Lagoon 52, think twice before purchasing it

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

This past year, we only spent the following on repairs and wasted less than two hours in a shipyard.

500 euros for two water pumps which I replaced myself
35 euros for labor to replace an impeller
35 euros for the impeller
75 euros for two oil changes which I did myself
1200 euros to replace fridge (our fault, my wife used a hammer to defrost)
200 euros for buffing and waxing products (did myself)
$75 for two water maker filters

I get the feeling that the OP isn't waiting for the factory to do common routine maintenance stuff like replacing an impeller or filter and waxing the hull, or fix something he broke himself.

If he has extensive electrical, plumbing, mechanical or structural problems on a brand new boat, would you still suggest he just forget Lagoon and do the work himself?

Mark

[Lakepapa]

This thread definitely echoes what I've read many times on this forum. New boat or old boat: 1. Buyer beware. 2. Have it surveyed. 3. Boats don't adhere to the same schedule you might have.


Heart goes out to the OP though. Sheesh, half a mil+ for a brand new boat and has to deal with all of those headaches and additional expenses. Not to mention the pissed off spouse that might not want to ever set foot on that boat again.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Lakepapa

This thread definitely echoes what I've read many times on this forum. New boat or old boat: 1. Buyer beware. 2. Have it surveyed. 3. Boats don't adhere to the same schedule you might have.


Heart goes out to the OP though. Sheesh, half a mil+ for a brand new boat and has to deal with all of those headaches and additional expenses. Not to mention the pissed off spouse that might not want to ever set foot on that boat again.

According to Lagoon's price list, probably closer to a million bucks.

Regardless, it's a shame to read about all these unfortunate issues.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by colemj

I get the feeling that the OP isn't waiting for the factory to do common routine maintenance stuff like replacing an impeller or filter and waxing the hull, or fix something he broke himself.

If he has extensive electrical, plumbing, mechanical or structural problems on a brand new boat, would you still suggest he just forget Lagoon and do the work himself?

Mark

Mark,

I'm suggesting that he forget about waiting around in marinas for the smaller stuff. Bit the bullet and pay for it privately rather than waste vacation time and the associated frustration.

So yes, pay for some of the warranty stuff, otherwise he's going to have a couple of miserable years trying to save money.

[anacapaisland42]

They sound like the North American auto makers of the 70's/80''s etc before the Japanese came into the market and FORCED them to improve!
Bill



Take a step back, and a deep breath. What you have been experiencing is not uncommon with brand new boats. Stuff does not work right. Service providers do not come when they say they will or complete jobs when they said they will. This --while entirely frustrating-- is the way of the world when it comes to yachts. The search for reliable providers is forever ongoing. It is not specific to Lagoons. Everybody has difficulties with providers, even if they're "nice" people, they're still not prompt. This is the world you bought into with your Lagoon. Now you guys have to figure out how to cope with it. Maybe offer bonuses for early completion to your satisfaction?

Ann[/QUOTE]

[Frank A]

Hello, No, Lagoon never pays for the delay they cause, even for the delivery in la Rochelle, i had to pay an 1100 euros extra fees for the marina to get some options for which some still never came and others never work biut were fixed by other Lagoon agents on my way.If you are really interested in seeing how they work at Lagoon's factory, i can send you the survey that i should receive tonight… amazing !

[E O Mai]

We purchased a Catana 411 in 2000 and had it shipped to the Pacific Northwest. To fix several warranty issues Catana flew out a team from France. They also paid to have part of the rig replaced and and the mast repainted. After sales service was superb back then. Don't know about now.
Our broker Don Buckles of Navigator Yachts in Florida was extremely helpful in both the purchase and warranty work.

[afriis]

A brand new 52 is a whopping €1M. More than $1M.

We tookdelivery of our L400 this spring and the only issue has been the B&G MFD that was changed on Lagoon's account by the dealer.
Of course, there has been a lot of minor stuff like creaking doors etc but much less than on our previous Beneteau.

I hope that you get this sorted out. Will definitely ask our dealer about Lagoon's attutude when we meet this weekend on behalf of a friend is considering buying an L42 after sailing with us in our 400.

[mcneilms]

Lawyer up. It's amazing how fast they will resolve issues on face of legal action .

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Hello, No, Lagoon never pays for the delay they cause, even for the delivery in la Rochelle, i had to pay an 1100 euros extra fees for the marina to get some options for which some still never came and others never work biut were fixed by other Lagoon agents on my way.If you are really interested in seeing how they work at Lagoon's factory, i can send you the survey that i should receive tonight… amazing !

Frank,

You need to move on and start enjoying your boat. Can you be more specific as to the type of problems you're having? Are they smaller items which can be repaired easily by local help?

My earlier point is... it doesn't make economic sense to sit around in a marina awaiting delivery for a 200-300 euro part and then have some Lagoon contractor install it. You don't end up saving money this way, you just end up with a ruined vacation. Sometimes it just makes more sense to run down to the chandlery and take care of it yourself.

[SVrider44224]

Coming from a commercial/industrial background, I learned LONG ago not to offer bonuses.
We did include fines based on missed, agreed upon, delivery dates and quality.
Not sure how/if it would transfer to this industry, but you'd be surprised how efficient entities can get when face with a $1000 a week fine.

[beauris]

france is an advanced country with a very protective legal system when it comes to non professional buyers...if you feel a warranty is due then use a french lawyer, one who knows about customers right, or go through a french owner association...however keep your mind open as what you believe is due warranty might not be considered such here even though it's usual where you come from ( the opposite is true as well)

[avb3]

All of this confirms my philosophy to never make a major purchase that is new.

(Electronics often excepted)

A well founded used boat, house, vehicle, RV etc. are often better equipped and maintained than the new. When I see how much people pay just to keep a warranty up due to required service at a dealer for a vehicle, and then look at my maintenance costs, I'd rather be without warranty.

Besides, there are still way too many great used boats out there.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

I think Jim's advice here is spot on.... Refusing delivery until your "final approval stamp survey" has been rectified... Would change 6 months of warranty items to 2 weeks...

"I absolutely would love to pay the delivery balance.... Deliver what you promised and I will..."

It's very difficult to get a satisfactory outcome when there is no money witheld in cases like this.

Three options spring to mind:

1) sell the vessel and cut your losses
2) go legal. Rarely results in a good financial outcome for the buyer. This case probably exceeds most small claim options
3) go media. Often results in a legal response from the other party.
4) prioritze, resource and schedule repairs yourself.

My wife and I never pay all due until the work is done for anything. We have a rule that we will supervise all work. Daily. This allows issues and poor workmanship to be addressed early.

Complicated marine electronics implementations seem to be particularly problematic. While the manufacturers market impressive plug and play catalogues they clearly dont test any of the more complex solutions I see on some vessels. The customer does the R&D.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Mark, stories like Frank's and comments like yours make me smile when I read posts by folks who are set upon buying a brand new boat so that they won't have to worry about things being wrong with their purchase.

One of the best bits of advice ever posted here on CF was that anyone buying a new boat should have it surveyed very critically by a hard nosed surveyor before accepting delivery. Advice, by the way, that is seldom heeded... consider how much better off Frank would have been if he had done so!

Jim

Yeah, outfitting, tweaking and getting a new boat up to speed is a big job, just like rebuilding an old one no doubt. It seems the local contractors just put gear on as quickly as possible, with little thought to how the gear is used or functions at times.
One might consider having a sistership surveyed if the boat being bought isnt built yet, then firm up an offer with the noted changes you require. Not sure if this could be done but maybe.