Dear Bass Cat…Why is it so hard to order a boat?

This topic has 8 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 4 months ago by Triton03Vance.

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January 16, 2020 at 3:07 am #683028
screamn1550
Participant
I am not going to put any dealer names, the circumstances, or any information that was shared with me to anyone but Bass Cat.

I have been trying to order a boat for 1.5 years now, and for some reason it is near impossible. And I need to understand why?
1. Fall of 2018 I contact a dealer. Drive 5 hours one way to meet and put my order in. Get the boat built, etc. and asked for an early spring delivery date. I am then told after driving that 5 hours one way that there is no guarantee that I will even get a 2019 because Bass Cat is so back logged on boats being built and the additional factory is the emphasis over getting boats built. I just sold my boat to order the new one. This dealer knew I was selling my boat but never shared the likely hood that I would not even be able to get a boat ordered. My boat sold in less than 24 hours, and I went boat less for 2019. I had to guilt people is to taking me fishing in 2019, and this is the first time I have not owned a boat in a VERY long time.
2. I sucked it up, stayed the course, and planed on ordering a 2020. Found a different dealer. Boat was built on paper, deposit given, boat was to be ordered for a late March delivery. Order was ready to be placed, and then I am told by this dealer last week that I getting my deposit back. I am not going to get into why because I am not going to spread the reasons as all I heard was just one side of the story. I was told things tried to get worked out and they were not able to.
3. Since I wasn’t sure about the above initially I contacted another dealer. They would not NOT order me a boat…but would sell me one of the floor models. I was told that they could not order me a boat because I was out of their sales district, and that was just crap because the dealer in #2 was almost much further away than they were. The boats that they had on the floor were of colors that to me were horrible. I asked them why another dealer was able to order me a boat that was much further away from them, and why was it I could buy what they had on the floor and not fall into the same “out of the sales district” rule? No response.
4. I contacted yet another dealer. This one is 13 hours away…one way…and after calling, speaking with someone and leaving a request for someone to call me back, and sending an email with only stating that I wanted to order a new Bass Cat. No response and it has been a week.
I do not want a dark boat. I do not want a boat with a black bottom. I do not want a trailer with black wheels. Every boat that I seen that is in stock has been dark, and blacked out. All I want to do is order the boat that I want, in the colors I want, and with the engine I want. This should be a pretty simple thing, and for the money I am looking to spend I should be able to get what I want and not be told “take it or leave it”. Why has this become as hard as it is that as a customer I was stupidly willing to drive 13 hours (potentially) and no Bass Cat dealer that carries the engine that I want seems to care about selling a boat other than one that is already in stock?
January 16, 2020 at 10:23 am #683064

tjbubba
Participant

I would just call the factory they will point you in the right direction.

January 16, 2020 at 12:27 pm #683070

Rockwall Marine
Participant

Where are you located? We ordered a Lynx for customer a couple of weeks ago and it started production yesterday.

I would invite you to call me if the logistics work for you.

Tommy Yetts

Rockwall Marine

972-771-4442

January 16, 2020 at 4:20 pm #683093

Danieltx11
Participant

I order my classic in September and it was delivered at the end of October I wonder why they are having so much trouble

January 16, 2020 at 9:22 pm #683109

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Screamin1550,

We deeply apologize for the confusion you have faced over buying a new boat. We will be glad to answer some of your questions.

1. Yes, we were back ordered for about 7 to 8 months at various times in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. With the expansion today, we are building more product than we were then and we have managed the offseason backorder. The in season order term length is yet to be seen, though we can manage even more production if staff can be achieved. We do have floor capacity for 40% more product than we are building today.

Theres a good chance that the dealership in question had no (0) stocking orders in our system which could be managed by them. We have a system whereby a dealership can order their stocking inventory and they have a percentage of those orders that can be redirected to fill consumer orders. This works for those major stocking dealers and those dealers which have regular inventory orders in our system. It also guarantees that inventory is on dealerships floors to sell and show for selling off of. Those dealers which don’t order a larger program commitment, we have three tiers, can not rotate those orders, as they have no open orders.

2. We assume this dealership is no longer a dealership and we are not going to open that conversation. We apologize if that places you in a situation of compromise, though if we have the dealership right, we have no sold orders in our system for delivery. A deposit should only be asked for when an order is placed.

