got boat back

[delsol]

you guys were right as always. i fought with myself over why should i stop payment of the check.
reasons
boat starts in gear
starter has wierd sound with flywheel
idle not right
all my plastic not put back the way i had given it to him
wires not conected right
plus 3 new motor water hoses 3 used
when he calls me i am going to tell him to meet me at the marina and explain why i should give him the money he does not deserve
boat still a project boat. tryed to charge me for installing the drive in his packed showroom i told him that i said to check it and if it was not right to let me know as i will get a different one. i told him in front of all the people that to charge me 4k and give me back a boat like this he should be put in jail..i spent a total of close to 7k with motor and i still cannot ride in it..
bob/p

 

[Zim]

Re: got boat back

Sorry to hear, I'd be really angry with that...

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

i really fought with stopping payment on the check till i seen all the stuff he messup..had it ran great no noisey flywheel and no wires disconected. i might have said heck with it, but i will tell to stop by the marina at a certain time and show we why you should be paid and we can agree i will pay you..we will not agree trust me. he really wacked me. its june and i got a proiject half done
bob

 

[bjcsc]

Re: got boat back

Sorry to hear, but I have to say I kind of expected it. Here's what I'd do:

Pay them whatever you owe them, by check, with "Paid Under Protest - All Rights Reserved" written in the memo portion of the check.

Take your boat to a different shop and have the work completed.

When it's finished, hire a lawyer to send the hacks a letter requesting payment for the amount you had to pay to have the work they should have completed done by someone else. Give them 14 days to send you the payment. Make sure they know that if they do not send it to you by the 14th day, that you will file with the appropriate court.

When they don't pay, file a claim in SCC. Hold them accountable!

Document everything very well; Judges like documents and organization.

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

i should just pay him as in philly this time of year . you cannot get into a shop
bob
p/s i got the weekend to think about it. i feel like a jerk not paying but i really got screwed. also i do not have the bucks now to start over in a different shop and it will be almost impossible to get it..in wpb fla. where i used to live anyone with fix it right away
bob

 

[bjcsc]

Re: got boat back

I don't know what else you can do. If you don't pay him, he'll sue you or put it in collections or who knows what. If you don't have someone else (a proper shop) fix it right, you'll have no record of the shortfalls. Meaning if you DIY you'll be in a "your word against his" situation in court (less than desirable).

Isn't this boat on a trailer? If there's nothing in Philly, take it somewhere else. There must be 100's of places within 100miles...

One thing you absolutely can not do is agree to let them hack on it some more...

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

tough call maybe i will tell him to send a guy to get in to idle better at the marina and then pay him., and finish so of the real b/s hack work he did

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

i lose either way i pay him he did a bad job and had boat 5 months.
dont pay him i get sued...maybe i can let him see me and wait 5 months for the money like i did for the boat put the money in a 6 month c/d. and settle in 6 months..but fight fire with fire...make him wait it out like he made me wait . the only difference is i waited and i got back a real abortion boat here...temp gauge wire hanging..flywheel makes a noise when cranging..crapping idle..all my trim not installed. the list is a mile long
bob/.p

 

[Coors]

Re: got boat back

BJ is correct- never stop payment on a check; you get liability, and the state will fry you.

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

the good thing is i got in a aurgement with him in he shop. while pissed off i wrote a check out and he overcharged me. so i called him back after leaving and he took the 300.00 xtra off the bill i told him i would mail him a new check. he said ok. i got the rest of the weekend to descide. it all points to paying him and puting it behind me
bob

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

thanks for all your help i am going to write it this way
Paid Under Protest - All Rights Reserved
anyway . and move on..probaally go to staples and print 1000 copys of dont go to this shop. as they dont do quality repairs .get my staple gun and keep posting them to the phone and dock poles at the marina all summer
bob

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

from their web site i had to post this as it so untrue



Mark Linn heads our service department. Like John Hartung, coming to us from High school he started as the Mercruiser mechanic. He has given xxxx 15 years of loyal service. Mark?s friendly and honest concern for the customer has kept our service department where it is today (respected & well known). Under Mark?s supervision the service department keeps up with the ever-changing motor repairs. Each service technician at xxxx has gone to service school for Mercury Outboards, Mercruiser, O.M.C. or Yamaha.


THEY WENT TO SCHOOL . i am not so sure. johns the owner and he is a hack. no more will be said about these people as i just wanted to see if they had a web site .

 

[bjcsc]

Re: got boat back

Bob: I am hoping that you're just venting a little bit here (and that's OK). But whatever you do, don't start a written or verbal campaign against the shop. Remember, the fact judges like documentation can cut both ways in this case. Be mad, but be smart.

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

just venting i will be smart thanks
bob

 

[WAVENBYE2]

Re: got boat back

Couldn't you gett two or three written estimates and take plenty of clear and close up pictures for the judge to see with each itemized problem?? you said the judge likes every thing in order ,, Plus it could help you at least recover some of the cost to have your boat fixed right. not only that explain to the ones writing the estimate, they could prob. do it alot quicker than having to wait to get fixed than show the judge ..get two or three written documented estimates with clear close up pics. for him to see the bad work,leave every thing just the way you got it back before you do any thing GOOD LUCK !! PAT

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

i am just going to swallow my pride. start over. fix boat myself and forget about court and lawsuits etc...
bob/philly

 

[superpop]

Re: got boat back

I would not swallow anything, I would document everything and fight this joker. Do you have a Visa Card or AMEX card that you can charge the bill too. Sometimes if you purchase something on a card they will contest the charge with you if it breaks or is determined to be poor service. I had a couch redone about 10 years ago and charged it. when I got the couch back and the 3800 bill for the work it was bad so I fought it with Visa and the vendor ended up eating it. I think the card companies use an arbitrator for situations like this when you purchase something using Visa and it is defective and you cannot get satisfaction from the vendor. I would also document everything and then take them to small claims court, it doesn't cost much and is pretty effective if you have all of your ducks in a row. I would also tell him that you plan to fight this and also tell everyone you know about your experience at his shop. It is a shame that a few bad shops give the whole industry a bad name. I had a similar experience at a shop in Renton, WA, total rip off artists.

 

[Lyndy]

Re: got boat back

I would agree with superpop on this one. I am a merchant and process thousands of Credit Card Sales a year. 99.999999% of them the dispute the charge are customers who do not recognize the charge on their statement. All is resolved very quickly with a phone call. The Card Companies are on the side of the consumer and the merchant has got to have all their ducks in a row. For me, it is just a pain because of what I mentioned above. But for you, this is a perfect way to have a shot at some justice. Pay with a CREDIT CARD!

 

[Zim]

Re: got boat back

Couldn't you gett two or three written estimates and take plenty of clear and close up pictures for the judge to see with each itemized problem?? you said the judge likes every thing in order ,, Plus it could help you at least recover some of the cost to have your boat fixed right. not only that explain to the ones writing the estimate, they could prob. do it alot quicker than having to wait to get fixed than show the judge ..get two or three written documented estimates with clear close up pics. for him to see the bad work,leave every thing just the way you got it back before you do any thing GOOD LUCK !! PAT

I would do this and take it to court. A couple headaches is worth 7k or whatever you've paid IMO

 

[delsol]

Re: got boat back

i gave him total 2500+1200= 3700

he gave me
starter
alt
gimble bearing coupler
fuel pump
and a few other things..i am just so sick over it . that between today and tommorow i will make decision. i dont want to go to court. i just wanted my boat fixed...the shop just wore me down..i am going to start over and fix it one step at a time
bob