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htfdfire911
Joined: 27 Dec 2009
Posts: 12
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 Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:39 am Post subject: Buying a bass boat? Read this before you buy a Skeeter! |
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This post is intended for anyone considering the purchase of a new bass boat next year...my intent is to convey my own personal experiences concerning the multitude of issues I have had with my 2009 Skeeter 21i DC Bass Boat of which I took ownership last November.
I have always felt the best way to make an educated decision on something was to talk with people who already have done what I am contemplating doing myself to get their personal feedback on the subject.
My experience to say the least is not a pleasant one by any means and most likely wont be taken well by many people on this site...None the less I feel its important to let people know what they could open themselves up to if in fact they choose Skeeter as the boat they decide to purchase.
I bought my boat from Reynold's Marine after I spent many months researching all the available boat brands on the market. The process also included my looking at the dozens of quality used boats available at the time within I say 100 miles of where I lived...And let me tell you there were TONS that were mearly a few seasons old to choose from and at a fraction of the cost I ended up spending.
Before I continue I have to mention that during my horror story of an endeavor I was less than pleasant to the people at Reynold's, and looking back now regret taking out my frustrations on them and owe them a huge apology for doing so!
It's hard when you are caught up in the moment to see things clearly and put the situation into perspective where your able to rationalize that Reynold's simply sold the item they were provided to sell and didn't make or design it!
What made it harder for me to be more rational was the fact that I paid the huge amount of money I did on what was supposed to be my DREAM BOAT which quickly turned into one of the worse decisions of my life before I knew what hit me!!
I wish now that I HAD taken a loan on the boat rather than pay for it in full as I would have dropped the damn thing off at Reynold's and let the bank have it back!!
The damage to my credit history in my opinion would have been more acceptable than having a constant reminder sitting in my yard to look at every day of the poor decision to but this over the RANGER COMANCHEE!!
Anyways...if I was ever going to buy another Boat I wouldn't hesitate to buy it from Tom and Reynold's... that is if he would be willing to sell to me in the first place at this point!! TOM, AL CAPPY and the rest of the staff at Reynold's looking back made every effort to accommodate me and get the boat back to me as fast as they did!!
I am in no way ass kissing by saying that either!! I am simply man enough to admit the attitude I gave them was not deserved.. I just couldn't see it at the time and the hot head in me prevailed!! Sorry, i'm human and never said I was perfect..
With that being said lets get into specifics of the nightmare I am stuck in!!
Back in November I bought the boat and rushed to the river to get the break in hours kicked out so it would be ready for the following season of fishing...that week or so it took me to knock off the break in hours was the only time I enjoyed the boat from that point on....
It started with a dead battery at the first tournament of the season which prevented me from fishing and ultimately needed to be replaced...
Now to understand my frustration keep in mind that one trip to Reynold's is 50 minutes or so just to get there..I timed it...and just going down with a rig that size behind a 2500 hemi it sucks up a tadd over 1/4 of a tank one way...and keep in mind gas was running what between $2.95 and $3.10 at times back then... So a complete trip ran me just under 4 hours of my time and a FULL tank of gas (approx. $100.00) Thats alot of cash to blow as many times as I did let alone the amount of time that was wasted driving back and forth and the hours of fishing I missed out on!!
Crap..if I bought a Nitro I cant imagine if I had these troubles driving 2 plus hrs ONE WAY to Mass. or the fuel I would eat up in the process...But then again...I haven't heard anyone with a Nitro have these kinda issues...LOL
After the Battery...there was a bad water in the fuel sensor, a bad hydraulic jack gauge, a bad water pressure gauge, a trip to have the fish finder looked at, a trip to fix a blown fuse for the trolling mtr. that the owners manual didnt tell you where to locate it, a trip to have the neck of the trailer replaced after it almost tore off on a simple loading of the boat after a day of fishing, there were rusted screws on my new white trailer that got replaced, rear tie downs that didnt work, oil caps that leaked oil all over the inside of the engine compartment, the carpet on the trailer was falling off, my 4 bank charger went bad...that was 2 trips down to get replaced because it wasnt a stock item, I had a small latch break that needed to get replaced, the trim gauge needed to be replaced for the motor once and then I believe adjusted 2 other time in addition to that...The bank charger still gave an error light after it was replaced...cant remember what caused that but there was another trip down...Just the other day I had to bring the boat in for winter service and needed some pieces of the trolling motor replaced along with the latch for a deck lid...a trip to have the live wells looked at because they stopped running during a tournament for no reason at all...All these add up.. every damn time I got in the boat something new broke and I was off to get it fixed! To the point where I just got sick of the boat and passed on fishing when I had the opportunity to!!
Is this why I bought the boat???? To let it sit on a perfect day in my garage???
Anyone can do the math here...lets just say there were 15 trips I know there were more than that...and a few times down they fixed two things on the list on the same time...but hey its still like 15 trips...gas alone is $1500.00!!
Folks this is a brand new top of the line SKEETER iclass boat!! Paid over $50K for the damn thing and I am replacing it part by part at this point!! LOL
The comment that there are bugs to be worked out was once made to me..."F" that! One..two maybe three things...Thats bugs being worked out!! Where I am at with repairs its more than just bugs!!
