Should we buy Australian Made boats or take our chance offshore ?

[Dicktracey]

This is an epic read that may leave some viewers scratching their head going WTF ?
PART 1
To say this boat has been a test of Finances, relationship's & patience would be an understatement. I have previously posted that a true measure of customer service is how the fault is rectified not who is to blame for the fault let's face it as soon as humans are involved there will be issues "Most Monday's and Fridays"
We upgraded to our Evolution 552 X Gold 2011 Trailerboat magazine boat of the year this past January the Guys at Coastal powerboats did the deal and all was looking good. Being a new dealer for the brand we had a few issues setting up props engine heights ect but together we worked our way through the issues that we faced all in all I was very happy with the response from Kieran at coastal to rectify any concerns I had with the fit up.
Fast forward a few mths and 100hrs you could imagine my disappointment to find cracking in the gel coat of the floor area between front seats where it met the front bulk head. A call to the guys at coastal no probs keep an eye on them and we will check it out at 100hr service. Each trip after that I watched the cracks grow in length to the point of WTF is going on under the floor, closer inspection revealed some screws holding the bulk head to the floor pulled out as well?
Spoke to Coastal and we both agreed time to speak direct with Manufacture in Melbourne as this is why I bought an Aussie made boat. Rest assured Richard there is no structural issues with boat it is a quick fix just an issue with gel coat We have seen it before it is a simple fix! Phew thank god for that I had visions of explaining to wife how her deck extension is now needing to be replaced.
One of the main reason we chose the 552 over other brands was the fact all the advertising material including the manufacturers DVD claimed no timber is used in the floor area !!!
So upon request of manufacturer i took boat to a local boat builder to have cracks inspected and work out a plan of attack, When the local guys asked me what is going on under the floor as well alarm bells started to ring, the local guy then spoke to the manufacturer re repair and politely declined the offer to repair as per manufactures advice "Grind out cracks from the upper surface and lay new Glass down " I questioned the local guys reason for not wanting to repair and he told me without knowing what was happening under floor they would not touch the repair "fair call I thought"
So when i phoned manufacturer back you could imagine my shock when he stated I will find someone to fix it that knows what they are doing, My question was fix it as it should be fixed or how you want it to be fixed ?
The line of communication broke down over the next week I wanted the boat repaired back in Melbourne at factory at their cost, manufacture wanted it repaired local he just didn't know who buy. The boys at Coastal have a glass guy but he was away on leave & I didn't really want a third party involved in what was shaping up to be a shit fight.
As my background is in mechanical engineering and not boat building which the manufacture so kindly pointed out on many an occasion I engaged an independent Surveyor to inspect the boat for structural integrity and sea worthiness. Best $500 i have ever spent. Waste of money the manufacture told me.
You could of knocked me over with a feather when the surveyor showed me piece by piece of unsealed timber in the floor and rear transom battery shelf area. 8 page report later I was pissed and wanted some answers. To the manufactures credit he made time to visit boat during the Brisbane boat show & agreed on more than one occasion they have carried out poor and unchecked workmanship in the manufacture of our boat.

OK I WANT MY MONEY BACK AS THIS BOAT IS NOT FIT FOR THE PURPOSE I BOUGHT IT FOR AND IT HAS UNSEALED TIMBER WHEN YOUR DVD STATES NO TIMBER IS USED IN THE FLOOR

