Baltik Inflatables

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
16
Just have to say, I purchased a Baltik 8.5' with the wood floor and I am thoroughly impressed!!! The quality and craftsmanship are outstanding. If you are in the market for a great deal, check 'em out. And "no" I am not a salesman. Just have to brag, when bragging's due!!!
 

deejaycee_2000

Captain
Joined
Mar 28, 2006
Messages
3,447
Re: Baltik Inflatables

chines mass production inflatable boats are crap (world wide inflacrap) ..... the baltic is a good boat, well done ....
 

jspringator

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 27, 2006
Messages
415
Re: Baltik Inflatables

The 12 footer looks just like my Saturn. Whats the difference?
 

deejaycee_2000

Captain
Joined
Mar 28, 2006
Messages
3,447
Re: Baltik Inflatables

the difference is cheap material, cheap plastic valves, rushed production .....
 

ctcruiser

Recruit
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
4
Re: Baltik Inflatables

I have to say I have the same boat and love it great quality and price.
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Baltik Inflatables

the difference is cheap material, cheap plastic valves, rushed production .....
So Saturn is built in China and Baltik is built in Korea? Have you seen both and know this for a fact or just making an off the cuff generalization? The cost difference between the two is minimal, so if one is definitely better than the other I'd really like to know.

Edit: I just read the MSO (Manufacturer's Statement of Origin) for the Saturn (available on their website) and the manufacturer is listed as: Saturn Inflatables, 5442 Sangdaewon-dong, Joongwon-gu, Kyungki-do, Korea Can anyone confirm that the Baltiks are made in Korea also?
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Baltic is a product line from “BRIG Inflatable boats”, a company in the UKRAINE. It clearly states on their "State Side" website that their boats are “NOT” made in China. http://www.brigboats.com/

Here is their company home page, available in Russian and English; http://brig.ua/rus/ .

If you would like some information on the materials used in their boats, try this page; http://www.brigboats.com/about.html .

The name “Baltic” is taken from the "Baltic Sea".
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Baltic is a product line from ?BRIG Inflatable boats?, a company in the UKRAINE. It clearly states on their "State Side" website that their boats are ?NOT? made in China. http://www.brigboats.com/

Here is their company home page, available in Russian and English; http://brig.ua/rus/ .

If you would like some information on the materials used in their boats, try this page; http://www.brigboats.com/about.html .

The name ?Baltic? is taken from the "Baltic Sea".
I think you are confusing "Baltik" inflatables (the subject of this thread) with "Baltic" inflatables. The two are not the same product, nor are they made by the same company.
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Baltik Inflatables

I think you are confusing "Baltik" inflatables (the subject of this thread) with "Baltic" inflatables. The two are not the same product, nor are they made by the same company.

Your probably right, sorry for confusing the name of the new company, with that of the older established one.

I think someone at Brig should contact a “Trade Mark” attorney in the States.
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Did a quick search of the web and there seems to be a lot of unhappy costumers who are having a hard time getting a response out of the company with warranty & guarantee claims.

Seems the boats have a quality control issue on some models. Welded seams, seem to be not welded on some. They are heat welded, and it appears that they are not always up to the task they are supposed to fulfill.

Their warranty says over inflating voids the warranty, so claims made about the welded seams problem is blamed on overinflating.

The company is apparently quick to sell you a boat, but they are not so quick to answers mails concerning problems.

They also seem to be shipping some badly made boats that are arriving damaged and unusable. Claims made to UPS are checked by them, and the damage was not made during the delivery, but during the packing. Durka Marine (Affordable Inflatables) won't answer their mails when contacted about this.

Affordable Inflatables, or Durka Marine, or DURKA COMPANY, or Tomasz & Michelle, don't seem to really care once they get your money.

If I compare their prices, to those of established brands, with customer service & a network of dealers, I don't know why anyone would buy from them.

A local dealer here just put all their Suzumar boats on a end of summer sale. 50% off (now much cheaper than Baltik) all boats in stock. You know who stands behind the product (Suzuki in this case), and that should you have a problem, someone will answer the phone, and help you resolve it.

I don't have a problem with Internet based companies, or "post box" firms for that matter, I do like to see them stand behind what they promise on their websites.

