Terrible experience with bennington.
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 2:05 pm
After more than a year of research and homework to decide what I thought would be the ideal fish / play pontoon, meeting the dealer and the bennington rep @ a boat show 300 miles away, several E-mails and phone conversations with the dealer and the rep, (daniel hahn) - I ordered a 2275 FSI with ESP, a 300 offshore, command link plus digital dash, 55 gallon fuel tank, extended rear deck like a Berkshire has, rough water package and a few other odds and ends.
When it came in - It was essentially a 2550 R series boat with 2275 FSI furniture bolted down on it. Even the dealer was shocked when it arrived at how long it was. It was 2-1/2 ft longer than it was supposed to be (I had no way to store it), had the standard 31 gallon fuel tank instead of the 55 I ordered and no command link plus display. In hindsight - I dont even think bennington knows what command link plus is - even though the arrogant rep told me face to face that they installed command link plus on ALL of their high HP Yamaha powered boats.
I reluctantly told them the only way I could accept their screwed up mess would be for them to discount the boat enough that I could extend my boat storage enough to fit it. They acted like the bennington Gods built me a boat and that I should just be happy with whatever they built. Never so much as even a simple apology for their mutiple mistakes.
I asked them to refund my deposit and they said no. I reminded them that we had a written and verbal contract stating exactly what I ordered (including pictures) - and a few days later I had my deposit refunded.
I would not recommend Jerry Whittle boats or bennington under any circumstances and I hate the fact that I ended up with one of their boats but its a decent hull and I got a good deal on it - so I couldn't pass it up.
I would have gone with a Manitou but their web site clearly states that they will not do anything custom because they offer so many different layouts that their should be no need for anything changes - LOL they lost me there because their fish and play offerings are lame.
In my experience, bennington is currently little more than a group of arrogant dealers and reps resting on the shoulders of hard working, dedicated employees long gone.
Jon Dell Blair
When it came in - It was essentially a 2550 R series boat with 2275 FSI furniture bolted down on it. Even the dealer was shocked when it arrived at how long it was. It was 2-1/2 ft longer than it was supposed to be (I had no way to store it), had the standard 31 gallon fuel tank instead of the 55 I ordered and no command link plus display. In hindsight - I dont even think bennington knows what command link plus is - even though the arrogant rep told me face to face that they installed command link plus on ALL of their high HP Yamaha powered boats.
I reluctantly told them the only way I could accept their screwed up mess would be for them to discount the boat enough that I could extend my boat storage enough to fit it. They acted like the bennington Gods built me a boat and that I should just be happy with whatever they built. Never so much as even a simple apology for their mutiple mistakes.
I asked them to refund my deposit and they said no. I reminded them that we had a written and verbal contract stating exactly what I ordered (including pictures) - and a few days later I had my deposit refunded.
I would not recommend Jerry Whittle boats or bennington under any circumstances and I hate the fact that I ended up with one of their boats but its a decent hull and I got a good deal on it - so I couldn't pass it up.
I would have gone with a Manitou but their web site clearly states that they will not do anything custom because they offer so many different layouts that their should be no need for anything changes - LOL they lost me there because their fish and play offerings are lame.
In my experience, bennington is currently little more than a group of arrogant dealers and reps resting on the shoulders of hard working, dedicated employees long gone.
Jon Dell Blair