Dreadful after sales service

[Quandary]

After sales Service

For a bit of balance, we bought a new boat in 2007, a Finngulf, our first (new one) since 1976, initially, not without its problems, comissioning took all summer including three trips for the agents on the South Coast to Scotland. However, everything including the smallest niggle was dealt with on a 'no problem' basis.
A couple of weeks ago,over two years later, out of the blue, I got a call from the agent in Hamble "Hi, how are things this year,everything OK with the boat, any problems - just call or e'mail and we will get it sorted."
Admittedly Finngulf sell a lot less in the UK and therefore have more time for follow up, plus a bigger margin to cover them, but I would report the experience of buying as a positive one which adds to our pride and enjoyment.

 

[Albert Ross]

I think I should send them this thread before I publish their name .. we've only had 350 hits so far

 

[DownWest]

Must look carefully in my yoghurt pot tomorrow a.m.
A

Quite some time traveling on the site tonight..

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Its not just yachts which are ****

There is a direct parallel in the world of Motorhomes. With some of these costing upwards of 60K we are in the same financial ballpark as some of the new smaller French yachts, All new motorhomes bult after late 2006 on the Peugeot or Fiat base units leak water into the engine compartment causing the engine to turn into a rust bucket and worst still, it is impossible to reverse these vans up even a slight incline without severe judder. The dealers response, engine compartment are not meant to be watertight and the judder is a characteristic of the vehicle, main problem is your driving technique!!!!!!!!!! That is just for the base unit, the actual habitation area is usually also a disaster with doors not fitting, pumps not working, electric’s failing and so on.

You have my sympathy in trying to get you boat sorted, took us 2 ½ years to get our van sorted and we are out of pocket by having had to drive several thousand mile back and forward to the dealers. Many of our friends with similar problems have resorted to court actions including rejecting the van as “not fit for purpose”

John

 

[Ubergeekian]

1) write a letter to the dealer outlining the items still oustanding and your displeasure at there service. Quote the quarantee and tell them you are giving them 30 days to sort it our or you will take legal action. Make sure you send the letter recorded delivery. Also send a copy recorded delivery direct to Jeanneau.

2) Find out if they are a member of the BMF or any other trade body and approach them for advice / help. Also approach the RYA if you are a member. They have free support.

3) If the broker does nothing, get quotes to have the work rectified.

Isn't the normal routine as you outline, except that at stage 3 you actually get the work done and then send them the bill? That's certainly how it's done with builders.

 

[huzar30]

Going via the small claims court [it's not actually called that, but that is in effect what it is] is not that difficult, nor does it need the services of a lawyer. Getting a summons from the court can work wonders on the people involved. I did this a year or two back, when the UK distributors of a imported boat tried to wash their hands of the problem.

 

[dnickj]

been there

well our problems with a new boat took over 3 years in mounting a legal battle with the dealers ( who where almost insolvent ) and the American Builder the legal fees where 2/3 of the value of the boat - so beware

 

[oldfatgit]

Start with trading standards. Get them to make enquiries with the dealer, goods are not of merchantable quality and any interest from them will worry the dealer. Your contract is with the dealer not Jeanneau. Don't let them get away with it.

 

[Albert Ross]

Thank you.
Yes, that at least is certain. I'm not going to let them get away with it.

 

[FullCircle]

I bought my Sun Odyssey 35 in 2005 from Clarke & Carter. On a personal level, I really like both Tony, Ian and James at Burnham. I think they have integrity. I did have to threaten them with court action one, but in general they masked the Jeanneau response issues.

Some issues were sorted almost straight away. Some issues took longer and longer.

I did get very peeved with having to sort them out myself. The main fault lay with Jeanneaus response time, if at all.

Diesel tank leak was leapt on by our local yard engineer. Henry - you screwed up. It still leaked, and you changed the fuel sender, and set it up wrong, causing me to run out of fuel while the tank still read 1/2. I did it myself afterwards.

Jeanneau still have not supplied me with a keel mechanism anode. 3 years now.

