Help Iboats Help YOU............................

[Jim Hawkins]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I think I may have a clue to why a search using a Johnson part # does not work on iboats, for example the following is in an iboats listing for a fuel pump

Fuel Pump for Johnson/Evinrude 397274 395091 391638 397839 -

You see that it plainly shows the Johnson numbers yet iboats search does not find it. If you saw those numbers directly on the iboats page they show up as a Highlighted Link and not as plain text. I think something in the HTML is missing these numbers in a search. When a search using a Johnson part # does work I believe it is because it is included in the description but not as a link.

Anyway, thats my best guess.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Just bumpin' this up in-case there's more ideas out there.........

 

[nwcove]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

i would buy all my parts from iboats, but the good prices end at the border. heres an example .

Qty Item Part # Price
1 Water Pump Repair Kit for Johnson/Evinrude 387326 - Sierra 18-3325 $100.99

Subtotal: $100.99
Shipping,duties, taxes:
$47.45
Total:
$148.44

......i can get the same part in canada for +/- $115.00, shipped for less than $10 .

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Umm so we get spammed everytime we post? No thank you.

As to iBoats I have no complaints, cept maybe the return policey, and that's just the time it takes, have never had a problem otherwise.

 

[oldandintheway]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I have replied to post where I have tried to help with information (like boat specifications) with a link to another site and iBoats has edited my reply to make the link not function. Maybe that is iBoats policy, but I think that it is bad business.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I have replied to post where I have tried to help with information (like boat specifications) with a link to another site and iBoats has edited my reply to make the link not function. Maybe that is iBoats policy, but I think that it is bad business.

The editing only occurs for sites that in direct competition with iboats, from what I've seen. Off the top of my head, I can only remember two sites in particular. It's not bad business, it's business.

 

[Jim Hawkins]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I tried to put together an order for iboats tonight. Of 5 parts I needed they only had 3 (as far as I could find)
Brand X had all 5.
Prices at both sites were comparable. Shipping at Brand X was under $7
Thats just how it is.

 

[Jim Hawkins]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Is this thread dead?

 

[toneeees]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Not anymore. We are in the process of making some changes. We still appreciate any ideas and suggestions you guys have! Feel free to continue to share them with us.

One thing we are really working on is getting good content/reviews and descriptions for our product pages. If you guys have any ideas that may help with that, please share!

 

[gm280]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I will offer a different opinion. I see now that iboats HAS started displaying when a thread is over 90 days old and therefore closed to new comments for those not knowing the rules about closed postings. That was a good idea.

I myself have a little problem with the search engine. Even if I do a search for the exact title of a pass thread, it most of the time does not come up in the results given. So I have to literally search on my own to locate the thread I wanted to find... Could just be me, not sure!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Are you using the white search box at the top of every forum page?

Or the advanced search, just below & to the right of that white search box?

Advanced search has an option to check a box to search posts & titles, or just titles....

?? Might help??

 

[alldodge]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I can enter a merc part number in google and about every seller on line has a listing for it except iboats. In some cases it does show up but not very often. If I enter the merc part number directly in iboats it still may not find the number, but if I go find it using exp: boat parts, then cooling, then impeller and when the part is found the Merc number is listed. So the issue appears to be not all manufacture part numbers are in the iboats data base, there just in print.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I can enter a merc part number in google and about every seller on line has a listing for it except iboats. In some cases it does show up but not very often. If I enter the merc part number directly in iboats it still may not find the number, but if I go find it using exp: boat parts, then cooling, then impeller and when the part is found the Merc number is listed. So the issue appears to be not all manufacture part numbers are in the iboats data base, there just in print.

For the most part, this also happens with Volvo Penta which is really not good for iboats.

I'm sure the programing to change this would be challenging at best. It took marineengines.com a considerable amount of time with lots of effort to get it right while making it user friendly for all engine models. Now all you have to do for most engine models is just input a valid serial or model number and you have your basic info and parts list for the engine. Both I/O's and outboards.

