PITA new owners

Robin

Robin

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30 May 2001
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high and dry on north island
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we sold our boat fast which was good to a very pleasant couple who in the 10 weeks or so since have emailed and texted me daily with questions how things work, usually things bleeding obvious or RTFI in nature. Latest has been how to get the gas stove to work, which valves to open, which way to turn the burner knobs (!!) yada yada yada. They have called in professionals for multiple things that i know were working just fine, today's example being gas engineers. At least they are aiding the local economy I suppose, single handedly reducing local unemployment statistics.

I hate to be rude to them but enough is enough!:ambivalence:
 
Politely say that you wil be unavailable for the next couple of months are you are travelling and unable to answer any questions.

They have been given plenty of advice and have abused your good nature. They bought the boat as seen, tested and surveyed. You no longer have any responsibility to them, especially as you had to sell at a knock down price. So let them get on with it.
 
obmij said:
..or just be nice. Doubt it would take much effort to answer a few questions - obvious to the OP but all boats have idiosyncrasies..

Perhaps they're newbies as we all once were
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They may be newbies, but daily questions for 10 weeks is abuse of Robins good nature. Why can't they ask the surveyor, other owners or pay for a specialist to teach them about boats. Even buying a few books on boat maintenance would answer most queries. Then there are also forums and owners associations they could use. Robin has been more helpful than most owners who have sold a boat.
 
Robin said:
we sold our boat fast which was good to a very pleasant couple who in the 10 weeks or so since have emailed and texted me daily with questions how things work, usually things bleeding obvious or RTFI in nature. Latest has been how to get the gas stove to work, which valves to open, which way to turn the burner knobs (!!) yada yada yada. They have called in professionals for multiple things that i know were working just fine, today's example being gas engineers. At least they are aiding the local economy I suppose, single handedly reducing local unemployment statistics.

I hate to be rude to them but enough is enough!:ambivalence:
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I bet you were helpful before the money changed hands robin?
A few questions isn't much trouble surely?
Don't spoil their whole experience of their choice just aid them with a smile.
Don't listen to the grumps on here.
 
Robin said:
we sold our boat fast which was good to a very pleasant couple who in the 10 weeks or so since have emailed and texted me daily with questions how things work, usually things bleeding obvious or RTFI in nature. Latest has been how to get the gas stove to work, which valves to open, which way to turn the burner knobs (!!) yada yada yada. They have called in professionals for multiple things that i know were working just fine, today's example being gas engineers. At least they are aiding the local economy I suppose, single handedly reducing local unemployment statistics.

I hate to be rude to them but enough is enough!:ambivalence:
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Sounds as though they are just overwhelmed and a bit unsure - why not suggest they take you out for a sail followed by a decent meal, or similar recompense, and you can explain how it all works in context?
 
Easy to see that Sepposhire hasnt rubbed off on Robin. It takes a true Brit to get wound up about calmly saying "Time you stood on your own 2 feet"

You might find they would be gutted to think they were imposing.

What needs to be said? Just what you think, that you are happy to help. but daily messages are a bit too much.

Although the idea of a sail and meal sounds better if it can happen.
 
Dougal Tolan said:
Easy to see that Sepposhire hasnt rubbed off on Robin. It takes a true Brit to get wound up about calmly saying "Time you stood on your own 2 feet"

You might find they would be gutted to think they were imposing.

What needs to be said? Just what you think, that you are happy to help. but daily messages are a bit too much.

Although the idea of a sail and meal sounds better if it can happen.
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We took them out for a 3 hour sail and motor on their 'Sea trial', with their surveyor, before final closure. We put them in touch with our local company that maintained the boat on our behalf and they in turn have kept them supplied with a stream of local contractors to do their bidding. Since the sale they have had the electrics/electronics specialists go through the systems with them, had them rewire a steaming light that was brand new, because a bulb had failed on the deck flood part and they blamed faulty wiring. The boat remained in our berth throughout hurricane Matthew, where it remained snug and completely unscathed whilst we slept in the car in the marina car park( another story) and we even took pictures and sent them, taken at first light the morning after the storm moved on. They meanwhile stayed at home 200 miles away until about 10 days later before visting, relying on updates from me and the maintenance company boss man (who is also tearing his hair out now I might add) There is a complete, original Benniteau owner's manual on board, together with manuals for everything from the all new electronics to BBQ and CD player/stereo which I have also had to explain how to use and even gave them a memory stick of all our music albums. I had to research and tell him how to get a new MMSI issued in his name have the electronics man load that into the DSC VHF and AIS transceiver in place of ours which I had earlier cancelled as asked. Today also he said the heating was not working ( reverse heat/air heat pump) probably because the overnight air temps had only been around 40'F for a week and the water temp down from it's usual 60's F to I know not what Oh and the huge fridge freezer is not getting the fridge area down to the required temp I it is empty and working just fine, just needs something in it to and the little fan in it turned on to circulate the air from freezer end to fridge end.

