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Funny things a Salesman Told You


Ndawg12

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On 02/28/2016 at 5:09 PM, Nitrousbird said:

Why do I need to have a relationship with a boat salesman or dealer.  I bought this boat in 2011.  I've never set foot in a boat dealership since owning it.  Last boat, I stepped in a dealership once in 2000 to buy the boat and probably a couple times after to grab a couple parts from the counter...this was before online shopping was as popular as it is now.  Every dealership in Ohio could go out of business and it would have 0.0 impact on my boating experience.  I take that back, there would probably be less wally's/boaters, so it would improve

you are very fortunate.  i have been on the other side of the coin, where the boat is ALWAYS broken, stuff is breaking faster than the dealer can fix them.  They fix 2 things 3 more break.  As in 30+ warranty claims, 70+ days in the shop, within the first year.  In this situation the relationship is very important.  Is the dealer going to fight for you when dealing with the factory, or are you the guy who is dificult to deal with and have no long term value as a customer?  

Its kinda like insurance, you dont truly appreciate it until you need it.  If you never need it was your money wasted?

 

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On 2/28/2016 at 4:09 PM, Nitrousbird said:

Why do I need to have a relationship with a boat salesman or dealer.  I bought this boat in 2011.  I've never set foot in a boat dealership since owning it.  Last boat, I stepped in a dealership once in 2000 to buy the boat and probably a couple times after to grab a couple parts from the counter...this was before online shopping was as popular as it is now.  Every dealership in Ohio could go out of business and it would have 0.0 impact on my boating experience.  I take that back, there would probably be less wally's/boaters, so it would improve it. 

There are 2 very distinct types of boaters ( or more)..... those that rely on their dealer to bail them out of trouble & those that are self supporting. I too fall in the latter. I do my research, find the boat that has a history of being reliable & doing what we want it to, test drive a ton of them & refine our list of what I want, and buy something that is fun & reliable & practical. When we get somewhere & have a problem, either take care of the problem our self or put the boat on the trailer for the weekend. Since I got into inboards, I haven't had any issues I couldn't get past myself or with a little help from others around us. There is definitely a mentality among some people that feel like if they buy a product, support should bend over backwards to keep them on the water, no matter how far out they are, how busy the dealer is, or how stupidly simple the problem is.

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9 hours ago, wakerider107 said:

That's good to hear you have had a trouble free boat! I wouldn't say you need to have that relationship, but having someone you can call 24/7 that is on your good side is a huge bonus to many people. Having worked in boat sales, many customers find value in being able to contact me after hours or on holidays if an issue comes up.

Where did I ever post that I had a trouble free boat?  It's been reliable but not without issues (a couple self caused, such as ripping off tracking fins).  It must be awful to not be self sufficient and have to rely on others to take care of your problems.

6 hours ago, DarkSide said:

you are very fortunate.  i have been on the other side of the coin, where the boat is ALWAYS broken, stuff is breaking faster than the dealer can fix them.  They fix 2 things 3 more break.  As in 30+ warranty claims, 70+ days in the shop, within the first year.  In this situation the relationship is very important.  Is the dealer going to fight for you when dealing with the factory, or are you the guy who is dificult to deal with and have no long term value as a customer?

Again, I fix my own stuff and buy used.  Let the original owner eat the depreciation and work out the new boat bugs.

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On February 26, 2016 at 5:57 PM, shawndoggy said:

this adds nothing, but one thing that's an absolute sure fire no doubt about it turn off for me is a salesman who smokes.  Especially the guy who stubs out his grit right before he comes over to talk to me.  Might as well greet me by farting in my face.

While I completely understand the "its a transaction" point of view (and frankly, totally agree with it when buying cars) I will say that a boat sales guy is absolutely going to be a "relationship guy," and that I've got nothing but good things to say about the guy we bought our MB from in Sacto.  We had a couple of "working out the kinks" issues with the boat when new and he went absolutely above and beyond to make sure we were happy.