My leaking stern gland wasnt that at all - it was the whole fitting that was installed badly. Sorted after 1 year and 2 attempts by the local yard. Boys, you screwed up.

Engine problems were sorted by calling Yanmar - the warranty for problems lay with them. I had a heat exchanger and 2 starter motors. Excellent service by French marine.

Other supplies of spares to fix issues myself were given to me promptly if they were available.

New cushions were supplied for the forecabin very quickly.


Lots of other issues, cant think of a time when everything has worked perfectly. EVER.

Go join the Jeanneau Owners forum at jeanneau.tripod.com.

You will find a lot of experience there.


I still like the boat, and cant think what I would change it for, with the possible exception of a lottery win Southerly 38, at an extra £170k over what I paid.

 

[Albert Ross]

Ours didn't come from Clarke and Carter but we do appear to have a deficient fuel sender as well. It shows nearly full when it's more than half empty. I haven't told our dealer about this yet. Fortunately, the first time I re-fuelled we weren't quiet empty.

I've heard bad stories about people fiddling with fuel tanks .. and the consequent damage .. so I thought it might be better to put up with ours and just to watch the engine hours.

I seem to have opened a raw wound here.

Silly of me, I thought that all yacht dealers would realise that customer satisfaction was important.

 

[Alfie168]

There is a direct parallel in the world of Motorhomes. With some of these costing upwards of 60K we are in the same financial ballpark as some of the new smaller French yachts, All new motorhomes bult after late 2006 on the Peugeot or Fiat base units leak water into the engine compartment causing the engine to turn into a rust bucket and worst still, it is impossible to reverse these vans up even a slight incline without severe judder. The dealers response, engine compartment are not meant to be watertight and the judder is a characteristic of the vehicle, main problem is your driving technique!!!!!!!!!! That is just for the base unit, the actual habitation area is usually also a disaster with doors not fitting, pumps not working, electric’s failing and so on.

You have my sympathy in trying to get you boat sorted, took us 2 ½ years to get our van sorted and we are out of pocket by having had to drive several thousand mile back and forward to the dealers. Many of our friends with similar problems have resorted to court actions including rejecting the van as “not fit for purpose”

John

Whats more, they don't float and they are lousy to windward when tacking up the M6..

Tim

 

[Resolution]

Flat 1, you have my sympathies for your frustrations with the new yacht.
Some observations, based on several years' experience as a Jeanneau dealer (but thankfully no longer):
1. The vast majority of Jeanneaus are pretty decently made and provide many years of good enjoyment. Ask Sunsail or most other charter companies.
2. They are mid-market in price and quality, so don't expect a standard of finish as good as a Halberg Rassy.
3. The dealer margin is modest (forget the 30% mentioned above, Jeanneau were never that generous) and probably less than 1% is available from the dealer for snagging. Jeanneau warranty is also stringent, they know where they are positioned in the price/quality equation. Little point in appealing directly to them.
4. Without knowing the details of your case, it is unlikely that your defects will be enough to create a situation in which the yacht can be classified as not of merchantable quality under the Sale of Goods Act. You should read carefully what the act says about defects and remedies, it is complex in practice.
5. Assuming that what you want most is to get enjoyable use out of your yacht, the best approach usually is to make an exhaustive list of all defects and bits that could be improved, sit down with the dealer and calmly work through the list to see which items he will accept as his responsibility, then book the boat into a yard for all the work to be done. Document precisely all the way, so it is clear who is doing what. Maybe employ a surveyor if details are technical - they will advise you what is normal and what is really wrong. Most of us respond better to sensible negotiations than to threats and lawyers.

Good luck with it all, don't let it spoil your yachting life like Gludy!

 

[minkysailing]

It is sad that ownership of a new boat is tainted like this. I stand by what I have always believed and said and that is.... you get what you pay for..!! When you buy a cheap boat you get just that and unfortunately with the low profit margins that some delaers work off corners will be cut to save money and recover some margin and guess what aftersales is a very expensive corner that is normally cut first...trust me I know I use to do this job... When looking to buy a new boat do NOT just look at the bottom line. Look at the dealer their experience and reputation. The better brands such as Arcona, Dufour & Finngulf to mention just a couple have better dealers who will offer better aftersales....

