West Alton Marina Experience

AMekler · 11-09-2006, 12:40 PM

We have kept our 1992 Supra at West Alton Marina for the past three years. The boat was purchased at Silver Sands and Roger has done all of our maintenance since new. In August I was informed that I was not being offered a slip for 2007. When I inquired why I was told it was because we did not use West Altoin Marina for our service.
I think this is a very unfair practice. Our contract included storage not maintenance. Please beware if you intend to rent at West Alton Marina and have your boat serviced elsewhere. This could happen to you.

Aquadeziac · 11-09-2006, 12:58 PM

ahhhhhh.....WAM strikes again!

NightWing · 11-09-2006, 02:23 PM

How did WAM know where your service was done? How about winterizing and spring recommissioning? Did WAM do that?

AMekler · 11-09-2006, 02:52 PM

The boat was winterized and dewinterized by Silver Sands. Boat was stored on a trailer at WAM.

NightWing · 11-09-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMekler

The boat was winterized and dewinterized by Silver Sands. Boat was stored on a trailer at WAM.

I guess I can see their point. With a high demand for slips, they set a few ground rules. Kind of like when you have a big dinner party, the tip is included in the bill. Maybe if you paid for rack storage, it wouldn't have been an issue.

I had a slip there back in the 90's and had them do my work. Dave (from Dave's Motorboat Shoppe) was the mechanic and did excellent work. He isn't there anymore, but has his own business and is very well respected in the boating community.

Some marinas/dealers won't rent you a slip unless you buy a boat from them. Supply and demand is the boss. Let the economy turn spongy and the marina rules will probably ease up in direct proportion to empty slips.

MJM · 11-10-2006, 09:09 AM

It's a bummer, but makes sense. If you have more people wanting a slip than there are slips, you have to come up with a way to choose. One way is to take care of your best (i.e. those that give you the most amount of business overall) customers first.

IMO it is fair. It's good business sense.

valhala · 11-13-2006, 12:52 PM

If you were not told about this policy when you initially rented the slip, then I do not think it's fair. It's strange that you were there for three years with no problems. I am curious, did WAM ever mention to you before that this was part of their rental policy?

Lakewinniboater · 11-13-2006, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by valhala

If you were not told about this policy when you initially rented the slip, then I do not think it's fair. It's strange that you were there for three years with no problems. I am curious, did WAM ever mention to you before that this was part of their rental policy?

Well, I must say that I know not everyone uses them for maintence. However, I did occassionally and they were always great!!!

There may be another reason for them not re-newing your contract. Which is their right. If they got complaints, or the renter is "difficult" or a slew of other reasons, then they will NOT put you under contract again.

They are able to do this for many reasons. First it is their right...secondly, they have SO MANY people that want to be in there that they can do that and not worry about it negatively impacting their business.

As far as MJM stating that it is good business sense. I HIGHLY disagree with that remark. I don't always agree with the way WAM does things..... but it is an old business and people always come back. Because of location, service and the way it is maintained. However, there are people that do get very angry with the owners for the way they do things.... like this one.

However, it is one of the benefits of being the owner of a family business..... no corporate exec's telling you that you HAVE to do something. WAM can do as they please.

jrc · 11-13-2006, 04:35 PM

Supply and demand. They're business success depends on maximizing the dollars per slip. So unless you have a contract to the contrary, they can require that you do winterization and storage, routine maintenance, and anything else that they can think off. Check around, there will be empty slips this year, Mountain View had at least ten last season. You may not match the WAM prices. You may have made out cheaper overall if you paid WAM for service. Did they give you any hints that you where at risk?

fpartri497 · 11-13-2006, 06:37 PM

I just last Mth. signed on with WAM. for the 07 season full package they explained very carefully to me the entire program and I am very happy. my question would be , why would you want to go elsewhere for service? I was at parker marine for the last eight years and they did all my maintaince on my three boats. I wouldnt think of going elsewhere for service except at the marina where i have a slip.

Airwaves · 11-13-2006, 07:22 PM

I guess my only questions deal with the contract that you signed (assuming there was one).
Did it state that you had to have your boat serviced at WAM?
Did it address the issue at all?
What did the clause regarding termination of your contract say?

As for wanting to have your boat serviced at a marina other than the one where you have a slip, I go with the service department that does the best job at the best price and if that is somewhere other than where you tie up...

jrc · 11-13-2006, 10:40 PM

I doubt they broke a contract, Most slip contract are for a season. They really don't need a reason not to renew, but they gave one: didn't make enough money.

I agree 100% on service. It's really tough to find a mechanic that you trust, I would hate to give one up just to keep a slip. No disrespect intended to the WAM service people, I've never used them.

The Worm · 11-14-2006, 04:44 PM

I'm sure WAM has a long list of people waiting for slip rentals so they are able to selectively choose who they want to rent to based on $$$$$$. Good marine techs are hard to find, and with such a short season they need to make sure they bring in enough work to retain talented employees. This same theory is applied at private country clubs where you have to pay a monthy bar/restaurant tab whether you use it or not, purely money driven to maintain staff.

AMekler · 11-14-2006, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airwaves

I guess my only questions deal with the contract that you signed (assuming there was one).
Did it state that you had to have your boat serviced at WAM?
Did it address the issue at all?
What did the clause regarding termination of your contract say?

As for wanting to have your boat serviced at a marina other than the one where you have a slip, I go with the service department that does the best job at the best price and if that is somewhere other than where you tie up...

the contract did not mention service. my boat was the only inboard in the marina. i posted this note to warn other boaters of the practice of this marina.

Airwaves · 11-14-2006, 09:25 PM

Originally posted by The Worm:

Quote:

I'm sure WAM has a long list of people waiting for slip rentals so they are able to selectively choose who they want to rent to based on $$$$$$. Good marine techs are hard to find, and with such a short season they need to make sure they bring in enough work to retain talented employees. This same theory is applied at private country clubs where you have to pay a monthy bar/restaurant tab whether you use it or not, purely money driven to maintain staff.

I would agree except that when you join a private country club that requires you spend X amount of money a month you know that going in. From what AMekler posted the requirement to have his boat serviced at WAM was not in the contract and not mentioned verbally. Based on that fact I will avoid doing business with them.

ThePlut · 11-15-2006, 12:29 PM

When I got put on WAM's waiting list last year, it mentioned the winter storage, but not a all service requirement. The service requirement is definitely a deal breaker for me, I was considering getting on the list again this year, but no longer. Requiring service also means they don't have to be competitive on rates or cost. That doesn't seem right to me.

Are you sure it's *all* service and not just winterization/summerization? I can see that falling into the "winter storage".

The contract did mention that you have to have a boat < 10 years old to be on the waiting list, suggesting to me that they wanted new(er) boats. Most new boats come with a warrantee, why would you bring a boat under warrantee to anyone other than the selling dealer regardless of where you slip??

