Diabel1969

These folks shouldn't be selling ANYTHING. I first saw the boat I purchased on ebay. Their ebay rating is flawless, so I didn't dig any further. I went to their web page, and contacted their sales guy "Brian". Talked about the boat for a while. 2000 Wellcraft Excalibur 260. After the initial "how's it run? everything function as it should?" questions, I asked 3 very specific questions. I asked how the interior is, he replied it's perfect, and if it had flaws, it would be repaired in our in house facility before it left here. I then asked how's the gelcoat? any damage, response was again, it's perfect!. I then asked how the trailer was, road worthy, etc.. all responses were it's perfect. I purchased the boat end of last november, and hired they're in house delivery guy to transport it to my house (Lyle). Upon purchase, I asked Brian to please make sure it was winterized as it's already cold up here and it won't be used until spring time, to which he replied, "we do all of our boats as we sell country wide". Lyle contacted me telling me one of the wheels FELL OFF the trailer, and he had to return to the dealership to repair. He then called me again to tell me that he had 2 additional flat tires on the way up and had to replace them, so this thing shows up with 4 different tires on the trailer, FULL of water and ice, damaged gelcoat, and the interior had numerous things damaged, including the captains chair laying on the floor ripped out of the post it resides on. I contacted them and complained, Brain assured me that if I sent them the damaged interior, they would take care of it. I then asked again, WAS THIS WINTERIZED? he responsed yes. I parked the boat into my carport, and pulled the drain peckock's just to verify, and nothing came out. (evening time, dark out, looking at it with a flashlight now). I then figured that maybe their idea of winterizing may be just draining the water?????? but I figured i'd get all the materials and do it asap.. I then opened the boat up a few days later in daylight to find freeze out plugs on the floor of the engine compartment, nothing still coming out of the drain peckocks, but engine full of ice and destroyed. I called them back and his response was I needed to call the owner. I called the owner, sent them photo's of the damage which was obviously already done upon delivery or else when i pulled the drian plugs, it would have come out then! The owner told me there is no warranty on this boat, but if I send them the boat, they'll swap out the engine for me with a quality used one!!!!!!! REALLY? Your "techs" couldn't winterize it, i'm going to trust them changing the engine? So we reached a mutual agreement verbally that they would supply me with a new block, all the gaskets and necessary materials, and exhaust manifolds upon me shipping them the damaged block and manifolds. I did so, never received anything from them. So I have now taken it upon myself to purchase another block thanks to a member here, sent that to the machine shop for some work, spent my ENTIRE summer gathering parts to put this together instead of enjoying it, all while making payments on it. Oh yeah, kicker is I cannot register this boat in my name, as I was never given a bill of sale. I am as of this moment getting an estimate to repair the damaged interior, and have been in contact with the NYS better business, and Texas better business, and am in process of obtaining a lawyer to sue the crap out of these idiots. Lucky for me I can't take time off from work to drive there or i'd most likely be spending the remainder of my days on earth in texas state penn. So, buyer beware. I wouldn't buy a spare tire from these people, and intend to spread the word country wide!!

Diabel1969

what's this 1 post stuff? I've talked with a few folks on here and bought an engine from a guy in Kentucky on here.. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

CrownHawg

So you bought a boat online, without ever laying eyes on it, from a salesman at a used car dealer, from across the country and got screwed? Wow! Who'd a thunk?

Diabel1969

I was given approx 30 pics to look at it, and the angles of the pics didn't show any damage. The biggest part i'm being screwed on is their neglagence of not winterizing it. You know, I just posted that as a warning to others. Yes, they are a used car dealership, but also sell ALOT of boats, some pretty high end. Maybe you should read more of what was written before you open your mouth and sound like a dumb a$$?? who'd a thunk huh??

BUP

iTrader: (9)

No offense but anytime any auto dealer has a boat for sale more times than not they bought it from the repo auction the same auction that they buy alot cars from. I would bet this boat came from the repo Manhiem auction.

Auto dealers most of them know nothing about boats even the fact they need them winterized - even in Texas. My take on these repo auction boats is this - if the owner could not make his payments for the damn boat he sure in the hell did not spend for any maintenance. Ridin hard put away damn wet.

I live in the Arlington TX area and attend these auctions but only to resell my junkie trade in boats that I do not want to retail. I have really never bought too many boats from the auctions because most have some form a major issue (alot of internal crack blocks that banks hide ) but I am not saying U can not buy a good boat but 75 % of boats running thru the auction I would 100% pass on.

Also many retail car buyers looking to buy a car new or used will trade their boat in against that car - the reason they are so willing to trade their boat is because they knowing have a internal crack block or another form of a major issue. Car dealers do not catch this - oil has been changed to new by the owner. We see this alot. Boat owners in Texas think than can get away with not winterizing. Car dealers never even check the boat out being traded in they get a buy bid from a boat dealer or try to retail it off their lot. My point buyer beware and especially from car dealers who sell a few boats most of them know nothing about boats but think they do.

More people are buying and selling boats these days because the margins are higher than selling cars but no so that much with this economy.

Also I grew up in Upstate NY. Been in the boat business 22 years now - its a tough business to be in. About your boat not being winterized they bought it that way from the bank at the repo manhiem auction but never checked it out or knew / found it after the fact unless they owned it before the winter but we did not freeze in Nov 2010 nor Nov 2009 it all started end of Dec / Jan and Feb. both years. We had the hardest last 2 winters ever so any boaters that did not winterized 4 sure have cracked blocks. Good luck.

CrownHawg

I sound like a dumb a$$? My block ain't FROZE! How do you know the motor wasn't froze before they ever shipped?

Diabel1969

Bup.. Thanks for the info.. Yes, it was a repo boat, but actually fairly well maintained. Only "owner" damage I see is a skeg guard on it, from damaged skeg, and a small issue with the lower unit not raising as it should, but since that's all apart laying in boxes right now, i'm going to replace the parts needed to make that operate properly. Other than the, the interior is SPOTLESS, as is the cuddy. At least those pics were accurate! Where in upstate are you from? I work on boats with a friend of mine who runs a marina, and he's the one doing the work..

Diabel1969

it was run and just serviced prior to my purchasing it. and yes, as a matter of fact.. you do!


Funnier thing.. boat originated from your state..

CrownHawg

But what about....


And you know this because "Brian" told you so?

BUP

iTrader: (9)

it was freezing in Arkansas in Nov. both years. Also I changed up some wording in my 1st post. Upstate NY where? You can make anything look good on the outside to resell but as you know its the inside that counts. who serviced it and ran before your purchase also alot of times you can not catch a internal crack block by running it on the water hose - it needs to be load tested as in on the lake / water to be brought up to temp and then cooled down and run again because a crack can expand and contract then the issue will show up especially small cracks then of course get larger hense water in the oil.