Yes, I hope that's the way it works out too. But I don't see a lot of reason to be optimistic. Friday he told me that I could send a check to SC and they would arbitrate for us. If I agreed, he said that he would send me the contact info on Saturday. I agreed, and now it's Tuesday and... nada.
I have been trying to use restraint, and not escalate this thing beyond control. I've avoided using the dealership name, or any personal names in the public forum. I really don't think that my emotion has overcome my reason, but, very few would admit it even if they had, I guess.
Would it have been a nice bonus if they had kept my boat stored for me all winter? Yes, of course it would have. On the other hand, I have my own garage that costs me nothing to use. If I would have shown up at the unnamed dealership and found my boat outside with an old blue tarp or something thrown over it, I would not have been thrilled, but I probably would not have even mentioned it. But they put it our there with asolutely no cover of any kind all winter long, and walked by it everyday w/o even a phone call.
I'm not one of those guys that is a finatic about the condition of their boat. I have a couple of young kids, and it is not a museum piece. We use it, and love it. On the other hand, I don't have all that much time, and it is important to me that when I have time to go out on the water, I don't spend my time trying to get it started or screwing around with some mechanical problem. I'm sure that leaving it outside did not cause structural problems. In fact, I'm not sure what problems it may have caused, and that's why I started this thread. Deteriorated upholstery? Speakers? Stereo? Water traveling up the steering cable and corroding it? Gel coat? Maybe nothing.
I just asked him to look at it with me and help me determine IF there were any problems. He wigged out as if I had insulted his mother or something: using profanity, threatening me with the Sheriff and lawyers, talking about punching his employees in the nose.... I don't know. Maybe he is going through some kind of severe stress or something. A lot of people are right now. But, I don't think that makes it my obligation to just tolerate this kind of negligence and belligerence. I've asked everyone that I know to ask for informal help. If I can't get any that way, then I will reluctantly take it to the next level.