Well it's their pool, I guess they can decide who swims in it, and as long as they have people agreeing to their terms, no motivation to change.

I wouldn't buy a car from a car dealer that required me to use him for service.

NightWing · 11-15-2006, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePlut

I wouldn't buy a car from a car dealer that required me to use him for service.

Actually, there are some new car dealers that will give you a hard time on warranty work if you didn't buy the car from them.

There is a new boat dealer on the lake that only does warranty work on boats they sell.

WAM is in the service industry. If they can fill their slips with boats that they service, winterize, store and fit out each season, that is only good business. A waiting list for slips reinforces their position.

Alton Bay Resident · 11-15-2006, 03:27 PM

Like it or not… they can set up any written or unwritten rules, change them as they see fit as long as they have ‘others’ standing inline. I myself think the mandate for winter storage and service being done by WAM only SUCKS! and I’m glad I’m not there or based upon the available alternatives standing inline. Just my opinion…. (not right or wrong).

Mee-n-Mac · 11-15-2006, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWing

{snip} WAM is in the service industry. If they can fill their slips with boats that they service, winterize, store and fit out each season, that is only good business. A waiting list for slips reinforces their position.

I'd agree that it's WAM's business to do with what they want re: slips and service but not putting it (a stipulation for service) in the contract and letting the client know upfront is a diservice to both parties. AMekler is right to be peeved. Where's the dividing line ? Does a "Wammer" get to wax his/her own boat ? Change the oil ? Replace a prop ? How would they know ?

Rinkerguy · 11-16-2006, 02:11 PM

I became a member of WAM last year

I let them winterize the motor, change the motor and drive lub
I closed the domestics, acid washed, waxed and plan to bottom paint myself.
Never had an issue w/ them.

My only observation is that they do discourage older boats ... call it age discrimination if you want. That may be the issue here.

Just my $.02

NightWing · 11-16-2006, 04:49 PM

I was a member of WAM years ago, but I can't remember their exact policy, which might even be different today.

Before WAM is poorly spoken of any more, I think someone should either contact them to ask their policy or perhaps a current member could post the gist of their WAM contract.

I remember that winter storage would assure a summer slip and that summer fit-out and winter prep were required to be done by them. As far as any other work, I don't believe that was mentioned.

Stop and think how winter prep is done in marinas. Lots of people want to leave their boats in as long as possible. That means that boats can't be winterized and prepped for storage in a timely fashion. The shop will be getting ready for shutdown and they may have hundreds of boats to deal with. Having to leave a boat out because the owner hasn't prepped it is a not in favor of the marina. No mechanic wants to have to chop ice off a hull to clean it.

Come springtime, most boaters want their boats in as soon as ice is out. What happens if some DIY boats aren't ready to get slipped because they haven't been serviced in time. It can create havoc.

I say let them do the winter/summer service and be comfortable that your slip and storage rights are maintained.

LIforrelaxin · 11-16-2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWing

Before WAM is poorly spoken of any more, I think someone should either contact them to ask their policy or perhaps a current member could post the gist of their WAM contract.

I remember that winter storage would assure a summer slip and that summer fit-out and winter prep were required to be done by them. As far as any other work, I don't believe that was mentioned.

I think Nightwing hit the nail on the head here. I understand why someone would be peeved if there slip was taken out from under Them. But if it is in the contract then there is no arguement here.

AMelker, look at the fine print in your contract.

Although I would call it a shady practice, I can imagine a salesman forgetting to mention something like winterizing having to be done by them, when a contract was being signed. After all they want the slip fee first and formost.

Aquadeziac · 11-16-2006, 08:16 PM

WOW! If it isn't bad enough they restrict you to having them work on your boat, your boat isn't even good enough for them to work on if its over ten years old. What happenes if you have a 8 yr old boat? Do they notify you in two years that they are not renewing your slip contract cuz your boat is now 10 yrs old? Glad to know my 23 yrs old POS has outlived its usefulness and its fun factor has diminished. I always figured WAMers thought they were better than anyone else, so I guess its true....cuz they're required to have better boats.
Lovey dahling, move the umbrella please, the sun's warming up my Martini.

NightWing · 11-16-2006, 08:54 PM

The post said that the boat had to be less than 10 years old in order to be on the waiting list. It said nothing about being evicted if the boat turned 10 years while being slipped at WAM.

There seems to be lots of heresay and assumptions being posted in this thread. I still think we need to hear first hand what their policies are. WAM is a part of what the lake has to offer. Let's respect that.

Airwaves · 11-16-2006, 11:20 PM

Nightwing wrote:

Quote:

Before WAM is poorly spoken of any more, I think someone should either contact them to ask their policy or perhaps a current member could post the gist of their WAM contract.

LIforrelain wrote:

Quote:

I think Nightwing hit the nail on the head here. I understand why someone would be peeved if there slip was taken out from under Them. But if it is in the contract then there is no arguement here.

You folks are ignoring one important statement. The person who was just thrown out of WAM, the one with the most immediate knowledge of the contract, AMekler, stated:

Quote:

the contract did not mention service.

NightWing · 11-17-2006, 12:29 AM

You are also missing the part where the boat in question was stored on a trailer, not racked under cover. Racking is more expensive than lot storage. Obviously, WAM did not make the same income that they would have with racking and two season service.

One other point is that we are only hearing half the story.

Skip · 11-17-2006, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airwaves

...You folks are ignoring one important statement. The person who was just thrown out of WAM, the one with the most immediate knowledge of the contract...

Hmmmm.....

Let me play the devil's advocate here.

How do we know that the individual making the complaint was ever even a customer at WAM?

Did you see the contract between the alleged customer and WAM. How do you, or we, know what it said or did not say?

Did you personally contact the good folks at WAM to verify the anonymous individual's claims before you posted the following:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airwaves

...Based on that fact I will avoid doing business with them...

One important element that is necessary in a libel suit is evidence that a person's statement caused harm to the defendant. You, as a third party, have now publicly stated that you would avoid doing business with an entity due in part to public claims made by an alleged former customer.

A very slippery road to be on! And frankly I am surprised that someone with such an extensive media background as you profess would take such a profound public position without giving both sides the appropriate airing of their greivance.

Sadly the unfortunate "jumping to conclusions" mentality is something I am seeing all too often each night when I tune in the evening news. Objective journalism has been victimized for an ever increasing dependence on hype to ramp up sagging viewer ratings!

If ever there was a good example, this thread would suffice.

Skip

Rocky · 11-17-2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinkerguy

I became a member of WAM last year

I let them winterize the motor, change the motor and drive lub
I closed the domestics, acid washed, waxed and plan to bottom paint myself.
Never had an issue w/ them.

My only observation is that they do discourage older boats ... call it age discrimination if you want. That may be the issue here.

