mikedormer
New Member
Does anyone know what has happened to Portway who were the Dufour dealers for the South Coast? Have they gone into administration or simply lost the Dufour franchise?
Portway Yacht Sales
- Thread starter mikedormer
- Start date
aknight
Well-Known Member
See this thread. No warning flashes up against any of the Portway companies at Companies House today.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
They have gone into administration. BDO Stoy Harwood, the adminostrators, are looking for buyers.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Received a letter from Dufour Yachts today announcing the change in dealership.
It states "....Customer service is a vital part of ..... It is with the above in mind that we have appointed a new dealer..."
From the language used in the letter I would say Dufour could no longer ignore the customer feedback.
It states "....Customer service is a vital part of ..... It is with the above in mind that we have appointed a new dealer..."
From the language used in the letter I would say Dufour could no longer ignore the customer feedback.
alldownwind
Well-Known Member
I'm sure they went bust before, maybe 10 years ago, with a slightly different name?
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I'm caught up in it this time, because I still have outstanding commissioning issues. Don't want to say too much as I don't want to prejudice myself.
Currently all office phones don't seem to answer, which I suspect is standard practice whilst a buyer is found.
Currently all office phones don't seem to answer, which I suspect is standard practice whilst a buyer is found.
christopherc
Well-Known Member
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I nearly went with Portway in January this year, phew! Glad I stuck with Jeanneau, or at least I hope I will be
fireball
Well-Known Member
Bum .... is it commissioning issues or something you could take up with the manufacturer? They may be happy to help .....
aknight
Well-Known Member
Very sorry to hear that. It must have been very recent for it not to appear on Companies House records today.
I got caught up a month or to back in the admin of the yard that was fitting out my yacht. If you owe them any money at all, refuse to pay it. It is not likely to get your commissioning issues sorted, but at least you can use the money to get the work done by someone else - unless the manufacturer is prepared to deal with the issue under warranty.
I got caught up a month or to back in the admin of the yard that was fitting out my yacht. If you owe them any money at all, refuse to pay it. It is not likely to get your commissioning issues sorted, but at least you can use the money to get the work done by someone else - unless the manufacturer is prepared to deal with the issue under warranty.
moondancer
Well-Known Member
I think with the history of the marine industry, including the recent Peter's fiasco, along with the credit crucnch I would be very nervous giving a big slice of money to anyone in the marine trade.
We stopped importing the Malbec range voluntarily and luckily we had other businesses - but if we had been reliant on new and used yacht sales for a living we would have been in a very difficult place.
We stopped importing the Malbec range voluntarily and luckily we had other businesses - but if we had been reliant on new and used yacht sales for a living we would have been in a very difficult place.
Sailfree
Well-Known Member
Presumably they went into voluntary liquidation once they lost the Dufour dealership.
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
moondancer
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nobody lost money over the wind down of Malbecs. We stopped before it got to that stage.
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nobody lost money over the wind down of Malbecs. We stopped before it got to that stage.
Nautorius
Well-Known Member
That is bad news,
I knew they had Cash flow problems. I bought a boat off them in April as a trade deal (a power boat). They were however very busy fitting out new Dufours. I do not know what tipped them over the edge. I have got to say they were honest and open to deal with in Dartside Quay, Brixham. I wonder if Sportec are still going (their power boat arm)
Cheers
Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I knew they had Cash flow problems. I bought a boat off them in April as a trade deal (a power boat). They were however very busy fitting out new Dufours. I do not know what tipped them over the edge. I have got to say they were honest and open to deal with in Dartside Quay, Brixham. I wonder if Sportec are still going (their power boat arm)
Cheers
Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
jamesjermain
Well-Known Member
I had an email from Matt Porter about 10 days ago saying they had lost the account. As I understand it as a result of this they decided to wind down their marine operations and Matt will involved in activities outside the marine trade - after spending more time with his boat this summer. I'll be seeing him next weekend so hope to get the full picture then.
I don't know the dewtails of why they lost the account but the likely options have been listed
I don't know the dewtails of why they lost the account but the likely options have been listed
Seven Spades
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nobody lost money over the wind down of Malbecs. We stopped before it got to that stage.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am glad to hear it Moondancer, but I was talking about Portway, I am sorry for the confusion. It looks like a complete contrast with Opal, I don't see anyone howling about lost deposits etc. It looks like they have decided that without Dufour there was no point in continuing and shut down the operation.
I am a little sad, I thought they ran quite a nice business and came close to buying through them a couple of times. I always thought they could have done much more with the Sunbeam dealership, but that may have been Sunbeams choice and not theirs, I have no idea.
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nobody lost money over the wind down of Malbecs. We stopped before it got to that stage.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am glad to hear it Moondancer, but I was talking about Portway, I am sorry for the confusion. It looks like a complete contrast with Opal, I don't see anyone howling about lost deposits etc. It looks like they have decided that without Dufour there was no point in continuing and shut down the operation.
I am a little sad, I thought they ran quite a nice business and came close to buying through them a couple of times. I always thought they could have done much more with the Sunbeam dealership, but that may have been Sunbeams choice and not theirs, I have no idea.
[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Administration is not an oddball way to sell a healthy business, enacting the process implies financial distress.
Has anyone lost money over this or is it a controlled wind down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Administration is not an oddball way to sell a healthy business, enacting the process implies financial distress.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
I think it is too early to make any judgements or who or what has been lost out. Without wishing to go into any details, I certainly stand to lose out if Portway simply disappear.
I think it is good to give the company/administrators the opportunity to sort things out, so I'm being patient for the time being.
I think it is good to give the company/administrators the opportunity to sort things out, so I'm being patient for the time being.
jamesjermain
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
I always thought they could have done much more with the Sunbeam dealership, but that may have been Sunbeams choice and not theirs, I have no idea.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sunbeam build very few boats a year so there was only so much Portway could do with them. Indeed, it may be that the Sunbeam agency had something to do with Dufour's decision. I know Dufour was unhappy about Portway taking Sunbeam on as they had a 'no competitors' clause in the contract. Portway saw the Sunbeams as complimentary. Dufour demurred
I always thought they could have done much more with the Sunbeam dealership, but that may have been Sunbeams choice and not theirs, I have no idea.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sunbeam build very few boats a year so there was only so much Portway could do with them. Indeed, it may be that the Sunbeam agency had something to do with Dufour's decision. I know Dufour was unhappy about Portway taking Sunbeam on as they had a 'no competitors' clause in the contract. Portway saw the Sunbeams as complimentary. Dufour demurred
moondancer
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Sunbeam build very few boats a year so there was only so much Portway could do with them.
[/ QUOTE ]
They have my sympathy and sounds like they did the right thing and stopped when they could and before they had to. Jolly hard to make money in the Yacht business on a consistent basis. Differnet to many businesses as you have to deal with the public. One of the things that sticks in my mind was being phoned up when in bed at seven on a Sunday morning to be told that the sea toilet in one of the boats we had sold had stopped working and what was I going to do about it.
I tried to be imaginative in my response.
Sunbeam build very few boats a year so there was only so much Portway could do with them.
[/ QUOTE ]
They have my sympathy and sounds like they did the right thing and stopped when they could and before they had to. Jolly hard to make money in the Yacht business on a consistent basis. Differnet to many businesses as you have to deal with the public. One of the things that sticks in my mind was being phoned up when in bed at seven on a Sunday morning to be told that the sea toilet in one of the boats we had sold had stopped working and what was I going to do about it.
I tried to be imaginative in my response.