Encore Bently Pontoons

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LadyGT
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Encore Bently Pontoons

#1 Post by LadyGT » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:00 pm

Well, we just brought our new boat home. The new ownership is not starting off well.

When we ordered the boat, we did not order the mooring cover from the manufacturer because we did not want to deal with the snaps. As we were inspecting the boat on the lot, the boat had snaps all over it. I asked why were they there since we did not order the cover as an option. As it turns out, the manufacturer did it without authorization from the dealer and charged the dealer for it. Our option was to not pay for the cover and deal with the snaps since they cannot be removed. I asked if we could refuse to accept the boat. Yes they said, but the sales manager asked if we would be willing to split the price of their cost. I didn't want to, but my husband went along with it.

After doing all the paperwork, nobody asked if we wanted to test drive it. So I insisted on doing so because you don't purchase a car without driving it. We never owned a pontoon before and didn't know what does what or what to expect while driving it. Well, it was a good thing we did. The cut off switch didn't turn off when you pulled on it. That was about a one hour repair because they couldn't find the cause right away. It turned out to be a connector not being installed correctly.

As soon as we got home, we put on the mooring cover and that took about an hour. There were 5 poles and we could not find the location for the last one because we couldn't find the reinforcement/snap for it. After we got it on, we were wondering if we could have installed a generic cover because we have a double bimini. We are not sure they can be stored flat.

My final concern is the trailer. There is about 17 1/2-3/4" bunker behind the logs. What drew my attention to that was that there was a rusted rectangle at the front of the trailer. Something was moved. It looks like the stair/winch section was moved forward for some reason. The fish finder's transducer is sitting just above the bunk. I started a thread about this in the General Pontoon section.

At this point, I am having some reservations about my purchase because of the amount of the money spent. Everything I am concerned about is not the fault of the dealer so my concerns are with the manufacturer.

Purchasing a new boat is supposed to be a happy event, but I am not feeling that way.
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
2001 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel

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zoom650
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#2 Post by zoom650 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:28 pm

Sorry the delivery of your new boat turned so frustrating. Don't really know what to say about the mooring cover except unless you garage your boat, the pollen, leaves, spider poop, bird droppings, and sun damage will force you to spend more time cleaning the boat than enjoying it. Dual Bimini means you either go custom canvas or order from Bentley.

If you hate those snaps, they should be self-tapping and easy to remove, but that's a lot of holes to plug. Without them, how will the cover fit to the boat?

If it helps, I received my boat with the wrong size mooring cover. It wasn't cut for dual biminis either. It was re-cut all wrong, and still to small anyway. The cover for the front Bimini was too large and flapped in the breeze, on the highway and on the water. Piss poor canvas work from day 1.

The horn quit working (design flaw) and a wrong connector between the engine ang gauges was used. I was ready to pull my hair out and one step short of meeting my dealer in small claims court. But, it all was handled eventually. Just make a list of everything not working as it should, then let the dealer fix it.

Now your bunks should roughly match up with the pontoon length. Sounds to me your winch and ladder were moved forward to give the proper tongue weight to the trailer hitch. That might expose a rusty patch on a painted steel trailer. A shot of black Rustoleum paint covers that. The bunks could be moved forward to mate up with the pontoons again, or (shivver) maybe just saw off the excess.

Good luck and go have some fun on your new boat!
Michael and Laura
'12 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew Ecoboost
'14 Harris Solstice 220, P3 tritoon, Mercury Verado 150, Enertia 14p.
prior boat: '02 Century 2600CC, twin Yamaha EFI 200's, full instruments.

LadyGT
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#3 Post by LadyGT » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:00 pm

Michael, we are taking the whole rig back on Monday around 1 pm. CGM is going to replace the trailer. Would you believe the serial number on the bill of sale for the boat is incorrect? As time goes by, the angrier I am becoming. My husband is a saint with my venting. Lol. I should have realized what I was getting into when I saw a boat waiting for pickup. The boat was to have the underskin and didn't. This was standard for that model.
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
2001 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel

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zoom650
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#4 Post by zoom650 » Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:12 am

Seriously?!

If the serial number on your vessel does not match the bill of sale, and if your boat was to have the underskin and it does not, and considering the trailer issue, are you sure you even have possession of the correct boat?

Those things put together makes me wonder if they loaded the wrong unit on your trailer.

As much as I wished for my boat to be delivered in perfect condition, that was not the case. I'd recommend making a list of everything wrong, so you don't miss an item and carefully go over it with CGM. I'm sure things will be made right, aggravating as it is.

Good luck. I'm headed to Florida tomorrow. I'll cross my fingers for you on Monday!
LadyGT wrote:Michael, we are taking the whole rig back on Monday around 1 pm. CGM is going to replace the trailer. Would you believe the serial number on the bill of sale for the boat is incorrect? As time goes by, the angrier I am becoming. My husband is a saint with my venting. Lol. I should have realized what I was getting into when I saw a boat waiting for pickup. The boat was to have the underskin and didn't. This was standard for that model.
Michael and Laura
'12 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew Ecoboost
'14 Harris Solstice 220, P3 tritoon, Mercury Verado 150, Enertia 14p.
prior boat: '02 Century 2600CC, twin Yamaha EFI 200's, full instruments.

