Dodgey boat dealers.
Gday All!! So after a year of buying a new Boat from Mandurah Boat auctions, it's fair to say ....
The boat i bought from him was an import that his guys knocked together once in the country (the hardtop and windscreen etc would not fit in shipping container). The boat has since had ongoing problems to the point that i cant even take it into the lightest chop withouth the hardtop (and everything thats fixed to it) rattling loose. Another shock came whilst entertaining some international guests, out fishing behind garden island. The police pulled me up and fined me for having a unlicensed boat despite being assured bythem that i was ready to hit the water. When i rang to query this I was told that it must have been an error at the dpi's end. It wasnt because i was fined.
On one of my first trips out the engine (second hand tohatsu 130 hrs) overheated. Took it to Chivers who looked after my first rig and they soon found the problem. Mandurah boat auctions mechanic, a supposed tohatsu expert had bolted the gearbox back to the rest of the motor out of alignment cracking the cooling water tube so that the engine was not getting enough water to the head at high revs. It of course ran perfectly during the hour test run and it wasnt untill i pushed the motor to WOT for an hour or so that the problem became apparent. To be fair he did fix this issue but only beacuse it was still within the three month warranty period on the motor that i requested as a condition of sale.
As soon as the structural problems became apparent he handballed me to the boats importer/manufacturer which im glad he did. his suggestion was to wedge a piece of wood against the hardtop to stop it rattling!!! The Manufacturer has since severed ties with them due to reasons i wont speculate on. That would be defamation. Im lucky that i managed to get the overseas manufacturers number because the boat now has to go back for structural repairs for a second time and the manufacturer has agreed to pay the repair costs to protect the name of his boats in this country, probably because mine is the only one that they have brought over. The manufacturer told me that mine was the first of its kind to be brought into the country. this is in direct conflict with the lies told by the owner who told me it was the 5th boat of this particular model he had sold.
There is more to this nightmare but i just cant be bothered going into further detail its too painful. Im just posting this because i dont want another poor unsuspecting bloke whos looking to buy his dream boat getting robbed blind by a pirate like him from mandurah boat auctions.
In conclusion this is all my fault. I didnt do my home work properly and took a chance on an unproven product because it was cheap and looked sexy as hell, so please dont waste your breath telling me this. Just trying to get word so this kind of thing doesnt happen to someone else.
Cheers!!
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
I'm no lawyer but I'd be
I'm no lawyer but I'd be editing his name out of a public forum .. you might get bitten twice . Sounds like a drama you don't need and feel your pain , hopefully the manufacturer nails it and you get some stressfree future boating .
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
my thoughts exactly
gota be carefull what you put on a public forum, what he says may be true but i dont think this is the way to get his point across would hate to see him in court after all the problems he's gone through.
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
coment
I feel your pain but as chris raff said delete his name or you might get a bite in the bum social media is a powerfull tool but you need to be careful how you use it and i would have been suss as soon as they put a second hand tohatsu on the back just plain scary
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15647
Date Joined: 29/11/05
modded
Sorry mate, I have edited out the blokes name for everybody's sake. As the others have mentioned, you must be very careful in this day and age and this site is extremely popular and it doesn't take long for this stuff to be spread around.
From Fishwrecked.com Terms and Conditions Document:
All opinions and comments expressed are those of registered Members, and Fishwrecked.com accepts absolutely no responsibility or liability for any Member’s postings, comments or opinions.
All information that is disclosed in the forums becomes public information and you agree to take responsibility when making statements or sharing your personal information.
Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance
fisherking
Posts: 730
Date Joined: 29/05/08
Thanks for the
Thanks for the warning.
Hopefully your honesty will stop others suffering.
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
trymyluck
Posts: 908
Date Joined: 06/05/12
sorry to hear your dream was
sorry to hear your dream was ruined mate,i still would love to see some photos of your boat, hope it all comes together in the near future for you.
thewom
Posts: 43
Date Joined: 31/05/11
No worries fisherking. I am
No worries fisherking. I am aware of "this day and age" and legality etc its a risk im willing to take to stop some other poor bugger going through what i am. Adam, i am also aware of this sites popularity within the fishing community, which is why i chose this forum to express my anger. sorry if i breached terms and conditions....please mod again or delete my post all together if you feel it appropriate. dont want fishwrecked getting into troubs. been a member for longer than i have had the current rig (a few years now) and only posted out of concern for the rest of the fishing community.
I appreciate everyones advice regarding possible legal action against me for detailing my experience, but i also believe in freedom of speech. after recently having some mods done to the boat by an independent shipwright and hearing similar stories about the same dealer (including a seafox that had its pumps screwed all the way through the hull allowing the hull to fill with water) i could not bite my tongue any longer.
im not a rich guy and work freaking hard for my coin so its killing me watching a dream i worked so hard for literally fall apart. simply not fair that the law can be used to intimidate people out of complaining when they have been ripped off.