Just my $.02

Do they expect you to bye a new boat every 10 yrs. If you ask me it is being very discrimitive. Why would you want to rent from them knowing that some day they are going to ask you to leave because your boat that you have worked hard for is to old!!!

Weirs guy · 11-17-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWing

Racking is more expensive than lot storage. Obviously, WAM did not make the same income that they would have with racking and two season service.

OK, I gotta ask. I don't own a boat so I know nothing about storing them, but doesn't it stand to reason that the racks allow the maria to store more boats (by going vertically as well as horizontally) then just lot storage? They actually charge the customer more for something that benefits the company? Is there an advantage to rack storage I'm missing?

I may learn something new today!

TomC · 11-17-2006, 12:44 PM

... that puts your boat in/out of the water at your beck & call. There is a giant building, equipment to buy and maintain, and a salary to pay. Lot storage is: there's the field, and there's the boat ramp, have a nice day!

upthesaukee · 11-17-2006, 12:45 PM

My boat is a 96 Sunbird bowrider. It will certainly be 11 years old for the ensuing season. I was sent out my decommissioning contract and my storage/dockage contract. thus they do not seem to care about a boat aging gracefully with them

.

In all honesty, I chose not to renew with WAM this year, but not for any reasons dealing with them. I was simply looking for a less expensive place to dock my boat and thus keep down the cost of boating. I was able to do that. If I had a boat that was larger and/or something that I spent time on the weekends or vacations, sleeping etc., I would not even be having this conversation. Unfortunately, I did not have the need to utilize all that WAM has to offer for amenities such as they bath houses and the ability to have folks stay (camp) at the marina for next to nothing. I have appreciated my stay at WAM, made friends along the way, and if situations change, I would certainly have no problem contacting WAM about getting back in.

With no thought one way or the other regarding the original poster and his plight, and not knowing both sides (as others have recently stated), I would simply have to say until you (we) (me) heard both sides, rash judgements should not be made.

NightWing · 11-17-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

OK, I gotta ask. I don't own a boat so I know nothing about storing them, but doesn't it stand to reason that the racks allow the maria to store more boats (by going vertically as well as horizontally) then just lot storage? They actually charge the customer more for something that benefits the company? Is there an advantage to rack storage I'm missing?

I may learn something new today!

I wasn't referring to in and out racking instead of a wet slip. I was referring to indoor rack storage during the winter months.

The Worm · 11-17-2006, 02:00 PM

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. How many people would assume that they could call a plumber to come over to replace their water heater, but inform him that you're going to buy one at Home Depot yourself, or if you're taking your car in for repairs but you're going to stop at the local NAPA store to pick up the parts first. This just doesn't happen. These are profit centers for any business in the service industry, it is part of how they make money. Money is not a dirty word. Marine service, winterization, storage, and recomissioning are all part of the overall profit picture at ANY marina, IT IS HOW THEY MAKE MONEY! How many marinas allow you to haul in jerry cans of fuel if they have their own gas dock? (hint: NONE) Does this mean that you will refuse to do business with them because they make you buy "their fuel"? Nobody is being forced to slip their boat at WAM, and they must be providing excellent service to their customer base or they wouldn't have a list of people waiting to get in.

AMekler · 11-17-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

I think Nightwing hit the nail on the head here. I understand why someone would be peeved if there slip was taken out from under Them. But if it is in the contract then there is no arguement here.

AMelker, look at the fine print in your contract.

Although I would call it a shady practice, I can imagine a salesman forgetting to mention something like winterizing having to be done by them, when a contract was being signed. After all they want the slip fee first and formost.

my boat was an inboard.(Supra) it could not be placed on rack storage. therefore it was stored on my trailer(at WAM and i paid winter storage fees) no time during my 3 three years there did anyone say i had to have my service done by them. i prefered to have my service done by a mechanic who new the boat(Roger Bretton at Silver Sands Marina).
When I got the letter from Brian(owner of WAM) saying i was not being offered a slip for next year there was no reason given. when I called to ask why he told me that it was because i did not use his service department.
A.Mekler

NightWing · 11-17-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMekler

my boat was an inboard.(Supra) it could not be placed on rack storage. therefore it was stored on my trailer(at WAM and i paid winter storage fees) no time during my 3 three years there did anyone say i had to have my service done by them. i prefered to have my service done by a mechanic who new the boat(Roger Bretton at Silver Sands Marina).
When I got the letter from Brian(owner of WAM) saying i was not being offered a slip for next year there was no reason given. when I called to ask why he told me that it was because i did not use his service department.
A.Mekler

Time for Brian to come forth.

fpartri497 · 11-17-2006, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomC

... that puts your boat in/out of the water at your beck & call. There is a giant building, equipment to buy and maintain, and a salary to pay. Lot storage is: there's the field, and there's the boat ramp, have a nice day!

And how about the enormus taxes the marina must pay to the town of Alton???????

fpartri497 · 11-17-2006, 06:35 PM

O.K. folks:

The exact wording on my WAM contract states as follows--

( 1) lease includes docking, winter storageand two vehicle parking permits.

(2 ) winterization and summeriazation are at lessee`s expense.

( 3) all waste and water tanks must be pumped prior to leaving boat for winter storage.

(4 ) arrangements must be made with the office to access your boat or enter WAM property Nov. 01 through april 30

End of story

Airwaves · 11-18-2006, 12:49 PM

Nightwing wrote:

Quote:

You are also missing the part where the boat in question was stored on a trailer, not racked under cover. Racking is more expensive than lot storage. Obviously, WAM did not make the same income that they would have with racking and two season service.

One other point is that we are only hearing half the story.

It is my understanding that the complaint is WAM refused to renew his lease because he didn't have service performed on the boat at WAM, not because he did not pay extra for rack storage.

Now two folks that did/do business with WAM say that there is no mention of service being required to be performed at WAM as a condition to lease space at WAM.

Skip wrote:

Quote:

One important element that is necessary in a libel suit is evidence that a person's statement caused harm to the defendant. You, as a third party, have now publicly stated that you would avoid doing business with an entity due in part to public claims made by an alleged former customer.

A very slippery road to be on! And frankly I am surprised that someone with such an extensive media background as you profess would take such a profound public position without giving both sides the appropriate airing of their greivance.

If I were doing a story about this certainly I would investigate both sides and beyond as well as demand to see a copy of the signed contract and contracts with other boaters. However, since many things on this forum are stated as fact I have no reason to believe that AMekler is doing anything beyond giving folks on the forum a heads up to the way WAM conducts business.

If you go back and review the posts, you will see that before stating my opinion and decision, I asked whether or not AMekler's contract contained any language regarding service on his boat being a condition of leasing space at WAM. His answer was that no such language existed in his contract. Again, I have no reason to believe he was lying about it.

I will take his advice and I stated my decision. If you choose not to take his advice to heart, that is your choice
and now given that fpartri497 outlined the highlights of the contract with WAM it reenforces AMekler's complaint and my decision.

