Poor Quality New Boats

[Gary Peacock]

http://nbwestwood.blogspot.com/ ???

 

Isn't it the 10th today?

Edited March 10, 2008 by Gary Peacock

[carlt]

http://nbwestwood.blogspot.com/ ???

 

Isn't it the 10th today?

Have you clicked the link?

[Gary Peacock]

Have you clicked the link?

 

Oh I get it now it was me reading it to be 8th of March! dur

 

It would be interesting to see what went on from both sides of the story.

 

Some disputes can get very clouded during the process and degenerate to such a level no one wins. I think I would always council negotiating first rather than declaring all out war.

[Chris-B]

Have you clicked the link?

 

 

Sorry Carl am I missing something ?? I have clicked about everywhere and nothing happens ???

[denboy]

Sorry Carl am I missing something ?? I have clicked about everywhere and nothing happens ???

you are not alone same here

[AlanJ]

Feels to me like the Blog has had all posts removed (apart from the introductory post from 04 June 2006).

[Mr Who (Dr Whos`s Brother)]

Pirate I have Pm` d you.

 

Love your style, Love your team, Most predictable and reliable, I’m sure

[carlt]

Sorry Carl am I missing something ?? I have clicked about everywhere and nothing happens ???

It's the secret clicky, only available to those not in the trade.

[Chris-B]

It's the secret clicky, only available to those not in the trade.

 

Doh... which alter ego would it work for then !!!

[paul851]

I am a boat fitter, i buy boats from builders and fit them and then sell them, I am in a situation where the owners hate boat life, they say they got stuck in husrston lock, and are using it as an excuse to claim the boat unfit for purpose and sueing me for money back and or compensation.they have measured the boat and it aledgidly measures 6'11" I have sailed the boat through hurlston, playing with the water levals, yet still it is going to court some time in the summer. I have lost a lot of money fighting this case, and the boat builder(from e port) has washed his hands of the whole situation, even denying they made the boat, in law i dont have a leg to stand on with regards claiming from them any monies i loose. there is no come back against the builder through trading standards, and he still making and selling boats.there should besome way of driving these builders out of the canal boat business but the current rules state that its the final seller who carries the wrap for poor shell builders! the couple who are sueing still live on the boat outside a pub(illeaglly moored and unlicenced for over 18 months)even though they claim it unfit for purpose. the world has gone mad!! people thinking that living on board is for them, should be made to hire a boat for a month, and sample life afloat, before selling their house and moving on to a boat.btw, i have had a number of liverpool boats and never had a problem!I am a boat fitter, i buy boats from builders and fit them and then sell them, I am in a situation where the owners hate boat life, they say they got stuck in husrston lock, and are using it as an excuse to claim the boat unfit for purpose and sueing me for money back and or compensation.they have measured the boat and it aledgidly measures 6'11" I have sailed the boat through hurlston, playing with the water levals, yet still it is going to court some time in the summer. I have lost a lot of money fighting this case, and the boat builder(from e port) has washed his hands of the whole situation, even denying they made the boat, in law i dont have a leg to stand on with regards claiming from them any monies i loose. there is no come back against the builder through trading standards, and he still making and selling boats.there should besome way of driving these builders out of the canal boat business but the current rules state that its the final seller who carries the wrap for poor shell builders! the couple who are sueing still live on the boat outside a pub(illeaglly moored and unlicenced for over 18 months)even though they claim it unfit for purpose. the world has gone mad!! people thinking that living on board is for them, should be made to hire a boat for a month, and sample life afloat, before selling their house and moving on to a boat.btw, i have had a number of liverpool boats and never had a problem!

[Mr Who (Dr Whos`s Brother)]

Are you willing to tell us where you are based, Just incase, as Hurleston is dangerously close to the cowboy builder in the case above, it could be you?

 

Quote

"monies i loose".

 

edited to say

 

You spell like Garry Peacock

Edited March 20, 2008 by Mr Who (Dr Whos`s Brother)

[paul851]

iam based in chester, the boat builder is in e port, he certainly doesnt do a stirling job on his boats! there are two builders side by side in the port , they work together under various names to supply shoody goods to unsuspecting customers.

