Roger Long wrote:

Oops, I forgot, revealing which city you are in might open you up to
identity theft and abduction by aliens

--

Roger Long



That's what you make a tin-foil hat for.

Don't leave home without it!

http://www.ericisgreat.com/tinfoilhats/

Capt. JG wrote:
I had an experience like that with a GPS. I had it for several years.
Finally, a friend drowned it. I brought it back to the WM (not the one I
bought it from, with no receipt). I told them that since this one drowned, I
was in the market for a new one and what did he recommend. He said, "it
drowned?" And, then he gave me a brand new one, the latest model (those
days) for no charge. He didn't even want the dead one.

--

Happened to my friend, are you reading around here Mark?, with a
fritzed out Garmin at a West Marine (I think) in Key West when four of
us arrived there having ridden from Ft. Lauderdale on pwc's for four
days.....anyway they replaced his dead GPS with no paperwork and no
questions asked...I don't think you could get that kind of friendly
service from any of the WM's up here in Long Island though.

richforman

"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Gordon Wedman" wrote in message
news:yhAkg.65875$JX1.65714@edtnps82...

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in message
news:%cykg.13$XJ4.7@trndny02...
Yesterday afternoon I stopped at a West Marine Store .. have you been to
one of these stores lately? The help ( wait,, I just typed "help" ,,
there want no "help" ) walk around with ear plugs, talking into a mike as
if they were police at a crime scene. And what do they say to each
other?

"John, do we carry anchors"? ... "John, what is a GPS"? ..... "John,
there is a guy here looking for a piece of hardware, what is hardware"?


I kid you not. It is laugh a minute nuts.

But the best part is the check-out lady. She carries on a conversation
with herself as she tries to figure out how to ring up sales.

"Come on computer, I know this is right, it didn't do this yesterday,
what am I doing wrong ,,, please swipe your card again and again and
again ,, where did you find that thing ,,, I hope they turn off the GPS
that is talking to me ,,, oh well, do you have cash".

I asked one clerk to show me a GPS handheld unit. He was busy talking
into the secret microphone. Then he looked up and said "I don't know
anything about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the
security alarm so it might be awhile before you get any help".

HELP?

West Marine ,,, pass at your own risk


Its been said that the majority of people who respond to online talk shows
are people who have something to complain about. Happy people just sit
back and relax.
So here is a good news story about West Marine. A few years ago I
purchased a Xantrex 20 amp charger from them (it was Statpower in those
days). I used it one season. Next summer it works for 1 month and quits.
I take it back to them and they say they will get it checked out. Well it
took a couple of weeks but they gave me a brand new charger, an updated
version.

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in
news:%cykg.13$XJ4.7@trndny02:

Then he looked up and said "I don't know anything
about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the security
alarm so it might be awhile before you get any help".


Have some more fun.....

"Is this new Garmin AIS compatible?"

"How do I hook my AIS to this unit?"

It's a riot!....(c;

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in news:s2zkg.9$AC6.8
@trndny08:

Captain type.


They're all "captain types". It says so on most of 'em, on a little sign,
somewhere.....

Captain Larry
says so on my cap!
The guy that gave it to me I sail with often.
I told him he was just looking for a scapegoat in case the CG cops stop us.

My gripe against West Marine is their generally higher prices, say compared to
what
I can find online. It's almost unbelievable that they have no competition
around the
lower part of Lake Michigan. There is a Boater's World way West of Chicago, and

hard to get to. I live in a north suburban Chicago area, and can use one West
north of me, or the one in Racine Wisconsin where I keep my boat. These stores
are not
that bad, but as a consumer, I would like to see some competition come in to
this area. If for no other reason, it would give me a larger inventory to
select from. I have been able to get some great buys through the internet from
places like Cabelas,
which is a general sporting goods outfit with a large boating inventory.
However, things like sail hardware are harder to find. Years ago, we had more
stores in Chicago, like Land's End that had a nice selection of hardware. The
big conglomerates like West Marine seems to have forced out all the competition.

Sherwin D.

Thomas Wentworth wrote:

Yesterday afternoon I stopped at a West Marine Store .. have you been to one
of these stores lately? The help ( wait,, I just typed "help" ,, there want
no "help" ) walk around with ear plugs, talking into a mike as if they were
police at a crime scene. And what do they say to each other?

"John, do we carry anchors"? ... "John, what is a GPS"? ..... "John, there
is a guy here looking for a piece of hardware, what is hardware"?

I kid you not. It is laugh a minute nuts.

But the best part is the check-out lady. She carries on a conversation with
herself as she tries to figure out how to ring up sales.

"Come on computer, I know this is right, it didn't do this yesterday, what
am I doing wrong ,,, please swipe your card again and again and again ,,
where did you find that thing ,,, I hope they turn off the GPS that is
talking to me ,,, oh well, do you have cash".

I asked one clerk to show me a GPS handheld unit. He was busy talking into
the secret microphone. Then he looked up and said "I don't know anything
about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the security alarm
so it might be awhile before you get any help".