 

LMAO, I also like the guys that chew tobacco, I mean seriously... spitting there crap on the ground while your looking at vehicles in the parking lot.  Now if a sales guy was vaping I would be all over that vanilla scent!  maybe they have the "new car smell" vaping scents for the dealership sales peeps! :lol:

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9 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

There are 2 very distinct types of boaters ( or more)..... those that rely on their dealer to bail them out of trouble & those that are self supporting. I too fall in the latter. I do my research, find the boat that has a history of being reliable & doing what we want it to, test drive a ton of them & refine our list of what I want, and buy something that is fun & reliable & practical. When we get somewhere & have a problem, either take care of the problem our self or put the boat on the trailer for the weekend. Since I got into inboards, I haven't had any issues I couldn't get past myself or with a little help from others around us. There is definitely a mentality among some people that feel like if they buy a product, support should bend over backwards to keep them on the water, no matter how far out they are, how busy the dealer is, or how stupidly simple the problem is.

With all due respect, I think you are also the person that said in another recent thread you have never spent over $40k on a boat.

 

The new boats are a different ball game.  Even if you are mechanically inclined, and have the time to work on it, there isn't a lot you can do with the electronics on a new boat.  Or an LS3 or LSA motor for that matter.

Very difficult to be "self supporting" with a new boat.

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2 minutes ago, RyanB said:

With all due respect, I think you are also the person that said in another recent thread you have never spent over $40k on a boat.

 

The new boats are a different ball game.  Even if you are mechanically inclined, and have the time to work on it, there isn't a lot you can do with the electronics on a new boat.  Or an LS3 or LSA motor for that matter.

Very difficult to be "self supporting" with a new boat.

Hmmm, not sure. I paid just over $40k for the current boat.... in 2008.

I agree that it's a different ballgame now. But a lot of people are taking their boats to the dealers for the same issues..... winterizing, "summerizing" (WTF), impeller replacements, $180 oil changes, etc. I get it when your talking about warranty issues with bad covers, upholstery, engine problems, etc. But basic maintenance? Around here there are several guys/shops who do boat maintenance for 1/2 the cost of a dealer. Spend a little time on this forum & get to know your boat a little so you can at least identify a simple problem, maybe even fix it.

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Ecms are tuned way better than what they used to be. But they all still have the Danes sensors the same easy impeller and the same dipstick to check your oil 

I have mutliple boats that I store and winterize that are brand new wakeboats. (I don't sell boats) on that note anything that goes wrong with any of them they call me before they're dealer. I have one right now that has a surf gate issue and he would rather me fix it than his dealer.i am also half the price of the dealer and my phone is with me 24/7 vs a dealer saying they can't get it in for a month because they know it's warranty work

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9 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

There are 2 very distinct types of boaters ( or more)..... those that rely on their dealer to bail them out of trouble & those that are self supporting. I too fall in the latter. I do my research, find the boat that has a history of being reliable & doing what we want it to, test drive a ton of them & refine our list of what I want, and buy something that is fun & reliable & practical. When we get somewhere & have a problem, either take care of the problem our self or put the boat on the trailer for the weekend. Since I got into inboards, I haven't had any issues I couldn't get past myself or with a little help from others around us. There is definitely a mentality among some people that feel like if they buy a product, support should bend over backwards to keep them on the water, no matter how far out they are, how busy the dealer is, or how stupidly simple the problem is.

I believe more.  I don't think it's an all or nothing issue.  I do my research on everything I do, whether it's with cars, homes, boats or otherwise!  I've always tried to complete my own projects and/or repairs.  Not only does it save money, but I know what I'm getting up front and will have no one to blame except for myself if it doesn't turn out as planned.  On top of that you learn something and gain a sense of pride in your workmanship!  This however does not obviate the need or want to have an amiable relationship with any person you do business with, especially on such a high ticket item like a boat.  Whether it's $40k or $400k it's a lot of money....new or used.  If new, leftover or slightly used and under warranty it certainly makes sense to foster a solid relationship with your seller/dealer.  Odds are you will get better service when and if needed and possibly a good or great deal on the next boat should you chose to stay with that dealer.  I'm not talking about holding hands or giving man hugs but like it's been said before, " you catch more flies with honey then with vinegar! 

