New Nautique Dealer in MN

[KenG]

5150,


Your story does not surprise me in the least. I never bought or expressed interest in a new boat. I just needed the local dealer to support the boat(s) I owned at the times. That is their obligation, in my opinion, as the only local dealer. I never got the time of day from them, major parts and/or accessories, along with the minor stuff you are willing to pay a dealer for, zero interest.
Speaking of raw deals, KenG...... There is also more to the story dating to the origin of their dealership. Lame, lame, lame stuff. Ask Mark about that.

I don't know anything about your story but do know Son has always been more than helpfull to me and those I have referred to them (even on MAJOR parts or ACCESSORIES). Being in a small business also I know you can't make everybody happy all the time but again they have gone out of their way many times for me.

I know Mark is out of town and I would bet he will respond to this thread when he returns.

[swc5150]

I've never met them in person or purchased a boat from them, but White Lake has gone so above and beyond for me with small parts. And I've only spent maybe $500 at the most with them to date. I realize this doesn't relate to a shop in MN, but they are a dealership to be emulated.

[mryan318]

I've never met them in person or purchased a boat from them, but White Lake has gone so above and beyond for me with small parts. And I've only spent maybe $500 at the most with them to date. I realize this doesn't relate to a shop in MN, but they are a dealership to be emulated.

I agree with 5150 on this. I have order all my parts from white lake and they are awesome. I have ordered parts david and he is always more than helpful.

I had a simulator experience to 5150 on how I was treated. My first boat was a 1989 prostar 190(I am a wakeboard) so the wake on the prostar wasnt the greatest and after riding behind on 210 I was really interest in getting a sport nautique or 210(same hull basically). Son had both a 1996 sport and 2001 super sport I was interested in. Mark and Dave convince me to go for a test drive in the super sport so I did. The boat was not really the right color and had no tower, pp, and ballast but I really like the wake on it. I ended up purchase a 2000 super air with everything I wanted from a private party. I had the boat out on the lake 4-5 time and the hull started to yellow so I call SON to have them give the boat a acid bath and change all the fuilds(oil, trans, and vdrive) because Mark said the acid would stop the yellowing and keep it from coming back. After the acid bath I had the boat in the lake 3 times and I look worst than I did right before they did the acid bath. So I called SON and Mark said after I spend over 350 dollars on just the acid bath he would sell me a space tire for the boat and take 30 dollars off. They did not offer to give me any of my money back for offer me anything so I was very upset. The reason I had them do the bath and change the fluids is because I felt like I wasted there time with showing me their boats so I thought it was the least I could do. After this I give the boat my own acid bath, polished the boat and waxed it and have not had a problem since with yellowing. So I will not go back to SON Watersport and Anyone I know who is thinking of going there I will tell them my story and they can make their own opinion. I really liked Mark when I first met him but now all of business goes to the Malibu dealer in MN(Minnesota Inboard) and they are a great group of guys to deal with and will work on anything.

[MARK-S]

Awesome

I have had nothing but Awesome service and history with SON.
If they become centurian and PCM, it could be a good move. Ski Centurian has a new CB boat that will be out soon. From what I know, it is small, CB, PCM engine, lots of skier friendly space and the test team has run some big scores behind it.
We are looking for a 196 replacement and it may be the way to go if prices are right.

[BrennanK]

I just talked to Dave at Son today.
He explained to me that the new product/ dealer manager has revoked many of the smaller, family owned dealers. Son Watersports did not choose to stop being a Nautique dealer, Correct Craft transferred over to Marine Max.

[AirTool]

I've never met them in person or purchased a boat from them, but White Lake has gone so above and beyond for me with small parts. And I've only spent maybe $500 at the most with them to date. I realize this doesn't relate to a shop in MN, but they are a dealership to be emulated.

Agree.

[TRDon]

I know there might be bad blood out there with mark, but I cant say anything bad about him. Mark and I go back 3 boats now. Heck, I even bought a boat out of state because he didnt have what I was looking for. When I was at the other dealer (a brand X dealer who had what I was looking for) I had some question specific to the boat. I called Mark up and told him my thoughts on the boat and he gave me a list of other things to look into on that particular boat to check out. Later that night, he called me back and asked if I got it and how it ended up. He was glad I got what I wanted. He genuinely looked at it that way too. He was so good about it, I gave him my trailer sale as well.

