Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
From reading this thread I'd say the answer to the OP is an emphatic "yes"
Same applies to a new house or car----lots of cowboys out there.
Same applies to a new house or car----lots of cowboys out there.
New Yachts - should we get them surveyed before delivery?
- Thread starter StewartGW
- Start date
pvb
Well-Known Member
What do you think a survey before delivery will achieve? Most new boats are imported, and they don't leave the factory until they're paid for. So you pay for a boat, it arrives, and then you have a survey. If there are major problems, you'd surely be aware of them. If there are minor problems, a survey is unlikely to find them - eg hatch leaks in the rain, water pump cycles intermittently, bulkheads creak whilst sailing. So paying £500 or more for a survey does what?
Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
It gives you a shopping list with professional backing to send to the vendor and hence demand the relevant action. If the goods are as faulty as some of the posts in this thread that could mean money back on the grounds of non merchantable quality. I would call £500 a bargain if it helped sort out problems on a 150K purchase.
pvb
Well-Known Member
You don't need "professional backing" to report obvious defects. But you wouldn't get money back, you'd get any faults fixed - just as you would if you found the faults yourself whilst using the boat.
Concerto
Well-Known Member
I suggest you read this link as this clearly outlines the current consumer law that applies to all purchases including yachts.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product
pvb
Well-Known Member
Oh, I'm well aware of consumer law, but I think you're optimistic if you believe a boat retailer will ever give a refund!
dom
Well-Known Member
The RAC offer a mechanical inspection for £279; how many people would pay for this before taking the keys to their new BMW? Or do we just rely on the 3-Yr warranty?
And what about that new TV, electronics testing anyone
And what about that new TV, electronics testing anyone
Resolution
Well-Known Member
The RAC offer a mechanical inspection for £279; how many people would pay for this before taking the keys to their new BMW? Or do we just rely on the 3-Yr warranty?
And what about that new TV, electronics testing anyone
Dom
Cars and many electronic products, even washing machines, are largely built by robots these days and therefore far more error free. It is difficult to find any other expensive consumer product that we buy today that contains as much human assembly - except of course houses.
dom
Well-Known Member
You are of course right, the handover of a commercial aircraft is certainly a complex affair.
That said, a major part of the purchaser's due diligence is picking a reputable supplier from the outset, so a Beneteau, or a Princess would have to be seen in a different light to a minor builder.
I'd personally not bother with a survey - and haven't historically - in making sub -£500k purchases of fairly production affairs, from reputable builders and dealers. Never had a prob, or at least they were promptly, efficiently, and willingly rectified.
And to be honest, a pre-purchase survey can only reveal so much, for most trouble comes to light as miles flow beneath the keel. Personally, engaging a surveyor and a solicitor (cos they come hand in hand) only makes real sense a bit further up the price/individuality ladder.
StewartGW
New Member
It's almost as if the companies are in a rush to finish and get their cash. I guess that most of us would hold a retained sum until hand over - but how skilled are any of us in boat surveys? In our case (our latest boat from France) we had a failed lifting keel, the engine, while identical was actually of lower power than the one we ordered, the Coppercoat was applied with the wrong primer and not noticed of course until the boat was lifted to fix the keel; our retractable bow thruster was incorrectly installed and not observed until we hit a few bigger waves.
I am convinced that a marine surveyor would have identified much of this pre handover and that would have saved considerable grief.
Surely though we have a right to expect a new yacht, costing as much as a modest house to be properly finished and decently quality assured! It would be interesting have a national survey of people's bad experiences with new boats - and how much integrity builders have when it comes to warranty claims. Are any publishers brave enough?
I am convinced that a marine surveyor would have identified much of this pre handover and that would have saved considerable grief.
Surely though we have a right to expect a new yacht, costing as much as a modest house to be properly finished and decently quality assured! It would be interesting have a national survey of people's bad experiences with new boats - and how much integrity builders have when it comes to warranty claims. Are any publishers brave enough?
Concerto
Well-Known Member
I agree, but if the customer insisted on a refund within the terms of the law, then the boat retailer would have to abide with the law or declare themselves insolvent.
pvb
Well-Known Member
Yes, they'd go bust rather than give a refund.
mainsail1
Well-Known Member
I think the survey before collection would have been useful to me. A good surveyor should know the common faults with a particular boat range and check for these. In fact, when i finally engaged a surveyor two years too late this is exactly what he did and I must say I felt a bit of a muppet not to have noticed the problems that he pointed out. I feel sure he would have highlighted the steering gear problems on one of the boats and he would have found the major hull problems on another which I had shown to the dealer within weeks of delivery but he said it was "normal and nothing to worry about' and I believed him......I am certainly older and wiser now.
pvb
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, what were the "major hull problems"?
mainsail1
Well-Known Member
Keel falling off due to delamination of the surrounding hull lay up. Well when I say keel falling off I mean we saved the day by finding the fault but it was a close run thing and I still have the odd sleepless night thinking about what might have happened.
By the way I paid all the cost of repairs as Bavaria were not interested. Yes I suppose I could have sued but I am not a money tree.
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Biggles Wader
Well-Known Member
You didn't buy an Oyster full of old builders rubble did you?:ambivalence:
mainsail1
Well-Known Member
Pretty much the same scenario as Pollina Star I would say.
pvb
Well-Known Member
You said "Bavaria were not interested". Did you mean this, or did you mean their dealer wasn't interested?
mainsail1
Well-Known Member
Dealer had gone bust. Contacted Bavaria and they said to contact the dealer as he was responsible for repairs under the contract between dealer and Bavaria. Told them dealer no longer existed and they said refer to Administrators. I said, you must be joking but they stuck to the story and I gave up. Life too short and the law too expensive. Repairs cost about £6,500 plus vat I seem to remember but it was ten years ago.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Beneteau dealers apparently pay a reduced price for thier boats if they accept responsibility for warranty work rather than the factory