To bob wateski - Please READ!! (Sorry gang - Long)

[TrepMan]

Bob:



First welcome to the best and most honest,informative and freindly boat site you'll find on the internet!



Second - IF you read this and return to this site, and I am doubting IF you will read this since you joined the site yesterday and proceeded to post 12 responses with the EXACT same message with out ONCE introducing yourself of posting an initial HELLO - I think you'll be surprised by the responses! There are over 1000 current and past owners of Tracker/Nitro products on this board and my estimate (just a guess) is of those 1000+ boats less then 1% have have had MAJOR problems, defects or issues with thier boats!



I am an owner of a 2000 Pro Crappie 175 (from your member profile the same boat you have in a 2002 model). NOW i'm not saying you don't have a problem, i'm not saying you don't have issues and concerns with Tracker BUT - posting on ANY forum on the internet 12 time with the same message will NOT get you any sympathy or honest listening from folks. The internet is like a coffee shop, ANYONE can come in and sit down and say HELLO! But first impressions are only made once so be nice! That said, here is your SECOND chance to make a first impression - Post a response here or start a new post/thread introducing yourself and explaining some history and more details on your issues with your boat and Tracker so WE understand and can help. The Help may be nothing more then letting you vent and saying "your right!" or we may be more help then you think.



Check out the post "TV18-2000 BOAT REPLACEMENT by NICK DE MARZIO, 1/10/2003 10:24 ET " to see how one owner has been treated GREAT! Feel free to search and see where others have had success and failure with issues and problems, THEN come back and let us help you.



Me, just hit my 3rd year with my Tracker ZERO defects or problems that were not A) covered under warranty, B) fixed quickly and politely and C) NOT covered under warranty and fixed FREE and politely! Take her in 2-3 ft chop on Lake Lanier for Stripers as often as I can as well as run the river for trout - not a leak, crack, chip or ding that I didn't do myself!



So, welcome and let's see if we can start off on the right foot the second time!

 

[Marke Cicero]

Very well said Trep.





Marke

 

[ron buffington]

I just logged on today after not comming here for a few days and I read 5 post's including this one every one bu this one had the same post from the same guy. My advise to you Bob is before you start your law suit learn some message board manner's or don't come back, continuously posting the same thing is rediculous. There was no need for you to go into every thread and post the same message I wonder if your story is even real or just a troll? Either way next time you stop by please don't degrade every post like you did this time! If your so upset with Tracker stop buying their product.

 

[JEFF WHITE]

boy,things you miss when not around for a few days!



ok,didnt we go through the same thing with a guy with a fiber boat also?there coming out of the wood,opps,fiber and tin now!



and now for the rest,we all have had some dealings with trackers warranty dept at one time or another,i myself has dealt with the factory on my boat.bob,are you an expert on aluminum hulls?they deal with this every day,if the stringer broke,why did it break?impact?structural defect?just one boat?i find it a little hard to believe!ive dealt with warranty claims,and believe me,people will try to get away with murder if you let them!i read they fixed the boat under warranty,so they honored it,if they determined that the damage was caused by a impact,then warranty is null and void!



bob,it took a little time to dig up over 2 yrs of back posts to find all them!you obviously have way too much time on your hands!what puzzles me is you didnt post that over on the bash page!if you want to file a class action suit on tracker,thats your deal,with lawyer scum out there,(if anyone here is a lawyer,sorry)will take the case,but what you will get out of it is squat!they will take there 35%,and what you have left is for the payoff of the boat,which probally wont be enough,and you still will be without a boat!look at the class action suit with gm over the fuel tanks,what did they get?a 1000 dollar certificate off on a new vehicle!give me a break!



so take the pittfull troll back where it came from,as i have no pitty for you right now!you come here to bash,nothing more,or less!others here will have some pitty for you,but the cut,copy paste post on the 12 you did is evidence of the troll!i visit a few boards and it seems this is the only board ive seen it on!so give me and all here a break!

 

[Steve Rizza]

Well said.If people would just talk about thier problems in a non-threatening manner the guys on this board would be glad to help.But when you start out by bashing,nothing gets accomplished.We are proud to be tracker/nitro owners,but will admit to having some problems.If you come across in a polite way we all will be more than happy to help.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Boy, Jeff! I hope Nathan Long reads your reply! For that response, if I were he, I'd see that you got the first 20' Avalanche off the assembly line! (AND a Lifetime Warranty!)

 

[Steve Rizza]

Magna. Not all lawyers are scum.It's only 99% of them that make the rest look bad.

 

[Buzz Bouvier]

Well said Trep..

 

[JEFF WHITE]

scott,well,look at the posts,and the guys user profile,word for word as the posts.



i dont want an avalanche.ill keep what i got!i know what i got and keeping it!



as for this guy,no bash posts,(bfhp),or others i frequent either!



trolling,tolling,trolling!

