Business ProfileforBoat Works of South Windsor

Boat works is a RIP OFF and are taking advantage of customers. I called to set up an appointment to have my boat serviced, I told them I need the bilge pump installed in the proper location, I have an idling issue, and it doesn’t seem to be pumping water out the tell tale. I was quoted 600-700 and the person I spoke to (Art) was very helpful at first and seemed to completely understand my concerns. When I got there however their service manager V said she couldn’t read his handwriting and wanted to start from scratch; this was a mistake. While discussing areas of concern on my boat i told her what I was quoted and she informed me of a $250 fee that would be rolled into the final price, she told me that in the past people have had them look at their boats, find out what’s wrong and then take it elsewhere or do it themselves. She also said “ we will call you with pricing before we do any work”. This was my expectation. Instead, after having the boat for about two weeks they called me back to say they have already completed the tune up which I know now cost $300; though I wasn’t told at the time because she didn’t have my work order in front of her, again I was told when I dropped my boat off that they would call me with pricing before they touched my boat and that never happened, I didn’t say anything about it then because of the $250 fee I was told I’d have to pay just to look at it so I was only slightly annoyed at that point, but this was the first time I asked about the water pump and she told me the techs didn’t notice an issue. Ok great confidence restored. I asked about the bilge and the idle issues and she told me the idle was likely due to needing the carbs cleaned which i assumed that was part of the tune up but I was told it’s not because it requires a bit more stuff and time, so I asked for a price, I was told by V that she would call me back with a price once she talks to a tech. That call back never came. During this call v told me they noticed my boat would not turn left. When I told her I didn’t have that issue before dropping it off she said “ok we will look into that”. I am still not sure why they were even messing with the steering to begin with. The next time we spoke which was almost a week later she seemed to have forgotten ever talking to me, in fact she ran down a list of the exact same things she said the last time we spoke, I reminded her we already discussed these topics and asked again about the idle issue and possible carb cleaning; when I asked she said they determined it was just a bad fuel mixture since the direct injection has been bypassed (I reminded her that I told her about that when I dropped the boat off) and the carbs didn’t need to be cleaned, I asked how they came to that conclusion and she stated a tech has been out sick so she didn’t have that information to provide but she would call me back the next day with an update, that call also never came. With low confidence I asked again about the water pump and she said she would double check. Two days later I called again and V told me they began working on my bilge and needed to drill a hole in the deck, I asked her for a price, shocker she didn’t have my work order in front of her but the boat will be ready that coming Saturday..oh and that she will get back to me with a price. That call was on a Thursday. Saturday comes and I call because I haven’t heard back, and I speak to a very nice young lady who I think is named Stephanie, she gives me the total price and when I told her I never agreed to any of the work and this was the first im hearing of pricing she was completely Apologetic and made sure to bump my concerns up to the “right” people. She was great, promote her. To rectify they offered to discount the work and drop my boat off to me which was great but when I got it back they had removed my steering cable (not something I asked them to do or even touch in the first place) and said they were “doing me a favor” by removing it. Art who’s job I’m not sure of dropped my boat off for me and called his tech Pete (who was completely rude) to ask about the steering cable. Pete went well out of his was to call me Bullsh**er multiple times when I told him I had no noticeable issues with steering when I dropped it off. Art said nothing to Pete and allowed him to be disrespectful to a customer and laughed it off saying “that’s why he’s not in customer service” I called them back today because they told me the water pump was working fine at their facility but when I connected my muffs to the outboard in my yard, there is no water coming from the tell-tale. When I asked for clarification about whether or not the water pump was actually inspected, I was told I could pay to have them look into it and I would have to wait for a part to be ordered even though I asked them multiple times while they had my boat if it was pumping water as it should; that conversation was followed with hostility and aggression from Art because he assumed I was calling his tech a liar, even though I went well out of my way to explain that I don’t think anyone there were lying maliciously but think people at Boat Works just keep dropping the ball to my EXPENSE. I asked for the owner to call me but seeing how hard it has been to get a call back on pricing I doubt that will ever happen. Please save yourself a headache and do not take your boat here, they are rude, unorganized, taking advantage of newer boaters, and profiting off the pandemic