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Good Deal
- Thread starter forrest
- Start date
Both boats are in Annapolis, MD and since they are 2008 boats, the warranty is from C-Dory Marine rather than Fluid Marine which is something to think about. I would think that it is possible that Fluid Marine may have a little bit less interest in supporting these boats since they are being purchased from the dealer after C-Dory Marine sold the assets to Fluid Marine. I suspect the price is in part a reflection that the warranty (if any) is not a typical new boat warranty. This is not necessarily a deal breaker but is something to think about.
It was my understanding that Fluid Marine bought the assets of C-Dory Marine rather than the company. If this is correct, they did not legally take on the liabilities of C-Dory Marine. Warranty obligations are a liability. Picture a Fishtales type of situation with one on these boats. Fluid Marine might stand behind the boat to protect its investment in the brand but I suspect that a lawyer will tell you that they have no legal obligation to do so. The easy way to test this is to see if you can get a Fluid Marine LLC warranty for these 2008 boats. If there is no warranty issue, a Fluid Marine LLC warranty will be easy to obtain. Good as Wefings and many of the other dealers are, I would not expect them to stand behind something like a major structural hull issue which is the responsibility of the manufacturer. The concern with the warranty is not a knock on any dealer or on Fluid Marine in any way. It is merely a comment about the reality that exists when boat manufacturers get in financial difficulty. If someone can demonstrate that Fluid Marine LLC bought the C-Dory Marine company, rather than the assets, my concerns would likely be unfounded.
There has been no problem that I know of regarding warranty on boats manufactured before the sale of C Dory to Fluid Motion . Thats not how they roll . Thats why I am proud to be a C Dory dealer .The new owners bought a good company and they stand up for their brand and support their dealers and customers.
Marc
Marc
Marc --
I don't mean to prolong this discussion but you state that "The new owners bought a good company and they stand up for their brand and support their dealers and customers." Am I incorrect that Fluid Marine LLC only bought the assets of C-Dory Marine and that they bought the company instead? If so, this is very different than what was reported on the C-Brat site some time ago and it makes a huge difference legally. If I buy a 2008 C-Dory from you, when you deliver it, will the warranty say C-Dory Marine or Fluid Marine? If Fluid Marine did not buy C-Dory Marine (the company rather than the assets) and the warranty says C-Dory Marine, then my point remains that Fluid Marine has no LEGAL obligation to the purchaser. If things are as you say they are and Fluid Marine LLC intends to honor the C-Dory Marine warranty, then I expect that you would have no issue providing a notarized letter from Fluid Marine LLC stating that they are assuming any liabilities of C-Dory Marine under the warranty for the 2008 boat that I might seek to purchase from you. In discussing the LEGAL aspects of warranties, one needs to be very precise. As I said previously, Fluid Marine may indeed honor the warranty in every respect to protect their investment in the brand in spite of not having a LEGAL obligation to do so.
Jim
I don't mean to prolong this discussion but you state that "The new owners bought a good company and they stand up for their brand and support their dealers and customers." Am I incorrect that Fluid Marine LLC only bought the assets of C-Dory Marine and that they bought the company instead? If so, this is very different than what was reported on the C-Brat site some time ago and it makes a huge difference legally. If I buy a 2008 C-Dory from you, when you deliver it, will the warranty say C-Dory Marine or Fluid Marine? If Fluid Marine did not buy C-Dory Marine (the company rather than the assets) and the warranty says C-Dory Marine, then my point remains that Fluid Marine has no LEGAL obligation to the purchaser. If things are as you say they are and Fluid Marine LLC intends to honor the C-Dory Marine warranty, then I expect that you would have no issue providing a notarized letter from Fluid Marine LLC stating that they are assuming any liabilities of C-Dory Marine under the warranty for the 2008 boat that I might seek to purchase from you. In discussing the LEGAL aspects of warranties, one needs to be very precise. As I said previously, Fluid Marine may indeed honor the warranty in every respect to protect their investment in the brand in spite of not having a LEGAL obligation to do so.