I am sorry once again....my suggestion is to face the dealer in their offices and work of a agreed defect list on a time table...

 

[Twister_Ken]

In Haslar last year. Waiting to come off a finger pontoon until a big Jeanneau deck saloon had manouvered out. His engine stopped. He drifted sideways down the aisle and came to a gentle halt against the end wall. Looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said "140,000 quid and the bloody engine doesn't work."

 

[AlanRD]

I think I should send them this thread before I publish their name .. we've only had 350 hits so far

Why be so coy?

For the sake of any other forum user who is thinking of buying a Jen (new or used) let us all know their name. That is the only way to improve service.

And did you send them this thread? If so what reaction?

 

[Marsupial]

It is sad that ownership of a new boat is tainted like this. I stand by what I have always believed and said and that is.... you get what you pay for..!! When you buy a cheap boat you get just that and unfortunately with the low profit margins that some delaers work off corners will be cut to save money and recover some margin and guess what aftersales is a very expensive corner that is normally cut first...trust me I know I use to do this job... When looking to buy a new boat do NOT just look at the bottom line. Look at the dealer their experience and reputation. The better brands such as Arcona, Dufour & Finngulf to mention just a couple have better dealers who will offer better aftersales....

I am sorry once again....my suggestion is to face the dealer in their offices and work of a agreed defect list on a time table...

Not in my experience, its a strange "British" thing that equates the amount of money paid with quality and aftersales service along with a perception that some brands are better than others because of this.

In the end, aftersales is a function of the dealer not the exclusivity of the brand and the Brand does not dictate the quality of this far from it, ask Gludy or any number of Oyster owners. Or the guy who had a Swan with osmosis within the first year and guess what - no one was interested, or the HR with the same - and the same. My own gripe was with an engine - not the boat manufactures fault - or was it?, but that engine could have turned up in any number of different manufacturers craft so why would the final cost of boat affect the quality of that engine? and my expectation that it should work?

Sending this thread to Jeanneau with a name and shame will I am sure make them think about their dealer network.

 

[rallyveteran]

In the end, aftersales is a function of the dealer not the exclusivity of the brand and the Brand does not dictate the quality of this far from it, ask Gludy or any number of Oyster owners.

AFAIK Oyster don't sell through dealers and my experience with their warranty work is excellent. They were still paying for repairs under warranty when my boat was 4 years old and had sailed 15000 miles from the UK. You could argue that the faults shouldn't have been there in the first place .... but that is a different matter.

Going back to the OP's question it sound as though he has given the dealer ample chance to do the decent thing, so the time for being nice is over. The small claim procedure is there for this purpose. No lawyer needed and the threat of it, with the intention to carry it through, is likely to pay dividends.

 

[Ubergeekian]

In Haslar last year. Waiting to come off a finger pontoon until a big Jeanneau deck saloon had manouvered out. His engine stopped. He drifted sideways down the aisle and came to a gentle halt against the end wall. Looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said "140,000 quid and the bloody engine doesn't work."

That's impressive stoicism!

 

[sailorman]

AFAIK Oyster don't sell through dealers and my experience with their warranty work is excellent. They were still paying for repairs under warranty when my boat was 4 years old and had sailed 15000 miles from the UK. You could argue that the faults shouldn't have been there in the first place .... but that is a different matter.

Going back to the OP's question it sound as though he has given the dealer ample chance to do the decent thing, so the time for being nice is over. The small claim procedure is there for this purpose. No lawyer needed and the threat of it, with the intention to carry it through, is likely to pay dividends.

Oyster take many weeks to Rig & PDI their boats, absolutely everything is checked electrical items "burnt-in",boat trim,windows tested with high pressure water pumped over them, sea / engine trials all done to a standard "Beyond owner Expectations".