But hey, it's your money. Maybe you will get lucky like the OP, and get a good boat. :)
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Do you have a link to all the negative responses so I can take a look? I'm not advocating one versus another, I have no personal info on any of these. I do have some experience with inflatable boats though. I had a West Marine 11' PVC inflato for about 5 years, and the tube to bottom seam let go after about 4 years (in dry, cool storage). The fabric itself was like new (in spite of all the negative things people say about UV and PVC boats it was the seams and not the fabric that became an issue). I also took over responsibility for a hypalon RHIB rescue boat that had been in service for less than a year and because of poor maintenance its seams were already letting go (again, it was the seams and not the fabric). So I'm fully aware of how important construction and maintenance is. I'd love to find a 1/2 priced quality built boat, but the only dealer here who sells inflatos is West Marine (although I'm still looking). Will your dealer in Texas ship boats? Does he have any aluminum floored, 12 footers?
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Do you have a link to all the negative responses so I can take a look? I'm not advocating one versus another, I have no personal info on any of these. I do have some experience with inflatable boats though. I had a West Marine 11' PVC inflato for about 5 years, and the tube to bottom seam let go after about 4 years (in dry, cool storage). The fabric itself was like new (in spite of all the negative things people say about UV and PVC boats it was the seams and not the fabric that became an issue). I also took over responsibility for a hypalon RHIB rescue boat that had been in service for less than a year and because of poor maintenance its seams were already letting go (again, it was the seams and not the fabric). So I'm fully aware of how important construction and maintenance is. I'd love to find a 1/2 priced quality built boat, but the only dealer here who sells inflatos is West Marine (although I'm still looking). Will your dealer in Texas ship boats? Does he have any aluminum floored, 12 footers?

I think you are just as capable as I, in finding the post concerning the company in question. It takes a bit of “practice”, but if you are going to shop on the net, it is really something you should “practice”. Be skeptical, be suspicious, any time you go online for any reason.

I am not buying Baltic, and if I had considered it, I would have changed my mind after today.

I never purchase blind on the Internet without first doing a little “who is” this company homework. I really know no more about this company now, then I did before I looked briefly today. What I found out didn't surprise me, but it also didn't inspire me to purchase from what in the end turned out to be a “post box” company re-selling on order, boats purchased elsewhere.

It is their non-existent customer service, post office address, multiple company names, no-longer active websites in the companies registration data, and, and, and, that threw up the red flags. This doesn't make them crooks, it just makes me want to look elsewhere, when and if, I do purchase a new SIB/RIB.

You also have to accept that not every positive post in forums you read, on a product, is from a real person, neither are all negative post. It is called “Viral Marketing” in the business.

There are thousands of marketing agencies, that for a fee, will post all day long, anything you pay them to post, good or bad. Small companies try to accomplished the same with there own posting, but are generally not as professional about it.

I know of a dealer here who sells Chinese ATV's on E-Bay. He bought his own product for along time, until he had written enough positive responses about himself, that people started buying from him based on all the positive responses he had writen. He also pushed it in all the ATV forums here as a great product whith great service. He has now officially changed his family name, for what we found out later was the third or forth time, and moved the company address to Denmark. He has for all purposes disappeared (yet he is still here), and his E-bay shop is still up and running.

We also had a TV crew from Germany's version of “60 Minutes” at our apartment house last week, along with the police. There is a very well dressed (Suit & Tie guy), new rental car (Mercedes/BMW) every week, who was/is running Internet company scams in Germany from over two dozen companies registered in England, but with fake, or post office addresses in Germany. This is the third raid we have had in this rather nice building since we have lived here, for Internet scammers. One was an older, senior employee of the German Central State owned bank across the street from us, he also vanished from the face of the earth in a middle of the night move. I guess the Internet scamming business pays better, than the 9 to 5 German government bank business.

As far as the address of my “real location” marina/dealer goes, there not “my” dealer, I just shop their occasionally, and if you will look at my “Location”, it says Germany/Texas. Texas is home, but I live in Germany, which is where the boats I mentioned were on sell. Their normal price for the Suzumar boats was close to the Baltic's price, and their half price sale killed them.

