ComplaintsforTowne Marine LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a boat from them in august of 2021. because of the distance from me to the dealer and there was a time constraint on the purchase, basically I had to make a deposit that day or they would sell it to some one else. I was unable to view the boat in person. I was promised the boat would be "turn key" and water ready". I was informed there would be minor cosmetic flaws but the boat was in overall good used condition. When i arived to pick it up i was told it everything was strapped down and ready for transport. When I arrived home that night i realize seats had blown off the boat becuase they were not secured prior to travel. After putting the boat in the water found the engine barley ran then over heated and virtually nothing on the boat funcioned except the radio.all and all the boat was grossly misrepresented and i have aboat requiring thousands in repairs that i wont be able to fully use until next year when all repairs are completed

  Business response

  10/19/2021

  BBB
  ********************************************
  
  Re: Complaint ID ********; *************************
  
  Dear BBB
  
  This summer, during one of the busiest years our industry has ever had, the boat owner called inquiring about a used pontoon boat that he saw on our website.  He said that he had recently lost out on several other boats sold before he could finalize the purchase.  For that reason, he wanted to put a deposit down on the boat immediately, sight unseen.  He stated that he had experience flipping used boats and implied knowledge of boats and boat systems.
  
  The boat is a 20-year-old pontoon boat.  The day that he came to take delivery of his boat, he was met by our staff that went over the boat with him.  He was given all the time that he wanted to inspect the boat personally before he came in to sign the purchase agreement and complete the sale.
  
  The seat cushions that he lost were on hinges and screws.  In 40 years and thousands of boats, we have never had cushions fastened by screws come off.  We feel that excessive highway speed must have been a contributing factor.  The lights were tested and working before he picked up the boat.  Again we are of the opinion that some items that tested fine here might have been knocked loose during the trip to his home.  He was informed of items that were not working, such as gauges that were not compatible with his choice of a different motor.  We offered to fix his lights if he would return the boat to us.  We also offered to reimburse him for the repair and replacement of the impeller on the water pump.  He refused to bring the boat to us so that we could make the repairs stating that the distance was too great. 
  
  The owner purchased an item that was in very high demand.  He was given an opportunity to inspect the boat before the purchase was complete. He purchased a boat that was 20-years-old.  We offered to make repairs that would have gotten him on the water this year, but he refused to return the boat to us.  The thousands in repairs that he mentions would not be for needed repairs but desired improvements. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  D. *************************
  Customer Service
  **********************                              

  Customer response

  10/21/2021

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  as stated the vehicle was misrepresented.  The Walk through they are speaking of consisted of the technician. Stating that everything worked and that the boat was tested in the water. Obviously that is not true. When  we went over the electronics i was told  that  the trim gauge would not work as it was not compatible. I am not questioning the trim gauge. i was told how ever everything else was inspected and in working order the only issue was the factory switch panel had gone bad and the previous owner had relocated it to the side of the console with an after market switch. which would be understandable given the age of the boat. Since i was working with a dealer ship and speaking directly with their mechanic i (at the time) felt confident i could take their word for the fact that the lights were working, i feel a mechanic should be capable of determining weather or not a light bulb illuminated. But after having now had the opportunity to determine the cause of not a single light working. The results actually were surprising. Having a mechanical back ground is help full in under standing the issues but in simplest form the wires were never even hooked up to the new switch panel and remained in the old which was bad. on top of that being bad the wire that supplied power to the fuse box from the battery under the deck of the boat was spliced together with indoor home electrical wire nuts. the wire was corroded and needed to be replaced. the fuses in the fuse box had the tabs actually rotted off in the box which required the box to be replaced. After all the wiring switches and fuse box being replaced there were still 2 lights out the right side navigation light and the left front dock light. after testing them it was determined the actual fixtures themselves had so much corrosion and needed to be replaced.  All of the statements regarding the electrical have been documented with photographs of the issues as well as the testing done to confirm the issues.  With that information its my opinion that the statement the lights worked when before my trip home is not possibly true.  As far as the interior light well there just aren't any wires even run to most of them so the could not have worked.  As far as the seats.  my issue is plainly that i told them i had a long trip home and specifically asked if everything was held down and was told yes. which clearly 3 of the seats free float and were not secure and the other 2 were so rotted they couldn't retain their hardware. The fuel gauge again the issue was determined to be the wiring being spliced together with wire nuts and corroding requiring replacement of the wiring. after having enough of the issues fixed to make the boat useable we were able to take it out towards the end of September after having it on a calm lake for approx. 6 hours we noticed our speed was down 2 mph and the boat seemed to lean to the front left. once home we found that on the front of the pontoons where some sort of bracket had been and was cutoff there were 2 holes that were attempted to be filled with ************* epoxy that were leaking allowing the left front chamber to fill with water.  Again i have photographs from before i purchased the boat where you can zoom in and see the areas and video of the pontoon being drained and patched. 

