Issues with new pontoon

[cbeth85]

We recently purchased a brand-new Avalon pontoon. We met the dealer at a boat show, and ended up ordering a boat to our specifications. We really liked the dealer and things went great…up until delivery of the boat. This is going to be a bit long, so I apologize in advance.

We had arranged that the dealer would deliver the boat to our marina (we did not purchase a trailer). He and his wife were going to be bringing it to us. At the last minute they cancelled and said if we wanted the boat his guy could deliver it the following Monday, otherwise we’d have to wait another week and a half. Well, my husband had been dying to get his boat and get fishing, so we both took the day off work to meet them at the lake (which is 90 min from our home and 2 hours from the dealer). The dealer assured us that his delivery guy was one of the most knowledgable boat guys that he knows, so I figured it would be fine.

The delivery guy showed up at the lake with our brand-new boat uncovered. Is this typical??? Our seats were filthy- covered with a nasty road debris. But, I figured it was just dirt and would wipe off easily, so I didn’t make a big deal of it. Then the guy said that he was going to drop the boat in the lake and as soon as it was in he would unhitch and leave. To be honest, I was completely taken aback. I had expected him to get on the boat with us and do an on-the-water orientation or something. We had no introduction to the boat at all. But he made it clear that he was leaving…so much for him being knowledgable and able to answer our questions. Shortly after he left it started raining, so we put the boat in our slip instead of taking it out. It was then that I discovered the “dirt” did not wipe off easily. We went and bought some cleaner, but that did not work either. The next day I called the dealer about our issues. He brushed off the lack of orientation to the boat. And more upsetting, he said the seats were not a big deal and it should just wipe clean with water. We repeatedly told him that water and other cleaners did not work, but he offered no real solutions.

We were able to get back out to the lake this weekend to finally use our boat. We brought another cleaner and magic erasers….and 3 hours of hard scrubbing later were finally able to get the seats looking decent. You can still see the marks if you look closely, but at least it isn’t glaringly obvious anymore. Little did I know that the seats would be the least of our issues. We started the boat, gassed up (yup, he delivered the boat on empty), and headed out to enjoy a day on the lake. We drove for about 30 minutes and then stopped for lunch and to fish for a bit. 40 minutes later we tried to start the boat again….to nothing. The engine would turn over but fail to actually start. After checking everything we knew to check, we called the dealer. He and his mechanic walked us through about 20 different checks, to no success. We ended up having to be towed back to the marina. He said that it was probably the battery, as we had been playing the radio during our lunch break. It seemed a bit unlikely to me that playing the radio for a short time would drain the battery that much, but we figured it was possible. Of course, we didn’t have a battery charger, so we had to go back the next day with one. After waiting for it to charge several hours we tried the engine again- and it still won’t start.

Our dealer is now saying it is likely a problem with our engine (Suzuki 90hp). He has instructed us to take it to our nearest Suzuki dealer. Luckily, there is one on our lake. My biggest issue is that I do not feel like we should have to pay anything to get this brand-new boat functioning. I called our dealer several times yesterday and suddenly he is “unavailable”, but the staff keeps telling me that it is under warranty and we won’t have any charges. I called the Suzuki dealer (who, unfortunately, is not an Avalon dealer), and he said that simply is not true. He stated that we will have a $125 service fee that the warranty doesn’t cover. And that if the problem is anything that is not completely contained within the engine (i.e.- wiring issue, etc), that it wouldn’t be covered at all, as that would fall under the boat warranty. Additionally, it will be nearly 2 weeks before he can even pick the boat up.

Ok, so if you actually made it through all of that, thanks! We are beyond frustrated with this situation. Repeated phone calls and emails to our dealer are going unanswered and while he is apologetic about the current issue, he is failing to really take any responsibility. Personally, I would expect him to come get the boat or send a mechanic to our marina and get it functioning. I find it unacceptable that a brand-new boat fails to work on it’s maiden trip, especially since we never received an on-water orientation (that may have revealed some of these issues). My worry is that we take it to the Suzuki dealer and it ends up not being an engine issue (or not entirely one), and we get stuck with a big bill.

