So i found a great deal on a smaller boat down in Fl (21’ Contender) that i had to have. I hired a broker and surveyor to inspect the boat. All came back clean, so i sent a cashier’s check to the dealer and had him deliver the boat to my door.
When he arrived he did not bring the title, because the check i sent him (got a loan) said he had to surrender the title to them.
So i told him just to send the title to me and when i register the boat with the title (NC) the registering place (Gander Mountain) sends the title to the bank. This was 3 weeks ago!
Last week i called again and he said the titling agent will overnight it to me that day. A week later still no title. Called again Sat evening, no returned phone calls from the dealer, or returned emails. I even called from a different number… no answer.
So should i drive down there and talk to this skinny little bastard face to face (500 miles). hire a lawyer? or just calm down and wait a couple days?
I have one more week from where my interest rate goes from 6% to 15% with no title.
This is a huge car dealership (3 of them), but it is only the one guy that deals with the boats (think they only carry 10 of them). The salesman I have been dealing with has the same last name as the dealership name. Guessing he is the son?
What do you think, besides I am an idiot paying for a boat without getting the title?
First call the Better Business Bureau in Fl. and see if there’s been other complaints against this dealership. They’ll send them a letter if you want them to…
Call Fla. DMV and check to see is the boat \ motor has a clear title and \ or had been stolen. If you have a bill of sale you might been able to get a replacement " lost " title in NC.
Call the owner of the dealship regardless of the salesman’s last name and find out what the deal is. If they’re a big dealership they don’t want negative press.
Call the local news station down there and ask them if they have a consummer protection prg… Maybe they’ll give tell the dealership a call of send a camera crew out there to see why they sell boats and don’t provide titles…
Last resort cost money - call a Fla. Attorney. Find out what your options are.
The weasels of the world make it rough on the rest of us…
I had a similar issue happen with getting a title from a dealership. I ended up calling the DNR in Columbia, and they got it fixed real quick.
Call the HQ of Florida’s DNR equivalent that handles titling, and they’ll get it fixed for you.
Good luck!
USAF
I’ll be in Jupitor Fl starting Thursday for 10 days. Have lots of contacts in the boating and brokerage business. If you want me to snoop around PM me the specifics.
“If you’re not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you’re not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”