Thanks for the advice guys.
thewom
Posts: 43
Date Joined: 31/05/11
thanks trymyluck its been
thanks trymyluck its been hard. will post a pic. might shed some light on why i got sucked in ;)
opsrey
Posts: 1200
Date Joined: 05/10/07
Thx for heads up. Will pass on the info.
Pitty your purchase has been so bad.
clogwog
Posts: 265
Date Joined: 01/02/11
Mate hope all gets sorted
Mate hope all gets sorted and you get some use from your boat., sounds like the boat builder is at least doing the rightie and trying to sort it out. Glad you posted this as I almost purchased a tohatsu from what I think may have been an affiliated company to the one you mentioned. The motor was secondhand but supposedly fully rebuilt, they offered a warranty on parts but refused to warrant labour if anything went wrong, seemed as if they were not too confident in there own work.
bsir
Posts: 574
Date Joined: 24/04/11
Hard luck
..but thanks for sharing.
I havent heard too many bad stories about boat imports and have been considering importing one myself, guess this highlights the need to be vigilant.
thewom
Posts: 43
Date Joined: 31/05/11
Clogwog, im pretty sure
Clogwog, im pretty sure there is only one tohatsu dealer in mandurah and they are affiliated with the dealer i have mentioned. To be honest the tohatsu has been a fantastic motor since the repairs but that said the original damage occured during a service they carried out prior to me purchasing it..... Supposedly they have a new mechanic now....
wagyl
Posts: 219
Date Joined: 08/03/09
Boat manufacturer
Can you name the boat manufacturer as it sounds like he is doing the right thing by his customers and I assume they are overseas? They would then also stand by their hull warranties as well from the sounds of it.
quadfisher
Posts: 1146
Date Joined: 28/09/10
Good on you.
I understand what Adam and all the others are saying , but personally If I was getting
screwed over and then came on a site and told my story with no porky pies, just the simple
unemotional facts , I wouldnt be concerned at all about litagation.
Its a bit like the people nowadays whom wont step up and help a victim, a old lady getting robbed
or the suchlike for fear of some such litagation. Shame on you I say. Putting my money were my mouth is
I have stepped in a couple of times in the past and felt the better for it, whilst recieving thanks from others and the cops.
No I am no vigalanty , I just believe in helping people if I can , thats the way I was brought up;;;; sorry for hichjack.
quadfisher
uncle
Posts: 9486
Date Joined: 10/02/07
most are too busy recording
to help!!!
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Browndog
Posts: 587
Date Joined: 10/04/12
Bad news
Sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate the warning.
FWIW, on the legal side of things, my understanding is if you only discuss FACTS and not opinions or possibilities then you have nothing to fear. Of course I have no legal training whatsoever, and would probably make a worse lawyer than I do a fisherman.
BD.
sea-kem
Posts: 15002
Date Joined: 30/11/09
You probably need to add
You probably need to add slander in there too Browndog but I reckon you are right.
Love the West!
Splashback
Posts: 82
Date Joined: 25/06/12
that mechanic
is absolutlely useless and does not work there anymore. The new guy is actually an older guy whose Dad was one of the first boat mechanics in Mandurah. Old school thoroughness and reliability in his work. He doesn't do dodgy, or straight out lies.
Those two companies lost so much faith from customers because of that mechanic. I wont say where he works now except to say I wouldn't take my boat to any shop on Pinjarra rd. Ever. It might even get burnt but that's another story.
I am sorry for the experience you had with your vessel, and Clogwog, I argued with them too about not offering a three month warranty on a 'rebuilt' motor. Dunno the story there.
Rods: a few
Reels: a few too
Personal best: eaten and forgotten
Location: North Mandurah
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
Sorry to hear it
I wasn't going to lower myself to it, but seeing as you mentioned it, I got burned by the same bloke.
Bought a 5 mtr boat. Asked the question about the integrity of the hull and got the reply it is fine. It ended up having a rotten floor, transom and stringers. I notified the dealer and was basically called a liar about its condition. So it was lucky I am 1/2 handy and rebuilt it myself. It still cost me over $2k and not once was I offered a sorry or a refund.
They have put the safety of my family at risk by selling me a dodgy boat and nothing can really repay that. So if Mandurah Boat Auctions decide to take legal action and you need some type support by a bloke that got burned as well, I am your man..
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
Shane O
Posts: 926
Date Joined: 22/01/10
First boat
Was from mandurah boat auctions, the boat is actually from the first outboard mechanic in mandurah. The motor is a Tohatsu and runs fine with no problems, guess I got lucky. Saying that I am selling now as I need something I can handle myself the boat is fiberglass and handle the choppy seas really well.
Thanks
Shane
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1322
Date Joined: 23/02/11
mate - sorry to hear you have
mate - sorry to hear you have had a bad experience - my first boat was a disaster which is now only funny with the passing of time!
