Dealer Refuses Warranty Work

[ed obermeier]

Spin it however you want to. Telling a non-customer (who is actually a potential future customer) you won't service their boat simply and ONLY because they didn't buy it there is dumb & shortsighted business, plain and simple.

Ed

At least preface something like this with the words "in my opinion...". Please?

It's not an opinion. It's common sense.

Ed

[JeffS]

No...it's your opinion that if a dealer won't service a boat - it's dumb.

But let me make sure I understand your opinion correctly...

There is no possible situation where a dealer would, through a series of circumstances and happenings, deny warranty service on a particular boat that was not purchased at that dealership... There's no situation where that would not be dumb in your opinion?

Just want to be sure I understand your opinion correctly please?

[XTI04]

Spin it however you want to. Telling a non-customer (who is actually a potential future customer) you won't service their boat simply and ONLY because they didn't buy it there is dumb & shortsighted business, plain and simple.

Ed

At least preface something like this with the words "in my opinion...". Please?

It's not an opinion. It's common sense.

Ed

[pennery]

No...it's your opinion that if a dealer won't service a boat - it's dumb.

But let me make sure I understand your opinion correctly...

There is no possible situation where a dealer would, through a series of circumstances and happenings, deny warranty service on a particular boat that was not purchased at that dealership... There's no situation where that would not be dumb in your opinion?

Just want to be sure I understand your opinion correctly please?

Not answering for Ed here but there is obviuosly a million "what if" scenario's that can happen but lets keep this about the topic at hand...

The OP has even purchased quite bit of After market equipment from this same dealer that Refuses Warranty Work on the Same Boat...

I agree with Ed on this. That is just plain DUMB business "IN MY OPINION"

[DRAGON88]

No...it's your opinion that if a dealer won't service a boat - it's dumb.

But let me make sure I understand your opinion correctly...

There is no possible situation where a dealer would, through a series of circumstances and happenings, deny warranty service on a particular boat that was not purchased at that dealership... There's no situation where that would not be dumb in your opinion?

Just want to be sure I understand your opinion correctly please?

No, he's saying:

If did not buy from dealership then dealership refuses to service said boat. Is a bad business model.

You're bringing in other things that were not in his argument. Notice the "simply and ONLY" meaning other factors are not involved.

[NAM75]

We are the CUSTOMER here right??

The one who buys and pays for stuff? No customers, will the doors stay open?

So you hang the particular manufacturers sign outside your door, and that boat is brought in and you turn them away??

Maybe they see that new boat, ski, gloves, parts, service sign, and will buy something?

I understand in season repairs can take time and most marinas are running ragged...but to turn people away.

The concern about long term customers where sales and service is valued obvious here.

I know lots of people who are on their 3rd or 4th boat or truck w/ the same dealer.

[Pistol Pete]

I haven't read every single post in this thread but, has anyone mentioned why any dealer would refuse to do warranty work on on boat they didn't sell? Isn't it because Malibu warranty times and pay rates are horrible? Isn't that the reason a dealer doesn't want to get involved in a boat they didn't sell? Aside from having other customers ahead of them in line because they bought there; isn't the fact that they'll take a bath on the labor?

Edited June 28, 2009 by Pistol Pete

[WakeGirl]

I haven't read every single post in this thread but, has anyone mentioned why any dealer would refuse to do warranty work on on boat they didn't sell? Isn't it because Malibu warranty times and pay rates are horrible? Isn't that the reason a dealer doesn't want to get involved in a boat they didn't sell? Aside from having other customers ahead of them in line because they bought there; isn't the fact that they'll take a bath on the labor?

That's part of it Pete, & yes I mentioned it. I can think of a few other reasons that a dealer would choose to do this, but there's no point to continuing the argument.

[CRASH]

I haven't read every single post in this thread but, has anyone mentioned why any dealer would refuse to do warranty work on on boat they didn't sell? Isn't it because Malibu warranty times and pay rates are horrible? Isn't that the reason a dealer doesn't want to get involved in a boat they didn't sell? Aside from having other customers ahead of them in line because they bought there; isn't the fact that they'll take a bath on the labor?

Malibu takes care of there warranties they pay off a flat rate schedule just like anyother customer would if a shop uses flat rate. A shop does not make any money on parts only labor. At our shop we look at warranty as a service we never refuse anyone service regardless of where boat was purchased. End result we all want to have a good day on the water

[Bake's Marine]

Our family's 2007 21 XTi was having some power wedge problems. The wedge would function properly although the gauge would not respond to the wedge's actual position. We called the local dealer where the boat is used at, the owner was quick to tell us that he was busy and it just needs the calibration done which is do-it-yourself procedure. As it turns out, there is no calibration procedure for the 2007 power wedge. The dealer was then called up and requested a service appointment. The service manager then told us that per the owner, they will not do any warranty work on any boat that was not purchased from them. Keep in mind that this is the same dealer that did over $900 in service on non warranty work and accessories last year on the same boat. This odd policy prompted a call to Malibu customer service; they expressed concern and seemed shocked when informed that the local Malibu dealer would not perform warranty work because the boat was not purchased at their dealer. The Malibu customer service representative called the dealer directly to make sure there was not a miscommunication issue. Malibu customer service then called us back to inform us that this was in fact the policy of the local dealer and gave us a referral to a dealer over 3 hour away. The dealer they refereed us to was very helpful except that there service shop is closed for a month.