 

[toneeees]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Most of our products are aftermarket and do not match the OEM #. At times, manufacturers do give us the OEM # and for those products you will be able to find an exact match with the part number.

We are in the works of upgrading a lot of features on our forums, we hope to have a better search and making it easier to post. Please continue to provide feedback and suggestions.

 

[redneck joe]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

my input.

While it shows I've been a member here since '09, I've only been visiting the forums (and a few parts lookups) in the last month or so. In the last 5 years I'm on my fourth old boat - from the current being an almost complete gut job so medium restorations and honestly when I google parts Ii don't recall seeing anything from iBoats popping on the first couple of pages so from that perspective no real opportunity to shop here. Now that I've been here, I have looked up a few and selection/availability seems to be on the shy side.

The folks I have bought from for the last several boats have killer customer service, from live chat too quick response to an email question (or several). Though I spend way to much money on my boats, I will obsess over getting the right one and if I can saving a couple buck although at the end of the day I rarely go for the cheapest.

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

I highly suggest the iboats forum to every boater that I meet. The forums are awesome and the wealth of knowledge here is just insane. I would honestly buy more stuff from iboats but I find specifically that finding parts is just a serious pain the rear. The multiple shipping prices is ridiculous as well, just out of prinicple the last time that happened to me I erased everything out of the cart, went to ebay bought everything with free shipping and saved myself $20.00

$20.00 may not seem like much but in multi thousand dollar restoration $20 at time really adds up fast, and if it were that the parts were $20 more it wouldn't bother me, because the reputation that Iboats has with customer service and care is worth the $20.00 especially over an ebay seller who I may or may not have good luck with.

Another competitors website also ships from multiple warehouses and I have never been charged a multiple shipping fee with them, (I used them when buying obsolete parts on a johnnyrude electric shift).

I noticed as well that alot of competitors stock OMC/BRP/Merc Quicksilver genuine parts instead of aftermarket. When the cost difference is minimal I always buy the genuine part. It would be nice if Iboats could start stocking genuine factory parts, and if the parts were easier to locate. I love the way the competitors parts boats.something has the motor diagrams.

Ohh and the last time I ordered I got about four different requests to fill out customer satisfaction surveys, which is all well and good except I filled out the first one.

I have actually been a forum member alot longer than what my username suggest. I had a previous username but lost the password and the email address to it as well. I've probably been around iboats.com since about 2004-2005

 

[coolbri70]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

better prices, if I can save enough to buy some boat gas elsewhere I will. stock all of what I need, normally when I go to order something, it will be multiple things, if I can get it all at one purchase its better. get more parts diagrams. I allways look at iboats first when I need something but end up ordering elsewhere. I would like to help support my favorite forum, but not if the price difference will fill my gas tank for a weekend on the river

 

[captmello]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

This should be a simple fix.

All of these are are hose connections, not thermostat housings.

Volvo-Penta Thermostat Housings - iboats

 

[1stgenbird]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

Although I am careful with what I purchase, sometimes an item does not live up to my expectations when I see it in person. Returning items to iboats is not a problem. However, shipping costs for the return is so prohibitive, I keep the item rather then returning it.

I would like to see iboats offer free or discounted return shipping as do many of the on-line companies. Had one company provide a return shipping label to use their Fedex account offering their shipping discount which was $6.99 vs $18.49 if I shipped it back using UPS.

 

[Watermann]

Re: Help Iboats Help YOU............................

The need for more and better product reviews was solved by a company I buy computer hardware from. If you submit a well thought out review they email you a $5.00 coupon code good for your next purchase if used within 30 days.

I do not enjoy the multiple warehouse shipping, it causes me to be taken back when an order of 5 items are to be shipped from 3 different locations with each charging $5.95 or more per shipment. It normally makes me split my order between iboats and another company.