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Not really a salesman, but virtually every car commercial on the radio has absolutely nothing to do with the actual car.  They are only about monthly payments or fixing bad credit.

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1 hour ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Hmmm, not sure. I paid just over $40k for the current boat.... in 2008.

I agree that it's a different ballgame now. But a lot of people are taking their boats to the dealers for the same issues..... winterizing, "summerizing" (WTF), impeller replacements, $180 oil changes, etc. I get it when your talking about warranty issues with bad covers, upholstery, engine problems, etc. But basic maintenance? Around here there are several guys/shops who do boat maintenance for 1/2 the cost of a dealer. Spend a little time on this forum & get to know your boat a little so you can at least identify a simple problem, maybe even fix it.

I could very well have the $40k statement confused with someone else.  It was in the Heymaker thread.  Doesn't really matter now.

I guess I agree with you in part.  On the boat the Malibu replaced (a sterndrive), I did all the basic maintenance.  I still do that on my fishing boat, and I am the one that does the oil and filter changes on our Corporation's houseboat at Powell.  So it is not an incapable thing in that regard.

But the Malibu is a bit different in my mind.  I doubt I will ever change the oil myself.  Part of it is a personal decision, part an economic (when I looked at it, my dealer charges only slightly more than what parts cost).  I haven't priced other services yet, but it will likely be worth looking into after warranty.

Impeller is something that most people should likely learn.  Winterization?  Not really sure on that.  Seems somewhat complicated, and if you screw up, it is a BIG expense (I store in a heated garage, so I don't worry about that).

I still say that there are things that no matter how handy you are, it is going to be difficult to fix on your own.  I can't imagine not going to a dealer when something happens with the electronics in the boat.  Or what happened to me this summer - boat starts running rough, and a "service engine immediately" light comes on the dash.  Those are dealer items.  And it is nice to have a relationship with the dealer that they get you in on Monday and out on Friday during prime season.

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28 minutes ago, RyanB said:

.......and if you screw up, it is a BIG expense (I store in a heated garage, so I don't worry about that).

Agreed on your points.

Funny story. I sold my old Mastercraft to a guy who lives on my home lake. I had spent the time to set the boat up so it was very easy to winterize. This allowed me to take advantage of great water in the spring & fall & winterize quickly & easily. When he bought the boat I told him about this & offered to show him how it was done. His only comment....."oh I don't need to do that, I'll keep it in my heated warehouse". 

I saw him on the lake the following summer, I asked him how the boat was doing. He said that he had to replace the engine as it had cracked over the winter. I guess his heated warehouse didn't work as expected for some reason.

Hope you have better luck than he did.

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19 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Agreed on your points.

Funny story. I sold my old Mastercraft to a guy who lives on my home lake. I had spent the time to set the boat up so it was very easy to winterize. This allowed me to take advantage of great water in the spring & fall & winterize quickly & easily. When he bought the boat I told him about this & offered to show him how it was done. His only comment....."oh I don't need to do that, I'll keep it in my heated warehouse". 

I saw him on the lake the following summer, I asked him how the boat was doing. He said that he had to replace the engine as it had cracked over the winter. I guess his heated warehouse didn't work as expected for some reason.

Hope you have better luck than he did.

I am running tripple redundancy.  Heated garage.  Bilge heater.  And the garage is connected to my home security system that will alarm in the event the temp goes below 40* for over 5 minutes.  And the garage is in my back yard.  Things could still go wrong, but I feel pretty confident in my set up. But I would be pretty upset if it happened to me.

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9 hours ago, RyanB said:

The new boats are a different ball game.  Even if you are mechanically inclined, and have the time to work on it, there isn't a lot you can do with the electronics on a new boat.  Or an LS3 or LSA motor for that matter.

Very difficult to be "self supporting" with a new boat.

 

7 hours ago, RyanB said:

But the Malibu is a bit different in my mind.  I doubt I will ever change the oil myself.  Part of it is a personal decision, part an economic (when I looked at it, my dealer charges only slightly more than what parts cost).  I haven't priced other services yet, but it will likely be worth looking into after warranty.

