OK folks...here's the scenario. I know it's long, but please read and tell me what you think.

I recently bought a used boat that is in great shape. It's only about 6-7 years old and obviously was seldom used.
The owner is a lady who ended up with it and knows little about boats. So...she took it to a dealer at the advise of a friend and had the boat checked out by what most on this forum consider to be a reputable dealer.

The boat check included:
"disassembled the carbs & cleaned"
"changed spark plugs"
"changed lower unit lube"
"test run & adjusted linkage"
"checked all systems on boat and trailer"
$44.60 - parts / $400 - labor

Sounds like a good idea to have the boat checked before selling right? It made me feel better about the deal as well. Also, I was willing to absorb the extra $500 into the price of the boat because I figured I would have done the same before I bought it anyway. I even have the reciept.
Test drove the boat about 2 weeks after this service with no problems. Boat looked and ran well, so I made the deal.
Went back and picked up the boat a week later.
The following weekend(about 1 month and one 30 minute test ride since the service) I took it out to run it on my home lake, and the motor would not run right.
Traced the problem to the fuel system and checked everything short of removing the carbs. Found that no fuel was getting to the bottom two carbs. I had gone as far as I dared, so I took the motor to a certified Yamaha dealer that I know of personally, and had them check it out.

Come to find out, the needle and seats were stuck on those two carbs, and all four carbs were varnished over badly. (I asked to see them myself) I asked two mechanics at that dealer if the carbs even looked like they had been "dissasembled and cleaned". They were hesitant to answer because they knew where I was going with it, but they finally admitted that it was very unlikely that the carbs had been cleaned. One tech said, "if they did, they did a pi$$ poor job of it". One clue was a set of seals (O-rings I think) that they said they replace every time they remove a carb. They said those seals were obviously the original ones.

I could go into more detail, but here's my main question. Should I throw a fit with the dealer that supposedly did the previous work?
I can't help but wonder if the same thing would have happened had a man with some boat knowledge taken it in instead of a young lady who obviously knew nothing about boats.
Coming from a supposedly reputable dealer isn't it reasonable for me to expect more for my money so to speak?

Eric

I think the "$44.60 - parts / $400 - labor" gives it away--how can you get plugs,lower unit oil, and carb kits for $44.60?? something is not right..

This is why I do most of my boat and car repair myself. I never met a mechanic who was worth the powder it'd take to blow him to hell. Mostly they are only in business to rip people off.

For example: The fuel pump went out in my Dodge diesel truck a couple months ago. It was under warranty so I took it in to the dealer. They called and said the fuel filter needed to be replaced; the filter wasn't under warranty but if it wasn't replaced they wouldn't gurantee the fuel pump repair.

Now for the incredible part: $50 for the part (it's a $25 filter so that was about right coming from the dealer) but they wanted $120 labor to replace it. Claimed it was a two hour job. Problem was I'd replaced the fuel filter several times - all you do is unscrew the cap and drop the filter in. Takes about five minutes.

Well, after some screaming and threatening they were insistent that it was a two hour job. I told them that one day they'd look out and see a Toyota sign hanging over their dealership and they wouldn't even know why they'd gone out of business.

The service manager called back a couple hours later and said they were going to "comp" the labor on the fuel filter replacement, so I suppose my threats did some good after all. Bottom line: The dealer found a good way to screw me. Had I not been knowledgable enough to know this he would have made an extra $120 for five minutes work.

Your so called "reputable dealer" is a crook. Look at it this way: He took money for something he didn't do, which is theft. In my opinion you have an obligation to raise holy hell with them in any way imaginable (and I have a very good imagination). They probably really want to go out of business anyway - you should help them in every way you can.

A good way to begin would be to name the dealer in this forum so we can all avoid him.

I think if a dealership does a poor job like that, they should get a chance to make it right first, but if they won't, everyone should know about it.

That's just my $.02

Chris

I agree Chris. That's why I'm not posting the name. I want to talk to them this week and see what they have to say....hopefully make things right. I've heard nothing but good things about this dealer in regards to buying boats, but very little about their service. We'll see.

I would confront the people that said they did the work. They owe someone some money back for work they did not do but charged for.

Let u know what they say and do about this!!!!

I would go to them with a copy of the receipt for the work and point out that according to the receipt, they did the work. Then I would produce a copy of the receipt from the Yamaha dealer, along with any notes they may have given you (such as why such & such work was needed).

Should be obvious to this unnamed repair place that they screwed up and need to make it good. Small claims might be a way to go if it really gets difficult, but the idea that they'll be ID'ed on this system might also be motivation. Might even be motivation enough to make it right so you'll say good things about them on here.

Just my 2 cents (half price today!)

I would say something.

If they don't make it right let us know who they are, the only way they will learn is if we take OUR hard earned money else where. I'm in the market for a new boat and my current dealer hasn't stepped up, so I am looking else where. Also my next truck is going to be a Toyota. I'm tired of getting screwed by the big three.

The reality is that the Dealership Owes YOU nothing, they didn't do the work for you, nor did they contract with you for the work they did or didn't do.

The woman you bought the boat from is the one that got screwed, and there isn't anything you can do about it, not legally anyway.

With that said, I'd give them a call, and ASK them to do the right thing, but if they refuse, just eat it and never take the boat to them again.

It's not right and not fair, but its the way it is. $500 isn't so much that it's worth all the hassles and time wasted to collect it back.

I WOULD question EVERTHING on that invoice though, and assume they did NOTHING just to be safe

I feel that they do owe something to the new owner. They did not do the work that they charged for and should make it right. Taking advantage of anyone is not right.
Contact the previous owner and have her, along with yourself, contact the dealership and complain along with the receipt from the other place that did do the repairs. Their liability should follow to the new owner as he was relying on this place being reputable.
I would do what it takes to inforce this "REPUTABLE" repair shop to stand behind their work. If I had any knowledge as to who they were I would make it so that others would not get ripped.

What did she show them the title? Just take it in and raise hell, it doesnt matter who the owner of the boat was. The work was done on the boat not the owner. my 2 cents

Yea, it doesnt matter that she contracted the work. You bought the boat and have the paperwork for the work they did. You also paid for the labor by it being added to the price you paid for the boat. You could say you are a friend, a boyfriend, or the new owner. They will listen, especially when you mention you are going to let everyone on this Forum know about it. Give them the chance to do right or explain why things are the way they are.

Also, if they don't do anything to fix their mistake, then you owe it to us to let us know who this dealer is.

KINDA OF LIKE THE DEALERSHIP THAT CHARGED MY GRANDMOTHER $85 DOLLARS BECAUSE SHE HAD NO TAILLIGHTS(BULB REPLACEMANT). HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE EVER HEARD OF EVERYBULB ON THE BACK OF YOUR TRUCK GOING OUT AT ONCE?? IN REALITY, THEY CHARGED HER ALL THAT MONEY TO REPLACE A $.25 FUSE. IF YOU EVER FIND AN HONEST MECHANIC PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! THEY PREY ON THE IGNORANCE OF PEOPLE AND EXPECT THEM TO NOT ASK QUESTIONS...