Jim
I cannot comment on any legal intricacies and I am sure you are correct .I am obviously not qualified for that , as I am a boat dealer and the owner of a pre Fluid Motion C Dory. Yes I also can go out of business or declare bankruptcy to to avoid my obligations .You can get hit by an uninsured motorist , or a hurricane or asteroid .In this day and age , you would be advised against buying the company and their liabilities. You would also be ill advised to turn your back on loyal customers [both end users and dealers] and a bright future in the boat business . I certainly wouldn't be afraid to ask for that letter . I dont know whether you will get it or not. Nobody has ever asked, to my knowlege . My original observation in this thread was concerning a dealer selling on E Bay out of territory . I would worry more about "abandonment issues" than the factory warranty.
Marc
Marc
journey on
New member
Jim McCrea,
Do you own a C-Dory, or are you planning to buy one of those in Annapolis? Your discussion is pretty detailed for an uninterested party, and I just wonder how you're involved>
Boris
Do you own a C-Dory, or are you planning to buy one of those in Annapolis? Your discussion is pretty detailed for an uninterested party, and I just wonder how you're involved>
Boris
Boris --
I would be glad to answer your question. I have looked at a number of used and new C-Dory 22s with the intent of making a purchase. I have a deposit on a used C-Dory 22 and have a surveyor looking at it on Tuesday. I am hopeful that it will pass survey and if so, I will close shortly thereafter and proudly put my pin in The Brat Map. One way or the other, I will shortly have a CD-22. I considered a new C-Dory, including the CD-22 in Annapolis and ruled it out for a variety of reasons. However, one of the significant issues was the warranty issue as I have described. I am not a lawyer but have been in big ticket finance for several decades. One of the reasons one buys the assets rather than a company is in order to leave the liabilities behind and in the hands of the original company which then may no longer have any assets with which to support those liabilities, especially if the cash from the sale is distributed to shareholders. If one is acquiring assets from a company that will not be a going concern thereafter, there are all sorts of issues that arise in the bankruptcy setting and indeed, the judge has the power in certain circumstances to unwind the sale. There was a discussion some months ago on the C-Brat site when things changed at C-Dory. Part of that discussion was a clear statement from some posters that Fluid Marine had only acquired the assets of C-Dory Marine rather than the company itself. I had noted the change in the C-Dory web site and, given my professional background, would have explored the warranty issue carefully even if there had been no mention of the change on the C-Brat site. I was actively watching the C-Dory market at the time but was unable to act until we sold a larger trawler. That boat sold just a month ago and we moved into high gear to locate an acceptable CD-22. However, I filed away in the back of my mind the warranty implications of the change at C-Dory. As I have stated several times, my comment related solely to the legal situation and is not a negative comment about any dealer or Fluid Marine. In fact, Fluid Marine has a significant investment in the C-Dory brand and it may well honor warranty claims under C-Dory Marine warranties. It is just that by my understanding, it has no legal obligation to do so and one of the things that I want when I purchase a new boat is a LEGAL new boat warranty from the manufacturer. I realize that they can go out of existance thereafter and leave me without a warranty but I would rather not start out with a warranty with an issue. I hope that answers your question.
