Purchased a used boat and it hasn't worked from day one!

[elmxl]

Not quite.

You bought the boat, "as is", never bothered to have it inspected prior to the sale, and then your husband did work on it. AND you turned down the warranty!

Sorry, but there isn't a court in the land going to rule in your favor.

And no reputable "real marine mechanic" is going to stake his reputation in that matter.

But you know what? Even if he DID, it's STILL nobody else's fault but yours.

My husband didn't work on it!!! He only added a a second (backup) battery and perko switch. As for inspection.. the boat was on blocks on the entire time.
Unfortunately, we went on his word that it was a turn key boat. We did hear the engine running. it sounded great... according to my husband.. ran very quiet.
The only thing the business owner offered us was to take the maiden voyage with us, which my husband unfortunately declined. We live about 15 miles from the shoreline so it would have been a process to test drive this. We were taken by this business owner.

 

[Just Blue]

My husband didn't work on it!!! He only added a a second (backup) battery and perko switch. As for inspection.. the boat was on blocks on the entire time.
Unfortunately, we went on his word that it was a turn key boat. We did hear the engine running. it sounded great... according to my husband.. ran very quiet.
The only thing the business owner offered us was to take the maiden voyage with us, which my husband unfortunately declined. We live about 15 miles from the shoreline so it would have been a process to test drive this. We were taken by this business owner.

You, IMO, have 3 options;

1. Eat the repair bill and enjoy the boat.

2. constult with an Attorney and sue the seller for the costs.

3. Sell the boat as is.

Good luck with whatever option you go with...

Blue

 

[Ohiogal]

My husband didn't work on it!!! He only added a a second (backup) battery and perko switch. As for inspection.. the boat was on blocks on the entire time.
Unfortunately, we went on his word that it was a turn key boat. We did hear the engine running. it sounded great... according to my husband.. ran very quiet.
The only thing the business owner offered us was to take the maiden voyage with us, which my husband unfortunately declined. We live about 15 miles from the shoreline so it would have been a process to test drive this. We were taken by this business owner.

No you weren't. It is very possible that the last time the business owner used the boat, it worked fabulously. How long was it on blocks? Where was it stored? Many things could have happened. Your big problem is YOU and YOUR HUBBY screwed up big time. Caveat Emptor.

 

[Proserpina]

My husband didn't work on it!!! He only added a a second (backup) battery and perko switch. As for inspection.. the boat was on blocks on the entire time.
Unfortunately, we went on his word that it was a turn key boat. We did hear the engine running. it sounded great... according to my husband.. ran very quiet.
The only thing the business owner offered us was to take the maiden voyage with us, which my husband unfortunately declined. We live about 15 miles from the shoreline so it would have been a process to test drive this. We were taken by this business owner.

But unfortunately for you, that doesn't negate the biggest problem you have.

You didn't have the thing inspected before the sale. This is the very crux of "caveat emptor"; when you buy something "as is", there is always an element of risk at play, and this is why (I'm sure you're sick of hearing this by now) you are unlikely (and I'm being generous there) going to get your money back.

 

[justalayman]

We were taken by this business owner.

Really? You want to argue this guy screwed you over?


In one statement you make some wild speculation that a wire is damaged due to an improper installation. Now you are saying he has screwed you over. Not the same thing there.




what you were taken by is your poor business skills and lack of knowledge when buying a boat. There is no problem making a contract contingent upon some future act. What would have been very simple to do would have been to make your purchase contingent upon a successful trial once you put it in the water. That way the deal is struck but you have an out in case there is a problem such as you have here. You can vary the terms of the contingency to meet both party's needs.


what you did do is have your husband, the "A" mechanic, who you say is not competent to work on boats yet he inspected and approved the condition of the boat, determine your fate here. You rejected the offer of the seller riding along on the first trial run, of course, due to your husbands overwhelmingly glowing approval of the condition of the boat. Now when your husband and whomever else cannot determine the problem, you claim the seller is trying to screw you over. Sorry but you screwed yourself here. You refused to take actions several times that would have protected you all on the word of your husband, the admitted "not a marine" mechanic.

go, find a qualified mechanic. Get your boat fixed and enjoy the rest of the summer.


