Eleuthera 60: Customer Service

[MIRELOS]

Sailed my new Eleuthera 60 across the Atlantic last summer and loved the way it handled the ocean, but has anybody had as much trouble as I in getting FP customer service to resolve warranty issues?, six months and still going.

[Cotemar]

MIRELOS,

Are you going to the new FP Customer Service manager

Alexandre Derché
serviceclient@fountaine-pajot.com

Fountaine Pajot

[MIRELOS]

Alexandre and everyone else at Fountaine-Pajot

[Cotemar]

MIRELOS,

OK, how about:
Gregor Tarjan gt@aeroyacht.com He is the NY area FP dealer.
Or go right to the top of FP
Jean-Francois Fountaine Chairman of the Board CEO and Managing Director

[MIRELOS]

Cotemar,
Gregor was my agent and I like him as a person but not much help in getting things done.
I actually spoke in person with Jean-Francois at the Annapolis show and he got Romain to note everything down and see to the problem. Once they were back in France the machinery slowed to a dead calm again. The person that was the most help is Patrick Gilot from Multihull Solutions, FP dealer in Australia, he picked up the thread from one of my internet inquires and arranged for my meeting in Annapolis. Ever so slowly things are getting done.
I should not have to put so much time and effort to solve the few problems after buying a boat of this caliber.
Thanks for the contact, but I wondered if every warranty issue for FP owners had met such difficulties.

[Cotemar]

MIRELOS,

Here is how my warranty issues went.
I had two issues:

1) Furuno autopilot did not always turn on.
I contacted Furuno directly by e-mail and included pictures and serial numbers.
Furuno sent a tech. within a week to my boat and it was fixed.

2) Window leaked- Sent e-mail with pictures to FP Customer Service manager

FP Customer Service manager told me to get an estimate from local automotive windshield repair company to remove and replace to a FP repair process.

FP approved the window leak repair estimate, I had it done and FP sent me a check for all costs. This took two weeks and was all done by e-mails with photos and PDF files for paperwork.

No one likes having to do warranty work, but I have found that by dealing direct and using e-mail, photo of issues and PDF files for paperwork with signatures really expedites the process.

My last boat was a Catalina 380 and was purchased only 2 years old. The first thing that the owner said to me is that you are lucky. All the warranty work has already been fixed over the last 2 years. Apparently this is common in this industry

[MIRELOS]

Cotemar,
I must be cursed, my first boat was a Catalina- no claims. My second a Lord nelson- no claims. Now with the FP I have a few claims which are to be expected primarily after crossing an ocean right out of the factory. Most of the problems were caused by bad commissioning. Leaking hatches, stripped valve on refrigeration and the worst (plastimo) running rigging I have seen in 30years on boats. Carpentry problems,the two starboard berths broke (the support posts) I fixed them myself, formica panel in the galley cracked (I finally received it 2 weeks ago) and the Pro-Furl system for the jib tore itself up for lack of locking screws. I did all as you did but did not get the same results, it's very odd I had a very good personable relationship with them while in La Rochelle. The details of the saga are too long to write in this e-mail, I just hope all will be resolved in due time.