As for me being sued for stating my opinion and decision, good luck to them!

(edited to add paragraph suggesting you go back and read a prior post, and to clean up extra wordage)

GWC... · 02-23-2007, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinkerguy

I became a member of WAM last year

I let them winterize the motor, change the motor and drive lub
I closed the domestics, acid washed, waxed and plan to bottom paint myself.
Never had an issue w/ them.

My only observation is that they do discourage older boats ... call it age discrimination if you want. That may be the issue here.

This pic of 2006 does not exemplify said discouragement. Seems like all are welcomed at WAM.

Lakewinniboater · 02-24-2007, 05:14 PM

some of the older boats are WAM owners and family members. However, there was 2 older BUT refurbished wooden boats there last year.

WAM will allow just about anyone as long as they pay their bills, abide by the rules and are courteous to other members and management.

I did give up my slip now that I have one at our home. However, I would still highly recommend WAM. There are a few members that do nothing but complain and look down on others (if you are up past 10:30 and under 55)..... however, they have been there for years and simply like to B****.

Over all.... great marina, very nice owners and members, as well as, very new and clean amenities!!!

John E · 02-25-2007, 07:37 AM

I wonder if there is some other reason for them not offering the slip.

I don't disagree that they have a bottom line to meet and that service plays a part.

Maybe they could offer 2 rates for slips. One rate if you sign a service contract and another if you don't.

Back to the plumber analogy. I'm an electrical contractor. If a customer wants to supply their own materials, fine. But since my business is structured so as to make a profit on material, the labor could not be the same if customer is supplying material.

RLW · 02-25-2007, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John E

Back to the plumber analogy. I'm an electrical contractor. If a customer wants to supply their own materials, fine. But since my business is structured so as to make a profit on material, the labor could not be the same if customer is supplying material.

Don't they lose the warranty on the parts also??? If part breaks they have to replace it and get charged by you for the labor to take it out and put the new one in???

John E · 02-25-2007, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLW

Don't they lose the warranty on the parts also??? If part breaks they have to replace it and get charged by you for the labor to take it out and put the new one in???

Absolutely. I certainly don't warranty items that I don't supply. Realistically, there is almost never any reason for a homeowner to supply their own materials to a plumber, electrician, etc. If they are supplying material, they also risk not having everything we need and we stand around getting paid while they go chase it down. Or they pay us to. I can't tell you how many houses I've been on when the plumber discovers that the homeowner supplied faucet is missing parts.

Hermit Cover · 02-25-2007, 02:47 PM

Just out of curiosity, John E .....what kind of warranty do you offer on fixtures and supplies you supply and install.....do you offer better than the manufacturer's warranty??

RLW · 02-25-2007, 03:06 PM

John E, I think that you and I are going off the subject and if it should continue we had better check if there is an existing thread or start a new one.

John E · 03-01-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLW

John E, I think that you and I are going off the subject and if it should continue we had better check if there is an existing thread or start a new one.

I agree, lets start a new thread if we want to discuss the spin so as to keep this on topic.

AQUAMAN · 03-05-2007, 09:25 AM

As a new member to WAM in 2006 I found this posting to contradict with my experience last summer. After running into the owner at the Boston boat show and asking about AMeckler I decided to become a member of the forum and post the facts. AMecler was never kicked out. They were notified by Brian in August that WAM would not be renwing their contract which expired at the end of October giving them sufficient time to secure a spot at another Marina. Brian exercised this right after two unpleasent experiences between Mrs Meckler and WAM service manager. Apparently she felt that when her boat broke down and she needed to get to her island residence that she deserved immediate attention from a service department that they refused to use for any other service. Brian said that WAM does not mind owners working on their own boat or taking their boat back to the dealer they bought it from. Brian did say he was a bit insulted when the Mecklers felt that WAM was unqualified to work on their '80s Supra except when stranded. The service schedule was not going to be interrupted for a customer that chose to have their boat serviced at another Marina. It would not have been fair to the dedicated customers of WAM. Sounds fair to me!

I also asked about WAM policy and older boats. The waiting list application asks the age of the boat. If the boat is older than 10 years then they will not rent a slip without first having the service department inspect the boat for safety issues. If you are on the waiting list and your boat is less than 10 years old WAM will rent the slip without seeing the boat first. "WAM has many boats older then 10 years".

AMekler · 03-05-2007, 12:41 PM

i never said i was kicked out. i said in august i was told i would not be offered a slip for next season because i didn't use WAM to service my boat. the incident with my wife occured when she was coming back from diamond Island by herself and the prop shaft broke on our inboard and she had to be towed in. the service manager was very rude to her.
the second service incident occured last spring when we launched the boat and 2 days later noticed the automatic switch part of the bilge pump wasn't working and the bilge was full of water. my wife asked if the service dept could take a look at it and was told that if WAM would have launched the boat we would not have had this problem. the bilge pump worked normally when we launched the boat. being an inboard i always test it.
these are the facts. you can draw your own conclusions. i found a much closer slip to diamond island.
A.Mekler

AQUAMAN · 03-05-2007, 11:09 PM

I had several experiences last summer with the WAM service department and delt directly with their service manager. He made my service experience very comfortable and was very professional. As a business man, there are some relationships that just do not make good business sense. This would appear to be the case. WAM is a business and most likely replaced AMeckler with someone like myself that would embrace all their services.

I would argue that AMeckler was given ample time to find a new location which he did. Sounds like it was a win win situation for both parties involved. As for the WAM service manager being rude I find that highly doubtful. Perhaps he was surprised to see your wife at the service shop knowing you perfer to have your boat worked on by Silver Sands. Perhaps next time call them when you break down.

John E · 03-07-2007, 09:23 AM

So none of this seems like a big deal. You can't please everyone all the time. If I were AMekler and I were unhappy with my experience, I would choose to switch marina's anyhow. And if I owned a marina and were unhappy with a customer, I would choose not to renew their contract. Win/ win.

AQUAMAN · 03-07-2007, 01:45 PM

You're right John it does seem like a win win exept AMeckler chose not to tell the entire story. We can see how that played out by reading this post NOT FAIR to the folks at WAM. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that would find WAM guilty of poor customer service. As I stated before why should the service shop alter their scedule for a boater that had their work consistently performed at another marina.

Additionally, Brian mention that the wife was very unpleasent when she was stranded because she had been shopping and her ice cream was melting.

It would be interesting to know how AMecklers new marina will handle a situation like this. I know if they are at Fay's and purchase a new boat it better be from them or they will lose their slip. I've seen it happen.

TomC · 03-07-2007, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AQUAMAN

Additionally, Brian mention that the wife was very unpleasent when she was stranded because she had been shopping and her ice cream was melting.

you are kicking the guy while he's down and also dissing his wife...

Island Girl · 03-07-2007, 03:26 PM

Is anyone else bothered that WAM chose to talk about one customer to another customer?

