New Owner-Advice

[brookec]

Hey Guys!

I am so happy to finally be a new Moomba Outback owner (sort of).

I bought my boat from Myer's Marine in Redding, CA. They told me the boat was brand new. They delivered it to my house. When it arrived I was so excited to get it. I noticed that is was pretty dirty and needed cleaning, but I didn't make a big deal about it. It looked like everything was working and it pretty good shape. The guy gave me a short orientation-that is when we realized the bimini clips had not been drilled into my boat. Bummer-but I wasn't going to let it get to me. They said I could have someone do it and they would pay for it. (Guess I would have to wait to take my boat out. But I was still excited to have my boat!

I signed the papers and he left.

When I started cleaning my boat, I noticed many things about my BRAND NEW BOAT that surprised me. If I had been delivered a used boat, I would have had an inspection done-but because the boat was new I was not expecting to find the following:

My boat is filthy dirty.
-There were leaves and dirt under all the seats on throughout the carpet.
-There was dried bird poop on the bimini cover that has stained it from being on so long.
-The white leather seats have stains of black and yellow (sap?)
-The engine cover has black stains
-The cooler is filled with gunk and had a pungent odor

The cover is not new

The cover has white paint that has splashed on it (also bits of it on the boat that I had to rub out), it is faded at all the Velcro due to sun damage, and is very dirty.

-I plan to store my boat inside and not tow with the cover on (which is not recommended and yet is how my boat arrived) and therefore would have a pristine cover.

Trailer bumpers not new

-Trailer bumpers are faded from sun
-One trailer bumper is missing elastic to hold it over foam

Metal trim on entire front windshield is stained with black

I tried to clean this when I had to clean my new boat and it would not come off

Missing rear view mirror

Missing CF numbers and registration sticker

-No latches drilled to attach biminii
-Had to pay Mastercraft dealer $53 to have drilled.

The Tower is scratched


Two of the speaker covers are broken off

The Moomba plate on steering wheel came out twice
Steering wheel faded and worn

Bimini straps are missing and replaced with impossible cheap bungees


Stress crack in boat

(Turns out the boat had been on their lot for 2 years! The guy who sold it to me from Myers Marine didn't even look at the boat before it was taken to be delivered to me.)

Obviously, I wished I would have second guessed the dealer and inspected the boat much better.

Have any of you guys had to deal with anything like this from a Moomba dealer before? My best friend has a Moomba and loves it. Many of the people around here made fun of me for buying a Moomba. They told me it was low quality and that I should buy a Mastercraft or Malibu. I was so embarrassed when they came to look at my new boat and pointed out all of these issues to me. They kept telling me that they told me not to buy one.

Arrrggggg.

I love my Moomba and want to keep it-but the dealer is a nightmare. He said I could bring the boat back to him to get repaired. ( I love that my brand new boat has to get "repaired.") It is a three hour drive there and a three hour drive back for me.

In the end, I decided to get the boat detailed by a pro to see if the stains come out (The dealer is giving me a credit at their store (again three hours away) for $250.) They are going to send me a new cover, steering wheel and bumpers, but I have to pay the shipping $175 to get the old ones back to them. I already paid them $350 to have the boat delivered.

Do you guys think this is acceptable? Should I just suck it up and move on? I feel like I have been ripped off a bit by the dealer (Myers Marine)-but I don't want to taint my new boat buying experience.

I emailed Skier's Choice about this-but they let me know that this is a dealer issue but they will talk to them. (Not sure if they have yet.)

My attorney said I could easily have a case for misrepresentation-but honestly the last thing I want to do is get into some kind of legal battle with this dealer.

I would appreciate any of your input and am looking forward to being a part of this community.

Brooke

[mmandley]

That realy sucks man. I am sorry to hear a Moomba dealer would do this. Is Moomba there main boat they sell?

The local AWS store in town just took over Malibu because the Malibu dealer went belly up. I was in the show room and asked what year the red Malibu was and when did they start putting used boats in the showroom. He said thats a new 60K Malibu.

I was floored. It was nasty and dirty and faded. All the problems you are mentioning. Now way i would have believed it was a New boat. Never been in the water at all.

He said some dealer really don't give a chit about there boats. Its just a machine they sell. You can tell by the way a dealer acts and talks about his boats if there truly boat enthusiasts.

You mentioned getting it detailed? If its looks new when done with that then i wouldn't worry as much about the first impressions, but id be looking for someone else then that dealer for my service.

