DO NOT rent a boat from SML Boat Rentals if you value peace of mind and don't want to be verbally abused and physically intimidated by the company's brute of an owner, Jeff, if something should go wrong. Let me tell you our story.
In May 2014, my family, including two young boys (ages 4 and 6), rented a pontoon for the day from SML Boat Rentals. The day began auspiciously as we cruised around the lake along with my wife's sister, brother-in-law, and their toddler. Toward lunch time, we raced back to our rental cottage to eat lunch and put the young one down for a nap. Literally, just as we were tying the boat to the dock, an alarm buzzer went off. We did not think too much of it as we immediately turned the engine off and went up for lunch. An hour later, my wife, two boys, and I went back out on the lake. Barely out of the cove, the emergency buzzer went off again, so we immediately called the owner, Jeff, to apprise him of the situation. He told us to stay put and that he would be out to check on the boat and tow us in if necessary. We turned off the engine and waited. However, there were other boats in the channel and we were drifting dangerously close to shore, so I started the engine to keep us out of harm's way in the middle of the channel. After about 20 minutes, the boat owner and one of his workers arrived, dashing hard against our boat, and jumping on. Upon seeing the engine idling (no alarms, mind you), the owner launched into a verbal tirade, saying that we were on the hook for $6,000 for a new engine if it was damaged due to our "negligence." Now, we're responsible people, and if we're at gross fault, we'd of course settle the matter. Unfortunately, no clear instructions were given during our assistance call to shut the engine off, throw anchor, and wait. Nonetheless, the owner threatened legal action against any and all of my protestations, cussing freely in front of our children, all the while not making a single inquiry into our well-being.
Once back at the dock, the owner immediately jumped of his boat and ran into his boat house. No assistance was offered to help my wife or children off the boat. Jeff, the owner, then returns with a receipt for $2,000 charged to my credit card for damages (thankfully, not the $6,000 promised earlier). I would not accept this from him, and I told him that he was being extremely belligerent toward me and my family--customers, I reminded him. He retorted that I was now a litigant, not a customer. After getting my shaken family into our car, I took some pictures of the boat and engine and attempted to discuss the matter with him further. At this point, he physically confronted me, bumping his chest aggressively into mine. I backed off from this intrusion and decided the best thing to do was disengage and leave. At this point, he says it's not in my best interest to leave because he's going to check the engine to see if the impeller was all that was damaged (apparently a relatively cheap replacement part). He finds the impeller undamaged, so I leave with $2,000 charged to my credit card in addition to the $200 boat rental, the threat of further litigation, my vacation peace shattered, and a promise from the owner to call me with a report on the extent of the engine's damage. A few hours later, the owner informs me the problem was a faulty temperature gauge--maybe a $50 part and a maintenance issue! At this point, we agreed to "call it a wash," although it really wasn't given the horrible experience SML Boat Rentals and its owner put me and my family through that day.
In short, if you need a safe and reputable company for a Smith Mountain Lake boat rental, you will be well advised to take your business elsewhere. read more
