Aintree Boats - my experience

[matty40s]

1 minute ago, Tuscan said:

Reads like a self fit out, I would have thought the OPs surveyor would have advised on the general quality of fit outta the very least. Although the OP was aware of the majority of niggling issues before purchasing which should have rung alarm bells perhaps

It actually sounds like a not very well put together standard fitout, or a standard fitout someone has customised - all the features mentioned are pretty much the same as catalogue - and MDF cupboard doors are fitted.

[Arthur Marshall]

Anyone ever had a survey that was worth the paper it was written on, cos I haven't? 

[Alan de Enfield]

19 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Anyone ever had a survey that was worth the paper it was written on, cos I haven't? 

After the 1st survey I ever had ended up costing me over £20k to correct faults not found by the surveyor (then + legal costs) I have never had a survey on any of the last 17 boats I bought.

 

However if you do not have any knowledge of boats, little mechanical skills and even less observation skills I'd always suggest that you have a survey - as long as you are aware of its limitations you can only hope that your £1000 will identify enough to either put you off buying it, or, says its worth buying.

[cuthound]

10 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Anyone ever had a survey that was worth the paper it was written on, cos I haven't? 

 

My survey cost me £800, including a £300 dry docking fee.

 

My surveyor examined the boat and gave it a clean bill of health, except for the combi charger/inverter, which he noted the charger functuon didn't work.

 

As a result I renegotiated the price, securing a further £2000 off the boat, sufficient for someone to replace and install a new combi unit.

 

When I got the boat to its home mooring, I plugged it into the mains and found the charger to be functioning correctly.

 

Oh and the surveyor also me back £50 because the bilge was clean so he didnt get too dirty, unlike most boats he surveyed.

Edited November 20, 2019 by cuthound
Spillung

[Phil F]

Hi all,

received email yesterday from Mark Taylor, managing director of Aintree Boats asking for bank details. Rang this morning to confirm identity etc and spoke to Mark who said they were going to pay the £330 that it cost to fix the engine problem. I apologised for making my complaint public, but explained it was out of frustration at receiving no responses from emails etc for nearly 2 weeks and believing it was being ignored. So, Aintree Boats have demonstrated a level of integrity and honesty that I wrongly thought was absent and now feel a sense of regret and embarassment at publicising my issues. However, hindsight is a wonderful leveller.

Thanks for all your comments - supportive, not-so-supportive, and informative.

Phil

[Mike Todd]

15 hours ago, The Dreamer said:

In this context “fit for purpose” means does it serve for the purpose for which it is described.  So if a retailer sells you a wheelbarrow, but describes it as a baby buggy, the product clearly is not fit for the purpose for which it was sold.

 

So far as we know, the OP was sold something which was described as a boat, and it serves the purpose of being a boat.  The question which should be asked, and always was under the old Sale of Goods Act, is “is it of merchantable quality”, now that’s the debate!

I thought that 'fit for purpose' today did include some consideration of a reasonable lifetime.

[Murflynn]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

 

My survey cost me £800, including a £300 dry docking fee.

 

My surveyor examined the boat and gave it a clean bill of health, except for the combi charger/inverter, which he noted the charger functuon didn't work.

 

As a result I renegotiated the price, securing a further £2000 off the boat, sufficient for someone to replace and install a new combi unit.

 

When I got the boat to its home mooring, I plugged it into the mains and found the charger to be functioning correctly.

 

Oh and the surveyor also me back £50 because the bilge was clean so he didnt get too dirty, unlike most boats he surveyed.

and I hope as an honest customer you apologised for misleading the seller and gave him the £2000 you had negotiated in good faith but based on a false premise.

[Detling]

Surveys are best regarded as something to scare the vendor with by 'quoting' the bad bit selectively, in order to reduce the price. Trying to get a surveyor to even admit he can make mistakes is like wrestling a tiger, you have no chance, and as to getting any compensation or recompense you can swim to the moon easier. 

A colleague of mine bought a house (ok not a boat but a RIC's surveyor) who carried out a full survey for them. What he managed to wriggle out of was :-

1, Producing a full survey as to condition and structure without entering the property.

2, An illegal extension of the kitchen over the main sewer manhole which had been broken and covered with a piece of ply and lino. 

3, Rat infestation caused by 2 meant that much of the wiring was damaged to the extent lights upstairs didn't work. 

He admitted to the enquiry into his professional status by the institute of surveyors that "he based his survey on the house 3 doors away he had surveyed the previous year". He was ordered to refund the survey costs and basically told not to do it again, end of story regarding compensation.

It cost my colleague 25,000 pounds to get the kitchen floor properly laid, a brand new kitchen replaced due to rat damage, and a large part of the wiring replaced, plus having to live in a hotel for 3 weeks whilst the work was done.  

So don't expect a survey to protect you the 'get out clauses' they scatter on every page ensure there is no 'case to answer'. 

[Nut]

19 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

After the 1st survey I ever had ended up costing me over £20k to correct faults not found by the surveyor (then + legal costs) I have never had a survey on any of the last 17 boats I bought.