Have you never heard the joke:

do you know the two best days in a boat owners life?


1. the day he purchases a boat
2. the day he sells the boat.

 

[RRevak]

Ok again, i'm still confused as to how you say your husband is classified. There are no A B and C levels in Benz. There are "Certified", "Star", and "Master" certifications. Those are the only true certifications Mercedes Benz recognizes. Even "Master" certifications don't mean they can "work on everything". Say for instance someone comes in with a Maybach. There are only certain technicians trained to work on Maybachs. It doesn't matter if they're a Master, if they aren't trained for Maybach then they don't work on Maybach. Same goes for Smart. Technicians must be Smart specific trained to work on Smart cars and not every technician opts for such training.

But i'm digressing. As far as a marine engine goes its ALWAYS best to have a marine specialist look at a marine engine. Having an automotive tech look at a boat engine is like having someone from a certain repair shop with the tire in their name come out to look at a Benz engine. While they might be a technician, they aren't specialized enough to understand the complexities of a Benz engine. Your husband was not sufficiently qualified to understand whatever issues the boat may have had and in thinking he did you both shot yourselves in the foot. I hope you learned your lesson.

 

[latigo]

Hubby is a "A" tech which means that he can work on everything which is based on years of experience and knowledge. Techs start at the "C" level and work their way up.. With regards to the boat, the seller was willing to help us out and repair the boat. He asked us to take the boat out of the slip and bring it to his shop. My husband keeps playing this over and over again in his head... The place of business also rebuilds engines. When we saw the boat initially, the engine was not in the boat. The technician he has (he's not really a marine tech though....) is sort of his all around handy man. It's quite possible that when they dropped the engine back in, a wire could have gotten pinched or they could have re assembled something incorrectly, or the wire harness could have been put in wrong. Defective components ???? It ran in the building where the boat was initially. Perhaps with vibration, when we initially launched the boat, whatever they did incorrectly, finished it off.. So, we are now taking the boat to a "real marine mechanic" where they will diagnose the boat. So, to sum it up, if it's something that a real mechanic can determine was done incorrectly by the "seller", are they responsible.

Please understand that irrespective of the mechanical defects UNLESS you can prove all of the following:

(1) that the seller was cognizant of those defects;
(2) that he knowingly misrepresented the condition of the boat;
(3) that his misrepresentations were made to induce you to purchase the craft;
(4) that you relied on the seller's representations as to its condition, and most IMPORTANTLY
(5) that you had the right to rely on those representations.

Then you have no legal grounds to rescind the sale.

However, if I were you, I would try to locate and speak with the previous owner/user.

 

[elmxl]

Ok again, i'm still confused as to how you say your husband is classified. There are no A B and C levels in Benz. There are "Certified", "Star", and "Master" certifications. Those are the only true certifications Mercedes Benz recognizes. Even "Master" certifications don't mean they can "work on everything". Say for instance someone comes in with a Maybach. There are only certain technicians trained to work on Maybachs. It doesn't matter if they're a Master, if they aren't trained for Maybach then they don't work on Maybach. Same goes for Smart. Technicians must be Smart specific trained to work on Smart cars and not every technician opts for such training.

But i'm digressing. As far as a marine engine goes its ALWAYS best to have a marine specialist look at a marine engine. Having an automotive tech look at a boat engine is like having someone from a certain repair shop with the tire in their name come out to look at a Benz engine. While they might be a technician, they aren't specialized enough to understand the complexities of a Benz engine. Your husband was not sufficiently qualified to understand whatever issues the boat may have had and in thinking he did you both shot yourselves in the foot. I hope you learned your lesson.

What's the hangup with the certification???? My problem is with the boat not clarification on rankings at MB. SorryT you missed the boat on this one .... The problem with boards such as this is that people lose sight of the OP's question.

 

[Ohiogal]

What's the hangup with the certification???? My problem is with the boat not clarification on rankings at MB. SorryT you missed the boat on this one .... The problem with boards such as this is that people lose sight of the OP's question.

The fact that are you clueless about your hubby's certification shows that you don't have a lot of credibility when it comes to other things. Your question was answered. YOU do not have a case against the seller because he didn't rip you off -- you and hubby didn't do due diligence when you purchased the boat.