Brand new boat listing to port!!

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I know a guy who bought a brand new dodge pickup. As he would drive a long the gauges would suddenly die on him. He had it in the dealer shop four different times and they kept saying it was fixed but it wasnt. He called a lawyer and due to lemon laws Dodge bought the truck back and gave him all of his money back. I wonder why this is any different? All this took 3 months..<br /><br />T

 

[CCrew]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

tallman8251 <br />Lemon laws don't apply to boats, RV's etc in most states like they do cars. I had a 2001 Dodge Ram that DC bought back after 16k miles, 3 trans's, and a rear diff, and that was a cakewalk. <br /><br />-Roger

 

[hohmanr]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I can't think of any better opportunity in helping SUD's reach a successful conclusion in this matter than for all of us embrace the power of the information provided in this formum for all of the upcomming boat shows where Chap is planning to pitch the stable of flawed boats...I have 3 big ones within a couple of hours of me and plan to attend them all...I've got the routine scripted out... I can see it now, I'll lay low while the Chap dealer reels in the big fish...As the sweat begins to recede from his brow and the body language indicates a check in the bag for that bigger Searay, I'll graciously interupt to ask if I could pop the hood to see if the engines have been installed incorrectly like so many others....<br /><br />This is going to be fun and if enough of us do it, Suds should hear us all w/o having to be there.

 

[jetboater]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Suds----here's the info on the President and CEO of the company that owns Chap--may want to drop him a letter with some pictures explaining the runaround you've gotten from his company--see if that would help<br /><br />It's <br />Richard Hubbell<br />President and CEO<br />Marine Products Corporation<br />2170 Piedmont Rd NE<br />Atlanta GA 30324<br /><br />phone-404-321-7910<br />good luck!

 

[Franki]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I have been in the IT (computer) industry for nearly 15 years now.. in all capacities including wholesale..<br /><br />I can tell you that in the IT industry as with most others, peer review is the thing that scares them most...<br /><br />How do chaparral advertise to their potential market..??? by advertising in boating magazines and such.. <br /><br />Most of these magazines have a section on readers complaints.. and at the very least have a "readers voice" section where readers have their say..<br /><br />These magazines are gonna be much more effective then the 6oclock local news, cos they are much more likely to be read by the very people that might consider one of their boats.. and they do it on a national scale..<br /><br />I can tell you from the IT industry, nothing, but nothing makes them sit up and take notice faster then a reporter for an IT mag contacting them and asking why the issue was not resolved to the customers satisfaction... because the company in question knows the whole situation will end up in the magazine along with whatever comment they make.. in 99% of cases I have seen. (hundreds) the company in question has solved the problem before the mag even comes out...<br /><br />Serious.. do up a letter, and send it to the editors of every boating magazine you can find an address for. (email would be the fastest, easiest method to contact them.)<br /><br />Both the dealer and chaparral will jump all over each other to get the issue resolved before it loses them big money.<br /><br />try it..<br /><br />rgds<br /><br />Franki<br /><br />PS, I should add, that if you do this.. do not write one email and address it to all of them.. <br />and make no mention of the fact that you contacted the other magazines either..<br /><br />Send one email to each one seperately... (you could use BCC as well, but if you can put a name of the person or mag to which you are emailing, the personal touch would be much better.)<br /><br />good luck.

 

[Sea Mitch]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

What could be taking so long. This should be open and shut. Why the silence, cloak and dagger and intrigue. Suds should have a new or fixed boat ASAP. Why has it been six months and still the gag order. If they're building a boat, it's no secret. If they're fixing the old boat, it's no secret. Are there more out there? Has this turned into a class action suit? Is Chap insolvent and can't afford to fix it? Are they one step away from bankruptcy. A lot of rumors can develop from silence. Based on this, I'd never,in a million years,go near a Chap. Something real shady has to be taking place. Of course, the lawyers, in there infinite quest for money, probably are the biggest problem here. If that's the case, Chap should sue them for ruining their reputation. Try and find a lawyer that'll do that! Chap is sunk.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Upon having paid an over abundance of attention to this topic,it has become my opinion, that the stench of rot in this charade appears to be manufactured by none other than the manufacturer.<br />I therefore must whole heartedly place myself in agreement with FirstBoat's assessment.<br />Chaparral, i say to you in failing to remedy this debacle, your advertised 22 awards in 22 years becomes naught to any perspective buyer of your product,and this crystal clarity will of course be of great advantage to the consumer in deciding to spend their hard earned money elsewhere.

 

[fireship1]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I used to think that Chap's were a nice boat. I guy at my marina had a nice bowrider by them. Started to think to myself "maybe my next one will be one of those". At this time I owned a Sea Ray.....And after reading this long battle of a thread....I see a new Sea Ray in my future! <br /><br />Good luck Suds!<br />Give 'em both barrels in the courtroom!