[andywatson]

I am a boat fitter, i buy boats from builders and fit them and then sell them,

 

 

Surely if you buy the shell from a third party then fit it out before selling it on you have to take some responsibilty for the quality of the shell that you are buying.

[paul851]

i am taking full responsibility!!! the shell builder put a decloration of conformity on the shell but this means nothing, he will not take any responsiblity for his shell. and he is still turning out the same standard shells.

i am in a corner, fighting bw about the width of the hurston lock, the shell builder. who doesnt want to know, and the customers who say the boat is unfit for purpose, who have happily lived on it for 18 months!hoping for compensation from me, for something i didnt do wrong in the first place!

[Chris Pink]

and the customers who say the boat is unfit for purpose, who have happily lived on it for 18 months!

 

Well if you can establish this it doesn't seem like they have much of a case.

[Gary Peacock]

Ah the joys of boatbuilding and dealing with boaters!

 

The best solution is build the full boat yourself then you can get all the blame all of the time.

[carlt]

If I bought a Bosch sander from B&Q then it breaks, my contract is with B&Q, not Bosch.

 

When working as a boat-fitter the first thin we did was go over the shells, with tape measure and fine tooth comb, and get the builder in to right any (normally minor) wrongs, not fit it then claim it was a bad shell.

 

Sorry for the lack of sympathy, Paul, but you bought the shell, not the boater. If you accept the shell is not fit for purpose then why pass the buck to BW or the customer?

[paul851]

If I bought a Bosch sander from B&Q then it breaks, my contract is with B&Q, not Bosch.When working as a boat-fitter the first thin we did was go over the shells, with tape measure and fine tooth comb, and get the builder in to right any (normally minor) wrongs, not fit it then claim it was a bad shell.Sorry for the lack of sympathy, Paul, but you bought the shell, not the boater. If you accept the shell is not fit for purpose then why pass the buck to BW or the customer?

the boat is made to 6' 11" instead of 6' 10", i have had the boat up hurlston by playing with water levels, i do dot except the boat is unfit for purpose!it clearly is!the customers are trying it on, for cash compensation! after being told by a bw employee that they should sue the boat builder when they couldnt get it through hurlston!(bw passing the buck!) they are new to boats and tried to get it in the first lock at an angle, carlt if you know hurlston you will know its problems with bulges and bw wont except it needs fixing.

[NiceNarrowboat]

Quite frankly, as the fitter it is your duty to insure that the original hull and any other items purchased for, and on behalf of, your customer are fit for the purpose.

 

It's absolutely correct that you are being held accountable. You should have checked the boat on handover - thus you accepted delivery of a faulty item. Why should you expect the customer take full responsibilty for your actions?

[Semitrad]

i am taking full responsibility!!! the shell builder put a decloration of conformity on the shell but this means nothing, he will not take any responsiblity for his shell. and he is still turning out the same standard shells.

i am in a corner, fighting bw about the width of the hurston lock, the shell builder. who doesnt want to know, and the customers who say the boat is unfit for purpose, who have happily lived on it for 18 months!hoping for compensation from me, for something i didnt do wrong in the first place!

 

Welcome to the world of the sole trader! You say you are taking full responsibility but seem to be hunting desperately for someone else to blame. Why not approach your customer, perhaps through someone neutral, to see what compensation they will accept to settle the matter. Ready cash is a powerful argument and is probably cheaper in the end. I'm willing to bet that every shell you buy from now on will be properly checked, this is called experience, and experience earned through the wallet is never forgotten.

[Gary Peacock]

Unfortunately in the boatbuilding game you are often left carrying the problem when components used in the boat cause problems.

 

We commonly have to get a bit "heavy" to get warranty issues sorted satisfactorily.

 

The worse case involved a vacuum cassette toilet system that the "expert" marine toilet suppliers couldn't work out how to make work, their attitude matched one of the things that toilets often contain.

 

They tried to ignore any responsibility right up to waking up to the fact that we were starting legal proceedings and were very serious about recovering every available cost incurred by us from them.

