post again...he ( Mister) specifically said he was not talking about the boat industry. more about naivity. I agree with him fully. You do your research, you make your decisions and you take your risks. Your results depend on how well you did your research and deciding. It doesnt eliminate bad results but its the best you can do. Unfortunately we naturally want to think well of people and are sometimes sucked in by the "buddy" strategy among others.
Anybody who prepays a large amount of money to a recently rescued/restructured business in an economy on life support would be taking a risk that doesnt attract me.
As for boats , plate or otherwise..If the economy and sharemarket recover while I am still upright I will be shopping for a boat in the good secondhand market handing over the bag of cash with one hand and getting the keys in the other....and probably getting a 30% discount off new for someone elses's 1-2 yrs of scratches and minor dents....but thats just the way forward I am comfortable with.

[fishing111]

Been watching this thread for ages now, and like others I guess I'll throw my 2 bob into the ring. Couple of thing's I don't get, well more, but anyway I was wondering what the thinking was/is in relation to White Pointer and Smasheddreams? These two buyers through no fault of there own ( if legit ) have been caught up in a whirlwind not of there own making, and if the new company/board or whoever decided to retain the name "Fisher Boats", doesn't do right by them than I wonder how such a company could ultimately survive with there logo in tatters?
I'm curious as to how the new owners plan to deal with this ongoing problem ( on the assumption everything is 100% true by WP & SD's ) given that most boat buyers cut there teeth on smaller rigs, and gradually over a number of years, get bigger, and or want a stronger boat to suit there needs. Of these buyers that have been around the block a few times, most do plenty of leg work on potential purchases, and most of those potential buyers go plate ( if so inclined ) and use the internet to start off there search. This is the plate builders bread and butter customer base, so I'm clueless as to why the new owners would take on the name Fisher, in any guise, or have anything to do with it, knowing that there are at least 2 customers who will yell there story from a cliff top until they are dealt with satisfactorily ( look at the number of views on this thread already ). Why the new owners didn't change the name completely from Fisher Boats to something else is beyond my thinking, then at least they could say not our problem to WP & SD's with a bit more authority ( doesn't make it right by any stretch ).

I mean if a company is not going to give items back that were purchased in good faith, what must the man on the street, potential customer, think his chances will be of first getting his boat built and receiving it, let alone god forbid warranty work needed to be performed on it?
You just can't, and won't be let off by the boating public by shutting down and re-opening and not honouring past customers. The new owners kept the name "Fisher Boats", so for me personally you have no option but to honour all customers.


I and others no doubt can pick up on the tone portrayed from "Fisher Too" that there is some real friction between himself and WP, but surely that has to be put aside, as that to me is just as important a reason to the longevity of the company as for the supposed reasons FT took it over in the first place. I mean what's the difference, if the new owners take it over and let some past customers yell from the roof top every chance they get, for Fisher Boats (2nd version) not doing right by them, or by supposedly letting the original owners (F1) run the business into the ground. Different problems but ultimately the same outcome?

[dazbax73]

Get ready everyone the following comment is 100% true.
I picked up my new Fisher on Thursday and is now sitting in the shed.
Before anyone asks YES I AM HAPPY WITH THE BOAT.
Daz

[rcfisher]

Well done Daz how about a couple of pics?

[backlash08]

well done Daz, good on you, what model is it?
cheers

[PinHead]

I suppose we should look at the other side of the coin for boatbuilders. They can get stiffed by a dodgey customer, they outlay a lot for materials & staff labour only to have the customer decide they don't want the boat or just disappear leaving them with a problem. Has to be a bit of give & take, it's ok to mention small deposits & large companies that make boats, what about the new fella, we all have to start somewhere & there are a few good small builders out there that need to be given a chance. Do your research...this whole incident has left a sour taste in lots of mouths, don't let it stop you from getting what you really want.

I cannot understand how a boatbuilder CANNOT build a boat without the progress payments set up. I will admit that I get payment for equipment before I install...however I install at the client's address..i have no legal claim once it is installed. A boat builder is different..the boat stays in his factory...it seems to me like they cannot pay to build the boat without the customer paying up front. Even Riviera used the progress payment scheme..how would it feel if you had 750k paid on your boat and you heard the news..panic would set in.

It does not make sense to me..if a builder gets 30 days credit from his suppliers..build the boat(s) within that 30 days..get paid by the customer..pay the bills..all is good.

[boatie_72]

I agree with pin head, i know that production boat builders like Quintrex, Sea jay, Horizon , BlueFin etc do not take deposits, they do not get payed till the boat is complete and they can have 30 or more boats in production at one time. Plate boat builders or dealers do not put their deposit money into trust accounts either. So it is a risk. i know Marine Queensland is trying to change that and the brokerage have to put their deposits into trust accounts now. So untill that changes its the buyers risk.

[disorderly]

Just out of interest what sort of timeframe is involved with the actual building and fitout of an average plate boat..?

[castlemaine]

White pointer, as you are aware your electrics where returned to the supplier by the administrators, and you know that for a fact, because they held right of title until paid for, so obviously col/ nanc forgot to pay them to yah.I like most are a little confused how a reasionably intelligent man like your self would have parted with so much of your hard earned $k with absolutely nothing to show for it.shouldn't your questions (or at least some of them) be directed at col/ nancy, the old managing director and book keeper of the old fisher, because at the end of the day, they took your money, gave you receipts etc, obviously they must have made some form of representations to you, so where is your boat, motor, electrics mate

I hate it when people say that
When I was to holiday in Bribie, Col PM'd me on this site with his phone number and when I got there he gave me some GPS points and pointers to where to fish. Also told me if I was near his camping spot to come up and say hello. Never ever met the man in person.
No wonder so many people here stick by him.
Hope WP and SD get what's owed to them, one way or the other. Cheers

[nickstock]

Just out of interest what sort of timeframe is involved with the actual building and fitout of an average plate boat..?

Hi Scott,

How are you mate?

The builder that I have decided to go with has given me an approx 6 - 7 week build time from start to finish. It is a 5.5 meter centre cab so obviously bigger boats would take more time. I was supprised by the quick build time.

You will have to come up for a fish with the family when you get a chance mate.

Cheers mate,

Nick