What is going on at Centurion?

[Kevin Baugh 78]

The other thing that people have a hard time with was the KK thing

M & M was a KK dealer They where never a direct Fineline Customer

They purchased there boats from Kal Kustom who purchased all the boats for dealers west of the Rockies from Fineline

[KnuckleDragger 7]

I too am sad that M&M will no longer sell Centurion. I purchased a Falcon V from them last fall. The letter I received from them said that they were still an authorized centurion service center so they could handle any warranty work. So that is a bright side that it doesn't appear we will be forced to go to a different dealer for warranty work.

 

Maybe someone at M&M will eventually log on here and fill us in about what happened with their relationship once the dust settles.

[duramat 462]

M&M only sold Centurion. And compared to the other dealers locally they did quite well and didn't have an excess of inventory boats that they couldn't get rid of. They sold more Enzos than any dealership. They know the product along with all the quirks and imperfections that the boats have had, from manufacturing to the maintenance of them. They know what the customers want, they have a loyal clientel and in order to be the fine dealer that they have been, they have demands. Showing loyalty to us and looking out for our interests and needs is a must. One being customer support from the factory and honoring manufacturing flaws and warranty work! MY BOAT FOR EXAMPLE! (I am not the only one) I brought up my issues with the dealer and Centurion over a year ago regarding my vinyl and stess cracks and they are rejecting my legit warranty issues! I still havnt heard back from Shell! How are you to sell a product if they are going to continually get the run around denied legit waranty issues? The guys at M&M have gone the rounds with them on behalf of many of us, but they can only do so much. Centurion has set a Bar for warranty work and they arnt doing it and I too feel like Centurion just told me to bend over and spell "Run". And on top of that drop M&M? Heck ya Im livid. I bought my boat cause my dealer had a history with them and they weren't a "fly by night" operation.

 

Desoto you ain't alone bro

[desotodave 0]

What other boats do M&M sell? Maybe in these hard times which I've seen alot, M&M pulled the plug because sales are down and it's harder to finace (they pay interest on all the boats on the lot till sold)high cost boats for them. Three dealers in my area folded one was selling over 300 boats a year before this crash time. M&M maybe hurting

 

M&M was exclusively a Centurion dealer.. They also have a huge internet business selling all sorts of boating gear called Boardco.com. I am sure that they are NOT having financial difficulties. Financing etc is not the issue here, it is specifically Centurion related. I expect to see them carrying another line before summer.

[desotodave 0]

M&M only sold Centurion. And compared to the other dealers locally they did quite well and didn't have an excess of inventory boats that they couldn't get rid of. They sold more Enzos than any dealership. They know the product along with all the quirks and imperfections that the boats have had, from manufacturing to the maintenance of them. They know what the customers want, they have a loyal clientel and in order to be the fine dealer that they have been, they have demands. Showing loyalty to us and looking out for our interests and needs is a must. One being customer support from the factory and honoring manufacturing flaws and warranty work! MY BOAT FOR EXAMPLE! (I am not the only one) I brought up my issues with the dealer and Centurion over a year ago regarding my vinyl and stess cracks and they are rejecting my legit warranty issues! I still havnt heard back from Shell! How are you to sell a product if they are going to continually get the run around denied legit waranty issues? The guys at M&M have gone the rounds with them on behalf of many of us, but they can only do so much. Centurion has set a Bar for warranty work and they arnt doing it and I too feel like Centurion just told me to bend over and spell "Run". And on top of that drop M&M? Heck ya Im livid. I bought my boat cause my dealer had a history with them and they weren't a "fly by night" operation.

 

Desoto you ain't alone bro

 

I think that you will find anyone who bought their boat from M&M will feel the same way. Like I said in my original post, this is not just some dealer who wants to dump a bunch of boats and does not care. They were concerned about the product, and had been instrumental in helping develop Centurion into what they are today. They love boats, Centurion in particular. When I bought my first new boat from them they spent hours showing me how the boat was built, honestly comparing its faults and good points with other manufacturers. I then went and looked at the other boats first, and everything they told me was spot on! Additionally, when I went to the other brands, Malibu, tige, Nautique, and MB, their sales people knew less about their boats then I did! The education I received on boats from M&M made me more knowledgeable about say a Tige than the people that were selling Tige. It is this consistently honest, straightforward way of doing business that receives them rave reviews!

