Me & my local Yamaha shop

[EricB]

Hey everyone

Happy thanksgiving and thanks for all the advice you've given me so far.
Here is where things stand.
1) I had put up a deposit with my local SW Florida Yamaha dealer for a 2022 255XD with delivery expected Apr 1st
2) Terms were aggressive, would not take cash, must finance through Yamaha since they get a big kick back on that
3) I located a 255SE in Tenn. Scheduled to pick that up in about a week and drive it back to Fla instead of going through with the deal with the local shop
4) Will ask for return of my refundible deposit from local dealer.
5) I will need to go to this local dealer for warranty service in the future.

What I'm not sure about is if I am setting myself up for trouble with the local dealer. Is my boat going to sit with them for weeks when I need service this summer?

Is it better to get a slow deal and poor terms in order to have a good relationship with my local dealer?

I have neither the skill nor inclination to do most the work myself.

Thanks

 

[Miitch]

I'd say either way, your boat is going to "sit" if it needs work. Have it sit at a trustworthy dealer - even if it may be out of state. Going off your previous thread, "building a good relationship" with your local dealer to me is useless. I don't how good of a relationship you're able to build, they sound scummy. I wouldn't trust them with a kayak.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

Hell no. Save the money and get a better deal. FYSA any warranty work you may need is going to take a long time anyway with the current Yamaha parts shortages. How far away is the next closest besides your shady local one? Probably worth just taking a day off and making a road trip a couple hours to your next closest one for any future issues.

Also, oil changes and basic maintenance are pretty easy, get a 6 pack and throw on some tunes, it’s not a bad way to kill a hour or two.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

I wouldn't deal with your local dealer based on the experience that you already have had. You also have no guarantee that they will deliver you a boat by April 1. I vote drive to TN and get your boat now, take it home, and start enjoying it!

I would think that the nice thing about 1) living in Florida and 2) having a boat on a trailer, should be that you can take it wherever you want to get it serviced.

Jim

 

[HangOutdoors]

My boat is going on two years. Never seen the dealer since purchase. Done everything myself. Only reason I would take it into a dealer is for a recall, engine or big ticket item that needs resolved.

 

[Mjones]

Service and Sales are two different departments and they will not know you backed out. I dealt with the same issue at BMC Boats in Longwood Fl. They asked my twice if I bought my boat there. 3rd time I was asked I confirmed that I did and continued to advise that I did until I found a better dealer that is 30 minutes further away. Get the boat from Tn. You can use U-ship to get it to you if you don't want to drive.

 

[Ronnie]

Screw that dealer, hopefully you won’t need any warranty work. DYI whatever you can and find a pwc shop for any engine work that you can’t DYI that isn’t covered by warranty or for the post warranty period. If you do need warranty work call around to all the dealers you are willing to drive to for time estimates (I.e., how long before they can look at it and how long it will be before they can start work on it, these days i would also ask how long before the parts come in). lt may be worth it to drive it a little farther and it can’t hurt to pre-tip somehow or let the person you are making the appointment with know you want to meet them when you drop off the boat so you can tip them personally.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Agreed with everyone. I have a good relationship with my dealer and it will still be weeks. There are simply too many boats and not enough mechanics to service them.

Do the service your self, I wouldn’t take it to the dealer unless something major. Even small warranty items if it’s less than $100 I just do it my self.

 

[AZMark]

Not to burst your bubble on thanksgiving, but you’re probably not that important

My dealer is pretty small and I still don’t think the service people would know or care who I am or what kind of interaction I’d had with the sales side of the business before the boat needed work. It certainly hasn’t ever moved me up the line.

Sounds like a shady place that I would never want to give business to but if they are your only option then it is what it is. Be nice to the service guys and do all of your own work that you can.

 

[Levi Weatherford]

Right or wrong, there is a dealer in southwest Tennessee that will not do any warranty work unless you bought from them. I think it's a terrible business practice. I called them asking about a warranty issue. I basically wanted to second opinion on an issue that my dealer said they could not replicate. The response was "We do not do any warranty work on for a customer that did not buy from them."

 

[AZMark]

Right or wrong, there is a dealer in southwest Tennessee that will not do any warranty work unless you bought from them. I think it's a terrible business practice. I called them asking about a warranty issue. I basically wanted to second opinion on an issue that my dealer said they could not replicate. The response was "We do not do any warranty work on for a customer that did not buy from them."

I’d think Yamaha would take issue with that

 

[Levi Weatherford]

Yeah, I don’t really know what Yamaha’s official stance on their practice would be but it did kind of rub me the wrong way when the dealer told me that. They were not very apologetic about it either. Basically, that’s the way it is. Take it or leave it.

 

[David Martin]

Buy Boat in Tenn.......I agree with all right now work of any kind(you will wait) ..........now the used boat I always feel has had the little buggy stuff all ready done. Second if you need service..... call service department and say I just moved her a few months ago from Tenn and they were recommended as a good Yamaha service!!!and as others have said you might have to travel farther for better service.

Where are you in SW Fl I boat in Charlotte Bay Punta Gorda ........I have no service dealer search out yet because I do all work except pull motor(only because my community would freak out..............we have 24hour boat in driveway policy then out she goes.

Hope this helps

Opps forgot to add that 255 boat is beautiful.

 

[2kwik4u]

My boat is going on two years. Never seen the dealer since purchase. Done everything myself. Only reason I would take it into a dealer is for a recall, engine or big ticket item that needs resolved.

This.

Mine has been back once for the complimentary 10hr service. I've done everything else myself.

Granted I have what is probably the simplest boat Yamaha makes; In general, Yamahas spend very little time in the shop for maintenance/repairs.

 

[King]

Happy Black Friday,

The dealer that had the original terms that sounded more like a drug dealer than a Yamaha dealer. I'd avoid that like the plague. As other's have stated, that 'relationship' is never going to improve, or be built in to something more than you getting milked for all that they can get out of you. They're opportunistic vultures and you're a convenient meal.

That being said, on to happier things. You're a week or so out from a kick-ass boat, and a road trip past several lakes and waterways used by tons of folks on JetBoaters.Net. I'm guessing your your new dealer is within 100 miles of Chattanooga. If so, on your way back down I-75 there's more than a half a dozen lakes that are 'on the way'. I-75 crosses one of them, Lake Allatoona. The rest, are less than a few hours away.

At the end of the day, this purchase, acquisition, addition to the family is more about happiness, YOUR happiness than anything else.

On the subject of the deposit, if they don't return it... small claims court, involving Yamaha Corporate, and a report filed with the Better Business Bureau will most likely fix that but, burn the bridge with them that sounds like it was never there to begin with.

When it comes to maintenance, from what I've seen (still waiting on my boat), the easy stuff is in fact that easy. Most everything else, there someone on JetBoaters.Net that have done what you would be looking to do and most likely already have a how-to video on the subject. For the 'once in a blue moon' super huge stuff that would keep you dry docked for moths at a dealer... a few hour ride away from home to a more honest dealer is an insignificant addition on the repair time.

Just my thoughts. Hope they help.

If you do end up making a run up and down I-75 please let everyone know. I won't have my boat by the time you do but, I can tell you of some of the area's best local restaurants.

King