Action 9

Action 9 gets family $41,000 back after returning boat

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scott Munn dreamed of owning a boat and taking his family out on Lake Wylie.

"I was raised up on the water and just decided I wanted to get a boat again," he said.

Munn went to Factory Direct Marine & RV in west Charlotte and fell in love with a pontoon boat for $41,000.

"I was excited," he said.

Munn said he bought the boat and put it in the water but it didn't feel right.

"It starts -- they call it cavitating -- but it starts cutting off,” Munn said.

The dealer emailed Action 9 to say that's part of the "design," "not in adverse condition," and that the boat "performs exactly as it should."

Munn told Channel 9 he wasn't comfortable with that.

"I just want my money back," he said.

The dealer said Munn "signed a legally binding contract" and felt Munn was having "buyer's remorse."

"I do not have buyer's remorse. I wanted a boat. I was very excited about getting that boat. To this day, I still want that boat," Munn told Action 9.

Legally, the dealer didn't have to let Munn out of the deal or give him his money back, but once Action 9 got involved, he agreed refund the money in good faith.

"Next summer, I will have a boat," Munn said.

Statement from the dealer:

“As the Corporate General Manager, I contacted Mr. Munn in an attempt to resolve this issue. I offered several options, such as:

"1. We could show him how different propellers affect the boats performance characteristics, and possibly find one that better suits his expectations. This we would do at no additional cost. Different propellers can make a huge difference, depending on the intended use.

"2. We would show him the proper operation of the boat so as to not experience the condition he identified.

"3. We would provide an upgraded motor of increased horsepower, at no additional charge. This would totally alleviate the condition Mr. Munn was identifying, give him considerably more value, and make for a high-performance vessel, which is what we know would solve completely the basis for his complaint.

"4. We would let him choose another boat of his choice, from the many brands and types that we carry.

"Each of these we offered as gestures of good customer service. Mr Munn signed a legally binding contract and paid in full for his boat. It has become increasingly more apparent that he has buyer's remorse and has stated that he just wants his money back and does not intend to buy a boat now (in spite of the fact he already did). 

"All that said, we have decided to release Mr. Munn from his contract and refund him his money, while we are under no legal, moral, or ethical obligation to do so. We are a good company with an excellent product, and I am always directed to do the right thing.“

Action 9 wanted to run this news report to remind people of a bigger takeaway, that no matter what big-ticket item you get, like a car, make sure you research the make and model, test drive it first and if you're not happy, don't hand over your money.

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