Impeller is something that most people should likely learn.  Winterization?  Not really sure on that.  Seems somewhat complicated, and if you screw up, it is a BIG expense (I store in a heated garage, so I don't worry about that).

I still say that there are things that no matter how handy you are, it is going to be difficult to fix on your own.  I can't imagine not going to a dealer when something happens with the electronics in the boat.  Or what happened to me this summer - boat starts running rough, and a "service engine immediately" light comes on the dash.  Those are dealer items.  And it is nice to have a relationship with the dealer that they get you in on Monday and out on Friday during prime season.

This sounds like you are too afraid or lazy to work on it issue.  These brand new boats aren't all that high tech compared to new cars that cost significantly less.  There is a lot more electronic stuff going on in my BMW than a brand new, loaded out Malibu boat, yet I have no issues working on it, electronic issues or otherwise.  A little research and putting in a bit of effort does a lot.

Do you really think these boat mechanics have some magic power to work on these things?  Though there are some well skilled boat mechanics out there, your typical car dealer will have mechanics with better training/experience than your typical boat dealer.  You specifically mention the LS3 and LSA motor...WTF?  Those things are modded to hell and back on the regular - these are actually pretty easy to work on motors.  Winterizing being complicated?  Hardly.

This is a Malibu boat enthusiast site.  We should ENCOURAGE DIY work.  Not put out myths about them being impossible to work on, which isn't the case at all.  

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Couldn't agree more with ahop...  First off, there is this little concept called time.  Some people have the time to do their own repairs, some people don't.  Maybe for some people, having to do the work takes the pleasure out of owning a boat and being on the water... No one way is "the right way", so lets all play nice on here and just enjoy talking about boats.

Isn't this thread about salesman trying too hard? Or not hard enough?  More stories please!

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Several years back I was looking at upgrading at the boat show. I was at the Formula booth where the new 240 had just come out. Sitting at the show, that boat had a 5.0 engine. Obviously boat show special trying to keep the exaggerated price down a bit. Anyway, the salesman told me that was a performance boat, good for 65mph. I asked him with the engine that is in it. He said oh yes, super efficient hull designed for speed. This thing had like a 24deg deadrise, weighed over 4k, and had a 220hp engine in it. Now this was the first showing for this new model by a pretty premier boat maker. I can't believe they'd send it to show with a 5.0 under the hood. 496MAG would have seemed more appropriate, and be capable of 65mph.

Same show, looking at Regals. Asked the guy if there was any wood in the boat. He said no, which I knew was completely false. At the time they used marine plywood to stiffen the hull and wood in the stringers if I remember correctly. I asked him several times, kept saying no.

I think it was also the Regal, it had a brake light built into the hull in the rear. Supposedly it hooked into the trailer lighting to provide an extra third brake light when trailering. Salesman said it worked great for trailering (it was a bit of a noble idea that NEVER caught on) but said it also worked well on the water. Wait, WHAT?!!? Sales, "Oh yes, the brake light works out on the water too so people know you are slowing." Me, "And how does the brake light get actuated. " Sales, "Well when you hit the...... I'm not sure.." Me, "That's what I thought...."

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5 hours ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

I love how some of you try to cram things down people throats on how they need to take care of their boat. You realize some people may just not want to do any of the work on their boat new or old, even though they are capable? What's wrong with that? It doesn't make them any less of an enthusiast in my mind. 

I do most of my own work because I enjoy it right now, almost therapeutic at times. If it stops being that way I will probably take it in. 

Nice how you've twisted it all into something malicious.

For me, I feel like it's part of being a responsible boater. I am taking people into remote locations far away from dealers or other help. And being able to know how to handle situations or any issues that come up & getting us all back safely is part it.

I mentioned this thread to one of the sales guys here. First thing he said, "Oh don't get me started". This is a guy who has brought gas out to people because the boat owner thinks it's the dealers responsibility to bail their gas gauge it's EXACTLY perfect. A guy who was blamed for his customer's boat sinking in their boat slip when they didn't pull the drain plug out of the plastic baggie on their steering wheel after a service call. He's dealt with some real prizes.

