Originally Posted by tpmarine.com

I debated on whether or not I should chime in, but decided to share a few thoughts with all of you anyway.

As a member, advertiser and even competitor of Trick Marine I would just like to say that Fred has been very much appreciated, at least from my perspective.

Fred has forced all of us in the marine industry to take a good hard look at our businesses and business practices and if you were not offering products at a fair price with outstanding customer service it was going to be hard to compete. On the other hand, you can only sustain slashing your prices for so long. There is not as much margin in this industry as some might think, so offering "rock bottom" prices is hard to do long-term. Regardless, in the end the consumer benefited.

Now I do not know all the details or the situation that Trick Marine is in, but I can tell you that this business is brutal and at times can suck the life right out of you. However, we do this because we are also avid boaters and have a genuine interest in serving the performance boat market. Unfortunately, despite your intentions, it is easy to find yourself in trouble in this business and quickly...I have been doing it 7 years and does not get any easier.

I only hope that Trick Marine can take care of those customers that are waiting on parts or credits, and Fred I wish you the best of luck on whatever you decide to do moving forward.

Sincerely,
Don B.

Originally Posted by berns29scarab

Originally Posted by Pantera28-650HP

You cannot sell for just over cost and stay in business for long. Everyone got great and sometimes unbelievable deals and now look what has happened. And people wonder why?

There is nothing wrong with a company charging and a customer paying fair market price for quality products, especially if you are getting great service.

Personally I have never had an issue with Fred he was very nice and pleasant.

Professionally - - - now that's a different story. And there are many others who feel the same way.

Originally Posted by Audiofn

I noticed that also Tony. He knows what is going on, how could he not? One has to wonder why he would choose to ignore the entire thing. Has anyone looked to see when the last time he was logged on to OSO was? Has he deleted his posts on hear like he has in the past?

Originally Posted by 100-Plus

With no dog in this fight, again, and all due respect to those who are asking for explanations from Fred ...

What possible upside there could be for him to "chime in" here? What's he going to say? That he isn't having delivery problems? That all is well and his business is thriving and that the guys complaing are liars?

What could Fred say to make it right? That he made some big mistakes running his business? That he's sorry?

Based on this thread, Trick Marine is in deep trouble. Regardless, there's really nothing Fred can say to make it right (and there are probably really good legal reasons for him to avoid speaking up at this point).

So does he owe us all some kind of explanation? The customers who are waiting for their stuff ... most definitely, they deserve explanations and, lacking that, full refunds. But the rest of us, supporters or detractors, he owes nothing.

At this point, I think Fred would have a hard time giving away boats, much less boat parts. My suggestion? Leave the man alone. He has enough trouble. No public declaration of anything on his behalf will change that.