 

[Staci Matheis]

I don't think he was trolling..... He put out entirely too much effort.....



However, all he did was piss off a bunch of us who might normally have at least given him an ear. His approach was entirely out of line. He abused "our board". He made an ass out of himself.



He left all of us wondering just how much might have been his fault.....



Bob Wateski, if you read this.....

You owe the people of this board an apology.



me.

 

[Staci Matheis]

P.S.



I'd be willing to bet that he's just pissed 'cuz he DID hit something, lied about it and got caught!

 

[Mark Hofman]

I hate to jump into this one. Debated and debated thinking I should stay out of it...but....



Guys, Bob W. certainly must have a problem with his boat and is angry with Tracker that they won't fix it the way he feels they should. That's fine. If he wants to go to the trouble of retaining an attorney and filing a class-action lawsuit, that's fine too. If he's successful and can rid the world of Tracker Marine's HORRIBLE customer service reputation, I think we'd all be happier as owners. So more power to him.



I don't know what it means to have a "hook" in your boat, and I don't know the whole story about what Tracker did to try to fix it. Obviously they did go to the expense of hauling his boat to the factory and make an attempt, but unless Tracker comes on and gives a detailed description of what was done to the boat at the factory we'll NEVER know the whole story.



But, Bob W., by coming onto this board and attempting to recruit others to join in your crusade, before getting to know any of us or allowing us to get to know you, you succeeded in making an ass of yourself.



Your message gave the impression that you don't think anyone here is capable of helping you, and that the only solution to a problem with a boat is a lawsuit. You didn't give any of us here a chance to provide you with help, advice or a sympathetic ear. Instead, you popped onto the site proclaiming that you were preparing to file a lawsuit -- come hell or high water -- to get what you feel you deserve, and inviting all disgruntled Tracker owners to join you. Then you actively searched for threads about quality and warranty and did a massive cut and paste job to get attention. It was offensive. I am very satisfied with the Tracker product I own, and with the warranty service I've been given. I have NO intention of suing Tracker Marine.



Now, I'm willing to let it go. The great thing about this board is that there ARE people here how will go the extra mile to try to help. Nick had a problem very specific to his TV-18/150 h.p. set up. A few of us went to bat gathering information that he apparently used to make a case with Tracker. Ask HIM about Tracker's warranty service. I spent time assembling photos, as did Andy Z. and I'd be willing to offer the same kind of help for you.



Should you decide to provide us with GOOD information about your boat and its problem, and ASK for help, you will be accepted with open arms as part of the greatest online community on the web. It's the greatest because of the written and unwritten codes we follow here. Threats of lawsuits and blanket allegations of fraud are not welcome here, at least with me they're not. If that's your approach, take it to BFHP. They'll get a kick out of it.



Again, I'm willing to let it go since it was your first and only post. Gather your thoughts, make your case, and ask for help. First off, describe what you mean by a "hook". It's got to be different from what I'm picturing in my head, so correct my thinking.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Bob,



Mo has said "exactly" what I would say to you... Take a deep breath and try again. This IS the best "mutual support site" on the internet... (except for maybe that Hooters one where they come over and stay with you... but that's a whole other subject) Please do give it another try and se what happens.



Greg

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Hooter site? they come visit? Where? What's the address? For God's SAKE man, HOW do I FIND IT? I am in need of support....hot wings, beeeer......hooters!!!!! Mini, help me!!!!! Durn fever!

 

[Mark Hofman]

ROFLMBPCJNO!!

<img src="http://www.stlhofman.com/rofl.gif">

 

[Nick De Marzio2]

I just finished reading this message and read Bob Wateski message and have come to the conclusion that he doesn't understand what this web site is about. I personally searched the web to see if I could find any TRACKER boat owners that have seen or heard of any problems related to the issues I was having and thank GOD I located this web site. The response I got was super everyone who provided an input was sincere and factual, with hard evidence, which I would have used if I had to. TRACKER did not give me any reason to, they took the issues seriously and evaluated the total situation and made the right decision to replace the boat and throw in a new trailer besides. I did not request the evaluation report, because I didn't have to and communications with them was minimal. If I had caused these issues, I would never had gone back to TRACKER for a warranty fix, because the warranty would have been null and void. TRACKER doesn't have a Warranty Dept., that doesn't have knowledgeable people that make decisions just on say so, they would be out of business in a month.

If you hit something and damaged your boat, go to your insurance company and not TRACKER to get it fixed. Please keep this web site on the up and up and be helpful to anyone that asks for help.

 

[TrepMan]

Bob W. - First, thanks for taking time to explain. Now, first thing go register yourself as a member. It's FREE you get a COOL Gold M by your name, and get a place to tell us a little about yourself (hey, who know's one of us may live right next door to you - THAT would be scary!).