It's one thing to have warranty issues that need to be worked out. He & I both are talking about all the other issues that sales guys get called for......

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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ahopkins22LSV
52 minutes ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Nice how you've twisted it all into something malicious.

For me, I feel like it's part of being a responsible boater. I am taking people into remote locations far away from dealers or other help. And being able to know how to handle situations or any issues that come up & getting us all back safely is part it.

I mentioned this thread to one of the sales guys here. First thing he said, "Oh don't get me started". This is a guy who has brought gas out to people because the boat owner thinks it's the dealers responsibility to bail their gas gauge it's EXACTLY perfect. A guy who was blamed for his customer's boat sinking in their boat slip when they didn't pull the drain plug out of the plastic baggie on their steering wheel after a service call. He's dealt with some real prizes.

It's one thing to have warranty issues that need to be worked out. He & I both are talking about all the other issues that sales guys get called for......

It is one thing know how to change an impeller or prop to be able to get you and your crew back for the day and not being a good boater because you decide you would rather have your dealer change your oil and winterize your boat. Thanks for twisting my message too.

And of course there are examples like that... talk to any service department in the world for any kind of industry. How many times have you heard an IT guy ask, have you restarted and or is it plugged in? It's because there are lots of idiots out there. So yes I agree you should have a basic understand of how your boat functions and be able to react to issues out on the water. Still different then having your dealer change your oil and winterize.

Edited by ahopkinsTXi
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2 minutes ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

It is one thing know how to change an impeller or prop to be able to get you and your crew back for the day and not being a good boater because you decide you would rather have your dealer change your oil and winterize your boat. Thanks for twisting my message too.

Hey, I'm just quoting others on those issues. IMO, knowing how to winterize your own boat helps a guy to know how to resolve a problem when the engine starts filling the bilge with water. We've all read about that issue numerous times.

The exorbitant cost of having the oil changed has come up several times too. Knowing how to change your oil helps if or when you have problems with oil consumption or leaks. Another issue that has come up numerous times.

And both are issues that boat sales guys deal with regularly from owners who don't know how to handle the problem on their own.

Just because we have a different opinion & feel like we need to know how to help ourselves doesn't mean I'm trying to cram anything down your throat.

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21 hours ago, BadgerBoater55 said:

Couldn't agree more with ahop...  First off, there is this little concept called time.  Some people have the time to do their own repairs, some people don't.  Maybe for some people, having to do the work takes the pleasure out of owning a boat and being on the water...

Many times that "time" excuse holds no water.  "I don't have time to fix this, so I have the dealer do it."  Yet you have time to get the boat out, hook it up to the truck, tow it to the dealer, deal with the dealer, drive home, come back god knows how many days later, inspect everything, deal with the dealer, pay them, hook back up, tow it home.  I many cases that can be several hours of total time on something that may have taken a lot less to just DIY.  When you DIY you can also do it on your timetable; no leaving work early to make sure you can get to the dealer, no stress about when the dealer is going to actually work on the boat (or if it is going to get screwed up in their possession). 

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I have to admit it's always better to DIY. And I gave gone as far as swapping engines in a suburban before. However sometimes when money isn't the issue and time is you choose to balance one out. I have definitely hired out things I can do when it's cold outside or I am very busy at home/work. 

Now for my salesman story: i remember once sitting in a busy ford dealership and watching my dad scream at a salesperson and the GEneral Manager for going on 45 minutes. They were in one of those glass offices and there were at least 20 people literally eating the popcorn and watching like a street fight. 

I was young but I remember 3 engines getting put in an aerostar and them refusing to make it right after the third failed (on our way out to Colorado to ski). I thought he was gonna have a stroke he was so mad. 

Vehicle was about a year old but I believe we had out driven the warranty going back and forth out west to ski. 

They made it right in the end but if it takes a spectacle then you are slime bags. 

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I will do repairs and fix things on the boat.  For the vehicles, I just drop them off and pick up a loaner.  The only downside to that is I have purchased the loaner vehicle a few times.   I appreciate some people chop their own wood daily, that is awesome, it is just not my program.

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