 

Ultimately although warranties are often serviced by the manufacturers/distributors/agents it's the poor old boatbuilder who carries the can if it turns out they have become involved with components supplied by a cowboy setup.

[NiceNarrowboat]

'you are often left carrying the problem' - yes but it is the boatbuilder's responsibility to ensure that the product(s) they are commissioning are effective. That is also the duty you agree to undertake when being a businessperson/manager/director. If you do not meet your obligations, it's fine to get 'heavy': just as the customer is doing now in this case. I complain when I am dissatisfied with any product, were it a below-par meal, or a dodgy narrowboat. If the seller wants to pass the buck, dodge the issues, blame someone else etc, etc, then I get 'heavy' and enforce my rights. Sorry, but my heart's just not bleeding here.

Edited March 22, 2008 by NiceNarrowboat

[Malarky]

Welcome to the world of the sole trader! You say you are taking full responsibility but seem to be hunting desperately for someone else to blame. Why not approach your customer, perhaps through someone neutral, to see what compensation they will accept to settle the matter. Ready cash is a powerful argument and is probably cheaper in the end. I'm willing to bet that every shell you buy from now on will be properly checked, this is called experience, and experience earned through the wallet is never forgotten.

 

Alternitively...

 

If the boat is built fit to live on, then surely if they moor it in a place that makes it unfit, that's not your resposibility, If it gets through the lock, then there's no problem there either, clear evidence these builders know their stuff. I would be glad to go to court, being taken to court when you are genuine is merely a timewasteing experience. Your very lucky you hav'nt got to take them to court.

I would think a letter clearly stating that you have not caused any problems, and recomending that it's not in their interests to waste the courts time or yours, and that if you have to turn up that would be fine.

Then sit back and enjoy!(I think what some of the virtual people on this forum wonder is; why no confidence?)

I've never had an unsatisfied customer, but had many times that I was'nt paid, based on the fact I won't smash up my work or sue. You've got the money, that's a damn good start!

[Semitrad]

Alternitively...

 

If the boat is built fit to live on, then surely if they moor it in a place that makes it unfit, that's not your resposibility, If it gets through the lock, then there's no problem there either, clear evidence these builders know their stuff. I would be glad to go to court, being taken to court when you are genuine is merely a timewasteing experience. Your very lucky you hav'nt got to take them to court.

I would think a letter clearly stating that you have not caused any problems, and recomending that it's not in their interests to waste the courts time or yours, and that if you have to turn up that would be fine.

Then sit back and enjoy!(I think what some of the virtual people on this forum wonder is; why no confidence?)

I've never had an unsatisfied customer, but had many times that I was'nt paid, based on the fact I won't smash up my work or sue. You've got the money, that's a damn good start!

 

Not sure what your point is here Malarky you are either lucky or perfect not to have had an unsatisfied customer, I have had many but have always managed to resolve the situation without recourse to the courts or any bad feeling, although it sometimes hurts a bit for a while.

[Malarky]

Not sure what your point is here Malarky you are either lucky or perfect not to have had an unsatisfied customer, I have had many but have always managed to resolve the situation without recourse to the courts or any bad feeling, although it sometimes hurts a bit for a while.

 

Well, firstly I think I'm trying to say that admiting guilt is not a good policy if court action is threatened, and secondly that possibly not being paid is a vote of dissatisfaction, as I agree it is wierd to not have an unhappy customer at some point( despite the people in question have claimed poverty and don't appear to have had any more work done)!

 

I think I spent so much time working on narrow boats, as it is possible to get it right, and how to do it; you have to do everything yourself, but I have worked many long hours, was too cheep, and was a threat to the second rate chancers who are now in the area that I used to work. I have been severely punished for this, and now understand what an idiot I was.

Boating can be a financial black hole on one hand, but as I found it is possible to do the maintenance yourself, thus makeing it available to all, I realised this to be a forum full of commendable people, and thought I'd join in!

And also, with all the effort involved, it aint exactly going to loose any businesses custom, and I'm pleased to see their swift "on the ball" contributions.