Two vendor reviews

[defjef]

Here follow my two experiences

I owned a Switlik 6 person offshore life raft. At the time of the incident I was living aboard in Norwalk CT. I had removed my raft and placed in the work shop of the boat yard. Offshore Repair and Repack came buy looking for business of repacking a re certifying life rafts. I asked them to store mine and then repack it when I needed it again so the repack would have the latest date.

A few years later I decided to sell my raft and contacted them in CT and asked for them to return it. At first they said they were about to move and things were in disarray and they needed some time to locate it. I waited a few weeks or a month and called again but they seemed to have "lost it". I was freaked out but figured that theire insurance would cover it and this would solve my problem of selling it. They refused to cooperate at this point and so instead of accepting the fact that they lost my raft they refused to receive my calls.

Eventually I got a lawyer and took them to court. I won the court case. How could I not? They lost[redacted] my raft [redacted]. They did not pay the judgment and filed for bankruptcy and disappeared for a while. [redacted] I received a few hundred dollars in from them which went to the attorney of couse.

I have heard that the owner, Paul Siege who I sued is back in biz in CT doing something in the marine business. So HIS Offshore Repair and Repack is a goner but he has risen again to rip off others.

Second incident was with Ocean Options. At about the same time as incident 1 my Espar heater gave up. I sent it off to OO and they did a repair for about $750 replacing the blower. Worked fine for a year and that two went south. I called them, sent it up there and they told me that they had to replace it again for...$750. This for a heater if part time use. They sent it back in pieces and refused to support their previous service. I have heard others complain about them. They are still in business.

I replaced my heater buying it offshore and doing the install myself. Works perfectly for 5 years.



Note by moderator: the rules require inclusion of contact information for the vendors, which was subsequently provided by the author. The vendors, or anyone familiar with them, are invited to post a response, if so desired. --- Hud3

Ocean Options, Inc. (New England Office)
95 Riverside Drive
Tiverton, RI 02878
Phone: (401)624-7334
Fax: (401)624-8050

Their new address since I dealt them.

Offshore Repack & Repair
Essex CT
Owner Paul Siege <psiege@connix.com>

[Chief Engineer]

"Deleted by me