Hunter Service ?
- Thread starter rob831
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Here is a thread that played recently: http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=691010&highlight=warranty . Like any company I expect there will be some detractors. In fact I have friends who had warranty trouble. I was never sure if it was the company or the broker. I am biased in that I have an older Hunter that is built like a battleship. I have also spent a lot of time on newer Hunters and love how they sail, their interiors, and the B&R design. They are so different from the other production boats, some love them and some hate them. I have been to the factory, was treated like royalty, and saw every facet of construction. There are no secrets. The few times I have called they sent me what I requested. For a 1979 boat.
hunter is good, but your selling/commissioning dealer is even more important. Some will travel up to an hour or so, others you have to bring the boat to them. If I bought a new boat again ( a Bene in 1999) I would definitely make an independent survey by a surveyor of my own part of the purchase. That way everyone knows what the issues are and how best to remedy them.
Every boat, new or used will have problems, some related to the experience and expectations of the new owner.
I accepted my boat in 1999 with electronics to be installed...it was 6 months before the chartplotter was installed and a month more before it actually worked. I did the interface to the autopilot and did the calibration...the dealer tech knew nothing about the pilot or that it even needed calibration.
Your problems will range from cosmetic to the structural, and this is where the survey will pay for itself.
Check the dealer, and do your homework on what you expect "delivered" to mean. After the sale, things change a lot. Labor rates will vary between $55 and $100 or more. Mast head time about double that...so check things like VHF, lights, wind heads, etc and for more than a few minutes.
IF the dealer tells you take the boat, and asks you to do a "punchlist" do, so but make sure that the punchlist is an addendum to the sales contract and put in time frames for completion.
All the best, and hope it works out for you. There is a top hunter dealer in Deltaville, VA that consistently does good work. Sales guy is top notch too.
dave
Every boat, new or used will have problems, some related to the experience and expectations of the new owner.
I accepted my boat in 1999 with electronics to be installed...it was 6 months before the chartplotter was installed and a month more before it actually worked. I did the interface to the autopilot and did the calibration...the dealer tech knew nothing about the pilot or that it even needed calibration.
Your problems will range from cosmetic to the structural, and this is where the survey will pay for itself.
Check the dealer, and do your homework on what you expect "delivered" to mean. After the sale, things change a lot. Labor rates will vary between $55 and $100 or more. Mast head time about double that...so check things like VHF, lights, wind heads, etc and for more than a few minutes.
IF the dealer tells you take the boat, and asks you to do a "punchlist" do, so but make sure that the punchlist is an addendum to the sales contract and put in time frames for completion.
All the best, and hope it works out for you. There is a top hunter dealer in Deltaville, VA that consistently does good work. Sales guy is top notch too.
dave
Dave makes a good point. The Hunter warranty and problem resolution is only as good as the dealer that you are dealing with.
Depending on where you live/purchase the boat will limit you to which dealers you have to deal with. I would stay away from getting a great price on a boat in the Great Lakes if you live in the southeastern US.
If you buy a boat that is a considerable distance from your home port, I suggest that you negoiate a slip for 6-8 weeks so you can shake her down before you bring her home. Once the boat is several hours away, your dealer is not going to be very happy to have to travel 6-10 hrs to get to the boat.
One of the major problems with most new boats is the comissioning process. There are many things that the deal needs to do once they receive your boat.
Depending on where you live/purchase the boat will limit you to which dealers you have to deal with. I would stay away from getting a great price on a boat in the Great Lakes if you live in the southeastern US.
If you buy a boat that is a considerable distance from your home port, I suggest that you negoiate a slip for 6-8 weeks so you can shake her down before you bring her home. Once the boat is several hours away, your dealer is not going to be very happy to have to travel 6-10 hrs to get to the boat.
One of the major problems with most new boats is the comissioning process. There are many things that the deal needs to do once they receive your boat.
Hunter 45CC
We just bought a new Hunter 45CC this year. My local dealer did everything to get little things fixed. The Hunter 45CC is a fantastic boat. Hunter factory responded to all issues - sometimes with some delay.
I would recommend that you get everything fixed before you buy the boat - do a sea trial. If it is not a new boat get a surveyor and sign the contract only after all is fixed.
Good luck!
Viktor
We just bought a new Hunter 45CC this year. My local dealer did everything to get little things fixed. The Hunter 45CC is a fantastic boat. Hunter factory responded to all issues - sometimes with some delay.
I would recommend that you get everything fixed before you buy the boat - do a sea trial. If it is not a new boat get a surveyor and sign the contract only after all is fixed.
Good luck!
Viktor
I bought a brokerage 2003 H356 in 2005 but I think that my comments will apply to any Hunter. The survey found some delamination in the starboard bow area just above the waterline. Since the hull was less then 5 years old I assumed that repairs would be covered under Hunter's 5 year hull warranty - I told the selling broker (a major Hunter dealer) to repair the problem prior to me picking up the boat at their yard. When I arrived I was handed a bill for about $1200 and was told that Hunter would not cover all of the cost because the repair was "cosmetic" and cosmetic repairs are not covered, only structural ones. I come from an aerospace background and delamination in a laid up structure is more then a cosmetic issue. I had to move the boat so I paid the bill and began talking with the Hunter factory folks and the Hunter dealer where I bought the boat. To make a very long story short, Hunter ended up paying me back for what I had laid out after I illustrated to them that legally their warranty, as written in 2003, did indeed cover "cosmetic" damage because "cosmetic" was not defined and delamination is clearly structural. While this took many phone calls and an exchange of written materials, the Hunter factory people and the Hunter dealer were polite and responsive. Bottom line of the story is to get a good survey, maybe even on a new boat, and pin down who is responsible for repairs and their costs. BTW, a year or so after I bought the boat and the 5 year warranty was up I was tracking down a leak in the V-berth area. I eliminated the usual culprits (badly bedded windlass and cleat bolts) and started to remove the forward cabin trim and woodwork. I discovered a void in the hull laminate that allowed water from the anchor locker to seep into the open area under the V-berth. That void had been there when the boat left the factory so buying a new boat does not mean getting a perfect boat.
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