We bought a brand new Beneteau a few years ago and started having gelcoat cracks within 6 months along with missing parts on the boat and shotty workmanship on installing various parts on the boat. We contacted the dealer we bought it from and they are useless neadless to say we are having no luck with Beneteau USA either. We believe there may be structual isses as well as we have had various areas of the gel coat cracks fixed now three times and they keep coming back. Has anyone ever had an issue such as this and had any luck in solving it ? It is sad to say that there is no protection for boat owners when things don't work or shotty workmanship is done. We missed most of the season last year due to repairs and yet we still have issues.
Beneteau Complaint
- Thread starter scuba hottie
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unresponsive dealer
I inspected a different section of my boat every day during commissioning as I'd seen that new Beneteaus had many gelcoat cracks. All were fixed to my satisfaction by a very responsive dealer. I have had three new boats and only the Beneteau had cracks from day one. I don't think their gelcoat application is the best. I have had a good response from B on all my issues. Having said this I should say that they have had a change of personnel lately and I have not dealt with them for about a year. It's too bad you got a poor dealer. Mine was excellent but I had to go to SC to buy the boat.
I inspected a different section of my boat every day during commissioning as I'd seen that new Beneteaus had many gelcoat cracks. All were fixed to my satisfaction by a very responsive dealer. I have had three new boats and only the Beneteau had cracks from day one. I don't think their gelcoat application is the best. I have had a good response from B on all my issues. Having said this I should say that they have had a change of personnel lately and I have not dealt with them for about a year. It's too bad you got a poor dealer. Mine was excellent but I had to go to SC to buy the boat.
Dealer service
The boat was bought at Anchor Yachts and ever since day one we have had issues with them and their service is less than desirable to put it mildly. There are numerous others whom we have talked to in Ontario who have the same issues with regards to service. Does anyone regulate these companies ? With the amount of money that we spend on these(equivalent to buying a home) where is the protection for boat owners like there is for home owners. I think I will start looking into seeing if I can get a bill passed in parliment to protect boat owners from dealers and/or manufactures who sell products that end up having issues within the first few years. They need to be held accountable and stand behind their products.
The boat was bought at Anchor Yachts and ever since day one we have had issues with them and their service is less than desirable to put it mildly. There are numerous others whom we have talked to in Ontario who have the same issues with regards to service. Does anyone regulate these companies ? With the amount of money that we spend on these(equivalent to buying a home) where is the protection for boat owners like there is for home owners. I think I will start looking into seeing if I can get a bill passed in parliment to protect boat owners from dealers and/or manufactures who sell products that end up having issues within the first few years. They need to be held accountable and stand behind their products.
Anchor Yachts
Have known many in the Toronto, GTA, Golden Horseshoe area that bought a Beneteau from Anchor Yachts. Have yet to meet one that was happy with the service. Don't know why Beneteau keeps them on. That's why I went to SC to get mine.
Have known many in the Toronto, GTA, Golden Horseshoe area that bought a Beneteau from Anchor Yachts. Have yet to meet one that was happy with the service. Don't know why Beneteau keeps them on. That's why I went to SC to get mine.
Maybe they sold too many
to service them properly - I've got to think that with the change in the Cdn dollar, Anchor was selling as many or more boats through 2005 to 2007 than just about anyone in North America - I know we've got a dozen 423/473's in our marina of about 600 boats - so it wouldn't surprise me too much if Anchor just can't handle the service - Doesn't explain why Beneteau and/or Anchor doesn't come to the party now though - cause they didn't sell much at the Toronto show this year.
to service them properly - I've got to think that with the change in the Cdn dollar, Anchor was selling as many or more boats through 2005 to 2007 than just about anyone in North America - I know we've got a dozen 423/473's in our marina of about 600 boats - so it wouldn't surprise me too much if Anchor just can't handle the service - Doesn't explain why Beneteau and/or Anchor doesn't come to the party now though - cause they didn't sell much at the Toronto show this year.
that's not the only one...