Jim
I would be glad to answer your question. I have looked at a number of used and new C-Dory 22s with the intent of making a purchase. I have a deposit on a used C-Dory 22 and have a surveyor looking at it on Tuesday. I am hopeful that it will pass survey and if so, I will close shortly thereafter and proudly put my pin in The Brat Map. One way or the other, I will shortly have a CD-22. I considered a new C-Dory, including the CD-22 in Annapolis and ruled it out for a variety of reasons. However, one of the significant issues was the warranty issue as I have described. I am not a lawyer but have been in big ticket finance for several decades. One of the reasons one buys the assets rather than a company is in order to leave the liabilities behind and in the hands of the original company which then may no longer have any assets with which to support those liabilities, especially if the cash from the sale is distributed to shareholders. If one is acquiring assets from a company that will not be a going concern thereafter, there are all sorts of issues that arise in the bankruptcy setting and indeed, the judge has the power in certain circumstances to unwind the sale. There was a discussion some months ago on the C-Brat site when things changed at C-Dory. Part of that discussion was a clear statement from some posters that Fluid Marine had only acquired the assets of C-Dory Marine rather than the company itself. I had noted the change in the C-Dory web site and, given my professional background, would have explored the warranty issue carefully even if there had been no mention of the change on the C-Brat site. I was actively watching the C-Dory market at the time but was unable to act until we sold a larger trawler. That boat sold just a month ago and we moved into high gear to locate an acceptable CD-22. However, I filed away in the back of my mind the warranty implications of the change at C-Dory. As I have stated several times, my comment related solely to the legal situation and is not a negative comment about any dealer or Fluid Marine. In fact, Fluid Marine has a significant investment in the C-Dory brand and it may well honor warranty claims under C-Dory Marine warranties. It is just that by my understanding, it has no legal obligation to do so and one of the things that I want when I purchase a new boat is a LEGAL new boat warranty from the manufacturer. I realize that they can go out of existance thereafter and leave me without a warranty but I would rather not start out with a warranty with an issue. I hope that answers your question.
Jim
Although it has no bearing on me personally, I find this discussion interesting. It is a helpful addition to the body of knowlege accumulated on this site. My only question is to Marc. Why is posting a boat on ebay a "dealer ethics" issue? Does it have to do with what used to be called in retail "fair-trade" (price setting), dealer territorial boundaries, or something else?
Thanks.
Thanks.
It is all of the above with the addition of local service . If a customer from far away takes advantage of that dealers loss or non profitable distress sale, the local dealer that lost the potential sale and the cashflow will be less likely or able to service that boat, as will be the dealer that liquidated it .The "waiting list" is something that can be very long if there are customers that bought locally from you are in line before the "imported " boat .A great example is an operation like "Eds Marine Superstore " They drop ship cheap [ bought from boat manufacturers trying to pump their numbers with lots of Ed's cash and blatant disregard for the dealer agreements and a blind eye from some of the motor manufacturers] motors all over the east coast, and if there is a problem most dealers will say "we might fit you in in about 6 weeks to 6 months". Why dont you take it back to Eds ?
We sell boats in a large territory ,and we are lucky and thankful to have that territory , but try to make a point of not dropping one into another dealers back yard . It is a sticky subject , but we do try to go out of our way to do the right things . I have no problem with a previously owned boat on E Bay . That's fair game . But new stuff , is harder for me to swallow. I guess I am trying to preserve the integrity of this business and a dealer network that will be able to provide customer service.And really fun C Dory gatherings.
Hope this helps clarify .
We sell boats in a large territory ,and we are lucky and thankful to have that territory , but try to make a point of not dropping one into another dealers back yard . It is a sticky subject , but we do try to go out of our way to do the right things . I have no problem with a previously owned boat on E Bay . That's fair game . But new stuff , is harder for me to swallow. I guess I am trying to preserve the integrity of this business and a dealer network that will be able to provide customer service.And really fun C Dory gatherings.
Hope this helps clarify .
Wow, it's amazing what you can learn on this site with such a diverse group of people. I hadn't done any eBaying for quite some time so my paypal account had expired. I logged on so I could update and donate to the C-Brat tip jar. I did a C-Dory search (along with Seasport and Arima). I just thought it was a good deal so I posted it in case a Brat was interested. I hadn't considered any of the issues that Marc has brought up, so to Marc I apologize. Jim, thanks for the insight on warranties and a change in company ownership.
Forrest
Forrest
It was my belief that Fluid Motion (or who ever) has made it clear that they will stand behind boats built under other owners of C Dory within the terms of the warantee. On the other hand, a warantee is worthless, if the company denies it. If you follow the marine market, there are hundreds of boats which have warantee issues, where the builder has refused to fix the boat under warantee. It is expensive to pursue litigation, and thus most owners just eat the costs or sell the boat.
Jim, lets say that there is a serious hull issue with the used boat you buy? How are you going to have that resolved? There have been long warantees on C Dories in the past, but as I understand it the hull warantee is not transferable.
