I need your help / advice. My problems started late last fall when I pulled our C350 out for winter storage after only one season in the water. I was shocked to see a majority of the bottom paint was gone and more was flaking off. There were small blisters on the hull and rudder. I contacted my dealer, who had commissioned the boat just 6 months earlier. After an inspection, they agreed I had a problem with either the bottom paint they used, the etching to prep the hull, and or the gel coat itself. In the weeks since they have been in contact with Catalina and Pettit. I am stuck in the middle. All agree what needs to be done. Completely strip the bottom, repair the blisters, which could be gel coat over gel coat on an attempted repair at the factory, apply 3 – 5 coats of barrier epoxy, and repaint the bottom. All of this should be done prior to re launch. Now for the problem….I am stuck in the middle of debates between my dealer, Tidewater Marina, Catalina, and Pettit….getting nowhere fast. With weeks to go before possible re launch I send two e mails to Frank Butler and yesterday placed a call to his office. No response. My dealer is telling me they can’t get answers either. In my opinion, this goes way beyond poor customer service….it is arrogance on the part of Catalina. As much as we like the 350 I have lost all respect for Catalina. Given all the other problems we live with, refrigeration, cavitations, etc. I have lost all confidence that our problems will ever be fixed. And to think I traded from a Hunter 356. If I could…I would trade back in a heartbeat. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks John “Just Add Wind” 347
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I have had great luck dealing with Catalina
Don't give up Frank and crew are busy people but they will make good. One thing all manufacturers hate to see is people talking ill about the brand on web sites like this. If it were me I'd document everything and I mean everything. Start with the bottom prep & chemicals your dealer used, the paint etc. and then take pictures of the blisters. Write it all up in an e-mail and include dates of whom you contacted, including names and times. Send the e-mail letter to Frank Butler, Sharon Day & Gerry Douglas letting them know that if you don't have resolution by X date you will begin cutting and pasting your horror story of piss poor customer service on every available sailing/boating forum. Also let them know that paint does not cause blisters! Let the crew at Catalina know you really love your boat but your very, very frustrated (hint: don't just slam them you'll get more attention. Praise the design, sailing ability features etc.) but let them know you're firm in that you won't stop until they have corrected the problem. I had to go to this level with Zodiac over a warranty issue and within two days I had an e-mail from the president of the company letting me know they were expediting me new boat asap! I've learned how to get satisfaction and it's called the internet & it works!!! I'm about to take it to this level with the manufacturer of the $500.00 Aluminum Spade anchor that won't set!! It sounds like you got a bad batch of gel-coat or something & I know Catalina will make good but it sounds like they are all in finger pointing mode. You should also send a similar letter to Petit.. It's always a good idea to include the list of forums where you plan on plastering your story. This way they'll know your serious and won't want to piss you off. Maybe others can chime in on forums I've missed. Copying and pasting to forums will usually yield almost imediate results. Another trick is to post your story and then after the thread has gone on and on about crappy customer service (you can talk to yourself in forums that don't require registration to make it sound worse) send the thread link to the manufacturer from a different e-mail account stating that you're a very serious buyer and have the field narrowed down to Beneteau and a Catalina but want answers regarding all the customer service complaints. As a last resort go to a sign shop and have two giant yellow lemons made up to stick on either side. Underneath put in writing "This Catalina is a lemmon!" and sail around with it. Trust me you'll get satisfaction. I did that with a piece of crap Mercedes and they wound up taking the car back! Fight hard win big!!!!! Below are a few forums to get you started. catalinaowners.com hunterowners.com odayowners.com macgregorOwners.com beneteauowners.com sailboatowners.com CS-BB.com (cruising sailors bulletin board) CWBB.com (cruising world forums) sailnet.com Lats&Atts.com cape dory forums plastic classic forums trailor sailor forums catalina 34 forums catalina 32 forums catalina 36 forums catalina 35 forums boat us forums
