Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  11/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I brought a 100k boat from them that they said they inspected and checked out 100% and was in perfect condition-I didnt even put more then 30 hours on the boat, and the inboard engines coolant hose blows off and starts flooding my boat with my family on it with boiling hot water-This caused my engine to blow-They sold me a 5k warranty FOR THE ENGINE if anything happens (extremly misleading since after reading the fine print theres a long list that disqualifys you from getting a claim)what a joke these people are- the mechanic ZAK even said i might need a whole new cover (binimi) cause it was missing a couple ***** key screws and said it would of cost like 7k for a whole new cover-All these guys care about is the money- they do not care for the people and are no help after you buy from them- very disappointed- i will never use them again and i will be spreading the word to everyone-

  Business response

  11/20/2024

  Mr. ***** is currently represented by attorney **** ********** who has written a letter to MarineMax on behalf of his client regarding the issues Mr. ***** has with the boat he purchased from a private seller.  MarineMax acted only as the intermediary broker for the boat at issue, and Mr. ***** purchased a warranty from another company, not MarineMax.  MarineMax has already responded to Mr. ****** attorney about this matter.  Since there are attorneys involved, this is more appropriately resolved between the attorneys and not through a BBB complaint.  

  Customer response

  11/21/2024

   

  Complaint: 22563678
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This should 100% be reported to BBB and all of *********** should be informed- You guys sold me a 100k boat with 200 hours on it- used yes- you sold it on consignment but thats besides the point- My arguement is about the warranty you guys sold me, your customer **********************, and trying to rip me off on extras- You guys took on the responsiblilty of making sure it was in good enough shape to be sold out of your place of business- You guys promised me it was fully inspected by your mechanics and it was 100% good to go- Not even 30 hours i put on it and the coolant hose explodes and almost sinks my boat- you guys say it was due to dry rot but your mechanic littertally had no clue how it happened- even the warranty company said they never heard of a coolant hose just exploding- its caused by excess of pressure i found out not dry rot- and i dont see how you guys couldnt catch that since you say you have the best boat mechanics in the state- but i get mistakes happen and you guys either missed it by accident or on purpose- either way you missed it-

  Also why i had my boat there somehow my trailer tire goes flat after being there for 2 weeks and of course you bill me $350 for a new tire- the tires were fine obviously since it was there for 2 weeks then all of sudden the tire went flat and **** calls us saying i had to pay for a new one- whatever i didnt argue that- i just paid it-

  Also the trailer you sold me with the boat i had taken right back to you after you sold it to me because the pull strap litterally broke 2 weeks after pulling it off your lot- thank god it was saved by the emergency strap but it still messed up the paint on my boat but i still didnt complain i just took to you guys to fix and paint and went on my way and paid the bill-

  But this is what gets me- you sold me a $5,000.00 warranty and told me it would be great to have incase anything happens to my engine- so i trusted you and paid for it-

  Now this is where i have a problem- I brought the boat right back to you guys and you tell me that i had to handle the warranty and that it wasnt going to be covered cause a coolant hose and a million other things VOID the warranty (written in small fine print on one of there booklets) this is extremly deceiving to everyone- And i have talked to some of your clients that experienced the same thing- I also see all your bad reviews all over different platforms on the internet SAYING THE SAME STUFF- 

  This is where it gets funny- you guys quote me ******k for a new engine- I have taken the boat to 3 places and not one of them exceeds 17k- the engine from all of them is $12,500- labor is $3500.00- They all laughed at your quote but werent surprised cause they said they here this all the time from your place of business- You sold me a 100k boat and now are trying to take advantage of me- NOT HELPFUL IN ANYWAY TO PREVIOUS CLIENTS- you guys only care about money and this area in the world needs to know and i will make sure they do because you guys are ripping people off- Not only that but why im trying to get intouch with the **** warranty people for about 3-4 weeks with still no call back from them **** calls me again trying to rush me telling me the price of the motor may not be the same anymore if i wait to long and the prices keep going up- after knowing what im dealing with he calls and says that too me- SCAM ARTIST-

  Not only that but i had you guys repair my binimi cover for the boat- i paid almost $2500.00 to get it fixed and when they were done your mechanic **** calls me and ask me what i did with the ***** key screws for it- i told him that is exactly how you sold me this boat- missing screws in the binimi- then he tries telling me he might not be able to find screws like that and i would most likely need to buy a new binimi $7500-  I do some digging and find out there just ***** key screws- i call back **** and tell him i could pick them up at ********** if he like and drop them off and i already checked with the manufactor specs and thats all that was missing- he then calls me back a few hours later and said he got it handled- You guys are ripping people off- its ridiculous- 