HELP?

West Marine ,,, pass at your own risk

Thomas,

I think your experience with West Marine is not typical of their stores
overall. I do agree that there are some employees that have little
sailing experience or may not have been well trained, but I've found
that on the whole many of their employees were very knowledgeable and
offered good advice. I believe they also have a very good policy
regarding returns, and that they stand behind the products they sell.

I would also point out that the employees who work there do so for a few
pennies above minimum wage. Most are there not for a "McJob" but
because the employee discount makes it worth their while to do so, which
means they usually have a boat, which greatly increases the odds that
they do, in fact, know something about the boating world and the
products they sell.

Others in this thread have also pointed out the very high cost compared
to website vendors. While I've no doubt what so ever that you can find
many better deals by shopping the web, I would point out that the reason
you should use their store is primarily customer service. If you are
unsatisfied with it then let the manager know, and/or contact West
Marine corporate directly.

I too have encountered folks at West Marine who didn't know anything
about the obscure bottom paint question I had, but I've also found that
simply asking the manager directly will get the job done. And if you
still can't get an answer to your boating questions, they also have an
800 number (see their website) where you can ask for technical support
from qualified employees.

Cheers,

Robb


Thomas Wentworth wrote:
Yesterday afternoon I stopped at a West Marine Store .. have you been to one
of these stores lately? The help ( wait,, I just typed "help" ,, there want
no "help" ) walk around with ear plugs, talking into a mike as if they were
police at a crime scene. And what do they say to each other?

"John, do we carry anchors"? ... "John, what is a GPS"? ..... "John, there
is a guy here looking for a piece of hardware, what is hardware"?


I kid you not. It is laugh a minute nuts.

But the best part is the check-out lady. She carries on a conversation with
herself as she tries to figure out how to ring up sales.

"Come on computer, I know this is right, it didn't do this yesterday, what
am I doing wrong ,,, please swipe your card again and again and again ,,
where did you find that thing ,,, I hope they turn off the GPS that is
talking to me ,,, oh well, do you have cash".

I asked one clerk to show me a GPS handheld unit. He was busy talking into
the secret microphone. Then he looked up and said "I don't know anything
about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the security alarm
so it might be awhile before you get any help".

HELP?

West Marine ,,, pass at your own risk

You want local chandleries but expect them to compete against online
pricing?

My gripe against West Marine is their generally higher prices, say
compared to
what I can find online.

Take the time to print it out and they'll often price match.

The big conglomerates like West Marine seems to
have forced out all the competition.

Is it the conglomerates or unrealistic shopper expectations?

-Bill Kearney

yeah, yeah, yeah

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in message
news:s2zkg.9$AC6.8@trndny08...
I will be going to the Hamilton store in Portland in one week... look for
a
tall, handsome, urbane, Captain type.


=========
"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Why do you need to go into a marine supply store?

The West Marine Portland is quite good but there is a better and cheaper
store called Hamilton Marine down on the waterfront. Locally owned and
more oriented to commercial vessels but good selection of sailboat
stuff.
I only go to WM when I can't find what I need at Hamilton.

The store you were in does sound weird though. Which one is it so we
can
avoid it?

Oops, I forgot, revealing which city you are in might open you up to
identity theft and abduction by aliens

--

Roger Long



"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in message
news:%cykg.13$XJ4.7@trndny02...
Yesterday afternoon I stopped at a West Marine Store .. have you been
to
one of these stores lately? The help ( wait,, I just typed "help" ,,
there want no "help" ) walk around with ear plugs, talking into a mike
as
if they were police at a crime scene. And what do they say to each
other?

"John, do we carry anchors"? ... "John, what is a GPS"? ..... "John,
there is a guy here looking for a piece of hardware, what is hardware"?


I kid you not. It is laugh a minute nuts.

But the best part is the check-out lady. She carries on a conversation
with herself as she tries to figure out how to ring up sales.

"Come on computer, I know this is right, it didn't do this yesterday,
what am I doing wrong ,,, please swipe your card again and again and
again ,, where did you find that thing ,,, I hope they turn off the
GPS
that is talking to me ,,, oh well, do you have cash".

I asked one clerk to show me a GPS handheld unit. He was busy talking
into the secret microphone. Then he looked up and said "I don't know
anything about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the
security alarm so it might be awhile before you get any help".

HELP?

West Marine ,,, pass at your own risk

Thomas Wentworth wrote:
I will be going to the Hamilton store in Portland in one week... look for a
tall, handsome, urbane, Captain type.



And you'll be the little troll dragging his knuckles behind him? ;-}

Dave wrote:
On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:26:42 -0500, sherwindu said:

big conglomerates like West Marine

What other businesses is this "conglomerate" in?

Big conglomerates, like Guitar Center.

sounds like West Marine and Guitar Center are cut fromt he same mould.

one sells Boating Supplies.

One sells Guitar's

otherwise, they both fit this thread......