What can we do to make you a happy evolution customer i was asked ? MONEY BACK was the answer ! So we went around and around until a compromise was made, The Manufacturer who refused to ship boat back to his factory at his cost agreed to rectify all issues with boat both his and fit up left over's plus any niggling issues I had with boat. What's the catch you ask ? I had to transport boat to Melbourne and back.
So a list was made and it was emailed back and forth a date was set the time period given for repair was as per estimated repair time that manufacture wanted, an offer of taking it down a week early was made but due to staff restrictions they declined.
I planned to drive down leave ute there fly back return 10 days later as they needed 4 days to repair. Working out my cost was well over $1k for relocation costs so i wanted a win out of all this shit, a request was made to remove the advertised Ice box in the floor "which was as much use as a chocolate tea pot ice lasted 1hr in it " to allow inspection of subfloor under cracks rather than glass icebox back in the 150L fuel tank was to be replace with 200L unit taking up void the Chocolate teapot took up.
Another upgrade was to remove seat pedestals and replace with simple CC style stainless frames to allow twin Evakool eskies to be fitted as we now no longer had the advertised ICEBOX in the floor.
The manufacturer pointed out a few other issues that he pointed out where fit up issues that they didn't do, Trailer roller set up, tinned wire in wet areas, single water pick up for deck wash and bait tank these where noted and added to list.
Full of confidence and the wife's words still ringing in my ear "don't bring that F@#king thing home unless its fixed" the road trip began. It was an un eventful trip other than roo's with Japanese flag head bands playing chicken with the Dmax.
Upon arrival in Melbourne the boat was quickly taken away for disassembly and inspection before we flew out, we enjoyed a tour of the factory and the build process. One of the things i pointed out to the manufacturer was the same trailer roller faults which he said where fit up issues where on his own demo stock as well ? Plot thickens ! People in Glass houses !
We returned the next day after checking out the home of IFISH and Lee Rayners tackle shop to find the boat dissected. I was not expecting to see an 1 1/2" gap between the floor pan and the LH stringer support below the main cracking and stripped screws. It was agreed it was a manufacturing fault and was nothing that couldn't be fixed I was glad that I made the decision to drag it down to Mexico than let them do the bodgie job local.
I was told the wet area wiring would be replaced with Tinned wire along with new plumbing for deck & bait wash pumps to allow factory set up. Hard plumbed tap for bait tank which would allow easy access for isolation which would mean glassing up bait tank and relocation of spray nozzle.
Feeling confident we flew home anxious to see outcome, progress pics slowly filtered through not leaving me busting with confidence of completion, I called 2 days before departure to check dates the floor manager said he had buckly's of being finished yet the manufacturer said no problems it will be done.
Now I'm not known to be one to let an opportunity to pass an opinion go by and do enjoy a good stink like the next opinionated individual but up until what happened next i reckon I had been more than civilised and cooperated above and beyond what most end consumer's would have done.
Picture this if you will I arrive on the morning of my drive home to find at least 4 guys crawling over boat bolting shit down in every cnr of the boat WTF ?
Where is the Boss I ask, oh he is out doing a water test !!!! Not like I have travelled far.
As i look into boat I notice RH seat frame on the piss & mounted 30mm higher than the LH frame even though a full set of plans and mounting holes had been marked out now I have more holes to fill, wiring is hanging out everywhere, led strip lighting hanging down, shit over the boat everywhere $300 Suzuki engine cover covered in shit INSERT VERY BAD SWEAR WORDS NOW. Pull that twisted piece of shit out my boat now I requested.
Why is my old deck wash pump fitted back in there ? Why hasn't the wiring been replaced as stated in email ? Why is the lighting hanging down ?
I had to leave as bad shit was about to happen, I received a call shortly after from manufacturer and i returned to factory and was given a whole heap of bullshit excuses including do you know what repairing this boat has cost me this week Richard WTF ? You could imagine my surprise to find timber still unsealed other repairs covered 1" thick in silicon leaving me wondering if they had been sealed correctly ? I was even offered to take boat as is and I could have transducer that now fills a water pick up hole free of charge.
I explained this was totally unacceptable and would not take hand over of boat and they could keep boat and transport it back to me upon satisfactory completion of agreed faulty workmanship repairs and modifications.
What happened next still leaves my blood boiling today 2 weeks later. The manufacturer told me if I leave my boat it will probably get stolen being left outside as he was not willing to put it in his shed as he was done with it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So his staff have gone home it's lunch time sat he is about to leave for weekend and I'm standing outside looking at my $65K piece of shit trying to work out WTF to do next. So that's it i ask ? we are done hey ? Pissed off doesn't come close to what I felt at that minute, I had to remove myself from the situation as things where closing in around me, I felt betrayed to the point of F@#k Australian made should of bought a Noble.
I hooked up the boat pissed off worst than i can ever remember left Melbourne 3pm sat arrived Brisbane nthside 3pm Sun.
The mrs asked me where the RH seat was and started to wind up when i looked at her and she said i will go get dinner. I slept for the next 15hrs and started to inspect what i was in for, I had covered the boat in shade cloth to prevent stone chips you could only imagine my rage when i cut zip ties holding shade cloth to find the front rollers nowhere near the hull after the experts adjusted the roller spread and forgot to jack post back up to make rollers touch hull. Melbourne to Brisbane isn't that far on the rear rollers and winch eye roller !
I apologise for this being so long winded I only wanted to state the facts not here say or fabricated stories, even though I have had over a week to cool down it still makes my blood boil. I need to go have some little brown stress relief bottles will try to bring up to date asap.
cheers
Dick
OH I forgot the F@#King cracks are also still in the floor pan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hilta1]

