Dana Marine refuses to sell replacement parts
10-11-2008 | 10:03 AM
#61
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 140
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From: Peoria, IL
It was a serious problem to me the CUSTOMER. The first time was the bolts the next week it was the brackets that you sent were the wrong ones. Let me explain to you how such a small thing to you can be a headache for your customer. I know I told you this on the phone. I live about 100 mile drive from the lake where I "keep" my boat. When I got my new boat it did not have a swim ladder for my 5 year old and wife to get up on. I called you and paid $400 for a aqua step to attach to your platform. It came in good time with no problem. The first weekend we went down I took the tools to install before taking the boat out. Bolts too short. Called you on monday and you DID tell me to go to the hardware store, you did NOT offer to send the right bolts. Got the bolts at lowes and headed down the SECOND weekend and drilled holes and than the brackets did not fit. Again called you guys on monday and you said that it must not be your plat frorm. Called eliminator and they said it might be Eddies. Needed to know if it had a hole on the end. Went down the THIRD weekend and took a picture of it. Called you guys on monday and described that it was your platform and than you started telling me the story about how this was made by aqua step. I will admit I'm not a patient person, at this point I don't give a fuk who made the step and how close the nearest lowes is. I hung up and called aqua step. They told me I was shipped the short bracket kit instead of the long kit . ( This is where customer service comes in) they told me to send the short brackets back to them and they would send me some long brackets. I told them this problem was going on for a month with dana marine and I HAD IT with the bolt and bracket issues. I said just take my cc info and send me another step kit that was right. She apologized for dana marine and said they would just over nite the right brackets and bolts so that I could have them for the next weekend (no charge). Thats customer service! If I'm spending $40, $400 or $40,000, I am the customer who CHOSE to spend my money with you. Don't tell me to go to the hardware store unless we are doing a experiment. So to you it was probably not a big deal. To me it was a useless boxed up ladder that took me a month to install. That is why I would NEVER buy from dana again. I have other choices.
10-11-2008 | 10:42 AM
#62
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,703
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From: beaumont tx
most people dont understand that a lot of boat accessories are custom fit, its not like a water pump on a car where they have several different ones for many different applications, I have installed many boat accessories over the years and builders make changes over time updating there parts, so sometimes you have to update your boat as well, such as different bolt patterns , alignment issues ect, ect. you have to understand a lot of accessories are not direct replacement bolt on's. I have made many trips to the local hardware store for stainless fastners to make accessories work. Thats just the way it goes. the difference between an experienced installer and a average person is the experienced installer lays out all parts and does a mock lay up looking for possible fit problems before the install, if more people would do this it would save a lot of time trying to install parts themselves.
10-11-2008 | 03:58 PM
#65
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,892
Likes: 1
From: tulsa, oklahoma
Hi Gary, the brackets we sent to you were the same brackets that we send in every Aqua Step kit. Aqua Performance makes them specifically for our swim steps.
When we spoke, you gave me the year of your boat. From my best judment I determined that you would require the later model mounting hardware. Unfortunately, you need to keep in mind that Eliminator keeps alot of billet hardware in stock, and you really never exactly what you have. You could have a 2004 boat with a swim step that was built in 2002.
Anyways, it was a simple mistake, made by both parties. I don't see how I should be held fully responsible for knowing anything about you boat. Your 2000 miles away from me. I can only work off of the information I am provided. I can assure you that if I had your boat here, it would have been a very fast and painless installation (regardless of the provided hardware).
Once you attempted to do the install, you were able to get a good look at the swim steps. That additional bit of information that you were able to then provide to Aqua Performance would have helped our situation in the beginning.
The custom boat market is a difficult arena. You got 100 plus custom boat manufacturers who themself don't have one standard on assembling a boat. Every boat is custom fitted and hand put together to the required specifications on that day. Hardware changes like you and I change our socks.
Did you get hose braided lines installed ok that we recently sent out?
When we spoke, you gave me the year of your boat. From my best judment I determined that you would require the later model mounting hardware. Unfortunately, you need to keep in mind that Eliminator keeps alot of billet hardware in stock, and you really never exactly what you have. You could have a 2004 boat with a swim step that was built in 2002.
Anyways, it was a simple mistake, made by both parties. I don't see how I should be held fully responsible for knowing anything about you boat. Your 2000 miles away from me. I can only work off of the information I am provided. I can assure you that if I had your boat here, it would have been a very fast and painless installation (regardless of the provided hardware).
Once you attempted to do the install, you were able to get a good look at the swim steps. That additional bit of information that you were able to then provide to Aqua Performance would have helped our situation in the beginning.
The custom boat market is a difficult arena. You got 100 plus custom boat manufacturers who themself don't have one standard on assembling a boat. Every boat is custom fitted and hand put together to the required specifications on that day. Hardware changes like you and I change our socks.
Did you get hose braided lines installed ok that we recently sent out?
10-11-2008 | 07:17 PM
#66
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,667
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I'm not trying to trash anyone. Just saying that the customer service "for me" was not up to my standards. I called and paid dana marine for a simple step. When it did not fit I could of went to the local lowes or got on the net and researched who made the item and contacted them but i didn't. I called the company that I paid and ask them to help me. Dana marine did not help me. Period! Dana marine could of said, let me get with aqua step and see what we need to send you out. That didn't happen. I DID have to go to lowes and I DID end up having to find aqua step and have THEM send me the correct parts. Was I ripped off? NO! Was I mis-treated in any way? NO! I was just saying that "I" would never buy from dana marine again. Did not buy any hoses, so not sure if you really do remember who I am.
Well anywayzzz, I'll buy an "O" & maybe a "U".
10-12-2008 | 07:35 AM
#68
Crazy Energy
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,334
Likes: 1
From: Oklahoma God's country no one else wants it.
I don't feel the threads like this should me locked out, We all like to be informed when someone rips someone off, get both sides of the story and judge ourselves.
That being said: I think the post show the ruling in this instance is in Dana's corner.
All in favor say i.
I also think Dana has gained a few more customers because of the thread and thats a good thing too.
That being said: I think the post show the ruling in this instance is in Dana's corner.
All in favor say i.I also think Dana has gained a few more customers because of the thread and thats a good thing too.
Last edited by Velocity Vector; 10-12-2008 at 07:44 AM.
10-12-2008 | 09:05 AM
#69
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,287
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX, USA
I had an edger that died. I went to Sears to get the parts to fix it. They did not sell just the part but the whole assemble. I guess I should have called sears and *****ed but I just took the part apart. Went down to the bearing parts house. They matched the part & I put it back together. I did this all in one day.
