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Random Quote: yea who belives in fortune cookie belives in everything
Hopefully this won't happen to you. About a month ago I was speaking to a close friend of mine who's in the marine industry and I asked if he could recommend someone to make a complete cover for my 19' bow rider.
He gave me the # of a company in Copaigue NY, about 30 miles form my home, that he heard did descent work. So I called and spoke with Bait (Anthony) and told him what I was looking for, gave him a description of the boat, make & model and was told it would be $750.00 for the work. I made an appointment and today I brought it in. Bait wasn't their but Switch was ( Frank), he told me that price was less than they normally do it for. He told me they normally get $1,000.00 for that size boat. I told him thank you very much but I would take my boat home with me. I asked if he get in touch with bait but he couldn't. He proceeded to tell me that he believed that I was told that price and would honor that price, leave the boat. I stated numerous time that I wanted a quality job and that I would leave with the boat if this was going to be a problem. NO PROBLEM states switch and he write up the order. I leave the boat and drive home, 30 Miles. Two hours later bait calls me back and tells me they normally get $1,300.00 for a cover for a 19" boat, couldn't do it for $750.00 but try to do it for $1,100.00. I told bait thank you very much but I would drive back and pickup my boat. Just got back and had to vent so here I am on The Hull Truth
I think there must have been some misunderstanding.
I have been using them for many years and they are very well respected in this area, they do a high volume of canvas work and I cannot think of one person I have come across or reccomended them to that had a bad word to say about them.
Seems as though there was a misunderstanding of the job as it was quoted over the phone, I for one HATE and will REFUSE to give prices over the phone if I have not laid my eyes on the job.
Well that suks, But here's another one to watch out for.
I am a Marina owner in Florida, at our Marina we Have a small ships store. etc etc.
Anyhow one day I was visiting a local bait and tackle shop and just BSing with the owner about hard times etc.
The guy then has pulls me to the side and says, "you wanna make a couple extra bucks each day?" I say yeah who wouldn't.
The guy then has the nerve to tell me how he scams his own customers...
Here's his trick..
On the front counter near the register he sits a candybar and a soda.
Each customer that comes in and buys a few items, he also rings up the candybar and soda and charges them for it.
If they complain he says "oh I'm sorry, I thought those were your"
He said few people ever notice and at the end of the day he has made a bunch of extra money .
What an azzhole. I told the guy is so many words what I thought of his actions and he just said I was a "boy scout"
He's has since sold the business and I have been in a few times just to see if the new owner has a soda and candybar out. But that has not been the case. I guess the guy didn't pass on his secret to sucess.
Raybo Marine there was NO MISUNDERSTANDING and based on Switches response this happened often. And if these are the "well respected people" in your area I feel sorry for you.
This is a busy time of year for all shops so I see no need for them to try to bait and switch you when they operate a busy shop with good work flow, so it just seems very out of characture thats all.
you did not mention the shop name, but once others who have used them see thier first names im sure they will tell thier expierence.
I know if someone came online and said similiar things about my shop I would hope those who had positive things to say would come to my defense.
You said you travelled 30 miles, what area are you from that there were no canvas shops in your area ?
Canvas is not that expensive and these canvas shops are tooo high. They would rather send a job home over 10 to 20 % in this economy. I am in the wrong business.
__________________ 2011 18.9 Egret C/K Flats
The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory
Ken's Marine Supply in Gulfport MS. Owner's name is Ed. (Don't ask why)
Fellow comes in looking for stuff to clean his trailered sailboat with. Sailboat has just had the bottom painted. A shrimp boat deckhand who was hanging out at the store needing extra money offered to clean the hull & topsides for the guy. Settle on a hundred dollar or so deal.
The hand cleans up the boat, does a good job...only some of the hull cleaner has run down onto the fresh bottom paint. Sailor goes to un ass his boat from the trailer and it sure fire will not come off. Swears he even tied the boat to the dock and tried to pull the trailer out from under it NO CAN DO. Paint has become glued to the bunks. Maybe the boat was trailered when the paint was not good enough, maybe the hull cleaner reacted with it WHO KNOWS.
(I watched with my own eyes...) Ed hands the guy a few hundred bucks and a gallon of high dollar bottom paint. Says: "That'll settle ya?"
Wasn't his deal, wasn't his problem, wasn't his hand...... Good Karma is a good thing to have on your side when you are in the marine business.