In the last 6 years I have been working on instruments to image cored hulls with a friend who is top rated non destructive testing instrument developer. Unfortunately the company who builds the instruments is unwilling to produce a model which will be affordiable to the average marine surveyor. Thus the instruments have not come to market. In our research, we have documented the problems, with delamination, poor lay up, stress cracks etc. There is the occasional replacement of a hull--as C Dory has done several times in the past. (Several other companies have also done this). But there are many cases where the owner is just out of luck. For example there is a thread on The Hull Truth, which is over 80 pages about the Luhrs 41. There are a number of other well documented cases, where a company just has refused to do warantee work.
In any case your first line of defense is the dealer. I don't know the status of the dealer who is selling these C Dories. C Dory has gone through a number of dealers. Part of this had to do with policies of the previous owners and good dealers were dropped. For the most part these dealers are no longer servicing the boats. Marc has stuck with C Dory and I know that it has been frustrating for him. The territory of dealer ships is a difficult issue--even more so with the internet. At the last Pensacola Boat show, there was a dealer who was encroaching on Marc's territory, and I called him on it. That dealer stepped up to the plate and resolved the issue (I believe). Selling boats is a tough business right now.
Bottom line, I would not worry about a hull issue with a new boat. I believe that C dory would resolve the problem. The loss of good will would be huge if they did not. You have seen the reaction of this group when the factory has not been responsive. The word gets to other forums if a company does not step up to the plate and fix problems. As for Luhrs--they are virtually shut down--maybe temporary, but it has really hurt their business.
Jim, lets say that there is a serious hull issue with the used boat you buy? How are you going to have that resolved? There have been long warantees on C Dories in the past, but as I understand it the hull warantee is not transferable.
In the last 6 years I have been working on instruments to image cored hulls with a friend who is top rated non destructive testing instrument developer. Unfortunately the company who builds the instruments is unwilling to produce a model which will be affordiable to the average marine surveyor. Thus the instruments have not come to market. In our research, we have documented the problems, with delamination, poor lay up, stress cracks etc. There is the occasional replacement of a hull--as C Dory has done several times in the past. (Several other companies have also done this). But there are many cases where the owner is just out of luck. For example there is a thread on The Hull Truth, which is over 80 pages about the Luhrs 41. There are a number of other well documented cases, where a company just has refused to do warantee work.
In any case your first line of defense is the dealer. I don't know the status of the dealer who is selling these C Dories. C Dory has gone through a number of dealers. Part of this had to do with policies of the previous owners and good dealers were dropped. For the most part these dealers are no longer servicing the boats. Marc has stuck with C Dory and I know that it has been frustrating for him. The territory of dealer ships is a difficult issue--even more so with the internet. At the last Pensacola Boat show, there was a dealer who was encroaching on Marc's territory, and I called him on it. That dealer stepped up to the plate and resolved the issue (I believe). Selling boats is a tough business right now.
Bottom line, I would not worry about a hull issue with a new boat. I believe that C dory would resolve the problem. The loss of good will would be huge if they did not. You have seen the reaction of this group when the factory has not been responsive. The word gets to other forums if a company does not step up to the plate and fix problems. As for Luhrs--they are virtually shut down--maybe temporary, but it has really hurt their business.
