Extremely Disappointed with Service and Treatment After Spending $130,000
I want to start by saying that when I purchased my boat brand new in 2021 from Brandon, the experience was initially very positive. Brandon was professional, and the entire buying process went smoothly. I understand that new boats can have issues, and I always approached any concerns reasonably--communicating directly with Brandon to resolve them.
Fast forward to a recent mishap that damaged my boat while on the lift. Naturally, I turned to the dealership for repairs, expecting that they would handle the job properly. Brandon assured me there was space in their yard, so I promptly delivered the boat and began my insurance claim, asking for an invoice as soon as possible to submit for the claim.
After daily follow-ups, I finally received an invoice five days later. To my surprise, it stated that payment was required before any work would be done--or before I could even retrieve my boat--despite claiming the work had already started. The invoice included a charge for lifting the boat off the trailer and placing it on bunks, along with daily storage fees that totaled around $1,300.
However, when I requested additional photos for insurance purposes, Brandon admitted--after days of waiting for a response--that the boat had not yet been removed from the trailer. This was incredibly frustrating at the time as I thought I was getting charged even though the work was not done. Also, keep in mind while my boat was there at the dealership they had a list of warranty repairs that they were to complete which would end up getting paid by Mastercraft for those repairs.
The estimate they provided for repairs was nearly $19,000, including a $14,500 charge for gel coat work. An independent adjuster assigned by my insurance reviewed the same damage and quoted the gel coat repair at less than $6,000--a massive and unacceptable discrepancy.
When I informed the dealership that the price difference was too large to move forward, I went to collect my boat. As expected, it was still on the trailer, proving the earlier charges were unwarranted. Things escalated when I spoke with the owner's wife, who shockingly told me, "Get outta here--we're done dealing with you. Brandon always complains about you texting on weekends." I went ahead and told her well I need to pay for the seat skin which I had Mike order and she gave me a price of $152 I told her that was not the price and that I actually owed more as I had to pay tax and the $20 for the shipping. (Which at this point I doubt I'll even receive it after further confrontation you'll see below)
Her attitude was incredibly disrespectful, especially considering I spent $130,000 with this dealership and had only ever contacted Brandon a handful of times over the years for legitimate concerns. While she later apologized for her behavior--an apology I accepted--the damage was already done.
When I tried to hook up my boat, Mike (the owner) approached me aggressively, refused to let me take my boat, and demanded payment for services that were never actually performed. His hostility was unwarranted, especially considering I was prepared to pay for legitimate work like the winch and wiring harness that had been done under warranty.
In the end, I left with my boat feeling completely disrespected. This dealership has shown a clear lack of professionalism, fairness, and respect for their customers--even those who spend significant money with them.
I understand that running a business comes with costs, and I was more than willing to pay for legitimate services. However, I was treated not as a valued customer, but as someone they wanted to dismiss and exploit.
I would strongly advise anyone considering doing business with this dealership to think twice. My experience was nothing short of disappointing and unacceptable.
I included photos below for your review to see if you think this is $14,500 worth of gel coat damage. read more
