Driscoll Boat Works

Review: I had a problem with my 2006 bayliner boat while in the bay where I could not get forward or reverse and had to get towed in. I had the boat pulled out of the water at Driscoll at 1500 Quivera Way. The original estimate was made in error of $19,000. The corrected estimate was just over $10,000, for a replacement of the stern-drive. After over 3 weeks of waiting for the insurance adjuster to decide if they would pay the claim( at a $78 a day storage charge) and I had ordered a re-manufactured drive for $3995, I was told that they had a used unit they could sell me for $2700 with a 90 day warranty. I agreed and paid for the $2700 in addition I also paid $2330.04 in storage fee's and haul out fee's. The insurance company denied the claim.

Once the unit was installed and boat put back in the water I found that the drive unit did not go up and down. I contacted them and their response was that the rams were not part of what was entailed in the work that they performed. Frustrated and with a witness was told that if I provided or paid for the 2 rams that they would install at no charge.

I got the rams and upon completion of installation was given an invoice for $302.78. I was upset and confronted Joe Driscoll with the witness I had and he basically said he had done me plenty of favors and wanted his money or the boat would not go back in the water. Once back in the water after giving a check in that amount. I found the that drive was still not going up and down and had an oil leak. I called and complained and was told that the ss hoses were bad and it would be an additional $190 in parts and would also be charged for labor. At this point I made a stop payment on mmy check of $302.78 and decided to make this complaint.Desired Settlement: they should honor their warranties and better disclose their fees such as a $50 penalty for not buying a product through them

Business

Response:

[redacted] booked his 26

foot Bayliner powerboat with us to be hauled out of the water on June 26th

2013 to inspect and advise on the boat not shifting into forward or reverse.

Upon hauling the boat out of the water and inspecting the stern drive it was

obvious what the problem was. The aluminum stern drive was severely damaged by

electrolysis. Mr. [redacted] relayed he was going to make an insurance claim

for the damage. We relayed that electrolysis damage normally would not be

covered by insurance, that it is considered a maintenance issue. He then

relayed we would tell the insurance company that he hit something. Then we told

him that the damage was not from hitting something, but he could make whatever

claim he liked to the insurance company, but they will send a marine surveyor

out to inspect the boat to determine if he had a claim or not.

We did up an estimate to replace

the stern drive complete which included the hauling of the boat out of the

water and inspecting the drive to evaluate the problem. That estimate totaled

$10,199.00 / $8,800.00 of that was for a complete new out-drive which would

include new lifting rams and hydraulic hoses. This estimate was e-mailed to

both Mr. [redacted] and his insurance company. After several days of going

back and forth with him the insurance company denied Mr. [redacted]’s claim.

The insurance company did reimburse Mr. [redacted] for the charges to haul the

boat, do the inspection and the lay-days (storage fees) for the days the boat

was in the boatyard while they evaluated his claim.

At this point Mr. [redacted]

was trying to find a used or re-manufactured stern drive to provide himself and

have us install for him. The mechanic shop here relayed they had a used upper

and lower gear case he could buy. This is not a complete stern drive, it is

just the upper and lower cases of a complete stern drive. It does not include

lifting rams and hydraulic hoses. Mr. [redacted] wanted us to re-use the old

lifting rams and hydraulic hoses from his original stern drive. We

relayed the old lifting rams were not in very good shape and could fail at any

time. We quoted him a price of $500.00 each for two new lifting rams. He

declined to buy new and asked for the old ones to be installed. Once the

boat was back in the water Mr. [redacted] noticed the lifting rams would not

function and proceeded to blame the boatyard and wanted us to provide him with

new lifting rams at no cost to him. He was reminded that he was the one to make

that decision and we would not provide them at no cost to him. To try and

appease him he was told if he provided new lifting rams we would haul the boat

back out of the water at no charge to him (normal cost for this is $390.00) But

would charge for the labor to swap them out. At this point the boat is

functional, you just can’t trim the stern drive without functioning lifting

rams. Mr. [redacted] took the boat back to its slip and relayed when he got

the new lifting rams he would bring the boat back to have them installed.

A few days later Mr.

[redacted] called and said the stern drive is leaking hydraulic fluid into

the bay. We asked him to bring it back and we would see what was going on. Upon

hauling the boat out of the water we found not the stern drive to be leaking

hydraulic fluid but one of the old lifting rams was leaking. Informed Mr.

[redacted] of this and he relayed he would get us new lifting rams the next

day. Four days later he provided two USED rams which were missing one hydraulic

hose on each lifting ram. We reused two of his old hoses, put the boat back in

the water and Mr. [redacted] took the boat back to its slip. Now one of the

old hydraulic hoses has failed and leaks hydraulic fluid into the bay. Mr.

[redacted] now wants us to provide new hoses and install then at no charge

to him. We relayed no, he did not pay for new hoses. Once again to try and

appease him offered to haul the boat again at no charge if he provided the new

hoses, but we would charge him the labor to change the hoses out. That was the

last communication until hearing about the letter to the Revdex.com.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The ‘obvious’ that Mr. [redacted] stated is assumptive. I will address that the damage to the stern drive was not just corrosion from electrolysis, but it was being motored when the drive shaft snapped. I was towed into my slip, as a result of being stranded, after it broke. So it would seem obvious that the drive shaft had not just corroded, rather sheared away, due to an obstruction in the bay, as witnessed by [redacted]. Upon inspecting the drive shaft, I knew I was within my legal rights to file the insurance claim, based on it being snapped.

Multiple inaccurate estimates from [redacted] Mission Bay, all state that the stern drive came complete, yet the Bravo 2 that I purchased from [redacted], for some reason didn’t come complete. And on several of the afore mentioned erroneous estimates the lay days (storage fees) are either zeroed out or not existent at all. The first estimate with any calculated lay days start once my boat had been out of the water and in their boatyard for 19days. In a conversation that I had with [redacted], witnessed by [redacted], I was told that the lay days would be waived if they did the work and I purchased the stern drive through them. I wrote a check from my personal account to [redacted] ([redacted]’s Employee) purchasing the Bravo 2 for $2,700.00, without an invoice produced. I then used my debit card to pay the invoice #[redacted] to [redacted] ([redacted]’s Employee), which totaled $2,330.04, of which $1,482.00 was lay days (storage fees). The boat was placed back into the bay and I had just paid $5,030.04, and the stern drive was not fully operational.

I called [redacted] after motoring the boat back to my slip, I then noticed a greasy fluid in the water, and checked to see if the stern drive was working. At this point, with my boat already in the bay, I was informed that the stern drive I purchased was only the “upper and lower gear case”, and not a complete stern drive. Again [redacted] spoke to [redacted] on the phone and [redacted] said “[redacted] please explain this to me in layman’s terms.” [redacted] repeatedly used the words stern drive, and said this would be a “complete stern drive” and the boat would be ready to go back in the water. This was not the case, as I then had to find lifting rams to replace the leaking ones that [redacted] left on the stern drive unattached. I found rebuilt rams, at a fraction of the cost that [redacted] was going to sell me, to put on my boat.

To pursue a settlement, I would suggest that a credit for the lay days of $1,482.00 the $302.00 charge for the ram labor be waived, and an indemnification agreement (indemnifying myself from [redacted] Mission Bay LLC., and any other party), be executed.

Regards,

Business

Response:

See previous response.