Second, who have you dealt with at Tracker, and what is the latest response to your returned boat that wasen't fixed - even by Tracker's statements. Have they agree'd to do anything else?



Some of the folks on this board will be able to point you in the right direction. AND Tracker management does monitor this board, so it is possible that you might get some help from them too. No promises, heck i'm just an techie manager from IBM, no help there for your boat.



So, where do you live? Not down south we don't get many Eye's down here.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Welcome back, Bob. Sorry to hear that the boat has been such a headache for you.



I've got couple of other questions to help me and other understand exactly what you're describing and what your experience has been.



How close is this "hook" to the transom? What size motor are you running on this rig (a weight and planing issue)?

 

[Greg Meyer]

Bob W.



See, if you start slowly (some of us need that more than others) you start to get some helpful questions and maybe some guidance will flow... Can you take some pictures and get them posted to your library? If you can't someone here will take snail mail photos and scan them in for you and return them. Next, ask Jeff White, Magna 19, to reconsider his opinion (he wil cuz he is a stand up guy) and have him analyze the hull stuff (man is a guru on metal issues). THen let us all digest the info... Who is your dealer? And, what does he have to say? Finally, welcome aboard. You have now been accepted into the best site on the internet... We have rally's informal fishing excursions and drunken orgies (or so I hear...)..

 

[Greg Meyer]

An initial comment is that even if Tracker repairs/replaces the hull... You will still have that motor. See if the dealer will work with you on the extended warranty on some "friendly" basis... And, then we will be working with you. Bob, also, you might want to start a new "clean" thread... Say; "Here's My Situation...how should I proceed?" And, then copy this last post and edit it to fill in any gaps and round it out as a post not a reply. I really think you will get some helpful stuff here... And, again welcome.

 

[James D.]

hey guys, this thread is turning out good. welcome aboard bob wateski. i understand your frustation as i went thru a similar situation on a car years ago. you will find some great folks here on this site with many different talents which hopefully collectively can help with your situation. you are on the right track as i think thru your frustration, you have stumbled onto a great bunch of people who really care and enjoy sharing their boating and fishing experiences (even their "hooters" calendars - got me too MoFish). I've learned alot from the experience of others and am happy to be part of this good community. welcome again.

jd

 

[Staci Matheis]

Welcome back, Mr. Wateski!



Careful what you say about us old folks - I turn 53 on Saturday!



I absolutely agree that, if you had hit something, it would be very obvious on the hull of a fiberglass boat. If you've got photographs of the hooked area - before it was sent to Tracker - that would tell a huge story.



You say that you've got a 50 hp motor but I don't remember seeing what boat or if the 50 were a 2 or 4-stroke.....



Bob, there are some of us on this site who have been known to write letters to Tracker when we thought that someone hadn't gotten what they deserved.....



Glad to have you as a member of the site!

me!



P.S. Please, modify your profile. Take out the complaints. Let us know a bit about you and your 55 years of fishin'! I was born in LaCross (moved when I was 4.) and had the opportunity to fish the river there once when I was about 16; all I remember was LOTS of what I seem to remember as white bass!

 

[Nick De Marzio2]

Bob, welcome aboard. The members on this web site will assist you in many different ways. Define your problem in detail and let it flow and you will receive the necessary guidance to resolve this problem. Again welcome!!!



About the age, I am 65 and expect another 20 to 25 more years of fishing and expect this web site to be on-line for at least that number of years.

 

[bob wateski]

Please read message on the 1st page. As I said, I am 55, soon to be 56 and have been fishing the miss. river all my life. I have been an avid bass fisherman for many years and traveled to some really great lakes to fish. If any of you are going to some of the lake I've fished, I'd be glad to help you out if I can.



I've fished, Kentucky lake, lake Murrey, S.C., Guntersville, Alabama,and Pickwick. My favorite lake to fish though is Lake Fork, Texas.



I've been there 9 times and can not wait to get back. Last spring I took my 15 yr old boy there and he had a 8.3 and a 9 lb bass for his big fish. He beat me. My biggest there is 13.70, 11.54, 10.50 and 10.58. I've got some good spots there and be glad to share.



I do own my own business. I do hardwood floors, my dad started the business in 1947 and I do have a top reputation in my field.



As I said, I'm sorry for the first letter and won't do that again. I do feel better now that I vented a lot of pent up anger. It's out of my system now, so hopefully we can move on.



I'm not knocking age, I just said that so you know I wasn't a first time boater. I think I've learned a lot over the years and would never give up any of it.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Hint to Bob Wateski: Anytime you see me mention age or size - particularly in reference to myself - figure that I've said it with a BIG smile on my face!



:^)

 

[bob wateski]

Well, guy's, here we go again. Since yesterday, I have been back to my dealer where my boat is sitting. They have heard nothing from tracker since the boat came back.