Mate i would seek legal advise straight away!!!!! you are more patient than me as i personel would have ramned the boat up the owners a!!! I would also put this post on fishnet whuch seems to be prominetly melbourne based and get the word out about there boats being sh!!!. I realy dont understand the mentality of these local manufacturers, sounds like they should have grown some balls, admitted there stuff up and replace the boat, the cost of what they have done to you will far outway the cost of replacing your boat! If they lose the sale of 4 or 5 boats because of this they are behind dont you think??? Best of luck Regards Mark

[cobiaman]

What a joke, its a shame when a manufacturer wont stand behind his own work. Go and get some legal advice mate, and i wish all the best with your upcoming battle to get it fixed!!!

[shane450]

legal advice asap ,

shame on you Evolution boats

[rosco1974]

seek legal advice mate.pretty piss poor from them

[rumy1]

Nice to buy new but safe to buy near new. I had problems with Haines Signature 5.42m and things were never fixed properly. Evolution 552 X Gold, they look so good and are so expensive for their size, I thought they would be the ducks nuts in quality.

Mate, keep a diary of all your conversations and print out emails and times/dates etc ..... this will help you alot if it hits the courts or even argueing with the manufacturer.

[Boat Hog]

DT that sucks, totally sucks!

You've been let down big time by an 'Australian' boat builder and I suspect, in part, by the cloying boating media who (no doubt) gave glowing reviews of the manufacturers (paid advertisers!) product. I would be contacting the seller and demanding a replacement hull (no timber used) at the very least.

You would have been better off buying a secondhand AMERICAN boat from one of the reputable brands, on an Aussie compliant brand spanking Ally trailer and sticking a new outboard on it when it got here! Is it any wonder the Aussie boat building industry is in trouble - where is there pride in there product?

If only they were down the road from you, then you could harrass them every day. I believe that they have played on the fact that you only had a limited time to get things done then had to return interstate with whatever thay had finished.

I feel your pain and frustration.

Best wishes getting satisfaction from these @ssholes.

[propdinger]

Take it to someone to survey it asap then make sure you have all documentation and go after them for cost of towing it down and accommodation etc plus repair or replacement as it ain't as advertised or fit for purpose.and you gave them more then enough time to fix it

[Captain Seaweed]

shame shame shame the aussie boating industry is struggling to tread water, why is there still people trying this on, where did honesty, integrity and customer service go? I bet the owner of Evolution is playing the tune of why send your money overseas, ........bs in my opinion.

Marty

[Dicktracey]

Guys the only thing going for Evolutions Boats as far as I go is Kieran from Coastal Powerboats, within 24hrs from arriving home with the boat Kieran had arranged for me to meet him and the Head Guy at Duniber Trailers, we discussed the issues with axle location and roller set up "which I had re adjusted" and have booked a day on the return Trip to have axle moved.
Before taking the boat down the coast Kieren went on to make a list of all the damage & faults left by Evolution boats and has assured me he will rectify before the boats return.

To me Coastal Powerboats have shown me that they fully back the product they sell "even though it is not their fault" I would not hesitate to recommend them as a dealer.

I have full transcripts of all conversations with manufacture as well as an 8 page surveyors report, I have had the pleasure to be involved with multinational company legal situations in a previous lifetime so I'm well prepared for what ever direction this shit fight goes.
At the end of the day I just want to get back on the water it's coming up 6weeks since I wet a line,The neighbor is pissed with me flicking slugs in his pool.