  **** didnt even want to call the warranty company for us- he said he didnt get paid to do that- im a plumber im not a mechanic but ill tell you that if one of my clients had something they needed handle by a warranty i call them and handle it- I stick up for my clients and make sure they get what they deserve if they deserve it and i dont see how i dont- Your selling warranty to your clients from a 3rd party that cant even answer the phone and do whatever they can to get out of it- thats called  Deceptive Trade Practices Act- I told **** if you can just handle the warranty for me ill pay you extra out of my own pocket, i dont know all the stuff to say to them i know nothing about boats and i didnt know what was going on but its pretty clear the coolant hose somehow exceeded too much pressure and blew off- - it flooded my boat with my family and hot water and i had to limp it back to the dock and tow it to you guys with not even 30 extra hours put on the boat- you guys are scam artist and when stuff pops off you guys try to disappear- f*** the customer right? you already got all the money you could from me- then try to rip me off with a $35k engine- $20,000 more then 3 of your competitors- it makes me sick and your just guna keep on doing to more and more people- 

  a good company would stand by there customer they sold a 5k warranty too- a good company would try to help them get a claim- i didnt cause the coolant hose to blow, i didnt pick the s***** warranty company you guys pushed them on me and they are DECEIVING people left and right just trying to get a quick 5k extra off them and they know they can do it cause i just spent 100k why not 5k more on a warranty- BUT YOUR SELLING A WARRANTY FROM SCAM ARTIST- me and serveral people including **** tried calling the warranty company and couldnt even get them on the phone for 3 WEEKS- that is insane, i didnt think they were even real- i left 100 messages with them and never got 1 single call back till about a month later where i was finally able to state my case to them and for the guy to tell me that its over is head and theres nothing he could do- THESE ARE THE PEOPLE YOUR STICKING UP FOR- your selling there warranty- your talking them up- you already know the deal with them-

  and i just like to point out me and family called the warranty company everyday leaving messages with secretaries for 4 weeks before we finally got a call back and they had no clue why we were even calling and they still ignored us for a whole month- WE LITTERALLTY CALLED EVERYDAY I DIDNT EVEN THINK THIS PLACE WAS REAL ITS INSANE- THATS YOUR PEOPLE-

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

  Business response

  11/27/2024

  The Better Business Bureau is not the forum for this dispute. Mr. ***** bought a warranty from another company, and whether or not his warranty claim was rightfully denied is an issue the BBB cannot resolve with MarineMax. The BBB cannot impose liability on or even offer a remedy against MarineMax for an unrelated companys denial of a warranty claim under a contract MarineMax is not a party to. 
  

  MarineMax has explained to Mr. ***** that the problem he encountered was a typical one and that he did not properly respond to the failure of his boats water supply line.  It was his responsibility to maintain his boat (which includes checking the condition of hoses and other wearable items).  If he had read the manual for the boat (available online through the manufacturer), he would have known not to continue to run his boat after water supply line failure.  Doing so caused the boats engine to overheat and damage his engine. 
  

  t is often true that mechanics not associated with a dealer can provide better prices for parts and labor.  It is the owners right to seek second and third opinions if that is what he wants to do that there is competition in the boat repair market is hardly a complaint worthy of the BBBs involvement. Finally, it is unclear what relief Mr. ***** is seeking concerning the binimi cover, since his complaint ends with it being handled. As such, MarineMax does not know how to respond to that complaint. 
  

  Because MarineMax has no ability legal or otherwise to assist Mr. ***** with his warranty claim, this is not a proper matter for the BBB.  Rather, Mr. ***** should be having these discussions with the company from whom he purchased the warranty.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a new boat from Marine M/ax in Venice, ** which was a very positive experience except for my interaction with their finance representative. On June 17, 2024 he sold me a Protection Plan on the boat issued by the **************************************** in ************, **. The policy cost $7,469. The boat is due to be delivered on Novemer 1, 2024. I learned on the internet that that policy is refundable and requested a refund from the MarineMax finance representative over the phone on September 19th. Having heard nothing I sent the attached email to the representative on October 16th. He claims the refund process takes this long but he would intervene with Brunswick and MarineMax representatives to facilitate an immediate refund. He called me on October 22 and said that the refund would arrive at my residence in 3 business days. To date, no check and no call. I have been trying to secure this refund since September 19th! After much misinformation, failed promises, and lack of communication, I need someone to intervene and motivate MarineMax and **************************************** to refund the money I am entitled to by their own product disclosure guide which I had to secure on the internet..