What is the 'up/down switch on the wheel pedestal? 'oh windlass up/down remote control I had installed , but not surprisingly it only works if the windlass breaker is turned on'.

I guess charter companies hear this kind of cr4p from customers all the time but it is new to me at this level on selling a boat to someone claiming to be a 'sailor'.

We are looking perhaps at returning to the UK and buying another boat to live aboard, so look out UK sellers I might turn into your nightmare customer as it seems to be the fashion and I may have picked up the habit.. . . .
 
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Robin said:
we sold our boat fast which was good to a very pleasant couple who in the 10 weeks or so since have emailed and texted me daily with questions how things work, usually things bleeding obvious or RTFI in nature. Latest has been how to get the gas stove to work, which valves to open, which way to turn the burner knobs (!!) yada yada yada. They have called in professionals for multiple things that i know were working just fine, today's example being gas engineers. At least they are aiding the local economy I suppose, single handedly reducing local unemployment statistics.

I hate to be rude to them but enough is enough!:ambivalence:
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Refer them to this thread..........:)
 
If they want a gas engineer then refer them to Nicholas 123 (who is now Ex of this forum I believe & possibly looking for hassle)
That will sort them once & for all & they can send all the emails they like as he will keep them going for ages
 
What's not been mentioned yet is that selling a boat is an emotional time, to a greater or lesser degree, and the OP probably just wants to move on.
 
What's the problem , with help them out with a few answers .
How many time have you needed help and others have helped you out without money changing hands .
I have always been happy to return to a boat I sold and go thought issues in the past as long as I don't have to travel miles to do so and have spend time on the phone explaining stuff .
I can remember a time in the early days when I brought a boat and found something didn't work , it took me an whole day to sort out a problem which would had took just a min if I spoke to the last owner and been told the Hindin switch needed to be turned on .
Be a good human bein and a good sailor and help them out , soon or later they will get then hang of it , who know you might get a to go sailing now and then .
 
Nikia said:
What's not been mentioned yet is that selling a boat is an emotional time, to a greater or lesser degree, and the OP probably just wants to move on.
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We selling one of our yacht at the moment , and yes it is an emotional time especially when it's been your home for seven years , and I agree we do want to move on , but I would still go out of my way to help a new owner with any problem he may have after we sold it , come it be sometime he can't work out or if it was a problem that had happen , but that anything new for me , I would help a fellow sailor if need be in the hope if I needed help someone would do the same .
One of the biggest problem in our world these days is the fact that I ok Jack .
Once a dragging yacht heading for rocks would see others jumping into their dinghy to help , now they reach for there camera .
 
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There is help and then there is teaching someone to sail whilst spoon feeding them things because they are too lazy to read the owner's manuals. This sounds very much like the latter.
 
Concerto said:
They have been given plenty of advice and have abused your good nature. They bought the boat as seen, tested and surveyed. You no longer have any responsibility to them, especially as you had to sell at a knock down price. So let them get on with it.
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I agree with your conclusion ... but what makes you think that Robin "had to sell at a knock down price"?

Richard
 
Robin said:
We took them out for a 3 hour sail and motor on their 'Sea trial', with their surveyor, before final closure. We put them in touch with our local company that maintained the boat .............. etc .
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Ahhh, you didnt mention that lil lot.

Forget all the "just help them out", "what does it take" and the rest, dont even "go silent"

Next communication from you is "OK, you have the boat,you have had a shed load of my time for free, now its going to cost you." $50 per hour sounds about right.
 
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