Is this the way dealers typically operate? Are my expectations reasonable- should I be holding the dealer responsible? Or do we just need to accept a broken boat on day one? I’d appreciate any insight. Also, any ideas on what could be wrong with our boat??

[babock]

Do not use magic erasers on vinyl. They are very abrasive and take the protective layer off your vinyl.

[ROLAND]

Cbeth.... so sorry to hear about your experience, especially with a brand new boat... as far as the boat being towed to you uncovered, I was told when we bought our boat, that you should not tow with the cover on.. with the wind, it apparently puts a lot of stress on the covers / snaps..... However I do know several pontoon owners that tow with the cover on...as for your mechanical issues, I agree with you.. the selling dealer should step up and fix your issues at no charge to you... if he refused, then I would contact the manufacturer and make sure they know what's going on... It's my understanding that Avalons have a good reputation, so you would think the manufacturer wouldn't want a lot of negative publicity out there about one of their products... who knows, they may end up calling the dealer and telling them to get off their ass and fix your issues... hope you get everything worked out quickly.

[justrfb]

cbeth85.
I too am sorry for you. An experience like that puts a bad taste in your mouth for a little bit... I know, I had a very similar experience only yours sounds a little worse (ours is a used boat and we had the dealer who sold it right on the lake we are at...). The only thing I can offer is that the bad taste our mouths went away after a while!! Keep on the dealer and, forget that... Do what ROLAND says and get on the phone with the boat manufacturer... I am sure they are not going to want a dealer messing up with one of their brand new boats. Good luck to you and I will all is in order real soon. Hang in there...

Sincerely,
Rich

[teecro]

It sounds to me like your boat likely sat uncovered for a long period of time outside or in a very dirty shop as a 2 hour road trip should not have coated the seats with an un-removable grime....

Are you sure that it was "ORDERED" for you?

It sure sounds like a display model that has been kicked around outside for a while...

[Bryden24shp]

I know the feeling! We pulled our Manitou home from Michigan. Its was completely clean when we bought it. By the time we got it home it was filthy with semi truck exhaust soot. You think that shit is hard to get off your car or truck, try removing from a pure white interior! I used LA'S AWESOME CLEANER. Then went over it with 303 protectant. When I brought the Premier home, I stayed off the interstate highway and it got home relatively clean.
When Manitou delivered the boat to me after doing some warranty work, they delivered it shrink wrapped. Your new boat should have been delivered the same way. Not sure about your motor issue.... Good luck with it!

[Bamaman]

Sounds as if you've run up on two unethical boat dealers.

It does sound as if you got a boat could have been sitting around in aging, unsold inventory somewhere. Do the last 2 digits of the serial number say "15"? Is your boat even a 2015 model?

Avalon uses 50 ounce vinyl that's the thickest in the industry, and it simply should not be that hard to clean. Avalon/Tahoe prides themselves on using the best vinyl for their upholstery.

As far as the second dealer offering 2 week service, it is normal for such dealers to put you on the back burner if he didn't sell you the boat. But it is not normal to charge a $125 service charge--a rip off. I do understand their warning you that the problem may not be engine related--which Suzuki may not reimburse them. I'd try to avoid such a dealership, but I do understand his being reluctant to get into this situation.

I'd suggest you physically go to the selling dealer and have a face to face with the dealer principal. If he refuses to step up and solve your problem, I'd tell you to contact Avalon Boats. From there, pay an attorney an hour's time to issue a demand letter to the selling dealer. Then if you're not taken care of, find an ethical Suzuki dealer to get your boat right, and file a suit in small claims court for your expenses.

But let me warn you about Suzuki Outboards. They have relatively few dealerships in many parts of North America. And Suzuki Outboards is not a very cooperative company to deal with--administratively. The motors are fine quality, however.

As someone that went 25 years without a pontoon trailer: I find it best to purchase a trailer with any pontoon boat. With a trailer, you'd have been able to physically return the boat to the originating dealer. It's easy to ignore a boat that's not sitting at your front door.