 

However if you do not have any knowledge of boats, little mechanical skills and even less observation skills I'd always suggest that you have a survey - as long as you are aware of its limitations you can only hope that your £1000 will identify enough to either put you off buying it, or, says its worth buying.

you need to become a surveyor

[Sea Dog]

33 minutes ago, Detling said:

Trying to get a surveyor to even admit he can make mistakes is like wrestling a tiger, you have no chance, and as to getting any compensation or recompense you can swim to the moon easier. 

Just one of the reasons I decided not to go into (marine leisure) small craft surveying was that the commendably scrupulous and professional outfit who generously allowed me to team up with them expected to be sued by someone roughly annually. This was usually a somewhat less than genuine claim, and one that they felt they could have won, but they rarely fought the case and instead usually settled. This was because the effect upon their already substantial insurance premiums was punitive and the time it took from the main effort made even a win not worthwhile. 

 

I don't know how it can be quite so different in the inland waterways sector, but clearly many/most here seem to feel that it is. Disclaimers in the contract and/or report are frequently cited but, as I understand it, these are not the absolute "get out of jail free card" some believe them to be where professional negligence is involved. All I know is, I'm pleased I have most of the skills and experience I need to enable me to make my own assessments and at least trust my own judgement with reasonable confidence.  For those who don't have such skills, I'd still recommend engaging a surveyor of good repute pre purchase.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Nut said:

you need to become a surveyor

I was fortunate enough to retire at age 46 (many, many years ago) and have no intention of 'working' again.

Too many boats and too many miles of sea to explore.

 

 

[matty40s]

Having seen 4 separate surveyors in a month state that "bilge pump not working", on 5 different boats.........upon investigation amongst all other highlighted issues every bilge pump was working.

All the boats had out of water surveys, and no water was present in bilge....

Our recommendation to the brokerage is to insist surveyors do the official Bucket Of Water Test before writing off the bilge pumps

Other tests we are looking at making it mandatory for surveyors to complete are the "Turn the Isolators On So Theres Power Available" and the obvious "Dont Condemn the Diesel Heater if the Batteries are at 10V"

[TheBiscuits]

14 hours ago, Phil F said:

Hi all,

received email yesterday from Mark Taylor, managing director of Aintree Boats asking for bank details. Rang this morning to confirm identity etc and spoke to Mark who said they were going to pay the £330 that it cost to fix the engine problem. I apologised for making my complaint public, but explained it was out of frustration at receiving no responses from emails etc for nearly 2 weeks and believing it was being ignored. So, Aintree Boats have demonstrated a level of integrity and honesty that I wrongly thought was absent and now feel a sense of regret and embarassment at publicising my issues. However, hindsight is a wonderful leveller.

Thanks for all your comments - supportive, not-so-supportive, and informative.

Phil

For a boat you didn't buy from Aintree Boats, that's going significantly above and beyond what's necessary.  Full marks to Aintree for doing so as a goodwill gesture, and thanks @Phil F for bothering to come back and update the thread.

 

 

[Murflynn]

well done Aintree !!       let us hope the good message goes viral.    

[Kim bishop]

I have also had major issues with Aintree boats. Bought a new sail away in June 2023. Still waiting for the engine to be fitted. They took my money a year ago but they just fob you off if you do manage to speak to them. They just don’t answer the phone or reply to emails. Don’t go there

[pearley]

8 hours ago, Kim bishop said:

I have also had major issues with Aintree boats. Bought a new sail away in June 2023. Still waiting for the engine to be fitted. They took my money a year ago but they just fob you off if you do manage to speak to them. They just don’t answer the phone or reply to emails. Don’t go there

I can only say we are very happy with our Aintree widebeam. First stage payment made about 2 weeks before the first lockdown so weeks of wondering if we had lost our money but no. The build took longer than originally envisioned due to 2nd and 3rd lockdowns adding to the general shortage of parts, including the engine.

 

When we were sent the invoice for the engine I returned it and asked for it to be amended to add the engine serial number. That way I could speak periodically with Beta to check progress. 

 

As for follow up after launch then yes, we've had some problems but they were all sorted and even now 3 years later I can email or text their trouble shooter and get an answer.

 

I'm not an Everton fan but it might help if you are!

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, pearley said:

 When we were sent the invoice for the engine I returned it and asked for it to be amended to add the engine serial number. That way I could speak periodically with Beta to check progress. 

 

Good move, I know one yard where they moved the engine round when owners came to look. Now long gone I might add.

 

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Good move, I know one yard where they moved the engine round when owners came to look. Now long gone I might add.

 

That was done at Aynho years ago when I was fitting my shell out there. Even though I wasn't involved and lost no money BW gave me a years licence and mooring for free off the back of it.

[Mike Hurley]

8 hours ago, Kim bishop said:

I have also had major issues with Aintree boats.  They just don’t answer the phone or reply to emails. Don’t go there

Surely going there is exactly what you should do then.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

That was done at Aynho years ago when I was fitting my shell out there. Even though I wasn't involved and lost no money BW gave me a years licence and mooring for free off the back of it.

Thats the one, Good old Jack

[LadyG]

On 18/11/2019 at 21:20, Arthur Marshall said:

The whole list sounds more like a boat bought as a sailaway and fitted out on the cheap.

Although, as the whole point of boats is to have a pit into which you can tip money, it's probably a good thing that he's started as the way he's going to go on...

I think every sailaway has an engine installed, the chances of the first owner having re installed the engine are about one in ten thousand, more or less.