It has left me wondering WTF went wrong these guys had the perfect PR vehicle to back the product they Manufacture proving why we the consumer should support the local industry in a market that is spiraling up its own arse ATM.

I Spoke to Kieran this afternoon boat is expected back from Trimmers any day now then I will head down to see if new seat frame is any closer to plans than the previous one was. The boys will then glass up the extra speed holes and hopefully get rid of the cracks that I have driven from Brisbane to Melbourne & return. "Lucky I never got done for transporting that much crack into Mexico"

At the end of the day its only a material possession my family is well and I have a job so all in all life is pretty peachy

Thanks for the advice and don't sweat on the little things guys
Dick

[Swanie1975]

DT id say youve bent over backwards to come to an outcome where both parties could be satisfied and evolution boats seem determined to screw it up! for gods sakes you towed the thing all the way to melbourne and back for them!

now that youve given them a good chance and one attempt to fix, i believe its time to stand back and let the lawyers bend them over instead. the workmanship and the way they have handled the attempted rectification is incredibly poor.

as propdinger said put it all in writing (all costs included) and let them suffer instead. disgusting that the quality is so poor as well as the way they have handled the obviously major issues with the quality of the boat.

good luck with it and im sure you will keep us all posted with the results.

cheers ryan

[SunnyCoastMark]

Dick,
That absolutely sucks! - Bloody Victorians! You need to contact office of fair trading first. Take plenty of photos and stick to the facts. Gunna be hard to not let emotions get in the way, but that is the way you will have to play it. Engage a solicitor by all means, but be careful you don't just end up spending 1000's there for no result.
Personally, I would go the full refund as the boat is not what was advertised. The timber anywhere inside the hull would do it for me. If I were to buy a glass boat, I would definitely want one that did not use timber underfloor - as it will eventually rot.

There is so much in your post that beggars belief. I can't believe that you took it back to Melbourne - only for it to pretty much end up worse than before!...............unbelievable!!........

Mark

[fisho8]

Wow DT what a jokeI liked those boats mate and as said here thought they would have been great for the money they were asking for them. Go to your solicitor and engage consumer affairs. This is clearly not acceptable and has to stop alot of the boat builders need to work on their people skills and back up service. I would get a surveyor to go over it again to check the repairs and do another report boat hull come with a 5 year warranty. That is absoloute shit service on a 65k boat I would accept nothing less than a new hull and if they have false advertised it in anyway. I would hit them with that aswell. It is no wonder guys are looking OS to buy boats because they are sick of these fake ass grease the palms up bullshit manufacturers that blow sunshine up your arse to buy their product. I have totally lost faith in the boatsales and manufactureing market here in OZ it has totally gone to shit IMO. My next boat is coming from the states and I am lucky to have a boat now that is 3 years old and only has 1 small hairline crack in the gelcoat where the door is about 5cm long and a repair done on the inside the WA area which I have polished up my boat was made in the states in the whittley factory. Yank boats have better quality wooden stringers in them which are treated alot better than the aussie one's are as alot of the yank boats run in fresh water. It begs the question how much do you have to spend in the aussie boat industry to have great service seems as though the dollar is speaking the loudest as far as back up service goes. Shame on Evoloution very disspointing seems as though you another boat builder who need to get your heads out of your asses and look after your customers. I won't be buying one that is for sure after reading this. What a joke. Hope you get a good outcome DT keep us posted.

[nigelr]

Sorry to hear of this DT; hoping legal action is both extremely successful and satisfying.
$65K ain't chicken feed....this is absolutely disgraceful! This sort of shite really should not be happening, let alone the bu$$ers expecting to get away with it?!
FMD, I'd be darn near psychotic!
Sincere best of luck for you and your wife in achieving justice, and I hope you get fully recompensed for your time and all the stress you both doubtless have suffered.
"no timber used in the floor"...................wonder how many other unsuspecting victims there have been..............

[SunnyCoastMark]

Looking at Their website under the heading "construction" - They have a few photos where you can clearly see there is timber under the floor. Also, I can't see anywhere on their website where they talk about fibreglass stringers etc. - which they would if they used them.
Dick, you mentioned that the DVD spoke about there being no timber under the floor, but was anything like that written in the sales contract?
Is that just for certain models or supposedly across the range?

Mark