Scarab has been a huge dissapointment

[Morrowcat]

@Britboater ....when you do hear of specifics can you please post them? I haven't really seen any negatives on the chaps on this site and I know they're people reading this forum looking to buy a new boat. The more information, the better.

 

[Speedling]

I think a lot of us wanted Scarab to make an awesome boat. I think they did a pretty good job. It sounds mostly like the dealers stink, and the customer service is poor. Is Chapparel the same group as Scarab or no? I believe they have their own hull design whereas the Scarab was a modified SeaDoo, or at least that is what I was told at the boat show this past year. Glasstron for sure isn't using SeaDoo's hull.
In any case, Yamaha dealers know Yamahas. Scarab dealers and Chapp, etc. dealers have to have a much wider knowledge of way too many things.

 

[MrMoose]

I think a lot of us wanted Scarab to make an awesome boat. I think they did a pretty good job. It sounds mostly like the dealers stink, and the customer service is poor. Is Chapparel the same group as Scarab or no? I believe they have their own hull design whereas the Scarab was a modified SeaDoo, or at least that is what I was told at the boat show this past year. Glasstron for sure isn't using SeaDoo's hull.
In any case, Yamaha dealers know Yamahas. Scarab dealers and Chapp, etc. dealers have to have a much wider knowledge of way too many things.

In my limited exposure to Yamaha dealers, I have to respectfully disagree with your statement @Speedling. The two Yamaha dealers that I've visited here in Texas both sell many other brands of boats, and the dealer that did my 10 hour service was unprofessional and incompetent.

 

[luanders]

I will be the first to say I had many issues with my boat cavitating and had issues with my dealer understanding the issues I had. All it took was 1 email to the company and I had a response within 4 hours -- my boat was on its way to Michigan back to the factory to resolve. I had it back the next weekend, after spending the better part of 6 weeks at the dealer this summer. I'm not excited with the story, but at least they took care of it. Before giving up on RBH and scarab, please contact Ralph at the factory and ask him to make it right. They did right by me and I couldn't be happier with my boat now-- it Definately performs to my expectations. I'm sorry to hear you've given up @ScarabMike ... You have me the inspiration to keep on it until resolved. If you are having issues with your marine max dealer, please call jay Rasmussen at marine max in Rogers mn or Doug, the tech at marine max on Rogers -- I'm sure they will help you with the issues....

 

[Speedling]

In my limited exposure to Yamaha dealers, I have to respectfully disagree with your statement @Speedling. The two Yamaha dealers that I've visited here in Texas both sell many other brands of boats, and the dealer that did my 10 hour service was unprofessional and incompetent.

That stinks man!
I guess you gotta find a dealer that does Yamaha ONLY or Yamaha boats and jet ski's etc.
I don't know if @OperationROL can comment on http://www.nielsens.com/ but they go the extra mile in sending goodies like T-shirts and prizes and such for our midwest gathering.

My "old" 2008 doesn't have half the newfangled technology all the newer boats have, so I guess I am good to go with fixing my own stuff!

 

[Bry-n-Jess-165/HOI]

You just need a good competent professional respectful dealer, these are basic jet boats and rotax engines not nuclear science. Iv been in for my 25hr service and the dealer Dockside Marine in Illinois (service mngr Jeff) are very comforting with their knowledge, professionalism, prompt response, etc. I didn't even buy it from them. They are just good boat mechanics with good business edicate and that's what the boat business lacks. Most boat dealer/services treat you like a king while your buying but after you buy they don't need you anymore, therefore treat you like crap.

 

[rkluck]

My dealer is excellent and does several different brands and types of boats. The dealer experience is critical but there will probably always be bad dealer support as well.

Clearly people are upset with Scarab but maybe the dealer and dealer support is a big part of the problem. The dealer should be contacting the manufacturer and making their customers happy. I do like that in a forum like this we can share problems and get solutions but if we don't share the issues with the dealer/manufacturer the problems won't even be known to be addressed. Unfortunately if you have a bad dealer your options are limited and your frustrations grow quickly. With a new boat being entered in the market you would think customer satisfaction would be a very high priority since word of mouth (and forum) is critical to success nowadays especially when entering a new market. I would suggest that they just lost several boat sales already and some owners may want to sell their boats sooner in order to avoid issues that may be coming. Scarab is probably already seeing the impact anyway and it will just grow. As stated above they will be out of the market quickly if they don't change the way they support the customers.

