COMPLAINT: Supra Boats (Skier's Choice)
Great Boat, HORRIBLE service!!
Here's a letter I recently sent to Skier's choice and no one cared to reply: To whom it may concern, We purchased a 2005 Supra Sunsport from South Austin Marine in Austin, Texas over 2 years ago for around $65,000.00. It is still under warranty. Late last year we noticed a change in the way the boat both drove and a great difference in the wake. The boat became much more sluggish and the wake was inside out. Because we live over 250 miles from Austin, we had to wait until we bought a truck to pull the boat all the way there. A month and a half ago, while looking for equipment, I opened the center ballast area (also known as the front/center storage compartment) and slid in to see if I could see the tool I was looking for. When I did this I could feel water underneath the plastic (between the hull and the bottom of the mid-floor). We Borrowed a 3' screw jack and jacked the boat up about 20 degrees to drain the water out. Not a drop came out. I called South Austin marine and told them. I was told by there head service person (Guy) that there was not supposed to be water in that area, and that it was supposed to be water tight. He said he had never heard of this happening. I then called Skier's choice and spoke with the top service person (Brian) and explained the situation to him. He said he had heard of this before, and that it could be corrected at the dealership. I then borrowed a truck that weekend and drove the boat there. Upon looking over the boat the service techs (both of them) discovered that there were cracks in the gel coat along the bottom of the boat, and that it was no doubt caused by the extra weight of the hundred or so gallons of water the boat had been carrying around for the last 6 months which had made the inner hull fail, and fill with water. At any rate, the dealership has told me they cannot repair the damage, and that Skier's Choice will have to do the repairs in Tennessee. So, what I want to know is, since the dealer can't fix it, is Skier's Choice going to make any effort to repair it? Since I can't seem to get answers from anyone, and no one wants to take responsibility, I guess it will be up to me to make Skier's Choice take responsibility. But before I do, I will give you an idea of what you can look forward to: (1) Complaint about Supra boat and service will be registered with BBB.(2) Complaint about Supra boat and service will be registered in BLOGS throughout Internet(3) I will have my lawyer (David Crago of Brin & Brin PC) file suit against Skier's Choice(4) You will see a boat like this in the photo below parked at Lake Travis in Austin every weekend during the summer, and you will see it attached to every Blog and chat room I (or my employees) can find.
You know, I can empathize with this guy's pain, but doesn't it make you feel a little used that apparently the only reason he came to WakeOutlaws was to post a complaint about his boat? Will we ever see this guy again? Kind of a jackass thing to do, IMHO. And, no matter the condition of my boat, I would absolutely not write LEMON on the side of my boat and ride around in it, or even be seen towing it.
That being said, his letter does make me wonder. How good are boat dealers at performing warranty work on boats that they didn't sell? It's my impression that car dealers are good about that, but I've heard several stories like this guy's that dealers won't do warranty work, or aren't real enthusiastic about doing it, on boats that they didn't sell. What does the dealer care? Aren't they going to get reimbursed by the manufacturer anyway?
I think you're right on....he ain't coming back. I began reading the beginning and thought he was complaining that he paid 65k for that boat! ha!
Our last dealer performed warranty work for us and we did not buy the boat from them. Initially it was super painful, we worked thru it but it didn't start well at all. I know Malibu reimburses them, but I think it way for parts only, something like that - don't quote me but I think the dealer eats the labor. I also learned it takes a while for that reimbursement too. That's likely the core of the hesitation.
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