[duramat 462]

Amen! And AMEN!

[Spud 7]

Man that KK contract was very harmful to the boat industry. I have met a few people, and correct me if I am wrong, Sanger and Supreme? were KK product or Supra and a couple of others maybe. Anyways, even they were unhappy with warranty issues that were ran by KK product, not just Centurion owners. I believe I posted something earlier in the month:

 

"Well that's great news!! That Kal Kustoms was bad and already you can see a huge change in the quality of Centurion's product. Hopefully things work out for the best. I was at the Merced W-house recently and they were saying they should have a new look soon as far as dealers and product and seperating from Kal Kustoms. Just in my town we had 3 boat dealers close their doors, and what had a total lake town image, we have an empty lake and nowhere to buy accessories."

 

I have read here as well that people wish they had the Falcon V upholstery, because of the quality. Well in my '06 pooh was being fixed all the time it seemed on the KK boat i.e. vinyl, and I saw locals with Sanger or Supra whatever going through same issues... hulls packed with garbage. If Centurion needs to part ways and restructure, I am for it and if you love your Centurion so much, sit and let nature take it's course. The boat industry is taking a huge hit right now, and a lot of boats being purchased are liquid, repo and auctioned boats, to even further push the knife in. Don't bash a company for trying to survive and offer a better product. There are a lot of us here in central CA that were abandoned when Cent, Bu and MC dealers closed, a lot of us.

[desotodave 0]

Man that KK contract was very harmful to the boat industry. I have met a few people, and correct me if I am wrong, Sanger and Supreme? were KK product or Supra and a couple of others maybe. Anyways, even they were unhappy with warranty issues that were ran by KK product, not just Centurion owners. I believe I posted something earlier in the month:

 

"Well that's great news!! That Kal Kustoms was bad and already you can see a huge change in the quality of Centurion's product. Hopefully things work out for the best. I was at the Merced W-house recently and they were saying they should have a new look soon as far as dealers and product and seperating from Kal Kustoms. Just in my town we had 3 boat dealers close their doors, and what had a total lake town image, we have an empty lake and nowhere to buy accessories."

 

I have read here as well that people wish they had the Falcon V upholstery, because of the quality. Well in my '06 pooh was being fixed all the time it seemed on the KK boat i.e. vinyl, and I saw locals with Sanger or Supra whatever going through same issues... hulls packed with garbage. If Centurion needs to part ways and restructure, I am for it and if you love your Centurion so much, sit and let nature take it's course. The boat industry is taking a huge hit right now, and a lot of boats being purchased are liquid, repo and auctioned boats, to even further push the knife in. Don't bash a company for trying to survive and offer a better product. There are a lot of us here in central CA that were abandoned when Cent, Bu and MC dealers closed, a lot of us.

Not bashing them for trying to make a profit. What I am saying is why dump for best dealer (or screw things up so bad your best and longest tenured dealer leaves). In no way can I see that they are improving Fineline for the better.

[MANDC 0]

Makes you wonder why a 3 time dealer of the year is no longer Centurion.

What are they doing wrong that Centurion wants to seperate themselves. Must be problems on the horizon for M&M

[desotodave 0]

Makes you wonder why a 3 time dealer of the year is no longer Centurion.

What are they doing wrong that Centurion wants to seperate themselves. Must be problems on the horizon for M&M

 

Talk to anyone who is a customer of M&M (see previous posts). Guarantee you it is a Centurion problem not an M&M one. I mean, I have no skin in the game other than being a boat owner. I do have some solace, apparetly M&M is still authorized to service the Centurion boats, so I won't have to visit the dark side.