It seems to me that what goes on between me and the people with whom I do business should stay between us and not discussed with other customers... just my personal opinion.

If you search on this forum you will find many comments about WAM both positive and negative. Their business practices have been mentioned many times over the years that I have been on the forum.

This is what makes iour community great... people can tell of their experiences and others can make choices that are more informed.

IG

SIKSUKR · 03-07-2007, 03:31 PM

I don't know IG,it's kind of what you were just saying.Were getting another side of the story I guess.

AQUAMAN · 03-07-2007, 04:11 PM

Tom I don't believe I was kicking anyone. I am simply stating what was said to me. The point I was trying to make was that Meckler was in a difficult situation. Melting ice cream, broken down boat and her sevice department several miles away. I would tend to believe she may have approached the WAM service department with a lot on her mind and may have percieved what was said to her by the service manager as rude. I am sure when they were unwilling to help her the situation became worse. Certainly not WAM's fault. She should have been towed to Silver Sands where they work on her boat.

Second IG there was never any personal information revieled, please re-read. If you feel it necessary to voice your opinion on this public forum and expect everyone to just swallow it then you are wrong. WAM has everyright to defend their position. I have found that many of the initial postings on local businessess to be negative. Lets face it people like to complain. I do disagree that you can make a more informed decision when you only have one side of the story. Wouldn't you agree?

RLW · 03-07-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AQUAMAN

You're right John it does seem like a win win exept AMeckler chose not to tell the entire story. We can see how that played out by reading this post NOT FAIR to the folks at WAM. .

By reading all the trashing going on here that we are all getting third hand information. AQUAMAN is giving the side of WAM story and who is to say that that individual is telling the whole truth. This is a he say he say. I think this story should come to and end as a judge would say as there is no individual that was really there and telling the story. WAM'S is being told by and outsider AQUAMAN and AMeckler is being told by himself and it was his wife that had the troubles. Like I said all third hand.

jrc · 03-07-2007, 05:29 PM

A missed opportunity.

If I had a customer in distress (melting ice cream is a minor distress

) I would try to win them over rather than shun them.

So instead of having a customer that only used one of my services, I would show them how great it would be to use all my services. Then they would go around teling stories about how I helped them out of a jam, instead of how I let them down.

But not everyone runs their business like that. It's their business so it's their choice.

Island Girl · 03-07-2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AQUAMAN

Second IG there was never any personal information revieled, please re-read. If you feel it necessary to voice your opinion on this public forum and expect everyone to just swallow it then you are wrong. WAM has everyright to defend their position. I have found that many of the initial postings on local businessess to be negative. Lets face it people like to complain. I do disagree that you can make a more informed decision when you only have one side of the story. Wouldn't you agree?

I have reread. "As a new member to WAM in 2006 I found this posting to contradict with my experience last summer. After running into the owner at the Boston boat show and asking about AMeckler I decided to become a member of the forum and post the facts. AMecler was never kicked out. They were notified by Brian in August that WAM would not be renwing their contract which expired at the end of October giving them sufficient time to secure a spot at another Marina. Brian exercised this right after two unpleasent experiences between Mrs Meckler and WAM service manager"

What I am reading is that you asked specifically abour AMeckler and was given information specific to he and his wife" Perhaps I am missing something here.

I have read many posts from many people re: WAM .. there are two sides to every story... I think if WAM wants to post a rebuttal to AMeckler then they should... I just don't think they should discuss one customer with another..

IG

upthesaukee · 03-07-2007, 11:06 PM

I waited for several posts before jumping in on this thread, and have waited before wading back in.

I have had conversation with business owners in the past, and quite frankly, have gotten quite specific about situations with particular customers.

What I would not do is respond in a forum like this, or even in conversation with others and divulge the conversation I had with that business owner. I feel that a trust would be violated, unless I was specifically told to tell the world, which I don't think would happen. Without speaking to Brian, we don't know that he did or did not give his blessing to Aquaman to post the result of their conversation. If he did not, then perhaps the post should not have been made.

AMekler · 03-08-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AQUAMAN

You're right John it does seem like a win win exept AMeckler chose not to tell the entire story. We can see how that played out by reading this post NOT FAIR to the folks at WAM. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that would find WAM guilty of poor customer service. As I stated before why should the service shop alter their scedule for a boater that had their work consistently performed at another marina.

Additionally, Brian mention that the wife was very unpleasent when she was stranded because she had been shopping and her ice cream was melting.

It would be interesting to know how AMecklers new marina will handle a situation like this. I know if they are at Fay's and purchase a new boat it better be from them or they will lose their slip. I've seen it happen.

there was no ice cream involved!!!! that is pure bull and i don't know who would say something like this..just a nervous wife on her way back from diamond island alone and having the prop shaft snap and luckly some boater out of WAM was kind to tow here in.
A.Mekler

GWC... · 03-08-2007, 12:30 PM

Is Spring on the horizon?

Cabin fever seems to be plentiful.

Speaking of which, anyone seen Cabin Fever, lately?

bdkkennedy · 03-08-2007, 05:32 PM

Your right, there are two sides to every story, heres my side. I ve been with WAM for apx 10 yrs. They are my first and only marina experience. A few years back I was in Winter Harbor with a boat load when the rear main seal blew and all the oil leaked into the bilge. This was about 3PM Sat afternoon. I called WAM and spoke to Dierdre. She came in her boat, towed me to Rattlesnake so I could drop off my quests, and then back to WAM. I happened to also have a smaller boat stored at the marina which I hadnt gotten around to taking home yet. This boat had not been summerized yet, at my request. It is now after normal hours. They got the other boat out of storage, cleaned it up, did a safety inspection, charged and installed a replacement battery, Barbara came in from home to register it for me and they got me on my way and I was able to have dinner with my quests. I recently bought a new boat from Silver Sands. There were a few problems with the canvas so Silver Sands wanted to put it in thier shop where it was warm so they could fix the problem. At that point they wanted to just keep it there as it was late Oct. When I explained what was happening to Brian and Dierdre at WAM, they had no problem with letting Silver Sands work on the boat and store the boat and there was never a question about getting my slip back the following year. I like it there and I like the people there, the owners, employees and other renters. 99% of everyone there will go out of thier way to help you.

michael · 03-13-2007, 05:41 PM

What ever happened to the guy or gals that always paid their bill on time. At one time they were known as "the best" customers".

John E · 03-17-2007, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Girl

What I am reading is that you asked specifically abour AMeckler and was given information specific to he and his wife" Perhaps I am missing something here.

I have read many posts from many people re: WAM .. there are two sides to every story... I think if WAM wants to post a rebuttal to AMeckler then they should... I just don't think they should discuss one customer with another..

IG

Let me start by saying that I agree with this as long as WAM is an already participating member of the forum. Are they? I'm new, so I don't know.