       They did at one point offer i believe around $100 for the water pump repair. They never discussed the running concerns with the engine that had literally just installed and i was told they would be willing to "Look" at the electrical.  i sent them an email with my concerns about cost VS travel time knowing they would likely still try to make me pay for some portions of the electrical  repairs. and my hesitation about some one who didn't bother to check if anything worked or was unable to tell if any thing worked making the repair. To which i received no response  After that email i followed up with 1 possibly 2 emails and 1 phone call where i left a voice mail for keith  to discuss the situation to which I have not heard back and is why I have had to take this route to seek resolution. 
  
        While I'm aware I purchased an almost 20 year old boat and some issue are to be expected.  i was told this boat was water ready and if it was one issue i wouldn't be so upset. but i essentially received a boat that barley ran, overheated, has no gauges, has no lights, no horn, 1/2 the seats and doesn't float.

  If any of the documents are needed i can be reached @ ********************* and can forward any information or pictures needed
      
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  10/29/2021

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I appreciate the clarification that all responses have been received.  As i stated I have tried to reach out directly to the business to reach a conclusion of the initial issues.  I made a phone call the day after purchasing the boat to let ***** know of things i was concerned about. The second phone call days after purchasing the boat. I spoke to ***** which was the last time i was able to make contact via the phone. He was very clear. their would be no help with the seats and was adamant that the lights worked upon delivery. He requested a list of the issues with the boat which i sent him every thing i was a **** of at the time.  I was offered reimbursement of  $90 in labor plus the parts cost. for the water pump.  which for that repair is fair. In the phone call where he assured me the lights were working when i purchased it i was given the impression that if i brought the boat back they would look at it at no charge but basically [and this is the impression i received] i would most likely be responsible for the repairs in one way or another.  I did respond saying it is not worth my travel expenses there and back 2 times to drop the boat off and pick it up understanding they were only going to cover diagnostic time and likely not the cost of repairs. After sending that email and not recieving a responce i followed with 2 phone calls and an email to attempt to clarify the situation or come to an agreement to which i received no reply.  So after not receiving a reply i was left 2 options leave a broken boat sit in my drive way and hope one day they would respond or begin getting it repaired and repairing what i could my self.  As i told ***** in the email this is not solely about money.  It was made clear to me with in the first week that i was pretty much on my own for the repairs.  Would i like assistance with the repairs financially? Absolutely. But  My main issue with the entirety of this transaction and process is I was given a mans word that this boat was turn key and water ready and their were no know issues. I took that man at his word and I was wrong.  After giving the company the benefit of the doubt that these items were missed in the inspection offering them proof that these issues existed prior to me purchasing the boat and most likely before they received the boat. They stand firm on the soap box and push blame to the customer because The customer had the opportunity to inspect it them self.  Instead of taking a step back and saying it is  a possibility a mistake was made how can we correct it.  They left me hanging for weeks refusing to reply while i now have to find a way to repair this on my own.  As a customer that just made [to me] a fairyly large purchase that i expected to be able to use i feel let down that it was not. I feel trapped now that i have this purchase that im supposed to pay for for the next 10 years that was unusable. I'm scared about what will happen when we finally spend the money to get all the know issues repaired. Will we find more. will we get stuck some where. And instead of any kind of compassion or assistance from the seller i get in essence you had a chance to look at it before you purchased it and then no response until i seek assistance from a 3rd party. So I really dont know where to go from here because the dealer wont speak to me because "any further conversation with him would produce no positive conclusion" So any input from Either Towne Marine Or The BBB on how to proceed would be appreciated.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ***** 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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