 

I LOVE my Enzo, and tell everyone in the world how great it is to the point of distraction. Many friends family etc have bought Centurions just because of my passion for the boats. I do not hate Centurion, but I am very worried about their long term viability given how they have been treating their dealers and riders in this time of business uncertainty. When business is bad, good companies try and stay close to the people who have made them most successful, in this case their best dealers, and spondored riders. Seems like business 101 to me. I am in the financial services industry and have consulted with thousands of business over the last 25 years. From my point of view, what Centurion is doing makes no sense.

 

Look at the Centurion Web site. It is now the 2010 boat show season, and they do not even have pictures of the 2010 boats on their web site. All of the engines are still listed as Merc, not the PCM. They do not have their new dash pictured, nothing on the new cruise control system etc. It is great the some people on here have seen all of these things, but why have they not updated their website this year! How do you expect to sell boats when you don't even have pictures or the correct specs for people to look at! They started making 2010 boats back in what October. So in 4 months they have not been able to run out to the factory and take some pictures? It takes very little effort to change out pictures ans specs on a web site, you should easily be able to accomplish of of that in a couple of hours if you are just swapping out pictures, and changing text. The entire picture just screams disorganization. Not a good thing to have in this economy.

[MANDC 0]

I GIVE

[WakeDoc 471]

Look at the Centurion Web site. It is now the 2010 boat show season, and they do not even have pictures of the 2010 boats on their web site. All of the engines are still listed as Merc, not the PCM. They do not have their new dash pictured, nothing on the new cruise control system etc. It is great the some people on here have seen all of these things, but why have they not updated their website this year! How do you expect to sell boats when you don't even have pictures or the correct specs for people to look at! They started making 2010 boats back in what October. So in 4 months they have not been able to run out to the factory and take some pictures? It takes very little effort to change out pictures ans specs on a web site, you should easily be able to accomplish of of that in a couple of hours if you are just swapping out pictures, and changing text. The entire picture just screams disorganization. Not a good thing to have in this economy.

 

 

There is no way you have EVER been involved in web design...they should just go down to Staples and get an EASY BUTTON...geeeeez, if it were only that easy...LMAO

 

I GIVE

 

2ND

[rizza32 0]

I thought we werent supposed to hear from happy dave for three years. Which is when happy go lucky nostradamus predicted the end of Centurion.

[Joe B 17]

I'm going to make one post and completely speculate here:

 

Maybe M&M and other dealers who are not in dire finaces came to the conclusion that with KK dumping huge amounts of inventory on the market below cost, all the repos going around below cost, all the big markets that imploded and people dumping their toys to make ends meet below cost---did the dealers realize that for the next 2 years or so that they didn't see making a profit on Centurion boats??? Business is business so put aside any past relationships or awards. Maybe they ran the numbers and decided to drop Cents and pick up another boat line that doesn't have as big excess inventory. I can't blame a business for wanting to make a profit.

 

That said, my original dealer went belly up so I feel some of your frustrations. My original dealer was able to do warranty work but it was contracted out and they didn't have the engine diagnostic software to do the job right. If you are happy with M&M why change? I also bet they will have a new line by summer and they still have all the tools to work on your boat properly.

 

In the long run the new business plan of Cent will work out better IMO. I just hope the dealer base holds on until the excess inventory is gone, and/or a major boat inovation happens where we really want to upgrade like hybrid boat if gas goes $4+

 

I'm out and wish I was surfing

[MANDC 0]

ahhh yes. i predict all boat companies will be out of business in the next three years.

 

Why you ask?

 

Mayan calander ends on December 21st 2012. you know what that means.

 

Sorry, couldnt help it. i really do give now.

 

Good stuff rizza32.

[Spud 7]

I GIVE

3rd

Edited January 20, 2010 by Spud

[tank222 2]

desotodave if you are such a loyal customer to mm and have bought so many boats from there and send every one there and know every one there why don't you just call them and ask what's up instead of coming on here and bitching?

 

Just asking

[Kevin Baugh 78]

Now that is a VERY good question

[MANDC 0]

LMFAO TANK222

[MANDC 0]

Ok I know. I really do give now.