We always hear about stories on OSO about how a dealer treated a customer badly, which i understand happens. BUT as a dealer is happens to us too.

This story was worth telling because i think even customers can appreciate the losses incurred by dealers. Professionalism goes both ways.

I sold a gentlemen by the name Craig Perkins in Louisville, KY a 2008 Donzi 38ZR w/ 700's on Thursday March 29,2010. Lightning Bay had been working with Craig for at least 3 months trying to put a deal together, it was a bank short sale, that the dealership was loosing $50K to sell the boat to Craig. Craig had visited the dealership 2 times prior to check out the Donzi. On the 29th Craig shows up with a cashier's check for $210K, payment in full. While he is here he requests Lightning Bay to perform 100 hr services on the Mercury 700's. We gave him an estimate for the service, $1000 for both motors(parts & labor). He said please get it done, he wanted to leave by Friday afternoon, i had my tech drop everything and do the service to accomodate him for a friday departure.
Craig returns on Friday to pick up the boat, we load the boat on his new Myco etc....I also PERSONALLY demo'd the boat for Craig showing him how to run a boat over 100mph and go thru how everything works. His previous boat was a Baja 25 Outlaw, so a big step up! He wanted some tips.

HERE IS THE KICKER....Craig shows up Friday to take boat home and when it comes time to pay the Service bill, $1089.69($1018.69 plus tax....i was $18.40 over my estimate)....straight forward right? Craig claims to my Sales Manager that he lost his credit card the previous night, he did not have cash or any other credit cards on him and could he just call us back with a credit card when he gets his new card, I figured here is a guy who just paid cash for a $210K boat, he would not try to screw me....i ok'd him leaving with the boat without paying.

I am sure everyone knows what happened next....up to today Craig Perkins has refused our calls and NEVER paid the Service bill! One time he answered when my office manager called and he hung up! We have now been trying to reach him for over 30 days without a single response or call back?????

It shocks me that someone who can afford a $210K boat on a $50K shortfall, my dealership did not make a dime, would then stick the knife in deeper and screw us out of the service bill!!!!
Some people may respond it's only $1089, but I don't care, $1000 is a $1000....and in these tight times every little bit counts and it adds up. Let alone the principle and integrity of Craig Perkins needs to be made public to people of OSO, especially dealers so they don't get screwed by this guy.
Craig Perkins.....beware....I will see you at Poker Run.....and i will get my money from you.....don't think you have heard the last of me....you are an example of what's wrong with people and the economy! People not paying there bills!
Mike Flanigan
Lightning Bay Performance Marine

Well that must be a trend here in FL when you sell a boat.

My buddy sold his 07 Top Gun last week. Buyer was a great guy, paid cash and came from out of town. He paid for the boat and when he came to pick it up a few days later he asked if the equipment on the dock came with it. Dock box had brush, squeegee for washing the boat. My buddy said none of that comes with the boat since he is going to use all that stuff on his next boat. The buyer then loads the boat on a brand new trailer and guess what the boat doesn't sit right. My buddy owns a small car repair shop (among other businesses) and the buyer suggests they could shoot over there and adjust the trailer/bunks/winch stand etc.

Well two hours later.... dirty, sweaty and greasy the job is done and the buyer drives off. Not offering a penny for the extra work and the icing on the cake was when my buddy realized all the stuff in the dock box walked away with the boat!

He was stunned also that a buyer that paid cash for the boat would steal stuff off the dock and then think trailer adjustment was included in the sale (keep in mind the boat was sold with NO TRAILER, this was the buyer's trailer).

Sorry to hear that Mike, I have also wondered aloud many times that as business are required to work under a code of ethics, I believe customers are as well. I have fired a few customers and told a few others that I don't think I can help them...good luck in the retrieval process.

That is my whole point.....ethics and integrity....Craig Perkins just flat out lied that he lost his credit card, he obviously had no inentions of paying and lied to my face. He EVEN SIGNED the WORK ORDER, agreeing to the work performed. He never made a single comment that he was unhappy about something or in disagreement wiht the work performed.

the boat will probably be at national soon!

Hopefully the money he payed for the boat is legit and you dont have someone coming to collect that, then you'll really be out.

Find him at a poker run and "borrow" his props while he is trailered.

Funny thing is he told me he was excited to do the Lake Cumberland Poker Run with his new boat and wanted to get together.......we will.....I can assure you of that. Just may be under different circumstances.

Good idea....I may borrow his props when at Lake Cumby?

Mike, from the brief time we spent together last summer at your dealership I could tell you are one of the good guys in this biz so it sucks to hear what this douchebag pulled on you. Like it has been said before, he drops $210k on the Donzi, but creates a story so he can duck out on the $1k service bill. This economy does strange things to people. In his warped mind, he probably feels like he is justified in his actions, maybe he didn't think he got a good enough deal on the short sale. What a tool.

Good for you for calling him out.

Thanks Xconn92.....the boating world is small....it will come back arund and bite someday!