__________________ Generally inadvisable to eject over an area you have just bombed.
Raybo In the past we have all tried not to mention specific company names and I will still honor that. Obvoiusly you know who I'm talking about. Busy or not busy this was exrtremely poor business. I appreciate you coming to there defense but from the sound of it you deal with them at a different level and they wouldn't try that game on you. And yes we all make mistakes quoting prices but my main problem happen after I stated numerous times that I would leave with my boat. At that time switch should have apoligized for the mistakeand let me leave with the boat , Not written up a work order and confrimed the price.
You yourself said a good friend suggested the shop, what does your friend think of the situation?
im not taking a side at this time, its just that when I hear something so out of characture of a shop I deal with, major marinas deal with, and a shop I send my own true friends too I just like to get to the bottom of it.
I feel so strongly about it I am going to talk to them tomoroww about this, I called them when I first read this thread but they had gone home for the day.
My friend apologized to me which I didn' want but I suggested he not recommend them in the future and he agreed. He even offered to call them on my behalf but I won't deal with any vendor that pulls this kind of stunt, at any price! As I already said they should have just stated they couldn't do it for that price before I left without the boat.
Sounds like the old double bait and switch to me. Looks like they got together after you left the boat and and figured you'll go for it rather than come back and pick it up. They "low balled" you to get you there then Switch agrees to honor the original $750 quote on a job that is normally $1000 to get you to leave the boat. Then it becomes a $1300 job but they'll do it for $1100 which is $100 more than it "normally" should be. Sure sounds fishy to me.
The soda and candy bar thing is really funny. How long did he think he could get away with that. Apparently, not too long...he's no longer there.
I would bet this is the tip of the iceberg.
And in this economy there is no shortage of good honest people and fair pricing without playing these shell games.
Time to look past Copaigue
I talked to them today, he will respond later on his own when he gets home.
Basics: you were quoted a price for a bow and cockpit cover- $750
You came in and wanted a FULL cover- thats was more money.
He offered to split and meet in the middle, and wanted to wait to talk to Tony who gave the original price, at that time Tony confirmed it was just for a bow and cockpit cover, which I myself know runs $55 a foot, MUCH different then a FULL cover.
So seems it was a misunderstanding, I think you should have your friend call them so you dont think I am making up stories.
When your talking about people in business for over 30 years who are respected members of the community it is nice if all sides of the story are given, people dont stay in business this long by pulling stunts like the one you painted a picture of.
still sounds like a misunderstanding, you were quoted a bow and cockpit cover and you thought you were getting a FULL cover, if you had met someone in person none of this would have happened.
I talked to them today, he will respond later on his own when he gets home.
Basics: you were quoted a price for a bow and cockpit cover- $750
You came in and wanted a FULL cover- thats was more money.
He offered to split and meet in the middle, and wanted to wait to talk to Tony who gave the original price, at that time Tony confirmed it was just for a bow and cockpit cover, which I myself know runs $55 a foot, MUCH different then a FULL cover.
So seems it was a misunderstanding, I think you should have your friend call them so you dont think I am making up stories.
When your talking about people in business for over 30 years who are respected members of the community it is nice if all sides of the story are given, people dont stay in business this long by pulling stunts like the one you painted a picture of.
Raybo- I don't why you got in this but let the principles deal with it.
This has nothing to do with you. Why don't you tend to your own business?
I have to gently disagree... from where i am sitting (which is not too close) it appears he did meet them in person and left his boat there. Any miscomunications at that point were or should have been settled. It still happened. Either the story is seriously being misrepresented or the shop really didnt care about mahalo's time and sent him home while they figured it out. Maybe not as an intentional bait and switch but the end result seems to be the same.
Interested to see what the shop says... having both sides of the story always helps and im sure the truth will be somewhere in the middle.
I have to gently disagree... from where i am sitting (which is not too close) it appears he did meet them in person and left his boat there. Any miscomunications at that point were or should have been settled. It still happened. Either the story is seriously being misrepresented or the shop really didnt care about mahalo's time and sent him home while they figured it out. Maybe not as an intentional bait and switch but the end result seems to be the same.
Interested to see what the shop says... having both sides of the story always helps and im sure the truth will be somewhere in the middle.
Yea, this is all crap minus post from the folks involved and less meaningless post from anyone not envolved pushing an outcome they personally want- Rabo.
Bait & Switch Canvas Shop 