3. Dealerships can order boats for those outside their sales district and we do not regulate where they sell them to. We do like to see dealers succeed in their regions, though we don’t regulate it. We only internally regulate publishing online pricing that is not listed as MSRP or MAP. There are simply too many options to get comparable prices online, with the variety of range.

4. Unfortunately dealerships are the same for all brands, we have dealers who follow up and work hard, and we have some that deal more on walk in traffic. Some really don’t do well with online, others are great with every media and communication tool.

We would be glad to connect you and we can keep that confidential. We can give you a variety of dealers who carry the engine brand your after and we can build the order sheet to match whatever equipment you want. We can’t sell you a boat, and we won’t sell you a boat. We will place you in contact with the dealership of your choice, who has the products your desire. We would be glad to help in any manner we can.

We would give you the contact to the dealership locations and options,

The IM system here works and we can communicate through that.

BCB

January 17, 2020 at 5:36 am #683155
screamn1550
Participant
Response to Bass Cat

Just want to make you aware of a few things, and will address your response by the same numbering you used.
1. I had no problem with the fact that you were back logged in building boats. That is a positive thing for someone who wants to own a Bass Cat. It would have been nice if this dealer told me this BEFORE I sold my boat. Like I noted…I stayed the course and just waited for the opportunity to order my boat, and I went boat less for a year to do it. I would think that would be something to be appreciated.
2. You are correct. What sucked about that was that status changed within 2 days that the boat was to be ordered, I had my boat built and a deposit down since September of 2019 for an end of March 2020 delivery. This dealer shared what happened with me, and like I noted before that was just his side, and to be honest as much as I liked dealing with this person I was more concerned about not getting a boat AGAIN!
3. I knew I was being lied to by this dealership. But there were 2 other dealers who were not as direct as this one that insinuated the same thing…as in we can sell you the leftover 2019’s we have but do not want to order any new boats. That is there business decision but to me it makes no sense.
4. I am someone who had everything ready to go even when I tried to order a boat in 2018. I informed every dealer I had contacted that I had my boat built, colors, and every option documented. All they needed to do was give me a price. I would not have been one of those people who would drive a dealer nuts changing things every 10 minutes. I do not know how much easier it could have been for a dealer to just do this?
At NO TIME have I ever even insinuated/suggested/asked that the factory build me a boat and I buy direct. I have no idea where that came from or why you would mention that as it suggests that I tried to do something like this. The closest dealer to me is 5 hours away but he does not have the motor I want so I know as soon as I buy a Bass Cat I that I will on my own as far as taking care of issues. I have no problem swapping out pumps, etc. on my own as there is very little on your boats that I could not take repair myself. So short of a major issue I would be servicing the boat myswlf regardless of whom I bought it from.

This thing fell apart literally 2 days before the boat was to be ordered. The boat was put together with a deposit in hand in September of 2019. I have been trying to order a boat since August of 2018. So I am going to suggest something.

Based upon all of the circumstances is there any reason why this boat could still not be allowed to be placed by the dealer the deal was set up with? I know they are no longer a dealer…but this was by 2 days before the order was to be placed. He has told me he would do anything he could to help because of the fact that this was setup almost 5 months ago. As a customer who has been waiting since 2018 to get a boat ordered I think this is a special circumstance in which for this one time something is done to make this work.

I would be more than happy to send you the dated order sheet to confirm everything. So message me if there is some way to make this happen just this one time. This should be about trying to make something work for a customer who has been trying to order a Bass Cat for a long time.
January 17, 2020 at 6:43 am #683165

PPBASS51
Participant

See Private Message

January 17, 2020 at 8:32 pm #683224

Cajunhunter67
Participant

I can tell you as a long time member on here, the “We cannot sell you a boat” comment was made as a FYI and not in a negative way.

The reason: I cant count the number of times people on this site have asked if they could order direct from the factory. They were getting that out in the open to eliminate the hope that it may be possible.

Personally, I hope you get this worked out soon and get the boat you want.

Don

January 18, 2020 at 2:09 am #683262

Triton03Vance
Participant

I live in Oklahoma and ordered a Lynx on June 13, 2019..I picked it up at the dealer on August 30, 2019..I hand picked everything on the boat and the colors..the process was easy for me except for the wait to get it..I hope you get it worked out..
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