LadyGT
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#5 Post by LadyGT » Sat Mar 28, 2015 7:49 am

Maybe my wording was confusing. Three weeks ago somebody else's boat did not have the underskin. Mine does. The person doing our paperwork just did not proof the serial number. I know this is a frustrating time right now and will get worked out eventually. Lol.
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
2001 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel

LadyGT
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#6 Post by LadyGT » Sat Mar 28, 2015 10:53 am

I was reflecting on our last visit at the dealer. We did not want a custom cover because we did not want to deal with snaps. The snaps were there because the factory included a cover even though it was not ordered. The sales person said that we could split the price of it based on their cost which was $800. Our cost was $400. Well today I came across our brochure with the prices of all the options we originally wanted which included the playpen cover. The price they wrote down was $795. Now I know their cost was not what they quoted us because this is where they make their money on options.

I want to confront the person by showing the brochure. It is about principal and how can I believe anything they have told me about the boat or anything they tell us in the future.

What do you suggest we do? We did pay $400 for the cover which was customized to accommodate double biminis even though we did not order it. Husband said let it go. I am having a hard time doing so. I want everything to be fair for both parties. Should I talk to the sales manager who suggested splitting the cost or talk to the owner?
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
2001 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel

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zoom650
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#7 Post by zoom650 » Sat Mar 28, 2015 4:11 pm

I agree with your hubby. If you got a mooring cover custom cut for a dual bimini for $400 .. a lot of guys on here would probably like that same deal.

Sounds to me, they split the cover's msrp price with you. The dealer recovered his cost and you saved $400 on a new cover.

You've said you didn't want a cover, but honestly, it keeps the boat so much cleaner and protects your furniture. Given all the pollen, even today, mine has stayed covered since I pulled it a couple weeks ago.
LadyGT wrote:The sales person said that we could split the price of it based on their cost which was $800. Our cost was $400. ... The price they wrote down was $795.

We did pay $400 for the cover which was customized to accommodate double biminis even though we did not order it. Husband said let it go.

What do you suggest we do?
Michael and Laura
'12 Ford F150 Lariat SuperCrew Ecoboost
'14 Harris Solstice 220, P3 tritoon, Mercury Verado 150, Enertia 14p.
prior boat: '02 Century 2600CC, twin Yamaha EFI 200's, full instruments.

LadyGT
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:14 pm
Location: Warner Robins, GA

Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#8 Post by LadyGT » Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:21 am

I was rethinking the conversation this morning and realized I was wrong. $800 was the price for a standard cover. I missed the second column on my brochure which listed the price of a double for $995 so it was a good deal. What disturbs me though is how things are coming incorrectly from the factory. From what we have seen thus far is not impressive. I am sorta wondering what lies ahead. We did not see a predelivery inspection sheet as mentioned in the owner's manuel. The sales person said many times boats are not alway perfect when coming from the factory so they have a donor boat on their lot. I am wondering if other customers of different brands have problems too?
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
2001 Ford F250 Turbo Diesel

Gonefishing
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#9 Post by Gonefishing » Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:30 am

Sounds like your dealer is lacking in the prep department. Everything you talked about should have been checked before delivery and corrected. I also agree with the previous post of maybe they loaded the wrong boat.
Bob Jacksonville, Nc

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LadyGT
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#10 Post by LadyGT » Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:58 am

We got the correct boat. In the owner's packet, we received 3 Statements of Origin which were for the boat, trailer and the Mercury outboard. We took the statements and compared the numbers. The serial number on the boat was off by one letter. I have been a typist for the majority of my professional career so it is easy to hit one key by mistake by the same finger. The person completing the bill of sale just should have proofread the work. There are lots of numbers and letters in serial numbers and easy to get confused. It's easy to do. In fact, when we sold our runabout last week, I noticed the serial number on the registration of our boat or trailer was incorrect. A number was missing. The state issuing the registration was at fault for that one so it happens. I can't believe I didn't catch it myself 17 years ago when we moved here. lol.
Denise and Jim
2015 Encore 22' Cruise SE Grey
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#11 Post by dhsofficer » Sat Apr 25, 2015 2:59 pm

If it helps, I have a 2013 bentley 220 and love love love it. The problems you are having are not unusuAl. They sound like the dealer did not do their job and do a proper pre delivery inspection. As for the cover, be happy with it. You will have regretted not having one.
Don't let a few minor bumps in the road ruin what will be an amazing time on th lake.
These are small issues.
Move on, enjoy your time and welcome to the pontoon world.
2013 Bentley 220 cruise
90 hp Merc
You can find us cruising Newport Harbor, Lake Havasu and Lake Mojave
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#12 Post by Rick McC. » Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:52 pm

We recently bought an '05 Bentley 240 Fish, and so far, it's doing well.

We bought it from a local marina. They installed new vinyl flooring, reupholstered everything, and put on a new 2016 60 HP four stroke Merc Command Thrust motor. They also installed all new cables and controls.

All the old stuff; wood deck, framework and pontoons, seem to be in good shape.

We've been boat owners for over thirty years, and this is our forth 'toon.

Our previous boat was a 24' Hurricane 248GS, which we kept for over 10 years.

We didn't buy a trailer, as we live on fresh water (a river) which connects to the Gulf, and our boats stay in the water year round. They only get pulled if a hurricane's forecast to hit our area.
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Vikingstaff
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Re: Encore Bently Pontoons

#13 Post by Vikingstaff » Fri Apr 07, 2017 8:02 am

I know myself well enough to know I'd be feeling just like you right now if it were my new boat. However, being a third party, the advice being given above is spot on. Dealer should have caught most of this with their pre-delivery quality control checks during and after rigging it up for you. That said, its all stuff that will be warranty covered, and once taken care of, you and your husband will be out on the water enjoying it. Time to log everything that isn't up to par, turn it back over to the dealer to get corrected under warranty, and not worry about it until you get it back 100% ready to go.
Vikingstaff
Houghton Lake, Michigan
Bennington 24' SSBXP

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