If not, I have no problem with Aquaman watching out for their reputation. WAM discussed a professional customer relationship. Nothing personal. If we can discuss the shortcomings of a business, why can't the business discuss the shortcomings of a customer?

Now I'm not on either side of the argument between AMeckler and WAM. I don't know either party. I'm just commenting on the principles of discussion on a public forum. And it might have got a little personal, but the OP started out that way by mentioning the marina name. It could have been a little forum rant if not for that.

And being an inboard ski boat owner myself, I'd look forward to meeting AMeckler.

JMO

AQUAMAN · 03-17-2007, 11:31 AM

Wow it is quite obvious that AMecker is a bit upset when an untruth was represented. Giving it four !!!! Of course AMeckler was not with his wife so perhaps she may have had ice cream. No one but the two parties involved will ever know for sure. I like ice cream. In fact mint with chocolate chips is my favorite. Although I do like Sawyers pepermint stick. Unfortunatly they are always out of it. Is Mrs Mecker buying it for a Diamond Island ice cream social. Although from the people I know on Diamond Island they wouldn't go to this ice cream social. Something to do with no electric on the island and therefore the ice cream would melt. I am sure it melted that day the prop shaft broke. It was hot. In fact I think the ice cream stained the rug in the boat. I wonder if you can get 1995 Supra carpeting? I bet they guys at Silver Sands would know. Fortunatly AMeckler does his work with Silver Sands and they used to be the Supra dealer. They may have carpet in stock. But what about the electric on Diamond Island. Why is there none? Did someone not pay their electric bill. And why is Sawyers always out of pepermint stick ice cream. Is it your favorite flavor too. I am vary sad about Sawyers selling. I hear it is the same condo company putting condos in at Channel Marina. Big condos. They are going to make lots of money with these condos. At least that is what the post said. My only request would be that these condos have electric and all you can eat pepermint stick ice cream socials. Bigger and better than the ones at Diamond Island. I never liked those anyway. Now what is your opinion on the speedlimit bill. That should be talked about more anyway not ice cream!!!!

11-09-2006, 12:40 PM	#1
AMekler Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: diamond island Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	West Alton Marina Experience We have kept our 1992 Supra at West Alton Marina for the past three years. The boat was purchased at Silver Sands and Roger has done all of our maintenance since new. In August I was informed that I was not being offered a slip for 2007. When I inquired why I was told it was because we did not use West Altoin Marina for our service. I think this is a very unfair practice. Our contract included storage not maintenance. Please beware if you intend to rent at West Alton Marina and have your boat serviced elsewhere. This could happen to you.

11-09-2006, 12:58 PM	#2
Aquadeziac Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Concord NH Posts: 239 Thanks: 19 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Wam ahhhhhh.....WAM strikes again! __________________ "He who dies with the most toys wins"

11-13-2006, 06:37 PM	#10
fpartri497 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Concord NH Posts: 681 Thanks: 97 Thanked 48 Times in 39 Posts	Wam I just last Mth. signed on with WAM. for the 07 season full package they explained very carefully to me the entire program and I am very happy. my question would be , why would you want to go elsewhere for service? I was at parker marine for the last eight years and they did all my maintaince on my three boats. I wouldnt think of going elsewhere for service except at the marina where i have a slip. __________________ dont worry be happy

11-13-2006, 07:22 PM	#11
Airwaves Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: I'm right here! Posts: 1,153 Thanks: 9 Thanked 102 Times in 37 Posts	Contract? I guess my only questions deal with the contract that you signed (assuming there was one). Did it state that you had to have your boat serviced at WAM? Did it address the issue at all? What did the clause regarding termination of your contract say? As for wanting to have your boat serviced at a marina other than the one where you have a slip, I go with the service department that does the best job at the best price and if that is somewhere other than where you tie up...

11-14-2006, 04:44 PM	#13
The Worm Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 41 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	I'm sure WAM has a long list of people waiting for slip rentals so they are able to selectively choose who they want to rent to based on $$$$$$. Good marine techs are hard to find, and with such a short season they need to make sure they bring in enough work to retain talented employees. This same theory is applied at private country clubs where you have to pay a monthy bar/restaurant tab whether you use it or not, purely money driven to maintain staff. __________________ Did you ever notice that when you put the words "the" and "IRS" together, it spells "THEIRS" The Worm...

11-09-2006, 02:23 PM	#3
NightWing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 410 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	How did WAM know where your service was done? How about winterizing and spring recommissioning? Did WAM do that?

11-09-2006, 02:52 PM	#4
AMekler Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: diamond island Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	The boat was winterized and dewinterized by Silver Sands. Boat was stored on a trailer at WAM.

11-10-2006, 09:09 AM	#6
MJM Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 23 Times in 11 Posts	It's a bummer, but makes sense. If you have more people wanting a slip than there are slips, you have to come up with a way to choose. One way is to take care of your best (i.e. those that give you the most amount of business overall) customers first. IMO it is fair. It's good business sense.

11-13-2006, 12:52 PM	#7
valhala Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 53 Thanks: 0 Thanked 10 Times in 5 Posts	If you were not told about this policy when you initially rented the slip, then I do not think it's fair. It's strange that you were there for three years with no problems. I am curious, did WAM ever mention to you before that this was part of their rental policy?

11-13-2006, 04:35 PM	#9
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Supply and demand. They're business success depends on maximizing the dollars per slip. So unless you have a contract to the contrary, they can require that you do winterization and storage, routine maintenance, and anything else that they can think off. Check around, there will be empty slips this year, Mountain View had at least ten last season. You may not match the WAM prices. You may have made out cheaper overall if you paid WAM for service. Did they give you any hints that you where at risk?

11-13-2006, 10:40 PM	#12
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	I doubt they broke a contract, Most slip contract are for a season. They really don't need a reason not to renew, but they gave one: didn't make enough money. I agree 100% on service. It's really tough to find a mechanic that you trust, I would hate to give one up just to keep a slip. No disrespect intended to the WAM service people, I've never used them.

11-15-2006, 12:29 PM	#16
ThePlut Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 150 Thanks: 1 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	Wam When I got put on WAM's waiting list last year, it mentioned the winter storage, but not a all service requirement. The service requirement is definitely a deal breaker for me, I was considering getting on the list again this year, but no longer. Requiring service also means they don't have to be competitive on rates or cost. That doesn't seem right to me. Are you sure it's all service and not just winterization/summerization? I can see that falling into the "winter storage". The contract did mention that you have to have a boat < 10 years old to be on the waiting list, suggesting to me that they wanted new(er) boats. Most new boats come with a warrantee, why would you bring a boat under warrantee to anyone other than the selling dealer regardless of where you slip?? Well it's their pool, I guess they can decide who swims in it, and as long as they have people agreeing to their terms, no motivation to change. I wouldn't buy a car from a car dealer that required me to use him for service.

