5 TESTS TO SEE IF YOU ARE BEING RIPPED OFF BY SERVICE PROVIDER

 

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5 QUICK TESTS TO SEE IF YOU ARE BEING RIPPED OFF

These five tests will tell you a technician is as honest and as observant as you think he or she is.

TIP NUMBER 1 MY BOAT WILL NOT START:  Move the shifter just far enough (forward or back) to prevent the motor from starting.  Or if you have a kill switch on the shifter for a tether turn the switch to off.

*If you call a technician and tell them the boat will not start the first question he/she should ask is do the gauges work (move at all), what does the volt meter read.

*The next question should be do you hear any sounds at all coming from the engine room at all. If you hear the fuel pumps kick on or the starter clicking than the problem may need to be look at from a technician.

*The next question should be move the shifter and try to start next. This will tell you if it is the neutral safety switch that has prevented the start.

 *The next question should be check the kill switch on the shifter or cockpit wall  If the kill switch is in the off position boat should not start.


TIP NUMBER 2 FIBERGLASS REPAIR:  Take a grease pencil Black or Brown reach down by the water line or forward of were you can normally reach the hull side. Put 3 nice marks on the hull.

The first thing the fiberglass repair person should do or ask you to do is try to wipe the area with a rag dampened with acetone or soap and water. This will remove the marks

If the technician just stands at the dock and tells you that the area can be sanded and polished without inspecting the marks up close, its a rip off.


TIP NUMBER 3 MY BOAT IS NOT GETTING ON PLANE WELL:  Trim the tabs all the way down and the drive up slightly less than half way to the limit.

This is the first thing any technician should check no question is the position of the drive and tabs.

If the technician goes any further with his or her sales pitch before telling you to run your boat watch out. One thing about the boat business every one needs a tune up!


TIP NUMBER 3 BILGE PUMP NOT WORKING: You probably know your boat better than any one or you should any way, remove the fuse to the pump.

This should be a two minute catch if not ask yourself do you want to trust this person?


TIP NUMBER 4 POOR FUEL FILL UP BURPS AND SPITS BACK: That's all you need to say

The technician should immediately advise you to clean the vent(s). The technician should go to the vent on the hull side and see if it is damaged or plugged up.

When he/she sees that the vent is not plugged they should advise you that the rate of flow to a fuel tank can be affected by temperature and the amount of fuel still in the tank. The advise should be to slow the rate that the fuel is being pumped and let them know if that stops the issue.


TIP 5 WINDOW HATCH LEAK:  Place a rag below one off the port light side widows and tell the technician that when you washed your boat you had a leak.

In 2 seconds the technician should show you that the hatch dogs can be adjusted to have the window fit a little tighter to prevent this issue. No more no less that's it, no talk of resealing or any other repair.

 

All of these issues can be diagnosed over the phone a service call is over kill

 

These are not the only tests that you could do. But they cover all the basics Mechanical, Fiberglass and Rigging the big three were any technician should have a sharp understanding. If a Technician tries to belittle your question or talk down to you, tell them to beat it. They are probably not as bright as they let on. A good technician will understand that any question is a good question. You cant assume that a technician will spend all day with you unless you want to pay for it however patience is the sign of a great technician.


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