  Business response

  10/31/2024

  We apologize for any inconvenience this caused Mr. ************** I understand from our team at the Vencie store that Mr. ********* refund is being mailed to him today or tomorrow.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a boat in early July. We drove the boat to the water shortly after and discovered it would not go over 5 mph. Additionally, once we arrived at the lake, we discovered that something was wrong with the wheel on the trailer. We took it to a shop and were told the boat needed a new engine and a new trailer wheel and axle. The boat is completely inoperable, and the trailer is dangerous to drive with the boat on it. We paid $40,000 for a boat that does not work, and the company will not take any responsibility.

  Business response

  08/01/2024

  Our GM at the location where ************** purchased his pre-owned boat has reached out to **************. They agreed that MarineMax will pick up the boat and perform an inspection of the boat at no charge to our customer.  ************** and our GM are in good communication and will be further discussing the results of the inspection. We expect that a mutually amicable resolution is forthcoming.

   

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Boat was at Marine Max for them to sell. They did not properly take care of the boat causing physical damages. marine max refuses to give any compensation nor fix damages they caused by not caring for it in their care. Seat damaged, batteries are dead, sun damage from not having cover on it

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  So that MarineMax can properly respond to this matter, can we please be provided with the MarineMax location where the boat was listed for brokerage sale?

  Thank you.

   

  Customer response

  07/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 22026155
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  location was **********, *****. When we went to pick up our boat from Marine Mac lot that was being brokered by Marine Max, we found it with the keys in the boat ignition turned on and our batteries dead. Already showing negligence, we found sun damage and what appears to be rust from water damage that got in due to negligence of keeping the boat covered properly. We found the poles that hold up the cover still stored away so the cover was not on properly allowing water to get in and cause damage. The salesman ***** admitted he did not have the boat covered at one point. We believe this is when sun damage occurred. They are just claiming boat is 10 years old and its wear and tear. This boat has been properly covered for 9 years without those wear and tear issues prior to it going to Marine Max, we have before photos also of it when it first arrived at Marine Max, we pulled them from your own website. 
  

  Both the salesman and general manager have refused to reimburse or repair damages because its our boat. While I understand its our boat, it is not right for Marine Max to be neglectful of our boat while its on your property and in your possession. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business response

  08/01/2024

  We investigated ************************ complaint with the store where the boat was listed for brokerage sale.  Our GM advised that when ******************** came to pick up the boat, that we offered to charge the batteries and clean the boat, but ******************** declined the offer.  MarineMax is still willing to provide cleaning of the boat and charge the batteries at no charge.

   

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 22026155
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  what the general manager is failing to say is that cleaning the boat does not fix the water or sun damage their neglect of the boat caused. We already had to replace the batteries due to being dead. We were not going to continue to leave our boat with a business that already caused thousands of damage to it. 
  

  this boat has gone 9 years without water or sun damage due to having the cover properly on it. The sales manager admitted already he left the cover off at one point. The poles that hold the covers were never placed to hold the cover up which allowed water to get in and damage the seats. We have provided the before and after photos. Cleaning the boat does not fix the damage and the general manager knows that. 

  please consider they were already neglectful with the boat in leaving the keys in the boat with the boat turned on which killed the batteries. Anyone could have taken the boat and had full access with the keys. 
  

  we are asking for compensation for our damages to their neglect. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was buying boat from MarineMax ********* **. The sales **** ************************** told me that the seller was one of his best friends and the boat was impeccably Capt maintained and had no damage history. Trusting this sales rep I proceeded to send them a deposit and spent $6,700 on airfare, hotels, meals, pulling the boat and survey just to find out that the boat had MAJOR structural damage and wasnt worth a *****. Basically, this $800k boat needs to be trashed. The MarineMax sales rep told me he had no idea the boat had been damaged, he was very sorry and said he was dropping the listing. Ironically, today, 4 weeks later, he still has the boat listed. Since he told me there was NO DAMAGE HISTORY (not Im not sure) and that it was one of his best friends boats, I lost $6,700.

  Business response

  08/01/2024

  We are in the process of investigating this matter.  We reached out to the ** at the store where this brokerage boat was listed and learned that a survey was done, prior to MarineMax listing the boat for sale, that showed no structural damage.  I understand our ** will be reaching out to Mr.  ***** to further discuss.