Don't give up Frank and crew are busy people but they will make good. One thing all manufacturers hate to see is people talking ill about the brand on web sites like this. If it were me I'd document everything and I mean everything. Start with the bottom prep & chemicals your dealer used, the paint etc. and then take pictures of the blisters. Write it all up in an e-mail and include dates of whom you contacted, including names and times. Send the e-mail letter to Frank Butler, Sharon Day & Gerry Douglas letting them know that if you don't have resolution by X date you will begin cutting and pasting your horror story of piss poor customer service on every available sailing/boating forum. Also let them know that paint does not cause blisters! Let the crew at Catalina know you really love your boat but your very, very frustrated (hint: don't just slam them you'll get more attention. Praise the design, sailing ability features etc.) but let them know you're firm in that you won't stop until they have corrected the problem. I had to go to this level with Zodiac over a warranty issue and within two days I had an e-mail from the president of the company letting me know they were expediting me new boat asap! I've learned how to get satisfaction and it's called the internet & it works!!! I'm about to take it to this level with the manufacturer of the $500.00 Aluminum Spade anchor that won't set!! It sounds like you got a bad batch of gel-coat or something & I know Catalina will make good but it sounds like they are all in finger pointing mode. You should also send a similar letter to Petit.. It's always a good idea to include the list of forums where you plan on plastering your story. This way they'll know your serious and won't want to piss you off. Maybe others can chime in on forums I've missed. Copying and pasting to forums will usually yield almost imediate results. Another trick is to post your story and then after the thread has gone on and on about crappy customer service (you can talk to yourself in forums that don't require registration to make it sound worse) send the thread link to the manufacturer from a different e-mail account stating that you're a very serious buyer and have the field narrowed down to Beneteau and a Catalina but want answers regarding all the customer service complaints. As a last resort go to a sign shop and have two giant yellow lemons made up to stick on either side. Underneath put in writing "This Catalina is a lemmon!" and sail around with it. Trust me you'll get satisfaction. I did that with a piece of crap Mercedes and they wound up taking the car back! Fight hard win big!!!!! Below are a few forums to get you started. catalinaowners.com hunterowners.com odayowners.com macgregorOwners.com beneteauowners.com sailboatowners.com CS-BB.com (cruising sailors bulletin board) CWBB.com (cruising world forums) sailnet.com Lats&Atts.com cape dory forums plastic classic forums trailor sailor forums catalina 34 forums catalina 32 forums catalina 36 forums catalina 35 forums boat us forums
5 year gel coat warratny??
Can I assume you bought the boat brand new and if so you would think your dealer & Catalina are obligated to honor that warranty. I also had a couple weeks of phone calls and emails to both Sharon & Gerry and I did get a response. Just be persistant. As much as I would like a new boat the idea of a 5 year old one with most of the dealer/factory bugs worked out is looking more appealing. Good Luck
Can I assume you bought the boat brand new and if so you would think your dealer & Catalina are obligated to honor that warranty. I also had a couple weeks of phone calls and emails to both Sharon & Gerry and I did get a response. Just be persistant. As much as I would like a new boat the idea of a 5 year old one with most of the dealer/factory bugs worked out is looking more appealing. Good Luck
No Email
As I suggested to you in another forum, (but it bears repeating here too) - Catalina and Email don't seem to mix. Period. If you want a response, call them or better yet, write them an old fashioned letter - on paper, with a stamp and everything. Send it registered mail if it makes you feel better. And Acoustic - that whole business about threats and plastering the message everywhere imaginable - what a crock. Waste of time, not going to generate a positive response, might get a person sued, and basically, makes the person bellyaching look foolish. Bet you wouldn't do it and use your real name. Good Luck John! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
As I suggested to you in another forum, (but it bears repeating here too) - Catalina and Email don't seem to mix. Period. If you want a response, call them or better yet, write them an old fashioned letter - on paper, with a stamp and everything. Send it registered mail if it makes you feel better. And Acoustic - that whole business about threats and plastering the message everywhere imaginable - what a crock. Waste of time, not going to generate a positive response, might get a person sued, and basically, makes the person bellyaching look foolish. Bet you wouldn't do it and use your real name. Good Luck John! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
Frank and Gerry do read e-mail...