Malibu advertises a transferable limited lifetime warranty and a three-year bow-to-stern warranty on all parts and labor. If Malibu allows there dealers to refuse warranty work then the value of the warranty is minimal. We would have purchased the boat locally except the model (21 XTi) was discontinued and not available locally. Malibu technical support diagnosed the problem over the phone and they believe the power wedge module has failed. Of course this part is only available though a Malibu dealer.

Has anyone else had a dealer refuse to do warranty work?

Wow........

If you have not got this resolved yet, can you give me a call or e-mail tomarrow? I will do my best to help or at least try to get you in touch with somebody that can.

[email protected]

-Paul

[FIC]

When you found the boat that you purchased did you give the local dealer the opurtunity to negotiate the sale through his facility so he could get the factory incentives. This is one possiblity , I dont however agree with him doing any per pay items if he was upset with your purchase.

We will not work on boats purchased out of are territory unless customers give us common courtesy in making any deal.

Really, business must be good at Fortes Inboard Connection there in the Tampa area to be able to sustain that kind of policy.

You do realize that is a 2 way street you are on. Lost revenue on accessories, parts, labor, the next boat the guy buys, lost references to friends of the guy whose boat you won't work on, lost sales from the guys friends.... Wow, good thing car dealerships don't operate that way.

I guess you didnt read what I wrote , I said if a customer allows us the common courtsey of negogiating the deal and putting them in what they want even if it is a boat from another dealer which we can pull from there inventory , we would be more then happy to accomadate them and handle all of there problems, thats the proper way to do bussiness .

To many times the consumer trys to play one dealer againsnt another and then expects that dealer to take care of all there issues, if thats the way bussiness is done than we as dealers will be out of bussiness anyway.

It's great that you are saying this now that you have been called out but you obviously seemed to have neglected informing the Buyer of this type of policy before he purchased his boat... The way the posts read is that he checked and the local dealer didn't have any XTi's (nor could they order one) which is the model he wanted.. Rather than trying to sell him a VLX tell the buyer that maybe you can pull one from another dealer... It sounds to me as if the original poster would have been very open to that type of idea as long as he got the right model...

Maybe the Dealer in question should learn how to handle this in the future rather than handling it the way they are which I would say the majority of Malibu owners disagree with...

I agree that dealer handled the deal improperly, if we dont have what a customer wants we shop for him or if he finds the model he wants from another dealer then keep us in the loop, let us handle the paper work so we can get a boat count towards are sales, thats all we ask.

We have always worked with the dealers out of our territorys to make a sale for either them or us so as to keep everybody happy.

[davemac]

That's part of it Pete, & yes I mentioned it. I can think of a few other reasons that a dealer would choose to do this, but there's no point to continuing the argument.

Yeah, this thread is just going to perpetuate w/out resolution. On the bright side, let's just be happy that (for the time being anyway) our Capitalist system allows a customer or a business to tell the other to piss off... if deemed appropriate. It is not a perfect system, but it could be alot worse.

[Faceplant409]

Our family's 2007 21 XTi was having some power wedge problems. The wedge would function properly although the gauge would not respond to the wedge's actual position. We called the local dealer where the boat is used at, the owner was quick to tell us that he was busy and it just needs the calibration done which is do-it-yourself procedure. As it turns out, there is no calibration procedure for the 2007 power wedge. The dealer was then called up and requested a service appointment. The service manager then told us that per the owner, they will not do any warranty work on any boat that was not purchased from them. Keep in mind that this is the same dealer that did over $900 in service on non warranty work and accessories last year on the same boat. This odd policy prompted a call to Malibu customer service; they expressed concern and seemed shocked when informed that the local Malibu dealer would not perform warranty work because the boat was not purchased at their dealer. The Malibu customer service representative called the dealer directly to make sure there was not a miscommunication issue. Malibu customer service then called us back to inform us that this was in fact the policy of the local dealer and gave us a referral to a dealer over 3 hour away. The dealer they refereed us to was very helpful except that there service shop is closed for a month.

Malibu advertises a transferable limited lifetime warranty and a three-year bow-to-stern warranty on all parts and labor. If Malibu allows there dealers to refuse warranty work then the value of the warranty is minimal. We would have purchased the boat locally except the model (21 XTi) was discontinued and not available locally. Malibu technical support diagnosed the problem over the phone and they believe the power wedge module has failed. Of course this part is only available though a Malibu dealer.

Has anyone else had a dealer refuse to do warranty work?

Wow........

If you have not got this resolved yet, can you give me a call or e-mail tomarrow? I will do my best to help or at least try to get you in touch with somebody that can.

[email protected]

-Paul

THIS is exactly why this dealer is so loved by its customers! (and Malibu!)

Best post of the thread!

Patrick