11-15-2006, 03:27 PM	#18
Alton Bay Resident Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 23 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 1 Post	Just My Opinion - (right or wrong) Like it or not… they can set up any written or unwritten rules, change them as they see fit as long as they have ‘others’ standing inline. I myself think the mandate for winter storage and service being done by WAM only SUCKS! and I’m glad I’m not there or based upon the available alternatives standing inline. Just my opinion…. (not right or wrong).

11-16-2006, 02:11 PM	#20
Rinkerguy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 122 Thanks: 0 Thanked 33 Times in 24 Posts	Wam I became a member of WAM last year I let them winterize the motor, change the motor and drive lub I closed the domestics, acid washed, waxed and plan to bottom paint myself. Never had an issue w/ them. My only observation is that they do discourage older boats ... call it age discrimination if you want. That may be the issue here. Just my $.02

11-16-2006, 04:49 PM	#21
NightWing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 410 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	I was a member of WAM years ago, but I can't remember their exact policy, which might even be different today. Before WAM is poorly spoken of any more, I think someone should either contact them to ask their policy or perhaps a current member could post the gist of their WAM contract. I remember that winter storage would assure a summer slip and that summer fit-out and winter prep were required to be done by them. As far as any other work, I don't believe that was mentioned. Stop and think how winter prep is done in marinas. Lots of people want to leave their boats in as long as possible. That means that boats can't be winterized and prepped for storage in a timely fashion. The shop will be getting ready for shutdown and they may have hundreds of boats to deal with. Having to leave a boat out because the owner hasn't prepped it is a not in favor of the marina. No mechanic wants to have to chop ice off a hull to clean it. Come springtime, most boaters want their boats in as soon as ice is out. What happens if some DIY boats aren't ready to get slipped because they haven't been serviced in time. It can create havoc. I say let them do the winter/summer service and be comfortable that your slip and storage rights are maintained. Last edited by NightWing; 02-25-2007 at 07:41 AM.

11-16-2006, 08:16 PM	#23
Aquadeziac Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Concord NH Posts: 239 Thanks: 19 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Wam WOW! If it isn't bad enough they restrict you to having them work on your boat, your boat isn't even good enough for them to work on if its over ten years old. What happenes if you have a 8 yr old boat? Do they notify you in two years that they are not renewing your slip contract cuz your boat is now 10 yrs old? Glad to know my 23 yrs old POS has outlived its usefulness and its fun factor has diminished. I always figured WAMers thought they were better than anyone else, so I guess its true....cuz they're required to have better boats. Lovey dahling, move the umbrella please, the sun's warming up my Martini. __________________ "He who dies with the most toys wins"

11-16-2006, 08:54 PM	#24
NightWing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 410 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	The post said that the boat had to be less than 10 years old in order to be on the waiting list. It said nothing about being evicted if the boat turned 10 years while being slipped at WAM. There seems to be lots of heresay and assumptions being posted in this thread. I still think we need to hear first hand what their policies are. WAM is a part of what the lake has to offer. Let's respect that.

11-17-2006, 12:29 AM	#26
NightWing Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 410 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	You are also missing the part where the boat in question was stored on a trailer, not racked under cover. Racking is more expensive than lot storage. Obviously, WAM did not make the same income that they would have with racking and two season service. One other point is that we are only hearing half the story.

11-17-2006, 12:44 PM	#30
TomC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lakes Region Posts: 678 Thanks: 21 Thanked 92 Times in 61 Posts	rack storage generally comes with the guy on the forklift.. ... that puts your boat in/out of the water at your beck & call. There is a giant building, equipment to buy and maintain, and a salary to pay. Lot storage is: there's the field, and there's the boat ramp, have a nice day!

11-17-2006, 12:45 PM	#31
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,599 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,458 Thanked 1,981 Times in 1,082 Posts	Age is not an issue My boat is a 96 Sunbird bowrider. It will certainly be 11 years old for the ensuing season. I was sent out my decommissioning contract and my storage/dockage contract. thus they do not seem to care about a boat aging gracefully with them . In all honesty, I chose not to renew with WAM this year, but not for any reasons dealing with them. I was simply looking for a less expensive place to dock my boat and thus keep down the cost of boating. I was able to do that. If I had a boat that was larger and/or something that I spent time on the weekends or vacations, sleeping etc., I would not even be having this conversation. Unfortunately, I did not have the need to utilize all that WAM has to offer for amenities such as they bath houses and the ability to have folks stay (camp) at the marina for next to nothing. I have appreciated my stay at WAM, made friends along the way, and if situations change, I would certainly have no problem contacting WAM about getting back in. With no thought one way or the other regarding the original poster and his plight, and not knowing both sides (as others have recently stated), I would simply have to say until you (we) (me) heard both sides, rash judgements should not be made. __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

11-17-2006, 02:00 PM	#33
The Worm Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 41 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. How many people would assume that they could call a plumber to come over to replace their water heater, but inform him that you're going to buy one at Home Depot yourself, or if you're taking your car in for repairs but you're going to stop at the local NAPA store to pick up the parts first. This just doesn't happen. These are profit centers for any business in the service industry, it is part of how they make money. Money is not a dirty word. Marine service, winterization, storage, and recomissioning are all part of the overall profit picture at ANY marina, IT IS HOW THEY MAKE MONEY! How many marinas allow you to haul in jerry cans of fuel if they have their own gas dock? (hint: NONE) Does this mean that you will refuse to do business with them because they make you buy "their fuel"? Nobody is being forced to slip their boat at WAM, and they must be providing excellent service to their customer base or they wouldn't have a list of people waiting to get in. __________________ Did you ever notice that when you put the words "the" and "IRS" together, it spells "THEIRS" The Worm...

11-17-2006, 06:35 PM	#37
fpartri497 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Concord NH Posts: 681 Thanks: 97 Thanked 48 Times in 39 Posts	WAM lease contract O.K. folks: The exact wording on my WAM contract states as follows-- ( 1) lease includes docking, winter storageand two vehicle parking permits. (2 ) winterization and summeriazation are at lessee`s expense. ( 3) all waste and water tanks must be pumped prior to leaving boat for winter storage. (4 ) arrangements must be made with the office to access your boat or enter WAM property Nov. 01 through april 30 End of story __________________ dont worry be happy

02-24-2007, 05:14 PM	#40
Lakewinniboater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford, MA and Alton Bay, NH Posts: 225 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Wam some of the older boats are WAM owners and family members. However, there was 2 older BUT refurbished wooden boats there last year. WAM will allow just about anyone as long as they pay their bills, abide by the rules and are courteous to other members and management. I did give up my slip now that I have one at our home. However, I would still highly recommend WAM. There are a few members that do nothing but complain and look down on others (if you are up past 10:30 and under 55)..... however, they have been there for years and simply like to B****. Over all.... great marina, very nice owners and members, as well as, very new and clean amenities!!! __________________ Wendy "Wasn't Me!"