I talked to the service manager, the warranty manager and the mech. that worked on my boat at the dealer and I told them that tracker said the hook in the hull was caused by

impact damaged and two of them said no way, and the mech. said, only if I dropped it from a crane. My dealer did take care of most of the minor problems, still a couple to look at but not worried. The bill that went to tracker for just the minor stuff was $614.80. So even minor stuff does add up.



I checked the boat trailer and the bunks extend past the boat 3 1/2 in. The service manager said there was no problem with a 50 on the boat as it is rated for a 70. The

weight of the motor would not cause the hook in the hull.



I received a E-Mail from tracker that said because I threatened to go to an attorney they will not respond and will turn it over to their Advococy Response Team and sent by Gerald Cox. So I guess I know now where I stand at tracker.



When I talk about age, I too say it with a smile.



Scott, sorry to hear you moved away from this area when you were 4, you missed a lot of good fishing in this area.



I"ll let you guy's know more as things progress or go backwards. Which ever happens.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Bob,



Not to "hit you when you are down" but this is probably a very good example where a "cooler head" might have prevailed....As soon as you throw the A word at a large company (Attorney) then they are schooled for an automatic response. I know at one of the larger co's that I worked for as soon as someone said anything about retaining an attorney or filing a lawsuit I was REQUIRED to end all contact and refer the matter to our in-house attorneys. I know the frustration was/is terrible but persistance is very useful. Here's hoping you get your problem cleared up because you seem like a very reasonable guy. It sounds like you have the dealer on your side and that is a big help.



TOXIC

 

[James D.]

agree with Tox, maybe you can work it thru the dealer still. sounds like they believe something ain't right with that boat either. if you do have to go thru an attorney, get a good one that has some tact and can negotiate for you in a good way. in a lawsuit, usually the ones that win are the attornies. i still think tracker will make it right if the boat has a mfg defect and the case is presented right. it will probably take a lot of time either way. don't give up. keep letting us know how it goes.

jd

 

[Texas Transplant]

My son last year invoked the 'attorney' dialogue when attempting to get his car out of the shop (long story not worth telling at this time). In short what it cost him (and me), was the shop then informing him that he would have to now pay for the repair ($3,500.00) in CASH. No other form of payment would be accepted (including credit card). I had to come up with the money, transfer it to my son's account, him get a cashiers check and then take it over to them (with the proper amount of civility and humbleness) to rescue his car.



Bob, I hope that you can get your boat problem straightened out with only a minor amount of additional trouble. After all, it certainly appears that all you want is what was originally promised in the warranty.



Tex

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Agreed, at least a new hull. But it's their call.



TOXIC

 

[Steve Rizza]

 

[TrepMan]

Championowner - I do not/didn't take exception if someone (Bob in this case) air their complaints. What I was unhappy is he joined the site, and immediately posted 12 reponses that were IDENTICAL. Now first Bob, we're cool so don't take this as any personal critism. This is great site with a lot of great folks, but as I mentioned in the top of this post "The internet is like a coffee shop, ANYONE can come in and sit down and say HELLO! But first impressions are only made once so be nice! " If Bob or any other newcomer posts a seperate new message saying "HEY Tracker is not helping me and my boat is broken" you'd be surprized by the HUGE turnout to help. Heck even Ken Neeley (a BPS/Tracker store manager) has stuck his neck out time and time again to help folks a lot of whom didn't buy at his store and live no where near him (Ken ROCKS).



But you general point is valid, we DO want to hear about good and bad service/issues (speaking for myself that is) but in a way that communicates the issues clearly, give folks an opportunity to review and respond. I see it like a telemarketter calling you 12 times in a row during dinner, NOTHING their selling is going to be bought by me!



That said, Champ sign up and get your Member M, even IF you don't by the Avalanche!



Peace out!

 

[TrepMan]

Bob - I am so sorry that you've had to go thru this and we all hope that Tracker quickly realizes that just replacing the boat is the right thing to do. Then you will LOVE that Pro Crappie!!! Now if I could change anything on mine id: Get the all welded hull of the 2003 models, get the updated/new plumbing the 2002 models have, get the extra storage of the 2003 along with the wider (supposedly drier) wide gunnels AND find extra $$ for a 75 just so I could break 40mhp when the Wife is not in the boat!!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Bob,



How soon after you took delivery did you have/experience your problem. Was it visible to the dealer before it was sent to Tracker. How/who discovered the broken stringer...



Now as far as posting pictures... They need to uploaded to your library.. part of your member profile... see "My Library" on the left.



Keep up the patience Bob... We're all trying to help you get this resolved. Also, be patient with the folks here... You may get asked the same question over and over... Sorry, but that comes with the territory... Every one doesn't think along the same line (and that is good, gets multiple good ideas)...