 

[Throbbin Rods]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I had a 85HP Suzuki some years back on the only brand new boat I ever bought(20th boat). I brought it back to the dealer so many times I lost count. When they charged me $85 for a lake test on an in-warranty boatI lost it. That thing wouldn't run below 50 degrees and wouldn't run more than 5 minutes at less than half throttle without fouling plugs. I finally resorted to bad press I had to use ether to start it and was not shy about telling everybody at every launch why. the dealer went out of business a few years later. I got nowhere with the owner of the dealership - finally sold the freakin thing for a loss and bought a boat with a Johnson on it. no more problems. If I could have got hold of someone at Suzuki America I might have been better off. Don't give up!! <br /><br />"Illegitimus non carborundrum" <br />(don't let the bast---s grind you down)

 

[jsmccasl]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Just ran across this thread. My Brother works for a boat mfg in middle Tennessee. About 3 years ago, some new engineers designed a new hull for one of the models. Customers and dealers bought several of these new boats and it was not until later it was discovered the design was faulty causing the boat to list. All of the boats were returned and eventually they were remedied by putting in larger or smaller gas tanks, but it cost the mfg big time. The plant closed and eventually sold to another mfg.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Just saw this and thought it may be of some interest;<br /><br />Boatbuilder MPX splits stock, hikes dividend<br /><br />The board of directors of Marine Products Corp., the builder of Chaparral and Robalo boats, has approved a three-for-two split of the company's common stock.<br /><br />"Given the sustained strength in the company's stock price, we are able to make Marine Products' stock more widely available to potential investors," CEO Richard Hubbell said in a statement.<br /><br />The split will be effected by issuing one additional share of common stock for every two shares of common stock held. The additional shares will be distributed March 10 to holders of record at the close of business Feb. 10. No fractional shares will be issued. Fractional share amounts resulting from the split will be paid to shareholders in cash.<br /><br />The board also declared a quarterly dividend increase of 50 percent to 6 cents per share payable March 10 to common shareholders of record at the close of business Feb. 10. The dividend will be paid on the pre-split shares.<br /><br />"We believe that increasing the cash dividend and splitting the stock are not only a way to reward our current stockholders, but may also potentially increase the liquidity and investment appeal of our common stock," said Hubbell.<br /><br />The Atlanta-based company will release its 2003 fourth-quarter and year-end financial results Feb. 17.

 

[kcole683]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

^^

 

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

So, what ever happened with this deal??

 

[jeremyp111]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

I was at the New England Boat Show yesterday looking at a Chaparral Signature 330 and now, after reading this, there is no way in hell I'll consider them. This is one of the worst cases I've ever read about of a customer getting the shaft from a dealer and a builder. <br />I wish good luck to you and your family,<br /><br />Jeremy

 

[bryont]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

WOW, Poor Suds.. That is alot of money just sitting there. I wish you the best and don't give up. As for Chap, they are off my boat list. Suds is just one boaters experience, yes. But it is not one that I am willing to take a chance on. I hope that Chap is paying attention. This thread will make a differance to their sales by the way things are going. Once again, good luckto you suds..

 

[delsol]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

hey suds any luck i was thinking about a chap. boat but after reading this i am not so sure, i worked for cadillac and toyota and never heard of such bad customer service, they helped out people 99% of the time....<br />i might buy a four winds or caravell....<br />might even buy hate to say $9999.00 17.6 bayliner with trailer 130hp merccruser complete....<br />everything but a top...<br />but really fourwinds or caravell, but you really helped us all out with your story as my chap. dealer has a left over in allentown pa...i wont even think about it now...i will do more home work<br />bob in philly

 

[lowflier]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Move the fat chick to the other side

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

This is the perfect example of why I would never buy a “new’’ boat. The same way I wouldn't buy a “new” house. They are just not built as good as they used to be. I'm am not lying when I say I could run my 19’ boat straight through a Bayliner (my brother has a 24‘) and out the other side. Maybe I would knock off my windshield but I even doubt that. Just says how things are built these days. I understand that some people are not handy or they want the safety of something new but I could never except the depreciation when you pull of the lot for the first time. Then I here another horror story like Suds and it looks like I will be keeping my boat for a long time to come.

 

[MFG197]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

Just to show how crappy chap is, the 215 cuddy came out last year or the year before I think, my wife and I looked it over really well and noticed how they did not trim out the carpet around the cabin door with rubber or anything just cut a hole in the cabin liner and glued (sort of) in. I dismissed it as a new model with out the bugs worked out...come to see two years later at this year's boat show the same model with the same problem...ask the salesman and he says it's a show boat that gets beat up by people...funny how all of them are that way...

 

[Sea Mitch]

Re: Brand new boat listing to port!!

It's almost time for the new season here in the Northeast (where I think Suds is). What's up? I can't believe you won't have your boat for the April commissioning season. This has become REAL serious. You could probably get a march going. Maybe a picket line. Light a fire under those guys, Tony Soprano style!