Hope it works out man. Post some pics of the new baby

[kaneboats]

Before anything else I would want to know how many hours are showing on the hour meter. If it is a used boat then you can demand the sale be voided. Your attorney can negotiate the return. You may even consider prosecution for fraud. However, it sounds like new stock that was kept outdoors and sat a while. It also sounds as though the dealer is at least making an effort. In the long run it may be better to work with them and keep in mind you have warranty coverage.

Edit: Oh yeah, and get some new friends. Which one offered to go with you to the dealer to help make it right?

[brookec]

I appreciate the understanding.

It is amazing with so many dealers going out of business that this dealer acted this way.

Maybe because I am a first time buyer and a girl they thought I wouldn't care or notice.

Seriously though, us ladies like our boats pristine.


I agree that I should just get it on the water (after I get a steering wheel back) and forget about the dealer.


I will post a picture after the detail.

Brooke

[tazz3069]

Welcome to the family Brooke. Nice to see female boat owners on this site. Yes that really sucks about how you were treated. I really hate to say this, but I think they took advantage of you. Being a female and all. I think everybody should be treated the same no matter of age or sex. What is happening to people now a days. Customer service as gone in the toilet. Yes that was nice of them to deliver the boat to you. They should have at least cleaned it, water tested it, and make sure you will be satisfied with your purchase.

Kaneboats is right. You should look at the hour meter on your dashboard. That should tell you everything.

If there is anything else that we can help you with, just drop in a post and you will be flooded with answers.

Tazz

[jmvotto]

brooke, welcome ... sorry to hear about your troubles, as mandley said check the hours. is this an 07 , i bought mine with 4 hrs on it but the boat was new an immaculate. if it was me i would have my lawyer get me a new boat or at least a big credit if i were to keep it for the lousy and unprepared shape the boat was in.

what model an year? did you get a great deal on an 2 yr old new boat, price wise?

[sandm]

welcome to the boards...

I have to say that our experience with our shop(not local, bought out of state) was not stellar and had some issues, but the dealer was willing to help out from 400 miles away, like yours. today, I am more than satisfied with the boat, and the issues we had are a distant memory.

hope you have the same luck, and as long as the dealer continues to offer help, I hope your experience with the boat on the water will overshadow the initial delivery..

[skiyaker]

I have to say that one of the reasons I bought a Moomba is I felt the dealer would take good care of me- and he has. I was a first time boat buyer and I felt he went out of the way to give me some pointers and help me understand the boat. He threw in some cleaning products that he recommended and when I asked what kind of oil I should use he handed me a quart free of charge. I had an issue with a staple from the flip up drivers seat bolster cutting the seat- and he ordered me an entirely new seat. It sounds like you have a lot of issues- most of which are small- but all in all it sounds like you have a boat in used condition and hence I hope you got a used price. Otherwise I'd take the boat back for a full refund and look elsewhere.

[spoon03]

if the boat has not been titled, they can sell as a new boat. i would have taken a lot of pictures and then went to a lawyer unless you got an amazing deal. for a boat that has been sitting for 2 years, i would also have all of the mechanical components checked out. IMO, any mechanical object that sits too long tends to have mechanical issues. seals dry out, corrosion, ect. i work on aircraft for a living. let a helicopter sit for 5 days and it's sure to break. i know boats and aircraft are different, but i think the same principles apply. sorry to hear about a crappy dealer. i have an 09 OBV and it was delivered with a full tank of gas, washed and waxed ( the water beaded) ready to go. i had an electrical issue on day 2 on the water. the owner of the dealer, gave me his cell phone number...i called him on a sunday and holiday at that. he told me, bring it in and he would have somebody on it immediately troubleshooting. which he did. BUMP to Lake Arera Watersports. i truely hope that your dealer works out your issues or you get a new boat.

[moombadaze]

brookec, welcome to the Moomba boards. there are a great group of people on here.

Your story really suprised me, my thinking, a dealer selling a 07 NEW outback would have that sparkling clean and ready to go. Its sad what happens.

[Ian Brantford]

Is the year of the boat's model on the paperwork? If it does not match the actual boat, it might give you more legal grounds, if it has to go as far as legal action.

[kaneboats]

I neglected to say: "Welcome to the Family!"

[Sled491]

1st Welcome to the family, and lets see some pics!

