Are boaters being targeted by...

[T37 Phil]

WM is not the only game in town

In addition to the chandlery here there are numerous online suppliers like defender.com. It's not just that marine quality goods are overpriced, it's that WM charges well above and beyond what other marine suppliers charge. As others have commented, they don't seem to care about customer service either. I don't think this thread starting out as a knock on WM, but they stand out like an oil company when it comes to pricing and words like gouging.

 

[Carl12422]

I just purchased 3 new batteries for the my boat..

WM wanted 164.00 for 105 AH group 31.... Local marine supplier ..112.00for better batteries...Higher CCA and etc.. Saved over 150.00..... Some things you just don't buy at WM..

 

[Waffle]

Rery wall screw

Cheap hook pick tools from auto parts store and foreceps.

 

[ruedi ross]

Well said, Moody,,,

Wouldn't it be nice if there were something similar to ANSI standards required to be listed on available hardware and parts? I don't shop for the hardware for my chairlifts at the big box stores. I pay more for fasteners that have a quality control standard met.

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Moody

Very well thought out and true. Rob Hessenius

 

[Ross]

Moody, You have me pegged. My chain plates are

316L stainless steel. I know because I bought a bar from the steel supplier and cut and drilled and shaped them myself. There are some very good sources for material to use on a boat but if you don't educate yourself then you are at the mercy of the merchants. During my life I have watched many products come into the market with great fan fare and quietly fade away in a year or two. There are so many makers of "new" marine parts made from plastic of some sort but people rebuild 100 year old boats and use the original bronze hardware.That should tell you all you need to know about Bronze versus modern material. There was a shop in Condon Oregon that had a sign hanging above the counter that offered nice clean fresh oats for 3 dollars a bushel and oats that had been through the horse at a slightly lower price.

 

[newsailor06]

My Previous Hobby

...was R/C Aircraft. It is just like any other specialty equipment such as marine. Costs are high due to the reasons that have already been stated in this thread. And you can look elsewhere for parts that are similar as those offered by the hobby shops. You can't, in all cases, find the same equipment in stores like Lowes, Home Depot, and others, but they do carry many items that are the same. Phil said it before me, but the biggest equalizer we have is what we write our responses on to this thread. The internet is the best shoppers aid to come along in my lifetime. I search for items that I need and if I have the time I order them online. If not, then it is up to me to either wait for them or visit my local WM. The R/C hobby industry is similar to the marine industry in that many of the internet "large" scale sellers are those that offer the best deals. Unfortunately it is putting some of the small hobby shops out of business, similar to what is happening with WM, but when cost is involved, we are all more conscious now than ever.

 

[RichH]

Not really ........

Most of 'marine' stuff as well as most other manufactured things are simply not made in the USA anymore. At the present time the value of the $US is at an all time low .... like 35% lower against the Euro, etc. A low dollar may be good for exporters but when such equpiment is imported to the US one must bear the additional cost of a weak dollar (by spending about 35% MORE). Its inevitably what happens when a society exports most of its 'captial' abroad .. stay tuned as it will probably get much worse as *your* job is also now at risk too ... unless youre a politician, or tax collector, etc. Its called globalization ... meaning you in the USA 'lose' and the rest of the world 'gains'.