SOUTHWESTERN YACHTS in San Diego is, IMO, a crappy dealer. I bought the boat from their brokerage, it was only two years old, had been in commision only 18 months when I got it, and they had been THE ORIGINAL COMMISSIONING DEALER, and the boat was full of shoddy workmanship, especially in the installation of the radar/chartplotter/inverter/upgraded alternator-regulator. Many, many shortcuts were taken, and it took four years and thousands of dollars to get it all straight, all with NO HELP FROM THE DEALER. When I called them, they wanted to know the hull number, then would say, "The guy that worked on your boat isn't here any more." meaning they fired him for poor work, but I was out of luck. They promised to send someone to deal with my issues, but of course, that never happened. To tell the truth, I'm not that impressed with Beneteau's workmanship at all. All that curved wood in the salon looks great, but the refrigeration was poorly installed, the mast step has a crack in it, etc, etc. I've owned the boat for ten years now, and I think I've finally gotten it right, doing the work myself, but the hassle/frustration level was off the charts. I would not buy another Beneteau.
SOUTHWESTERN YACHTS in San Diego is, IMO, a crappy dealer. I bought the boat from their brokerage, it was only two years old, had been in commision only 18 months when I got it, and they had been THE ORIGINAL COMMISSIONING DEALER, and the boat was full of shoddy workmanship, especially in the installation of the radar/chartplotter/inverter/upgraded alternator-regulator. Many, many shortcuts were taken, and it took four years and thousands of dollars to get it all straight, all with NO HELP FROM THE DEALER. When I called them, they wanted to know the hull number, then would say, "The guy that worked on your boat isn't here any more." meaning they fired him for poor work, but I was out of luck. They promised to send someone to deal with my issues, but of course, that never happened. To tell the truth, I'm not that impressed with Beneteau's workmanship at all. All that curved wood in the salon looks great, but the refrigeration was poorly installed, the mast step has a crack in it, etc, etc. I've owned the boat for ten years now, and I think I've finally gotten it right, doing the work myself, but the hassle/frustration level was off the charts. I would not buy another Beneteau.
If you sit back and complain, you
have no one to blame but yourself. 15 years ago, I had several complaints with a new Catalina. The dealer brushed me off and Catalina told me, at the Miami Boat Show, to get "the hell off our boat". The boat I bought was a 1992 and the hull I got was a 1991. How could I tell the difference, well, Catalina instituted several changes to the interior and exterior and mine had none of the changes. When I brought this to their attention, I was stonewalled by everyone involved. I went to a lawyer and was again ignored. The lawyer filed suite and they ignored him as well. Apparently, Catalina thought that since they were in California and I was in Massachusetts, what could I possibly do to them. The lawyer applied for a default judgement and I had a Constable seize a brand new 32 foot Catalina off the dealers lot. Now I had their undivided attention. All the updates were made to the boat, the lawyer was paid and I was compensated. All in all, the battle lasted less than six months. Your choice - fight or loose. Jim
have no one to blame but yourself. 15 years ago, I had several complaints with a new Catalina. The dealer brushed me off and Catalina told me, at the Miami Boat Show, to get "the hell off our boat". The boat I bought was a 1992 and the hull I got was a 1991. How could I tell the difference, well, Catalina instituted several changes to the interior and exterior and mine had none of the changes. When I brought this to their attention, I was stonewalled by everyone involved. I went to a lawyer and was again ignored. The lawyer filed suite and they ignored him as well. Apparently, Catalina thought that since they were in California and I was in Massachusetts, what could I possibly do to them. The lawyer applied for a default judgement and I had a Constable seize a brand new 32 foot Catalina off the dealers lot. Now I had their undivided attention. All the updates were made to the boat, the lawyer was paid and I was compensated. All in all, the battle lasted less than six months. Your choice - fight or loose. Jim
Suing Anchor Yachts or Beneteau USA
Has anyone ever sued Anchor Yachts or Beneteau USA and won ? Or did you settle out of court ?
Has anyone ever sued Anchor Yachts or Beneteau USA and won ? Or did you settle out of court ?
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