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.