 

[OperationROL]

That stinks man!
I guess you gotta find a dealer that does Yamaha ONLY or Yamaha boats and jet ski's etc.
I don't know if @OperationROL can comment on http://www.nielsens.com/ but they go the extra mile in sending goodies like T-shirts and prizes and such for our midwest gathering.

My "old" 2008 doesn't have half the newfangled technology all the newer boats have, so I guess I am good to go with fixing my own stuff!

My original dealer was Hammertime Sports and they were excellent! They communicated often with their customers and often sent goodies. I appreciated their service and communications so much that I told them they could always have customers reach out to me as a reference and even take them out if needed. The service department was run by a guy we call Dave O. What a great guy that was intelligent and personable. He never strung anyone out and always presented the best solutions.

Unfortunately, Hammertime is no longer a dealer. I now have to drive 1.25 hours away to Nielsens. However, Nielson's has proven good as well. They are at the highest service level with Yamaha, so I can guarantee that they get the best information when resolving issues.

Both dealers have been sponsors of the Midwest Friends and Family Gathering since 2009 and believe in taking care of their customers. Both also focus on Yamaha boats but sell other brands in there other recreational areas such as ATV's, jet skis, motorcycles and snowmobiles.

 

[Jubin Payandeh]

I had a minor issue with my boat that was easily resolved.
The other issue I had was self inflicted and the local Sea Doo dealer fixed it promptly.
The nearest Yamaha dealer is 8 hours away. Although they looked appealing, that wasn't really practical. I've owned a car I couldn't get serviced locally and will not do that again.

My Scarab has been fun. It's sexy. And from what I can tell, it's good value for the money. I believe I made the right decision vs a Four Winns or Glasstron with an inboard. Time will tell but for the first season at 27 hours, I'm happy.

Also, I would recommend the brand. That said, the Canadian dollar has suffered and prices have increased but that would affect most brands.

I have found this forum helpful and comforting when issues have arisen.

Sadly, this is the last weekend where boating in Northwestern Ontario is viable. We are having a blowout waterski / tubing session tomorrow. Then, I'll put her away until next year.

Jubin.

 

[JusFlyinBy]

That's a bummer to hear ScarabMike. Even major brands who have been in the game for a while (aka Subaru and Lotus in my case) can make your ownership experience a nightmare. I can tell you horror stories for both. Heck, even massively popular, JD Power Reliability top ranked Lexus has been telling a large population of their customers and enthusiasts to go piss up a rope in regards to their alignment and camber issues. Sometimes some of us are just dealt a sh*t deck, then pile on a terrible dealer experience and it just poisons your outlook from that point forward. I feel you, I've been there. It's infuriating.

That said, if there's any recent or potential buyers out there reading this and beginning to panic, step back, take a breath, do some further research. Like Jubin above, other than some minor fit and finish issues, I've had a positive experience and am happy with the boat. Fingers crossed though, I am only at 27 hours, one season in, so time will tell.

In my opinion, a forum can easily portray exceptions as the rule as most people (Like myself) tend to only come and post on a forum to vent and find solutions to their problems. I wouldn't think there's a lot of us out there that come to a forum just to brag about how awesome and flawless their boat is. Just my 2 cents

 

[PapaBear]

I'm in big trouble with my purchase as I am in week six without a boat. Carbon ring failure at 24 hours...parts took three weeks and it's going on week six and still no boat.
I made a huuuuge mistake in purchasing this boat.

 

[MrMoose]

That stinks man!
I guess you gotta find a dealer that does Yamaha ONLY or Yamaha boats and jet ski's etc.
I don't know if @OperationROL can comment on http://www.nielsens.com/ but they go the extra mile in sending goodies like T-shirts and prizes and such for our midwest gathering.

My "old" 2008 doesn't have half the newfangled technology all the newer boats have, so I guess I am good to go with fixing my own stuff!

Well, I'm going to take my boat to Texas Marine next. @tdonoughue said that they are competent. I have noticed that many 2015 Yamaha owners seem to prefer to fix their warranty problems themselves. Case in point, regarding the sound proofing foam that falls off of the engine hatch in the 2015 24 foot boats, most guys are fixing it themselves because they expect that their dealer will not do it properly. Marineland in Waco Texas tried to fix my falling foam and failed. They told me that they didn't expect their repair to hold, and that seemed to be acceptable to them. My sound proofing foam is sitting in the back of my storage shed. I'll give Texas Marine a chance to fix it when the season slows down.