02-25-2007, 07:37 AM	#41
John E Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 59 Thanks: 2 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	I wonder if there is some other reason for them not offering the slip. I don't disagree that they have a bottom line to meet and that service plays a part. Maybe they could offer 2 rates for slips. One rate if you sign a service contract and another if you don't. Back to the plumber analogy. I'm an electrical contractor. If a customer wants to supply their own materials, fine. But since my business is structured so as to make a profit on material, the labor could not be the same if customer is supplying material.

02-25-2007, 02:47 PM	#44
Hermit Cover Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Hermit Cove Posts: 354 Thanks: 20 Thanked 68 Times in 40 Posts	Warranty??? Just out of curiosity, John E .....what kind of warranty do you offer on fixtures and supplies you supply and install.....do you offer better than the manufacturer's warranty??

02-25-2007, 03:06 PM	#45
RLW Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alton Bay on the mountain by a lake Posts: 2,023 Thanks: 563 Thanked 444 Times in 311 Posts	We're going off subject John E, I think that you and I are going off the subject and if it should continue we had better check if there is an existing thread or start a new one. __________________ There is nothing better than living on Alton Mountain & our grand kids visits.

03-05-2007, 09:25 AM	#47
AQUAMAN Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Spoke with the owner As a new member to WAM in 2006 I found this posting to contradict with my experience last summer. After running into the owner at the Boston boat show and asking about AMeckler I decided to become a member of the forum and post the facts. AMecler was never kicked out. They were notified by Brian in August that WAM would not be renwing their contract which expired at the end of October giving them sufficient time to secure a spot at another Marina. Brian exercised this right after two unpleasent experiences between Mrs Meckler and WAM service manager. Apparently she felt that when her boat broke down and she needed to get to her island residence that she deserved immediate attention from a service department that they refused to use for any other service. Brian said that WAM does not mind owners working on their own boat or taking their boat back to the dealer they bought it from. Brian did say he was a bit insulted when the Mecklers felt that WAM was unqualified to work on their '80s Supra except when stranded. The service schedule was not going to be interrupted for a customer that chose to have their boat serviced at another Marina. It would not have been fair to the dedicated customers of WAM. Sounds fair to me! I also asked about WAM policy and older boats. The waiting list application asks the age of the boat. If the boat is older than 10 years then they will not rent a slip without first having the service department inspect the boat for safety issues. If you are on the waiting list and your boat is less than 10 years old WAM will rent the slip without seeing the boat first. "WAM has many boats older then 10 years".

03-05-2007, 12:41 PM	#48
AMekler Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: diamond island Posts: 24 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Wam i never said i was kicked out. i said in august i was told i would not be offered a slip for next season because i didn't use WAM to service my boat. the incident with my wife occured when she was coming back from diamond Island by herself and the prop shaft broke on our inboard and she had to be towed in. the service manager was very rude to her. the second service incident occured last spring when we launched the boat and 2 days later noticed the automatic switch part of the bilge pump wasn't working and the bilge was full of water. my wife asked if the service dept could take a look at it and was told that if WAM would have launched the boat we would not have had this problem. the bilge pump worked normally when we launched the boat. being an inboard i always test it. these are the facts. you can draw your own conclusions. i found a much closer slip to diamond island. A.Mekler

03-05-2007, 11:09 PM	#49
AQUAMAN Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	And now we get the rest of the story I had several experiences last summer with the WAM service department and delt directly with their service manager. He made my service experience very comfortable and was very professional. As a business man, there are some relationships that just do not make good business sense. This would appear to be the case. WAM is a business and most likely replaced AMeckler with someone like myself that would embrace all their services. I would argue that AMeckler was given ample time to find a new location which he did. Sounds like it was a win win situation for both parties involved. As for the WAM service manager being rude I find that highly doubtful. Perhaps he was surprised to see your wife at the service shop knowing you perfer to have your boat worked on by Silver Sands. Perhaps next time call them when you break down.

03-07-2007, 09:23 AM	#50
John E Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 59 Thanks: 2 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	So none of this seems like a big deal. You can't please everyone all the time. If I were AMekler and I were unhappy with my experience, I would choose to switch marina's anyhow. And if I owned a marina and were unhappy with a customer, I would choose not to renew their contract. Win/ win.

03-07-2007, 01:45 PM	#51
AQUAMAN Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	WAM is a great facility You're right John it does seem like a win win exept AMeckler chose not to tell the entire story. We can see how that played out by reading this post NOT FAIR to the folks at WAM. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that would find WAM guilty of poor customer service. As I stated before why should the service shop alter their scedule for a boater that had their work consistently performed at another marina. Additionally, Brian mention that the wife was very unpleasent when she was stranded because she had been shopping and her ice cream was melting. It would be interesting to know how AMecklers new marina will handle a situation like this. I know if they are at Fay's and purchase a new boat it better be from them or they will lose their slip. I've seen it happen.

03-07-2007, 03:26 PM	#53
Island Girl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Central MA Posts: 2,352 Thanks: 18 Thanked 535 Times in 179 Posts	Anyone else bothered.....?? Is anyone else bothered that WAM chose to talk about one customer to another customer? It seems to me that what goes on between me and the people with whom I do business should stay between us and not discussed with other customers... just my personal opinion. If you search on this forum you will find many comments about WAM both positive and negative. Their business practices have been mentioned many times over the years that I have been on the forum. This is what makes iour community great... people can tell of their experiences and others can make choices that are more informed. IG __________________ Island Girl ....... Make Lemonade

03-07-2007, 03:31 PM	#54
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	I don't know IG,it's kind of what you were just saying.Were getting another side of the story I guess. __________________ SIKSUKR

03-07-2007, 04:11 PM	#55
AQUAMAN Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Tom I don't believe I was kicking anyone. I am simply stating what was said to me. The point I was trying to make was that Meckler was in a difficult situation. Melting ice cream, broken down boat and her sevice department several miles away. I would tend to believe she may have approached the WAM service department with a lot on her mind and may have percieved what was said to her by the service manager as rude. I am sure when they were unwilling to help her the situation became worse. Certainly not WAM's fault. She should have been towed to Silver Sands where they work on her boat. Second IG there was never any personal information revieled, please re-read. If you feel it necessary to voice your opinion on this public forum and expect everyone to just swallow it then you are wrong. WAM has everyright to defend their position. I have found that many of the initial postings on local businessess to be negative. Lets face it people like to complain. I do disagree that you can make a more informed decision when you only have one side of the story. Wouldn't you agree?

03-07-2007, 05:29 PM	#57
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	A missed opportunity. If I had a customer in distress (melting ice cream is a minor distress ) I would try to win them over rather than shun them. So instead of having a customer that only used one of my services, I would show them how great it would be to use all my services. Then they would go around teling stories about how I helped them out of a jam, instead of how I let them down. But not everyone runs their business like that. It's their business so it's their choice.