Major Disappointment! - Ed Gerdemann

[Edward Gerdemann]

I've never ordered a boat, but I have ordered cars. They do that online, and you sign the order sheet, printed with all the options you specd. (I did it just today).

Is that the way it works with a boat? If so, how can they get the equipment wrong?

At the time I ordered the boat the 2022 online order forms were not yet available even though they 2022 models were in production. As the Reata version of this boat was new for 2022, there was not box to check for it in the 2021 form. The dealer had to write it in manually. I place a bulk of the blame on Ranger aka White River Marine Group for not having order forms to match the models they are building. They should never have taken orders for 2022 boats without the right order forms.

Sadly this is just another incompetant service we see these days.

Ed Gerdemann

 

[Edward Gerdemann]

Hi Ed, ever since Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela's it's no longer Cabela's. I recommend Pro's Choice Marine in Warsaw, Mo. I bought a 2021 Ranger VX 1788 deep water all welded aluminum boat from them and I can tell you THAT's a REAL bass boat dealer, including all the major brands. It was such a great experience that I will buy my next boat from them too. Give them a call, you won't be sorry. Yes, it takes two days to get there, but it's worth it. It's a giant dealership and it's bass boats only. I may have the only Ranger VX in Arizona. Everywhere I go with the boat it draws people, including bass pros who've never seen one and they all want to examine the boat, but I can tell you it's an awesome boat.

I was in Missouri twice this past spring dealing with affairs after my dad's death. I was born and raised there. I drove right by the factory in Lebanon where the Ranger aluminum hulls are made. It would not be practical for me to drive back there again.

Ed Gerdemann

 

[Chukardog]

I live in Phoenix so going to SLC was not a viable option. The Cabela's here in Glendale is the only Ranger dealer in Arizona to my knowledge. What's ironic is my wife had a doctor appointment today. She had a card that showed the day of the appointment, time and location of the appointment. When she got to the office they had no record of it, and they had even called her a few days prior to confirm it! They said they could get her in at another office some 15 miles away. She declined. I agree that many retailers/service providers think if they screw things up we'll just go along with it. More people need to stick to their guns. When it hurts them in the pocket book they'll pay attention.

I just wrote Johnny Morris at BPS about my problem and asked that my order be tracked down and expedited. I cited my longtime patronage of both Bass Pro and Cabela's and Ranger Boats. I've heard Johnny is a pretty down to earth guy. Maybe this will help.

Ed Gerdman

I live in Phoenix so going to SLC was not a viable option. The Cabela's here in Glendale is the only Ranger dealer in Arizona to my knowledge. What's ironic is my wife had a doctor appointment today. She had a card that showed the day of the appointment, time and location of the appointment. When she got to the office they had no record of it, and they had even called her a few days prior to confirm it! They said they could get her in at another office some 15 miles away. She declined. I agree that many retailers/service providers think if they screw things up we'll just go along with it. More people need to stick to their guns. When it hurts them in the pocket book they'll pay attention.

I just wrote Johnny Morris at BPS about my problem and asked that my order be tracked down and expedited. I cited my longtime patronage of both Bass Pro and Cabela's and Ranger Boats. I've heard Johnny is a pretty down to earth guy. Maybe this will help.

Ed Gerdemann

Ed, if you find the boat you want in SLC, I would be happy to deliver it to you, all of my family and more importantly my wife's family live in Arizona, I would be able to bring it the first part of January

 

[Irion]

Ed, when I custom ordered my 1880 Angler from Cabelas (Sydney) in 2015 they sent the wrong color. It was a great looking boat but I also chose to re-order and finally got the right boat but it was a 2016. Mine is fiberglass and I specifically chose the angler over the Reata because it is a fishing only boat and I liked some of the features geared more towards fishing such as the elevated rod locker. It makes it so much easier to use as compared to the one on the floor which is what the Reata had at the time. I ordered the barrel seats which no one else had done at the time and I have the two pedestal seats behind those that some times I leave at home. I two saw the difference in the fit and finish when I was compairing to the other top boats at the time. I hope thats still the case with your new ranger.
Best of luck with your new boat Ed and I hope to meet you on the water some day.
P.S. I have always enjoyed reading your posts but your recent one, on the stories of great times with your old boat really warmed my heart and got me thinking of all the great times I have shared @ Powell with family and friends for 35 years.
God Bless; Howard Irion

 

[David A Dexter]

In my case, I searched Pro Choice Marine's web site for their new boat inventory which was substantial and picked out my boat. They gave me an estimate for the trade in of my other Ranger, which was a fair price, and I drove it Warsaw, MO. They only sell and service bass boats and everything was very easy in dealing with them; true professionals and bass fishing addicts.

 

[Havalina]

Ed

I am still waiting for one Yamaha 200 in order to get my boat. I called over twenty dealerships to find my kicker the first week of November and everyone of them told me the same thing. They all said that the boats on order have gone up about twenty percent and the manufactures have drastically cut the number of boats that they are going to get in 2022 and 2023. Several of them said that they have already canceled orders with buyers because they can’t get the boats. All of them said that their customers are tweaked, at having to pay the extra cash when their boats have arrived.

They bright side is with inflation and interest rates going up. There are going to be lots of folks who are either going to have to sell their new baby, or will cancel their current orders. Hopefully, in the end it all works out for you and you get the exact boat that wanted.

I feel your angst, because we are in the same boat. I have a $225,000 dollar boat that I can’t use and I absolutely hate waiting.