[cbeth85]

Thank you for all the responses! I really appreciate the advice. As far as the seats, I too was shocked that they were that hard to clean. I know that boats typically aren't shipped with the mooring cover, but I guess I figured it would be shrink wrapped or something like that to protect it. This is our first "new" boat, so I wasn't sure what to expect...but I know that I never would have accepted a new car in that condition.

I am sure that this is the boat that we ordered and not one that had been on the lot. We ordered a somewhat rarer model and added a lot of options (that would be unlikely that the dealer would have on his lot). Also, I did talk to Avalon during the build process. Maybe the dealer kept it uncovered outside once he received it from Avalon?? I'll try to post pictures of the seats later today. Those spots were deep down in the vinyl and did NOT want to come up, so no clue what they were.

I plan on calling Avalon up today to see if they will offer any assistance. I just wanted this resolved soon- it has put a very bad taste in our mouth. This was supposed to be our relaxing weekend escape, and thus far it has just been a major headache. To make matters worse, my husband and I have rented a lake house the first week of May for our anniversary trip...and it now looks like we won't have a working boat by then.

[rdeterman]

That is completely unacceptable! I would call the manufacture of the boat and complain. That dealer needs to make it right especially on a new boat purchase.

[badmoonrising]

Also, give the dealer the link to this site and let them know thousands are reading what happened. Better yet, post the dealer's name....

Yes, call the manufacturer, it's also their reputation at stake.

My Tracker dealer spent an hour with me explain EVERYTHING about my boat, all systems, warranty, trailer, etc.

I actually gt bored being a 30 plus year boater, just wanted to get my boat home.

[Cowracer]

Putting aside what the dealer should do, it's clear he is trying to get out of his obligations

Keep DETAILED records of everything from this point out. If you talk to the dealer on the phone, jot down the date and time of the call, the duration and what was discussed. Keep copies of every email and letter you exchange. The dealer might come to his senses and make everything OK, but if it escalates to the point of going to court this will help you tremendously.

Also, as suggested, get the manufacturer involved (again, keep records and copies of everything). As the paying customer, you have the right to demand satisfaction. If doing it the nice way don't work, then get nasty and get a lawyer involved.

Tim

[LadyGT]

Your brand new boat should be covered bow to stern for x-amount of years and your motor should be warranted as well so you should not have to pay a dime for anything for the first year, much less your first time out.

When we picked up our boat in March, our marine dealer basically took our money, gave us the keys, and said have fun with your boat. This dealership is right on the water and runs a marina. You would think they would volunteer to take us out and make sure we knew how to operate the new boat. Well, I insisted on a test drive and it was a good thing too because the emergency kill switch was defective. Our boat has a 5 year warranty bow to stern and a 3 year warranty on the Merc motor.

You need to ascertain that all the warranty paperwork was submitted to the boat manufacturer as well as for your motor. I would call everybody involved and see if it was done because it seems your dealer is not trustworthy.

I would call the manufacturer, send them a copy of your sales contract if they need it and see what they can do. The boat manufacturer should straighten this out with your marine dealer to your satisfaction. For the money spent, you should not have to deal with this at all. You may have to insist the selling dealer pick up the boat for repairs because they are responsible for what they sell. They should have test driven the boat before sending it out to the customer as well. Good luck.

[Gonefishing]

Agree with others. If dealer will not help you call manufacture and report them. You got screwed by dealer he should of taken care of you all boats have a warranty don't let them get away with this I would call and ask to talk with owner

[smltooner]

Also, give the dealer the link to this site and let them know thousands are reading what happened. Better yet, post the dealer's name....

Yes, call the manufacturer, it's also their reputation at stake.

Also, let the manufacturer know about this website. They definitely don't want thousands of potential customers hearing about problems like this.

[robster]

be sure to send the manufacturer a link to this thread and tell them lots and lots of folks read this forum and also post on the manufacturer Facebook page if they have one.