In PaulineB's words

[BarryH]

In PaulineB\'s words

Unbelievable!! I thought it could'nt get any worse, but yes after a lengthy call to various volvo agent, it turns out that they have the gaul to charge £179.77 for three gaskets. Now I'm sorry but i just can't see how they can warrant these prices. If it was anyone else they would be called a con merchant. Again all these gaskets are the same as used in the automotive equivilent engine.

Well I for one am going to start the ball rolling, with your permissions i would like to print off all the posts/threads regarding problems with volvos and invite their MD, public relations or whatever to provide answers/explanations to said complaints. If you feel you'd rather not have your post forwarded to them please let me know.

This has got under my skin and right up my nose, I run my own business and if I charge slightly inflated prices for my services then the customer will let me know and knock the price down accordingly, you try it with Volvos. I did this afternoon, saying that what they charge an arm and a leg for can be purchased from Volvo car dealers at half the price. The answer the phone got slammed down on me after a few expletives, Nice customer service Volvo!!

Its a Volvo....who said it won't cost much to put right!!

 

[oldgit]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

Why not do what everyone else does if the thing is out of warranty, vote with your wallet and get your bits from Keyparts and all the other alternative suppliers pick up the phone and its there the following day.

Exercise is bunk.If you are healthy,you do not need it;if you are sick you should not take it.

 

[MapisM]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

Angry about Volvo Penta commercial policy? Here's my story about that.
My first sea boat was a 31 footer with twin KAD 42 Diesel, duoprop drives.
A good introduction to sea after all, though I am now appreciating much more the relaxing experience of cruising at 10 kts.
But then, after a couple of seasons, all the 4 aluminum props were in really bad shape. OK I thought, that's probably a price to be paid when moving from a lake to the salty waters.
A friend of mine suggested me to go to Radice, an Italian company based near Milan. He told me that the original Volvo props (aluminum ones) are actually produced by them. This is what I discovered:
1) they are the sole producer of those props, based on Volvo specifications.
2) they used to sell a very few of them directly, whenever some local boat enthusiast asked for. Prices were well below HALF of Volvo ones. We can only guess how much (sorry, how little) does Volvo pay them.
3) at some point in time, Volvo realised that Radice was making this HUUUGE business on its own, and threatened Radice to give the whole business to some other company, thus forcing them to stop selling directly those 30 or so props per year.
4) to add insult to injury, when I asked a technician in Radice whether it was normal that the black paint on the props was detaching from the blades after just one season, he explained me that they normally use other type of (stronger) paintings, but Volvo asked them to keep that type of lousy finishing on their duoprops.

 

[Geoffs]

The peasants are revolting

And quite right too.

My current boat doesn't have a Volvo, from what I've read here abouts, my next boat won't have one either. Even if it means not having exactly the boat I want. What good is a power boat without a decent engine.

Barry, for what it's worth, you can include this post in your submission to VP.

 

[BarryH]

Re: The peasants are revolting

I've only got one thing to say, You can't afford to be a bloody peasant with a sodding volvo sitting in the engine bay!

Its a Volvo....who said it won't cost much to put right!!

 

[mtb]

Re: Totaly agree but

It would also be very useful to have people post their sources of Volvo parts .
I would certainly print the list off for future referance .

Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v / cheap or swap for tug

 

[ccscott49]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

Right! Chaps and Chapesses. This is what I would advise you all to do! All people with something to say about volvos' shit service and high prices, go along to the boat shows, and roundly slag off the volvo staff at their site, and keep doing it all of you, evryday somebody go and complain and make it loud, so other people, the buying public, get to hear! The boating press, who you may have noticed have not been very supportive, will HAVE to take notice and report this, even the normal press may take an interest, especially if some of you get removed and thrown out! The boat manufacturers must also be approached, to offer a better choice of engine, not just different HP volvos! Let them know ther is a huge ground swell of opinion against volvos policies. This would be a PR diasater for volvo and cause them untold grief! They may then, when it starts to hit sales, listen to you. The propellor thing, what volvo did, was illegal, ford got their corporate wrists slapped for doing this, it's against all principles! I don't have volvo engines, when I re-engined I did not even consider fitting them, because of these problems! I wouldn't have a volvo thrown at me, the best use for one is a mooring anchor! Thats from somebody who used to work on them! All of the above, FWIW and IMHO!

 

[ChrisP]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

Totally agree possibly wear suitably worded "T" shirts around the show.

The reason you'll never get backing from the mags is the advertising revenue. Take a look through them and count the adverts from Volvo. The mags have a vested interest in keeping the money coming in. They won't even print complaint letters. All this on top of an article explaining how the wonderous Volvo in their own boat destroyed it's self.

You're right, the only voice we have is the colour of our money. Unfortunatly the pieces of crap are offered at such low prices to the boat builders they can't afford not to fit them as a first and lowest price option.

ChrisP ;o(

What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!

 

[Guest]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

You can possibly side step Volvo in one move and get the gaskets of your choice at a price to suit your pocket. It should be common knowledge that the base unit of the Volvo is NOT Volvo, but Mitsubishi and like a number of other manufacturers' engines they have a Mitsubishi base. Check it out and see what you come up with, also speak with ASAP Supplies in Beccles, who are focused on Engines and their components. http://www.asap-supplies.com or Tel: 0845 1300 870.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: In PaulineB\'s words

If people buy the pieces of crap, after reading all this! Then they deserve all they get! Would you? Not this teddy bear!!!