This same marina/dealer ran a similar 50% off sale on selected Suzuki outboards last month, they sold out in a week. I would assume the boats will also be gone by the next time I need parts or what ever from them. I don't shop there very often anymore because they tend to be double the price, not half the price as this time, of the other sources I have found over here.

If you consider that no one is going to stock a product they can't at least double their money on, you can generally accept that if they can cut their price in half for the sale. You can take 75% of the normal price they were asking and you know about what they paid. The price/profit mark ups on the “Made in Asia” boats is mind blowing when compared to those made in the traditional companies, with production located in western countries.

I was not interested in purchasing a new boat when I saw these, or I would have jumped on one of the Suzumar's. I have a 20 year old German made 12ft “Metzeler” Hypalon boat, and I am very happy with it. While not new, it is in really good shape, and it cost me about $200 used on E-Bay, so I don't think you could say I am anti-E-Bay.

I was although rather upset that I didn't have the extra cash to buy one, just as a backup.
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Wow, pretty eye opening story SnappingTurtle. I haven't bought that much over the internet, except from fairly large companies (like the portable generator from Northern Tools, they have a store a couple hours from here but it's easier to just buy it on line and have it shipped). Regarding Baltik (not Baltic) I never got a reply to the email I sent them the other day (or Saturn either for that matter), which pretty much confirms what you learned about them. So I'll probably just go to West Marine or one of the other boat stores here locally and see what I can find. I'm likely to pay a fair bit more, but at least I'll know who I'm dealing with.
 

SnappingTurtle

Lieutenant
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
1,251
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Wow, pretty eye opening story SnappingTurtle. I haven't bought that much over the internet, except from fairly large companies (like the portable generator from Northern Tools, they have a store a couple hours from here but it's easier to just buy it on line and have it shipped). Regarding Baltik (not Baltic) I never got a reply to the email I sent them the other day (or Saturn either for that matter), which pretty much confirms what you learned about them. So I'll probably just go to West Marine or one of the other boat stores here locally and see what I can find. I'm likely to pay a fair bit more, but at least I'll know who I'm dealing with.

I am like you. I don't buy that much on the Internet, and when I do I like for there to be a “Brick and Mortar” company address, behind the Internet address.

Most people complain about the good side of marketing companies, and building a trusted “Brand Name”, saying they have to pay for something that has no worth or value to them.

But it is a reputation, and the product you are buying when purchasing from such a company. They most often will stand behind what they sell, and offer the support & customer service, should you need it. These companies have a reputation to protect, and in the past at least, you could count on them being there in the future with replacement parts should you need them, and good advice should you want it.

This all cost a little more per unit (what ever) sold. It really is not all that much more, when you divide these cost over the entire individual unit sales world wide. It adds very little to the total cost.

It is also nice to have something your friends have heard of, and it is easier to sell should you wish to latter. Save a little longer, look a little harder, pay a little more if you have to, and you will sleep better.

I will ad that I have nothing personally against Baltik boats, I don't have one, and know no one else that does. I have never seen one, and know of no one else that has either. My only information about them was seeing them for sale on E-Bay and what information popped up today in my search. I do hope that all that do purchase one in the future have the same great experience that the original poster has had up to this point.
 

gobigkahuna

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Messages
54
Re: Baltik Inflatables

I think I'll take a look at the West Marine HP-V 350 at our local store tomorrow. It's a little smaller than I was looking for and about $500 more than I had hoped to pay (plus sales tax), but I've had excellent after sales support with West Marine (including an awesome "no questions asked" return policy).
 

Neverhome

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
86
Re: Baltik Inflatables

The Baltik boats are Korean made with hand welded seams. I do not know wehre the Baltic's are made but they are not the same boat. I purchased mine from Durka Marine through E Bay and found them very responsive to questions and a few minor problems, not on the boat but on the accessories I purchased. I have the 11' air floor and have used it for one full season and cannot say enough good things about it. But let's take the worse case sceneriao and it needs a seam welded at some point in time. Given mine was $700.00 new with oars, reapair kit and seats, even if I had to have it repaired locally, I am still financially further ahead had I purchased a Zodiac at twice the price.

Neverhome
 

Sailmaster271

Recruit
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
3
Re: Baltik Inflatables

Saturn is definitely made in Korea. The MSO and HIN ID's both state Korea and KR, repectively.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top