Hi Bob --
As always, you make good points and I had limited my discussion previously just to the question of the new boat warranty. I fully understand that I am getting the used boat without a warranty. However, the boat has been used a decent amount and my feeling is that any issues will likely have surfaced and be detectable at this point, unlike a new boat where they are yet to become evident. I am fairly capable myself having built a 22 foot dory from scratch and completely gutted and rebuilt a 32 foot Pearson Vanguard. The boat I have under contract looks quite clean and I did not see any sign of major issues although a previous owner had fixed some things, reasonably well. For example, there had been a number of the normal rub rail leaks. This winter, I intend to pull all screws and hull and deck penetrations, remove core and fill with thickened epoxy etc. The other thing I have done is found a surveyor who is very skilled with cored hulls and who has experience with a problematic CD-22 (foam under the V berth did not cure and the core on the brand new boat had moisture) which the factory had to take back a couple of years ago. The bet I am making is that between my inspection, the survey, and the fact that the boat has been used enough, there will not be significant issues that are missed. If they are, that is just my bad luck and my problem. I am old fashioned on such things but I am not a fan of building boats with liners because they hide so much of the interior of the boat that is not available for inspection now or in the future. One of the things that I find especially appealing about the C-Dory is that it is really a simple boat. Issues that arise are generally quite capable of being fixed by a handy owner. I would have no issue tackling most wet core issues myself as you did on Frequent Sea. Besides which, with the phenomenal C-Brat site and so many boats, there is always helpful advice and counsel. There are not many problems where you will be the first to encounter them.
As you point out, the boat world is absolutely fraught with warranty issues and Luhrs is a real good example of how bad it can be.
Also on the dealer side, I completely agree with Marc. It is not easy to be a boat dealer these days. It is completely unfair of a buyer to purchase the boat purely on a price basis from a distant dealer and then try to take warranty issues to a local dealer to be addressed. Territories are territories and are to be respected. That said, one might go distant if there is not an appropriate boat in stock locally and the wait will be unacceptable but even then, if I were to do so, I would understand the warranty service implications. In general, I support local excellence because it is important to keep the smaller, local operations from being swallowed up or put out of business.
Jim
As always, you make good points and I had limited my discussion previously just to the question of the new boat warranty. I fully understand that I am getting the used boat without a warranty. However, the boat has been used a decent amount and my feeling is that any issues will likely have surfaced and be detectable at this point, unlike a new boat where they are yet to become evident. I am fairly capable myself having built a 22 foot dory from scratch and completely gutted and rebuilt a 32 foot Pearson Vanguard. The boat I have under contract looks quite clean and I did not see any sign of major issues although a previous owner had fixed some things, reasonably well. For example, there had been a number of the normal rub rail leaks. This winter, I intend to pull all screws and hull and deck penetrations, remove core and fill with thickened epoxy etc. The other thing I have done is found a surveyor who is very skilled with cored hulls and who has experience with a problematic CD-22 (foam under the V berth did not cure and the core on the brand new boat had moisture) which the factory had to take back a couple of years ago. The bet I am making is that between my inspection, the survey, and the fact that the boat has been used enough, there will not be significant issues that are missed. If they are, that is just my bad luck and my problem. I am old fashioned on such things but I am not a fan of building boats with liners because they hide so much of the interior of the boat that is not available for inspection now or in the future. One of the things that I find especially appealing about the C-Dory is that it is really a simple boat. Issues that arise are generally quite capable of being fixed by a handy owner. I would have no issue tackling most wet core issues myself as you did on Frequent Sea. Besides which, with the phenomenal C-Brat site and so many boats, there is always helpful advice and counsel. There are not many problems where you will be the first to encounter them.
As you point out, the boat world is absolutely fraught with warranty issues and Luhrs is a real good example of how bad it can be.
Also on the dealer side, I completely agree with Marc. It is not easy to be a boat dealer these days. It is completely unfair of a buyer to purchase the boat purely on a price basis from a distant dealer and then try to take warranty issues to a local dealer to be addressed. Territories are territories and are to be respected. That said, one might go distant if there is not an appropriate boat in stock locally and the wait will be unacceptable but even then, if I were to do so, I would understand the warranty service implications. In general, I support local excellence because it is important to keep the smaller, local operations from being swallowed up or put out of business.
Jim
Jim
It sounds as if you have all of the bases well covered, and that if any problems arise you are well equipt to handle them. Your points are well taken about used boats. Good that you have a good surveyor. There are some who are not so knowledgable, and who do not do a good survey.
Many times I make these comments to the audience in general; not to a specfic person. It is a great opportunity to bring out the potential issues. Someone with your skills and background will do well with any boat they buy. Let us know how the boat goes. My general feeling is that the risks are far less with an older C Dory 22; as you point out, there is no cockpit liner.