Next down to your problem. Did you ever see this boat in person boefore you bought? If so did you tell them to prep the boat for delivery and make sure it was no charge? It sounds like you never saw the boat before you bought...yikes. Buyer beware! All these fees you you are incuring for shipping I would have never paid, never! I would have your attorney forward some pics of tha boat as was recieved by you with a warning letter to get there crap together or you will get nasty.

Last, I would have never accepted delivery of a boat that looked like crap, if I was expecting a brand new shinney (even though it was non current) jewel.

Oh yeah, have some fun and find a new dealer ASAP!

[brookec]

I agree. I totally messed up and should have been much more wary of the dealer and much more demanding BEFORE purchasing the boat.

i did get a good price on the boat and ever since I threatened to sue them they have been much more accommodating.

I do have a question though...hopefully someone can help.

They sent me the new speakers (remember there were two that were broken) and they are silver and mine are a goldish color. I can't figure out of the ones on my boat are just really sun faded or if they are a completely different color and they sent me the wrong ones.

My boat is black and white with gray-so the sliver makes much more sense, but I am still not sure.

Can anyone tell me where I might get a listing of part numbers to figure this out? Should I just call Skiers Choice and ask them directly?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks for all the input. Seriously, having this community makes having Moomba so much fun!!! Can't wait to post pictures and meet up with some of you.

Brooke

[tazz3069]

Hey Brooke
Drop Rick a line at Skiers Choice. Here is his email address" rloucks@skierschoice" He should be able to help you out. In regards to the speakers, They should be Kenwood speakers. In 08' they change to Kicker speakers. You described that the speakers you have are goldish in color. Is the grill that color or the speaker itself? Can you take a pictures of the speakers in your boat and the speakers they sent you. We can tell what they are. Glad to hear that the dealer is cooperating with you. It should have never gone this far. You should be enjoying your new toy and fixing it. Send those pictures of the speakers.

Tazz

[Sled491]

I think you said you have an 07 Outback? It had kenwoods as Tazz said and they had silver bezels. So the ones you have I think are just that sun faded.

[wolfeman131]

Hi Brooke,

Welcome. I'm confident that you're going to get everything worked out and be extremely happy with your Moomba. I know I've fallen into the same situation as you when I've bought something that I wanted so bad that I've chosen to overlook/accept things I shouldn't have.

Here is a picture from the Moomba website of the Kenwood speakers. This pic is from the '09 Outback V, but I believe that your speakers should look the same.

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd344/wolfeman131/Moomba/Slide1.jpg

[brookec]

I have an 08. The dealer bought it in 07. They are kicker speakers . Do these come in both goldish and silver? The replacements they sent me are silver and the ones in my boat are gold. Sunfaded?

[sandm]

if they were sunfaded, you should be able to see on the tops of them the original color. sunfading would not turn them a consistent shade of gold. I didn't think that kicker made any gold coloring on any speakers. black, white or grey/silver were the only colors.
in the pic above, only the bottoms of them would sunfade. the top of the speakers are hidden by the upholstered panel and would not see the sun during the most damaging part of the day.
if they are infact totally gold, I would suspect that either a dealer installed item, or as pointed out prior, maybe a used boat?

several have asked for hours off the meter. have you looked yet? that will tell a whole story in itself......

[brookec]

Yes. My boat had 40 minutes on it when I got it.

It got sun faded sitting in the lot.

The speakers are silver on the back. The dealer is sending me new cover plates for all of them.

I think Moomba talked to them because he is being much more helpful.

The guy finished my detail today and unfortunately a lot of the stains on the seating won't come out. The carpets are stained as well. I guess from so many people climbing in the boat to check it out. He also found another stress crack. He couldn't get the platform to stop staining his rags with black. I read on this forum that is also because it was in the sun for so long.

BUT.....I love being a boat owner and I love my boat even though it isn't really what I thought I was buying (new).

I have paid my stupid tax in time and money to get it close to new and I will not let it prevent me from having fun on the water.

Thanks for all your input.

Brooke

[moombadaze]

I will not let it prevent me from having fun on the water.




That is good to hear. Now its time for Pictures, lets see this boat.

[tazz3069]

Glad to hear that they are taking care of you. Again welcome to the family. Send us some pictures of your new baby. I hope that they take care of your carpet and vinyl. I had asked Rick to look into this for you. I think that a very important call was made in your behalf. Even though there are a lot of members here, there are many of us who have never met, we are all good friends.

