Ex-demonstrator boats/warranty quetsion

  • Thread starter Thread starter tcm
  • Start date Start date
T

tcm

...
Joined
11 Jan 2002
Messages
23,958
Location
Caribbean at the moment
Visit site
I am still boat-hunting and came across a dealer who is selling a boat actually built in 2005. He lists and refers to the boat as "new" - it's a demonstrator. Of course, the question of how much the boat is worth arises and that's a partly-sepret thing BUT

What is the issue regarding the warranties? He says "the warranty cards are all there waiting for us to stamp them so you'll get full warranty, just like if you bought a car that had been sitting there in the showroom for three or six months"

Is that right? The boat in question has been to at least three boat shows so it's done 50-100hours on the engine (can't remeber excatly) and hardly ever used the watermaker (so it might be knackered) and so on. I just want to be clear regarding warranty, altho having bough other new boats i am well aware that dealers can say harump yes, thos b*uggers at simarad/kohler/volvo... so the warranty is a backstop for major blowup, not always the first option for getting something fixed...
 
The manufacturers may get the hump if you claim for a 'new' component which has been around and been used for a year or so, but technically the warranty does not start until the dealer says so; the best way around this is to get written backup from the dealer saying that in the event of the manufacturer defaulting for reasons of age or pre-sale use - they [the dealer] will replace or repair for free.
 
[ QUOTE ]
the best way around this is to get written backup from the dealer saying that in the event of the manufacturer defaulting for reasons of age or pre-sale use - they will replace or repair for free.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exercising best practice, I'd be inclined to get the dealer to obtain a letter from the manufacture in your favour confirming that there is a full and undiluted warranty. If that fails to materialise, the boat should be considered second hand, thus reflected in the much reduced price. All of course IMO.
 
The advantage of a boat show boat is that it should be an attractive well prepared example.

A disadvantage is the damage done at boat shows , do inspect it very thoroughly.

I bought a boat at SIBS and as part of the deal agreed that it could be used at LIB but was surprised at the damage as people force things etc. It suffered less damage in the next 3 years than it did at the boat shows!!
 
Hmm, looking on the bright side. It's had 50 hours use? I guess the keel would have fallen off if it was going to.
 
Same old crap...

Warranty is in addition to your statutory rights, which are dependent upon what you do and do not know, and what is said.

You know this is a 'used' boat and I'm sure you will expect the price to reflect this. What you need in this instance is what we all need when buying a new boat....

None of this manufacturers warranty crap for machinery, electronics and systems, what you need is a contract of sale that provides that the vendor will arrange any repairs or replacements due to faulty design, manufacture or installation, for a stated period and providing an agreed level of support. Tell them they can keep the warranty cards on file in case they need to make a subsequent claim on the manufacturer, but if something goes wrong you just want it sorting promptly.

Key question is 'do you trust the vendor'?

It's not a Trader is it?
 
well if really interested in boat, worth a few calls to suppliers of engines, watermaker, lektonics etc? maybe 5 or 6 phone calls and prior agreement with suppliers that warranty is honoured and hey ho its covered?

praps far too sensible?
 
Thanks all

Right, aftr a bit of to-ings and froing I've established that the warranties run from when the boat is bought by end user OR DEALER. So there's no warranty and it's quite secondhand.
 
Re: Thanks all

Sounds like time for some heavy negotiation then TCM!

Go and close a deal the week before Xmas, the dealer should be soft for any sale then!

Good luck!
 
Re: Thanks all

There is a positive side to this. The boat may be second hand but any initial teething problems will have been dealt with, the boat will be better than the one joe punter gets in the first place. So if the dealer is a sound company, and if the dealer garauntees everything in the normal way, it seems to me that you could actually be better off.

Watermaker? What are you buying? The QE2?

And why can I never spell garauntee? Or teath? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top