Reynold's always took care of me getting the boat in and out within a day of it getting dropped off...but I didn't see that at the time!! All I saw was the tournaments I couldn't fish that I paid for and how much time the boat spent sitting there getting repaired for this or that!!
In all fairness lets talk about what SKEETER HAS done for me! RELAX..this wont take but two seconds...
After talking DIRECTLY to Jeff Stone (CEO of Skeeter) for well over an hour and a half on the phone where I mentioned to him all the problems I was having including how I needed less than an ounce of paint flakes to fix a small scratch I had put on the boat of which I was told I needed to buy 4 oz. and would run me I think $50.00 and how I thought that was a joke because I have a friend with a Ranger who when he needed some Ranger sent him enough to paint the entire damn boat FOR FREE..
Mr.Stone apologized to me for all the issues!! He apologized for the crappy customer service SKEETER reps. had given me resulting in my calling him directly! He told me he was going to send me free of charge the paint flakes I needed and that he was going to look personally into the other issues we discussed to see they were all resolved!
And when we hung up the phone the best part of all while I was waiting 3 weeks for the paint flakes and all the things he promised he was gonna do for me and call me back on....MR STONE "F-ing forgot all about me!! THIS is the president of the company folks!! The man I was forced to call to complain to about the crappy customer service I had received in the first place!! And 3 weeks later when I called to follow up and inquire where the paint flakes and other things were admitted to me he to DROPPED THE BALL and forgot!!!
LMAO!!! If the president of a company can't take customer service seriously how the hell does he expect his employees to do much if any better!! The old saying goes LEAD BY EXAMPLE!!
Well after all that and removing his foot from his mouth he had a regional rep come out personally and help me resolve what he could that was wrong at the time and look over my hummingbird...Of which I appreciated a lot!! I only wish that man never had to leave and he could just get paid to sit on my boat 365 days a year and resolve every issue as they come up!! I know what your thinking!! But that in itself is a full time job from where I am sitting with EXCELLENT JOB SECURITY!!!
So where am I now? Well I have a boat that I look at...think to myself lets go fishing today...then come to my senses and realize if I do I am gonna find something else on the boat that isn't gonna work and get all pissed off and upset so go back in the house and do something less stressful!!!
On November 8th 2010 I sent a letter addressed to my friend Mr. Stone which pretty much talked about all the issues and my concerns about the boat. In the letter I told Mr. Stone what scared the crap out of me the most at this point is thinking about the day my warranty runs out!!
I cant imagine the money I am gonna have to dump into this floating piece of people poop when that happens!! And I thought he should know how I feel!!
Mr. Stone and Skeeter have failed to make any response to my letter what so ever...
My guess is they got their sale and I got one up the ole poop shoot and from this point on they will continue to make repairs according to my warrantee until it runs out and not a damn thing more!!
Some F.Y.I. for those who don't know this...Connecticut is one of a small handful of states that doesn't have a lemon law for boats!! OHHH Mr. STONE how you and your company lucked out on that one!!
If anyone wonders if I am at all bitter that my bung hole has been stretched beyond repair from this awesome situation I say YEA...I AM!
My mom bought a caddy for a lot less than I paid for this junk and when her check oil light came on 2 days after she took it home causing her to drive 20 minutes to the dealer and leave it overnight she got a rental and a gold pen set that was mailed to her from the C.E.O. of Caddy himself for the inconvenience!!
Where is my pen set!! Damn it!! Just kidding...I just want to trade my boat for my moms car at this point and forget that I ever made the mistake of buying this boat to begin with!!
So when your talking to Al Cappy or Tom and looking at boats at Reynold's do yourself a favor!! Don't be a cheap ass like I was and only spend a tadd over $50K in cash on a SKEETER!! Look at the RANGERS!!!
Bottom line for me is if I could get fraction of what I paid for the boat back and not take a loss on the sale I would in a heart beat!! If Skeeter called and offered a FREE 2011 replacement I would take them up on the offer and tow the boat to my friends farm and run about 1000 rounds of .223 ammo into it with my AR-15!!
THAT.. would make for one hell of a UTUBE video!!
Anyways...my situation may be one in a million...I am sure there are plenty of guys thrilled with their Skeeter!! Im just not one of those lucky guys!!
This letter like I said is food for thought!! If your buying a boat that cost this much your certainly able to formulate your own opinion!! I just want people to know its not all fun and good times like you see in the ad's they run on t.v. where they are flying thru the water on the way to the next honey spot!!
My ad would be more like a shot of me towing my boat off to Reynold's for more repairs with the sun setting off in the distance behind me and a nasty ass look on my face!!
It's just a shame how something I have looked forward to getting for so long with the hopes of the years of enjoyment I expected from it turned into such a F-ing nightmare where I could care less if I fish on it again!!