 

[PapaBear]

My posts started in May...I've tried to stay positive...look at my posts

 

[ScarabMike]

My boat has been flawless, but its what is happening. With others that is passing me off about the whole situation. I choose to do service and repair work myself. I am a little anal at how I do things. I don't need some tech with a bad attitude and having a bad day to take it out on my boat or ski.

Maybe that's why I haven't had an issue. The dealer hasn't touched my boat since they sold it to me. Almost 50 hours on the dial.

 

[subysti]

As far as people just coming here just to complain about their boats I think that's a little off. It seems most Yamaha people are here to learn about mods for thier boats. My boat had a couple minor issues, bow roller scuffing and foam coming loose but nothing that caused a single day in the shop. It really sucks about the scarabs, I've always like the look of the boats but was concerned about the 2 manufacturers between the boat and the power plants when I was purchasing this year.

 

[PapaBear]

I think those of us with problems...mine is huge...we just want someone to stand up and take responsibility for the product. Fix our issues in a timely manner.

 

[jet set]

Man I hate hearing all this. I have one of the 2016 scarab 215s. So far its been nothing but love! I bought mine from Charleston Powersports. The dealership has been awesome so far. When I went to pick up my new boat, it wasnt ready as they were having trouble getting the swim platform mat off so the new Seadek mats would all match, the owner himself was there scraping and working hard, trying to get it ready. When it was getting late, I told them I would just come back when it was ready, and to take their time and do it right. the owner said he would have it brought to me,( a couple hours away). The sales mgr brought it to me the next day, took it out on the water with me, spent a couple hours on the water, going over everything. The owner is even giving me my 25hr service at no charge be cause I didnt get upset at being inconvenienced at delivery. The service dept are very well versed in yammies AND scarab as well as others they sell. Also, when my boat was delivered, neither me nor the dealership were aware of the major blue color change from bright pacific blue to navy blue. I called Rec Boat Holdings/ Scarab and they apologized for no previous notice of color change and offered to give me a refund on my deposit, have it wrapped or add a graphic to give it a brighter look. Im now happy with the navy. But I have had no mech problems with the boat or service issues with dealership or Scarab. Maybe im just lucky, I
But I hope my luck holds up!

 

[MrMoose]

Man I hate hearing all this. I have one the 2016 scarab 215s. So far its been nothing but love! I bought mine from Charleston Powersports. The dealership has been awesome so far. When I went to pick up my new boat, it wasnt ready as they were having trouble getting the swim platform mat off so the new Seadek mats would all match, the owner himself was there scraping and working hard, trying to get it ready. When it was getting late, I told them I would just come back when it was ready, take their time and do it right. the owner said he would have brought to me,( a couple houds away). The sales mgr brought it to me, took it out on the water with me, spent a couple hours on the water, going over everything. The owner is even giving me my 25hr service at no charge be cause I didnt get upset at being inconvenienced at delivery. The service dept are very well versed in yammies AND scarab as well as others they sell. Also, when my boat was delivered, neither me nor the dealership were aware of the major blue color change from bright pacific blue to navy blue. I called Rec Boat Holdings/ Scarab and they apologized for no previous notice of color change and offered to have it wrapped or add a graphic to give it a brighter look. Im now happy with the navy. But I have had no mech prblems with the oat or service issues with dealership or Scarab. Maybe im just lucky, I
But I hope my luck holds up!

Sorry @jet set , but to get a different color than what I expect when the boat is delivered, I think that's totally screwed. I guess that you'll never die from a stress-related disease. Just sayin'

 

[Capt. Disaster]

I have a '16 Scarab 215 HO Impulse and my two cents is it all comes down to the dealer. I took delivery of my new boat and there was an issue with the fit of the folding centre windshield. The dealer - Factory Rec in Midland Ontario - sent a tech two hours to my cottage to rectify it. They were a Seadoo dealer previously and know boats. Love the guys at Factory Rec and love my Scarab so far. Just rolled 50 hours on it this long weekend boating in the 1000 Islands...

 

[jet set]

Well, in the end @MrMoose I really like the navy blue, but they were willing to do whatever I wanted, including returning my deposit on a custom boat, or like I said changing the color with wrap or graphics. Throwing a fit wouldnt help anything. As a business owner, ive found that being firm, direct but even tempered is the best way to get satisfactory results when things go wrong. However if that doesnt work, I turn it over to the lawyers. The point is, I love my boat, the dealership has been great and while scarab dropped the ball on notifying about the color, they responded well a d offered to do everthing they could under the circumstance. Like @Capt. Disaster said, it all comes down to the dealer. I wouldnt buy a 65,000 boat from a dealer that was incompetent or sketchy.