Mark called me when this all went down and I told him when it is all over, I have a relationship with him, not nautique. I dont care what he sells, if he can give me what I am looking for, I will give the biz to him. He has treated me so good over the years that I would be dumb to go elsewhere. Nautique's commitment to service seems to have gone out with the meloons. Shady company stuff has happened inb the last few years.

I understand that not everyone can please everyone all the time, so Iam not discounting anything anybody has said about mark. Everyone has an opinion. It isnt hard to see what happened. Transfer of a product to a large national chain and take it away from a one man shop. Nautique wants numbers and a million dollar inventory from a person who cannot give it to them. That does give me a negative feeling about nautique as a whole. I know it takes numbers to run a company, but there is no integrity to taking it away from a dealership that gave the product a name in an area and giving it to another area dealership.

Whatever they are trying to do, good luck to them. My 03 was likely to be my last nautique anyway. I dont have to go on about all my problems I have had that I still havent ironed out yet. For their sake I hope they can work it out, because it doesnt seem like Mark is the only small dealership to loose the brand. There is more going on than we know.

My .02

[bubba]

Remember in a small company there is no one else to put the blame on. Everyone has had moments of wow what was I thinking. Keep in mind that Dave and Mark are individuals that can have off days.

Mark and Dave have done everything I have ever asked of them and more. Dave spent hours, days, weeks and months hunting down a boat for me but unfortuantely it was not to be; the right one just did not come around. Mark worked with the dealer I purchased our boat from and performed the warranty work and then some. Sometimes large is not necessarily better.

[snowboardcorey]

Best wishes to Mark, I know he'll pick up a new line (Centurion and Tige' are both looking for a good dealer, I'm sure Epic wouldn't mind a presence either) and roll with it. Mark has always treated me well, and while I haven't been in his shop since I sold my CC he has always treated me well even though I now work at a competing dealership.

[Casey@NautiqueMN]

New Dealer Contact

We are very excited to be the new dealer for MN, we have all the facilities and staff to fully serve every Nautique owner in the state. My name is Casey Smith and I will be heading up the operation for MarineMax. My contact info is casey.smith@marinemax.com and my cell is (813) 230-0946, I am available to help in any way possible.

I look forward to hearing from some local owners and I am going to try and host events to thank you for being Nautique owners.

Casey

[KenG]

We are very excited to be the new dealer for MN, we have all the facilities and staff to fully serve every Nautique owner in the state. My name is Casey Smith and I will be heading up the operation for MarineMax. My contact info is casey.smith@marinemax.com and my cell is (813) 230-0946, I am available to help in any way possible.

I look forward to hearing from some local owners and I am going to try and host events to thank you for being Nautique owners.

Casey

Best of luck to you, I hope your successfull and I hope the quality of the product improves. The customer service bar has been set very high by Mark and Dave at Son.
Ken

[xlair]

ehh, marine max. That was always the place to go buy a sea ray not a nautique. its a shame the small shops are getting run out of town...

but what do I care- the boats are so expensive now that nobody can afford them anyways.

[Oletimeskier]

ehh, marine max. That was always the place to go buy a sea ray not a nautique. its a shame the small shops are getting run out of town...

but what do I care- the boats are so expensive now that nobody can afford them anyways.

So true and so sad !

I am sure MM has nice people and all but that is just not the kind of place I would ever buy a specialty ski / wakeboard boat from. JMO

[MattieK27]

ehh, marine max. That was always the place to go buy a sea ray not a nautique. its a shame the small shops are getting run out of town...

but what do I care- the boats are so expensive now that nobody can afford them anyways.

My family wont buy their Sea Rays there.

I second the expense on new boats, its gotten past ridiculous.

[gride300]

would all marine max know what to do w/ a nautique? the former area dealer has not sold them for years and years, and apparently marine max bought them.