Tazz

[Mikey]

Welcome and good to see how things are starting to work out. There are many people on here i suspect monitoring your progress,so keep us informed as word of mouth goes a long way. All the way to the top of SC by chance so good for you.
As for the swimplatform bleeding issues there are a few temporary fixes, I spray mine with clear laquer and it seems to work, but the real solution so far seems to be replace with seadec . Good luck and keep us informed.

[wolfeman131]

Yes. My boat had 40 minutes on it when I got it.

Hey Brooke,

Glad to hear some things are starting to work out and love your positive attitude!

I was thinking about your post and the 40 mins you mentioned. I have an '08 Outback V and I believe our gauges are the same. On your boat, you have an hour meter, so if it reads 40.X, then that is actually 40 hours, not 40 minutes. If the boat has 40 minutes, the gauge would read something like 0.6.

I know most of you out there know more about this than I do, but isn't this correct? I don't want to give Brooke the wrong info.

Please tell me I'm an idiot and the gauge reads 0.6!!!

[tazz3069]

Good point. I really never noticed that. I need to go to the garage and check it out.

[brookec]

I have to say having this forum makes me even more excited to be a Moomba owner.

My husband and I are taking the boat out tomorrow. I can't wait! We only have a few more weeks until they drain all the water out of Folsom and we can only go five miles an hour. I have to break this baby in!

The meter said .4. The guy who delivered it said it was four minutes, but I soon realized it was actually 40. I honestly don't think the boat was used before me-just neglected.

I am taking good care of her now though. I can't wait to ski! I hope to get a few trips in before our summer is over. My son does not understand that he has to wait to wake board. He is beside himself. He says, "Who said we have to wait? Who will know?" Too funny.

Pictures tomorrow. Promise.

( I am only going to post pretty ones. Nothing with the issues.)

[tazz3069]

Did you get all the owners manuals with your boat? If so, then I would have your husband check the fluids in the boat. Oil and trany fluid. The next thing I probably would look at is the impeller in the water pump. If the boat has been sitting there for a very long time, the impeller could be dry out and crack. This is an important piece, other than the fluids, to keep your engine running properly.
Your son is just like mine. When my wife and I purchase our boat, our son wanted to wakeboard right away. I told him that we have to wait for the break in period to end. He did not understand.
Yes we all love out boats. Yes we sometimes run into problems. At the end of the day, the family is all together having a great time and a new experience every time the boat goes in the water.
Tazz

[wolfeman131]

The meter said .4.

I'm so glad to hear! :p

Looking forward to the pics.

[kaneboats]

I love your positive attitude too. Have a blast with your new boat. We are all here to help anytime. Have a great weekend!

[moombadaze]

brookec,

Welcome to the family! My wife MrsZ is on her often and pretty much owns this boat so there are other female Moomba Fanatics!

!!!

We have had 12 or 13 boats and like the zegm's, MrsDaze actually bought the last few, actually now that i think about it she writes out one little deposit check and then i make every monthly paymet....

[brookec]

I uploaded a photo of my boat. Hopefully I posted it correctly.

She is so much damn fun....went out on her again today...

Thanks for all the support,

Brooke

[RobertJ]

Brooke, congratulations and nice looking boat. I am an old Folsum Lake guy and a Roseville High School grad. Lots of good times and memories from around the lake.

[Sled491]

Hey, nice looking boat. The black from the swim deck can easily be fixed with a new awsum Sea Deck pad. Watch for group buys, I have one and it was one of the best upgrades I've made.

Lets see you on the skiing forum, there are not enough of us :)

[tazz3069]

Nice Enjoy your new boat We will always be here if there is anything that you need to ask.

[deerfield]

Brooke - Hey, that's a great boat ya got there. Congratulations. Hope all gets resolved with the dealer. Sled mentioned the Sea Deck pad, so I attached a picture of his taken about a month ago at the Chicago jamboree. Would be a nice addition to your boat. Also attached a group picture from the jamboree. Maybe you and your family can get hooked up to other Moomba/Supra owners in your area. We have a black and red '07 Outback. Bought it new and have been very pleased with it. My boys ski and wakeboard. Mrs. Deerfield just likes to hang out on the boat. I ski. Welcome to the Moomba family. - Deerfield

[brookec]

I would love to get connected to other Moomba owners.
Thanks for the great photos!

Brooke