   

  Thank you.

   

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 22010246
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The GM of the store called and left me a message while I was in *******  I texted him and told him I was in ******* and would call him back when back in the country, which I did. I left him a VM and he never returned my call.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  08/15/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to reply.

  ************** was interested in purchasing a specific boat which was listed for sale through brokerage. A brokerage boat is a boat owned by a private individual and the ultimate sale is between the two private parties.  MarineMax is acting as the escrow agent in these types of sales but is not the seller of the boat.
  
  Mr. ****** efforts and his personal decision to travel to view the boat is not a reimbursable expense.  ************** made a reduced offer at one point because he was aware that the boat needed some work. His request to be reimbursed for travel because he changed his mind about purchasing the boat is respectfully denied. 

  Customer response

  08/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 22010246
  
  I am rejecting this response because my decision to spend the money to see and inspect the boat was based on MarineMaxs salesman deceitful practices. Their salesman told me he knew the owners personally and was one of their best friends. The day before the survey salesman from a different company inform me of the damage to the boat. Yet Marinemaxs salesman who is best friends with the seller claims he had no idea  AND, they still continue to have this boat listed to this day which their sales rep said, in writing I am canceling this listing today! After seeing the survey I paid for and found all the damage. However, they never canceled the listing and are still trying to sell the boat to an unsuspecting buyer  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Published 7/2/2024 See attached Detailed Complaint. We trusted Marine Max of Wrightsville Beach to do right by us on our ****** AV36, and they didn't provide honorable service. We had a 40 item punch list to be completed in restoring the boat to like new condition. The boat has been broken down in trouble shooting diagnostically by the service department. We have pre-delivery photos of all bilges, generator, a/c, refrigerator, head, etc. They now refuse to complete repair. We have phone recordings and false written statements by email to support our claim whereby they lied to us concerning part orders, work progress, and we feel we are left with no choice but to file a ******** ********** *** Fraud Suit. It's not our preference but they are leaving us little choice otherwise.

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. ****** complaint. 

  Mr. **** is represented by counsel and, as such, we will be responding directly to his attorney.  MarineMax is actively working toward a mutually amicable resolution.

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They sold me a boat and promised an estimated delivery in the contract for 4/30. Three weeks later no delivery, they cannot tell me when they will have it, and every time I call them its one excuse after another with no definitive answers. I am not paying for a slip, insurance on a boat and making ffinance payments on a boat, that I dont have and do not know when they will deliver. They breached the contract and I am getting literally no benefit for all the money I am spending because they failed to deliver the boat in accordance with their requirements under the sales contract.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  MarineMax is never pleased when a customer has a less than satisfactory experience.  Our Regional President has been working directly with Mr. ***** and they have reached an amicable resolution which is still in process. Thank you for the opportunity to respond. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have sent this email to ************, the general manager of Marine Max Ft. Myers, ** on March 1, 2024 and have not had a reply or repair. We feel this is a time delay tactic to have the boat's warranty to expire leaving us with no recourse. This is our second boat purchased in 4 years from your facility and expected prompter service. We have been vigorously trying throughout these past 8 months to have our 2022 SeaRay 310 SLX, which we purchased from Ft. Myers (June 2023), warranty work completed. Your experience and knowledge in the boating industry will hopefully assist in a quick solution to this problem.We have worked with numerous service advisors/employees throughout these last 8 months and have had difficulty getting our warranty work accomplished. The speakers were replaced (2/12/24) by the electrical company from Venice who works on Fusion electronics. There have been many emails, phone calls and personal visits to *****************. The latest attempt was a personal visit 2/9/24), then an email (2/15/24) with no response, and then another personal visit (2/20/24) by *****. ***** was told by *****************, someone would be out the next week by Friday, March 1, which did not happen. We dont doubt your service department is busy. We dont doubt emergencies happen and change the schedule. We feel we have been very patient with this process and many solutions have been suggested by *****, but it seems our boat has fallen through the cracks and service has not been able to be completed after all these months. We are requesting a resolution to this huge delay and inconvenience. We would like a reply and a secured service appointment to ensure this work gets completed immediately. MarineMax goes above and beyond other boat dealers to create the best ownership experience from start to finish. We hope this quote from the MarineMax website will be holding true for us in the very near future. Thank you.