It sounds as if you have all of the bases well covered, and that if any problems arise you are well equipt to handle them. Your points are well taken about used boats. Good that you have a good surveyor. There are some who are not so knowledgable, and who do not do a good survey.
Many times I make these comments to the audience in general; not to a specfic person. It is a great opportunity to bring out the potential issues. Someone with your skills and background will do well with any boat they buy. Let us know how the boat goes. My general feeling is that the risks are far less with an older C Dory 22; as you point out, there is no cockpit liner.
Hello,
I'm not sure I understand. I see a bunch of 2008 C-Dory 22' cruisers on Boat Trader with trailers and some with nice options with Honda Forty Twins ( Sylvan Lake, Mi) or new EFI 90's (Charleston, S. Carolina) that are selling in the mid forties with trailers. A couple weeks ago I saw a new C Dory 25' Cruiser in Ct. listed for 60,000 with a new 150hp Suzuki it's since been sold. I didn't check out the Ebay deal but I'm sure the dealer in Annapolis is either in trouble or just wants to move the boats. 2008 hasn't been a good year for a lot of people. As far as some opinions go this selling out of territory is an ethical dilemma? I bet if I walk into Wefings and they know I'm from Pa. is someone is going to tell me they wouldn't sell me a boat? I see some dealers advertise on this site all the time or maybe they plan to only sell in their territories. Just for the record I also plan on buying a C Dory and I plan on doing it in 09. I myself would not purchase a boat off of ebay. Luckily it's America the land of free trade. This is such a great site.
D.D.
I'm not sure I understand. I see a bunch of 2008 C-Dory 22' cruisers on Boat Trader with trailers and some with nice options with Honda Forty Twins ( Sylvan Lake, Mi) or new EFI 90's (Charleston, S. Carolina) that are selling in the mid forties with trailers. A couple weeks ago I saw a new C Dory 25' Cruiser in Ct. listed for 60,000 with a new 150hp Suzuki it's since been sold. I didn't check out the Ebay deal but I'm sure the dealer in Annapolis is either in trouble or just wants to move the boats. 2008 hasn't been a good year for a lot of people. As far as some opinions go this selling out of territory is an ethical dilemma? I bet if I walk into Wefings and they know I'm from Pa. is someone is going to tell me they wouldn't sell me a boat? I see some dealers advertise on this site all the time or maybe they plan to only sell in their territories. Just for the record I also plan on buying a C Dory and I plan on doing it in 09. I myself would not purchase a boat off of ebay. Luckily it's America the land of free trade. This is such a great site.
D.D.
Dave,
If you saw a new 2008 C D 25 with a new Suzuki 150 for $60,000, that is a fantastic deal, since 5 year old boats are being listed for more than that. The factory price for the bare bones boat with no engine is $63,999. You probably could have purchased that boat and re-sold it for some $$$. I would suspect that the 60K price was for the boat--without the engine....The "auction" on EBay is almost over and there are zero bids--but there are starting prices which seem under the factory list price. I don't think that this implies than a dealer is in trouble.
New boats are listed on Boat Trader and Yacht World, and some of the other sites by dealers all of the time. I don't know if EBay is much different, but it implies an auction with no reserve, which undercuts the factory prices. Almost all of the dealers advertise on Boat/yacht trader--say "call for price". Wefing's has a 25 on there currently for slightly under $90,000.
I don't know what the ethics of EBay are, if there are any! But I would suspect that there are agreements about prices between the dealer and factory--these may not hold for a company which has changed hands. There are also susposed to be territories.
The instance I refered to was at a boat show. The dealer who had an exclusive territory had boats at that show on land. There was a sales person from outside that area, who had in the water boats of a different brand, but also was trying to sell the one of the brands we discuss on this forum at this show--outside of his territory directly in competition with the legitiment dealer.
Lets say that you live in PA, and drive to Floridia to buy your boat. Then there is a problem with that boat, and you take it to the nearest dealer? Would you expect that dealer to go to bat for you? If you had a second home in Florida, or kept the boat in Florida that would be a different story.