I own a 2005 Catalina and had a few minor issues. I had an e-mail string going between Gerry, Warren, Frank & myself. They fixed the problems without issues! You are correct in stating that they prefer sanil mail & phone numbers though. When I had a few voids they wanted digital pictures of the affected areas e-mailed to them to authorize the warranty and to find out from the factory why that had these voids.. For the record I did use my own name in the posts & my e-mail because I was sick and tired of being blown off and wanted someone from Zodiac to contact me. Tim if you give me an e-mail address I will be glad to forward Zodiacs response. It's not fair to Zodiac at this point to post the letter here in a public forum because they have corrected the problem. The letter also disclosed a lot about the issue I was having and it contains a lot of names, addresses and phone numbers etc.. My e-mail is halekai36@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable posting yours here. I'd be glad to send you proof that in "severe cases" the method I suggested does work. I'm sorry you doubt the power the internet has given to the consumer and I hope you never get screwed over by warranties the way I have. My Zodiac warranty issue dragged on & on for 13 months. I kept a record of ALL conversations with my dealer, customer service at Zodiac and even the North East regional representative and still nothing happened. I finally did exactly as I said below and in two days had a very apologetic letter from Zodiac's president JJ Marie. My new boat was delivered in less than a week. I also did a similar method with Mercedes but there are to many forums on automobiles for them to care. When I took it to the local level, and began driving around my small town, with the two lemons on either side of my car I got thier attention through my dealer! I guess it was hurting sales... As long as you don't slander and you document everything the manufacturer does not have a leg to stand on in terms of suing you! Just tell your story. Don't tell people not to buy from them just lay out the facts and let them decide for themselves. I ran my Zodiac letter by my attorney and he cleared it with flying colors. Document times, document phone calls, document who you talked to.. I'm not advising anyone take an issue to this level unless the manufacturer is blatantly ignoring your issues like both Zodiac and Mercedes did with me. Only then use it as a last resort. I can tell you for a fact that Catalina does pay attention to the "pulse" of the sailing community and that Susan, Frank, Gerry and Warren Pandy in Florida do monitor e-mail when they need to. They will however call you back in most cases instead of e-mailing. Frank hates computers but does use them.. R.C. halekai36@hotmail.com
I own a 2005 Catalina and had a few minor issues. I had an e-mail string going between Gerry, Warren, Frank & myself. They fixed the problems without issues! You are correct in stating that they prefer sanil mail & phone numbers though. When I had a few voids they wanted digital pictures of the affected areas e-mailed to them to authorize the warranty and to find out from the factory why that had these voids.. For the record I did use my own name in the posts & my e-mail because I was sick and tired of being blown off and wanted someone from Zodiac to contact me. Tim if you give me an e-mail address I will be glad to forward Zodiacs response. It's not fair to Zodiac at this point to post the letter here in a public forum because they have corrected the problem. The letter also disclosed a lot about the issue I was having and it contains a lot of names, addresses and phone numbers etc.. My e-mail is halekai36@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable posting yours here. I'd be glad to send you proof that in "severe cases" the method I suggested does work. I'm sorry you doubt the power the internet has given to the consumer and I hope you never get screwed over by warranties the way I have. My Zodiac warranty issue dragged on & on for 13 months. I kept a record of ALL conversations with my dealer, customer service at Zodiac and even the North East regional representative and still nothing happened. I finally did exactly as I said below and in two days had a very apologetic letter from Zodiac's president JJ Marie. My new boat was delivered in less than a week. I also did a similar method with Mercedes but there are to many forums on automobiles for them to care. When I took it to the local level, and began driving around my small town, with the two lemons on either side of my car I got thier attention through my dealer! I guess it was hurting sales... As long as you don't slander and you document everything the manufacturer does not have a leg to stand on in terms of suing you! Just tell your story. Don't tell people not to buy from them just lay out the facts and let them decide for themselves. I ran my Zodiac letter by my attorney and he cleared it with flying colors. Document times, document phone calls, document who you talked to.. I'm not advising anyone take an issue to this level unless the manufacturer is blatantly ignoring your issues like both Zodiac and Mercedes did with me. Only then use it as a last resort. I can tell you for a fact that Catalina does pay attention to the "pulse" of the sailing community and that Susan, Frank, Gerry and Warren Pandy in Florida do monitor e-mail when they need to. They will however call you back in most cases instead of e-mailing. Frank hates computers but does use them.. R.C. halekai36@hotmail.com
Owner Directory
R.C. - I you feel the need, you can email me via the owner directory. Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
R.C. - I you feel the need, you can email me via the owner directory. Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
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