  Business response

  03/20/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. and Mrs. *************** concerns.  ************ reported that he and his team are working well with Mr. and ******************************* to address and finalize each concern.  MarineMax values their loyalty and appreciates their patience.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In December 2023, I was negotiating the purchase of a used boat from Marine Max in ********** on I-35. The sales rep at this dealership was ***********************. After the 2nd sea trial, I asked ***** if he would reglue the sea dek on the swim platform which was about to fall off. I also asked him if he could tighten the fasteners on the ****** bracket. He said he would. I have a message from ***** saying he would handle the sea dek. When I arrived at the dealership the day of pickup, the ****** bracket had not been secured nor had the sea dek been reglued. ***** was on vacation but the attending employees said ***** had glued it. While I was in route to pick the boat up, I asked the service advisor (*****************) to see if he could put some grease in the trailer bearings since I had a little trip to take the boat back home.. He said he attempted to take the bearing cap off but was afraid he would break the hub. This is a service adviser that has been with Marine Max 3 yrs telling me this. A reputable dealership would have offered to put some grease in a few bearings but I was quickly learning what kind of company I was confronted with. After all, I was buying a boat and the owner of that boat was paying this dealer $5,000. to sell it (per ***********************). So I will overlook the ****** bracket and bearing issues since they were easily resolved. The sea dek took me hours to clean/reglue and required parts as well. I have included pics of the products used and the cleaning required prior to regluing the material. The non skid deck under the sea dek had never been cleaned and any attempt to glue it prior to using acetone and soap would have failed (and it did fail). My time to reattach the sea dek plus the cost of the materials to do it, will be $250. I am not sorry I bought this boat but I am very disappointed in the dealer I bought it from. I have bought more than 20 vessels and this is by far the worst experience I have ever had.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  Thank you for your patience while we researched ********************** complaint.  We learned that ****************** purchased his boat through a brokerage transaction.  That means that ****************** did not purchase his boat from MarineMax but instead he bought the boat from a private seller. ********************** statement about buying the boat from MarineMax is incorrect.  For clarity, MarineMax is the escrow agent in these types of transactions.  MarineMax advertised the boat for the seller and handles paperwork for transfer of ownership.  MarineMax is paid a commission for its efforts and the seller is paid the agreed upon selling price.  

  Accordingly, in a brokerage transaction,  the private parties bargain with each other for various things which include the selling price of the boat.  For instance, if ****************** wanted the sea deck repaired, he would ask the seller to pay for that repair.  The seller can either accept or deny any such requests as the parties work toward finalizing the deal.  We understand that the seller agreed to accept approximately $10,000 less than the asking price and based upon that lower price, the seller did not have an appetite for additional costs.  MarineMax is not responsible to make repairs in this type of deal but nonetheless, we understand our salesperson made good faith efforts to accommodate ********************** requests. For additional information, the obligations of the private parties is memorialized in the Brokerage Purchase and Sale Agreement.  

  MarineMax is aware and understanding of ********************** position and as a gesture of goodwill is willing to reimburse ****************** $250 in exchange for a full release. Please advise if ****************** is interested in that resolution and MarineMax will prepare the release and mail it to his home address for execution.  Once received back by MarineMax, a check for $250 will be mailed to ********************** home address. 

  Please advise.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  02/22/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  refused to repair work, i hired Admiral ********************** to diagnose the work product failure my Marine Max work repaired and paid for out of pocket, See attachments requesting they reimburse the repair charges for failing to properly install sunshade and failing to honor the work product.They wanted to guarantee another ***** Hours at $200 per/man hour. See repair invoice was for factory reimbursement maximum repair limit and travel expenses to repair the Marine Max Failure to preform the task.

  Business response

  12/08/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue.  MarineMax prides itself on customer satisfaction.  We are discussing the matter with the team at the store but the materials provided by the customer do not clearly state his desired outcome. MarineMax would appreciate further clarification so that additional discussions can take place. Thank you and we look forward to an amicable resolution in this matter.

  Customer response

  12/12/2023

   
  Complaint: 20927504
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  See attached text to *********************;

  asking to be reimbursed for the ************* invoice (attached) for the failure to honor the errors of installation and ridiculous attempts to charge for their failure to perform the task they claimed to be able to perform.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  MarineMax is amenable to ************************ request to be reimbursed for the costs he paid to Admiral ***** Works, LLC.  We will process the reimbursement immediately but with the holidays, the turn around time may be slightly delayed.  Please allow between 10 to 14 business days for receipt of the check.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  12/16/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