-just a tip (and i am no mechanic) but no engine should be run at WOT for an hour or so! - RPM = wear and WOT = fast wear! - hope your boating life gets better
cheers
kmo
Posts: 127
Date Joined: 17/01/12
He did say that it was 2nd
He did say that it was 2nd hand with 130 hours on it.
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
WOT for an hour still
WOT for an hour still definitely no good!!
•••••••• Electrical Contractor NOR ••••••••
OLD BANGA
Posts: 267
Date Joined: 02/04/10
WOT
Sorry for my ignorance but what does the WOT stand for or mean????
Cheers
Old Banga!
OLD BANGA
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Flat out
WOT = Wide open throttle
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Splashback
Posts: 82
Date Joined: 25/06/12
ol yella
That is a semifamous local boat. Been around for ever. I have been lookin at it mate and I know how good that donk is. Been wondering if I should sell my chivers and tinny and just have one medium size one...
Also found out that bad mechanic got the arse from another dealership so I now retract my previous statement about boat mechanics and locations in Mandurah. Splash
Rods: a few
Reels: a few too
Personal best: eaten and forgotten
Location: North Mandurah
psion
Posts: 424
Date Joined: 15/05/12
Good on Ya
well done mate
Thanx for posting.
your story states the facts, there is no deflamatory remarks, no threats, defamation or swearing.
He wont sue you or take you to court as he will have to prove that what you have said is bull, and that he repaired / fixed your boat.
If he looses the case it becomes a matter of public record and that will cause more damage to his business.
People who practice dodgy business ethics get away with it by staying under the radar and trying to scare irate customers into silience.
Generally guys don't complain in public so when they do I recon it because they are pretty close to thier last straw, and i take note.
Reminds me of a guy in South africa years ago, he got so hacked off with a vehicle manufacturer, that he spend 25000 and placed a huge "open letter of complaint" in the national sunday paper.
Now days we use Facebook and forums like this.
Good on Ya
thewom
Posts: 43
Date Joined: 31/05/11
Psion, thanks for the
Psion, thanks for the message of support and thanks to everybody else who messaged their support.
The dealer in question has become aware of this post and rang me to discuss it the other day. He seems to think that " structural faults" are not his problem unless it is a safety issue. He essentially rang me and stated he has "insurance against this sort of thing" Because i told him i would consider legal action to get my boat repaired. He stated that a legal battle would be no skin off his back and told me that his boats only come with a one year warranty. He pretty much tried to intimidate me out of pursuing the matter through legal action.
I stated all the lies that he told me and he had a story to counter every one. I now have a boat that is just over a year old and cant be taken out fishing because the hardtop and console vibrate so violently that on one occasion one of my rods ( a cheapy thank god) was spat out of the rod holder. I would never buy a new boat with only a one year warranty. He told me the boat came with a 10 yr hull warranty. Im now going to foot the bill to fix the boat myself.
As you said psion, its pretty unfair that an operator can threaten legal action to intimidate someone who is obviously not in a financial situation to fight them legally. I thought about removing this post but im not. He politely informed me that everything i said was hear say. Im no lawyer but to me that essentially means he called me a liar. Stay away boys!!
Some one get out there and catch some fish for me cause i wont be for a long time yet. :(
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
Thought the manufacturer was
Thought the manufacturer was going to foot the bill relating to the hardtop and console ..have you ascertained what the problem is and have you had the job priced up as yet ? . Might be a idea to start a new thread with some pics of mountings etc and hopefully people in the know here , could offer you some advice and get you back on the water with minimal expense asap .
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
take him on
take the bloke on any bush lawyer see you will win any court battle have costs awarded in your favour
thewom
Posts: 43
Date Joined: 31/05/11
Cheers chris, i had the
Cheers chris, i had the repairs priced up by an affiliate of this site.
The cost was at around a thousand dollars to glass the rear seat down and add new stainless supports for the existing stainless to give it extra strength. The manufacturer turned out to just be the guy who brought the boat over. He was willing to pay the cost and we had discussed it in person and he viewed the boat. He requested that i sign a declaration that he had paid me and the issue was finalised.
I didnt want to do that because he could then turn around later and use it to cover himself if i had further problems. He requested a reciept for tax purposes and asked if the repairs could be done by the end of financial year to which i agreed. A few days later i recieved a conference call from the importer and dealer both telling me they were not liable for the fault, called me a liar and said if i wanted to i could take it up through the courts.
I suspect it was due to the fact that i dared voice my opinion of there operation online. I will take some photos and start a new thread as you suggested.
petermac
Posts: 2946
Date Joined: 03/03/10
get onto facebook
get onto facebook most manufacture's have a facebook page and leave negative feed back I had to do it with stacer Australia after a member of this site gave me some advice and once I left negative feed back on their facebook page they went in to damage control and sorted my boat very quickly good luck mate
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
Do u mind telling us who the
Do u mind telling us who the importer was?
•••••••• Electrical Contractor NOR ••••••••