I will regret my decision NOT to spend more and buy the RANGER I passed on till the day this boat is sold!! And sadly I can safely say I will NEVER make the mistake and buy another SKEETER BASS BOAT in my lifetime!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Jim C. |
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Nickp
Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 708
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| Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Sorry jim, ive heard bad things about skeeters in the past but this must take the cake. No excuse's for bad gauges/parts out of the factory.... |
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flippy
Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 1150
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| Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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| WOW!!! |
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Drew
Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 63
Location: New Haven CT
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| Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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Man that's awful. It was not only the skeeter hardware but third party stuff as well. Man that thing has a dark cloud over it.
FWIW I had a Ranger 363V for over twenty years. The only things that broke without my help was the oil pump sensor and an electronics module in the engine. Carpets eventually needed re-glued and stuff like that.....She was a great boat, I miss her. |
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htfdfire911
Joined: 27 Dec 2009
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:22 am Post subject: Skeeter Joke... |
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My first boat was a Ranger...19' !!!
I agree that ranger is the way to go...I paid just under $60K IN CASH no financing!! And that was a hard nut to swallow!!
The Comanchee was ALOT more!! I wanted to pull the trigger but I needed a down payment for my house....otherwise Id be in the Ranger as we speak!! |
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Drew
Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 63
Location: New Haven CT
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| I think I paid $25000 back in 1989. My how times have changed. |
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flippy
Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 1150
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| Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:07 am Post subject: |
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I have a 1997 Stratos Pro Elite, 18ft, 150 hp, I bought it off a friend a few years ago, and I will tell you what, I dont have problems with this boat, its got a great dry and smooth ride, I like the way you sit down into the boat, ( I dont like boats that you sit up high in Im not talking about Rangers, but there are a couple High End boats I dont like, where you seem to sit up on the boat,) Its got good fishibility for a 18 ft, I have changed the pumps in it, but being 13 years old, almost 14, this boat is Great, Ive talked to other Stratos owners, and they had very few complaints, so if your looking for a decent boat, I would suggest you check out the Stratos, fair priced and Great boat, Dont kill yourself for a boat, Please, if your just going to do small club fishing, Get what you can afford, Now if you THINK you are that good, and you kick ass in these little club tournys and you kick ass in the Fed and other bigger tournys, then I might get a rig thats 50k or 60k, and I would get a used one. Its funny how I, used to fish these bigger opens with all these fancy boats, only to have your ass handed to you from a guy in a 50hp Tracker, Its a platform, do you think the fish care what you have for a boat  I mean you get what you pay for and different boats have different layouts, some boats have better rides than others, important on a 10 to 100 mile run, through rough water, other boats are faster, some boats have great fishibility. But hey, if you have the money, I dont blame you, Im not picking on anybody, Just my 2 cents, Oh and Htfrd fire I have that girl on your avatar totally nude |
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PECo
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 5203
Location: Avon, CT
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:09 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, she's totally nude because flippy stole her bikini and is wearing it under his clothes at work. . . . 
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter! |
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htfdfire911
Joined: 27 Dec 2009
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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Hey thats my wife!!! Just kidding...I do want the good pictures though!! So you guys need to send them to me...
I agree that $60k was a lot of money....the things that figured into me dropping that kinda nut was the features and NOT wanting to be crowded either while fishing or when it came to packing gear into her....
I dont like the thought of having to pack and unpack stuff each trip.....ALWAYS seems that you leave that one lure at home when you need it most....the 21' foot doesnt give me that problem...I have it all with me...
The second reason I spent what I did was this purchase was gonna be the last I EVER make!! Id never spend that kinda money again on a stupid boat!! EVER
I am just seriously disappointed with the amount of problems I am having for the price I paid and I want people to know so they can consider my experience when and if they decide to buy a boat...
Anyways get me those pictures!! LOL |
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SeaDog1
Joined: 21 Dec 2009
Posts: 2629
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hi 911!
Oh Boy!
Man I do feel for you  -> Been There! -> Done That!
Guess these 2 TRUE QUOTES do apply
"A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour lots of money "
"The difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys "
SeaDog1 
PS: As for your avatar -> Whoooo-Hoooo  |
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flippy
Joined: 25 May 2008
Posts: 1150
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Hey Htfrd Fire, if that was your wife, you wouldnt have the money for your boat, it would be all in her boobies |
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Bass Addict
Joined: 27 Aug 2007
Posts: 1214
Location: Wethersfield, CT 06109
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:45 am Post subject: |
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man that sucks. I would be heart broken if I bought my dream boat and had all those problems. A used boat you assume there will be kinks but a brand new boat should be problem free until do something stupid and break something yourself.
My club has probably 20 skeeters and I haven't heard many complaints about them. These guys fish every weekend and their boats always work they way the should. Sounds like you did get a lemon.
I wonder if there is a way to get a replacement boat. You said there is no lemon law in CT but I wonder if you can put enough pressure on Skeeter the would step up and give you a replacement boat. Send them the list of failures and demand one from the CEO himself. Talk to a lawyer and Reynolds to see what they think your best course of action would be.
Sorry to here about the headaches man, I can only imagine how upset you are. Hopefully, Skeeter will make things right for you. Keep us posted and good luck.
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Sorry honey, looks like we will be late again due to motor problems.
Justin |
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