I typically do not leave negative reviews unless there is a legitimate issue, especially because I…read moream a small business owner myself and understand that problems can occasionally happen. Unfortunately, this experience was disappointing because of how the situation was handled after the issue occurred.
This was our second time renting from Salty's Water Sports in Fort Pierce. Our first experience was excellent, which is why we returned. The staff previously had been welcoming, helpful, and professional.
This trip, we rented a Sea-Doo pontoon boat to take the family out to a nearby sandbar and cruise the Intracoastal. During the walkthrough, I noticed the check engine light was on and pointed it out immediately. The employee reassured me everything was fine.
However, once we left the dock, the boat would only travel about 6-7 mph, even after trying different modes including Sport Mode. We still made the short trip to the sandbar so the kids could enjoy some time there. Following the staff's recommendation not to beach the pontoon due to the engine, we anchored offshore safely.
After about an hour, we attempted to continue cruising, but the boat still would not exceed 6-7 mph. My wife called the office to make sure we were not missing a setting or operating it incorrectly, and the employee instructed us to return to the dock.
At that point, we were already about two hours into a four-hour rental, had barely traveled anywhere, and the fuel gauge still showed essentially full because the boat was not functioning properly.
I approached the situation respectfully and calmly. I was not demanding a full refund or trying to be difficult. I simply asked if we could either receive:
* A two-hour voucher to use when we returned in two weeks, or
* A partial refund for the lost rental time.
The dock staff was apologetic and initially offered another boat plus extended time, which I appreciated. However, by then it was already late in the afternoon, and restarting the process would have cut heavily into the remaining time. Since we genuinely enjoyed the overall experience and planned to return anyway, I again asked for a simple future-use voucher instead.
Unfortunately, once management/ownership became involved, the interaction became far less customer-focused. Every request for a reasonable accommodation was denied, including waiving fuel charges despite the boat barely being used and the fuel gauge remaining essentially full.
What disappointed me most was that the focus shifted from resolving the issue to defending the business. There was also conflicting communication regarding what my wife had supposedly been told over the phone, despite her only speaking with a male employee who instructed us to return to the dock.
To make matters more concerning, after leaving I noticed multiple pending charges on my card, including two separate charges of $345.13 plus an additional pending charge of approximately $750. I now have to spend additional time sorting through the billing situation to ensure there was not an incorrect duplicate charge.
I fully understand that equipment problems can happen in any business. The true test is how those situations are handled afterward. I was simply asking for a reasonable solution after receiving a pontoon boat that could only travel 6 mph. Had this been handled differently, Salty's likely would have earned repeat business from our family for years to come.
Based on this experience, I unfortunately cannot recommend renting a pontoon boat from Salty's Water Sports.