Agree that there is nothing to keep a person from buying a boat or RV etc from another area, but after the market service and warantee issues may become a problem for a non selling dealer. Some people use the car analogy--I don't think that applies for boats because they are not mass produced items...but one could make that arguement. If the economy keeps tanking, there may not be as many dealers--or boats produced....
If you saw a new 2008 C D 25 with a new Suzuki 150 for $60,000, that is a fantastic deal, since 5 year old boats are being listed for more than that. The factory price for the bare bones boat with no engine is $63,999. You probably could have purchased that boat and re-sold it for some $$$. I would suspect that the 60K price was for the boat--without the engine....The "auction" on EBay is almost over and there are zero bids--but there are starting prices which seem under the factory list price. I don't think that this implies than a dealer is in trouble.
New boats are listed on Boat Trader and Yacht World, and some of the other sites by dealers all of the time. I don't know if EBay is much different, but it implies an auction with no reserve, which undercuts the factory prices. Almost all of the dealers advertise on Boat/yacht trader--say "call for price". Wefing's has a 25 on there currently for slightly under $90,000.
I don't know what the ethics of EBay are, if there are any! But I would suspect that there are agreements about prices between the dealer and factory--these may not hold for a company which has changed hands. There are also susposed to be territories.
The instance I refered to was at a boat show. The dealer who had an exclusive territory had boats at that show on land. There was a sales person from outside that area, who had in the water boats of a different brand, but also was trying to sell the one of the brands we discuss on this forum at this show--outside of his territory directly in competition with the legitiment dealer.
Lets say that you live in PA, and drive to Floridia to buy your boat. Then there is a problem with that boat, and you take it to the nearest dealer? Would you expect that dealer to go to bat for you? If you had a second home in Florida, or kept the boat in Florida that would be a different story.
Agree that there is nothing to keep a person from buying a boat or RV etc from another area, but after the market service and warantee issues may become a problem for a non selling dealer. Some people use the car analogy--I don't think that applies for boats because they are not mass produced items...but one could make that arguement. If the economy keeps tanking, there may not be as many dealers--or boats produced....
Bob & Marc --
From what little I know about the car biz, the service department is usually a quite profitable part of the organization, sometimes more so than the sales.
Is the same true for the boat biz? If not, then I can see the problem. But if it is the same, I would think that the dealer would welcome all the service work he could get, regardless of where the boat was sold.
(Please note that I am NOT arguing FOR buying from a non-local dealer.)
Warren
From what little I know about the car biz, the service department is usually a quite profitable part of the organization, sometimes more so than the sales.
Is the same true for the boat biz? If not, then I can see the problem. But if it is the same, I would think that the dealer would welcome all the service work he could get, regardless of where the boat was sold.
(Please note that I am NOT arguing FOR buying from a non-local dealer.)
Warren
Jack in Alaska
New member
Back in 1983 when I was searching for a new boat I tried to deal with the local Anchorage C-Dory dealer at the time. They were a terrible bunch of a--holes and tough to deal with. I called the factory and dealt with Mark Toland, made the deal and order and drove down to get it. Others did the very same thing because of the poor dealer relations.
I always wondered about the dealer-factory thing in my purchase. It seemed like undercutting the dealer was not the thing to do but I am sure Mark knew of the poor techniques of our local dealer and he wanted to sell his products. Too late to worry now.
There is a different C-Dory dealer here in Anchorage that is much better and has a wide array of C-Dory products in stock. Other than buying my Honda there I have not used them either. I do all of my own work on my boat.
The other dealer understandably went out of the boat sales business.
I always wondered about the dealer-factory thing in my purchase. It seemed like undercutting the dealer was not the thing to do but I am sure Mark knew of the poor techniques of our local dealer and he wanted to sell his products. Too late to worry now.
There is a different C-Dory dealer here in Anchorage that is much better and has a wide array of C-Dory products in stock. Other than buying my Honda there I have not used them either. I do all of my own work on my boat.
The other dealer understandably went out of the boat sales business.