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NEWS From BoatU.S.
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatU.S. News Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/news/releases.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Scott Croft, 703-461-2864,
Date: June 15, 2005

BOATU.S. ONLINE CONSUMER DATABASE DEBUTS

One-of-a-Kind Reference Tool Now Available Online

If a boat could talk, what would it tell you?

For nearly 20 years, the BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau has
maintained the only nationwide database of consumer complaints and
safety information reported by boat owners, the U.S. Coast Guard,
manufacturers, marine surveyors and marine technicians. Now, for the
first time, this one-of-a kind database previously only available only
via phone and fax is now accessible online as an exclusive reference
tool available to BoatU.S. members.

"Whether you are buying a boat, trying to determine if a problem on
your current boat is widespread, or just curious, we can help," said
BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau Director Caroline Ajootian.

The database contains thousands of specific reports about boats, marine
engines, boating products, dealers, marinas and related boating
services as well as information about how, or whether, the companies
involved responded to each complaint. Also included are manufacturer's
defect recall notices and safety alerts published by the U.S. Coast
Guard and a selection of service bulletins issued by boat builders.

BoatU.S. members can search the database by boat and engine make,
model, year, hull number or serial number, or by the type of problem
and they can also register a new problem. The database has been used
by the U.S. Coast Guard to issue defect recall notices.

To increase accuracy, BoatU.S. makes every effort to collect boat make
and model information and hull and engine identification numbers.
Having this data is vital because analysis often shows that problems
are confined to specific models or a series of hull numbers.

Ajootian also cautioned, "We do not rate or evaluate boats, engines,
marine products or services, so users should not expect to find an
overall company report card. Also, boaters searching the database will
most likely find reports about larger companies simply because large
companies have more products on the water. Keep in mind that the
presence - or absence - of reports is as much a reflection on market
share, rather than the quality of a boat or lack of it."

The database is located at http://www.BoatUS.com/consumer If you
aren't a BoatU.S. member yet, this Web site also gives boaters the
option of easily signing up at a special online rate of only $14.00.
BoatU.S. - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the
nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its
595,000 members with a wide array of consumer services.

On 15 Jun 2005 21:32:41 -0700, wrote:

If you
aren't a BoatU.S. member yet, this Web site also gives boaters the
option of easily signing up at a special online rate of only $14.00.
BoatU.S.

That's $14 per search.

Later,

Tom

wrote:
NEWS From BoatU.S.
BOATU.S. ONLINE CONSUMER DATABASE DEBUTS
... (snipped for brevity) ...

Thanks, Chuck. I'm a Boats US member and didn't know about this.

BTW if the Boats US magazine is included in the $14 membership, I'd
recommend it highly as a good deal.

DSK

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 07:38:38 -0400, DSK wrote:

wrote:
NEWS From BoatU.S.
BOATU.S. ONLINE CONSUMER DATABASE DEBUTS
... (snipped for brevity) ...

Thanks, Chuck. I'm a Boats US member and didn't know about this.

BTW if the Boats US magazine is included in the $14 membership, I'd
recommend it highly as a good deal.

Give me a good reason to join BoatUS for $14 per year - seriously, as
a member, what do you gain for the $14?

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Give me a good reason to join BoatUS for $14 per year

Why, am I a salesman all of a sudden?

... - seriously, as
a member, what do you gain for the $14?

I don't know. Check out their website. *IF* the magazine is included in
that $14 then it's a good deal right there, as it's a nice magazine with
very helpful boating articles... especially safety related ones.

Personally, I pay a lot more for my membership because I get insurance
and free towing, which I also consider a good deal. We've considered
shifting to a true maritime insurance policy which covers a lot of
boat-related casualties that Boats US (along with any other mainstream
insurance co) won't touch. But such policies are a lot more expensive,
and we like the idea of free towing even if we haven't ever used it.

Fair Skies
Doug King

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 08:00:06 -0400, DSK wrote:

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Give me a good reason to join BoatUS for $14 per year

Why, am I a salesman all of a sudden?

Your not - you said it was a good deal and I wanted to know why.

... - seriously, as
a member, what do you gain for the $14?

I don't know. Check out their website. *IF* the magazine is included in
that $14 then it's a good deal right there, as it's a nice magazine with
very helpful boating articles... especially safety related ones.

Personally, I pay a lot more for my membership because I get insurance
and free towing, which I also consider a good deal. We've considered
shifting to a true maritime insurance policy which covers a lot of
boat-related casualties that Boats US (along with any other mainstream
insurance co) won't touch. But such policies are a lot more expensive,
and we like the idea of free towing even if we haven't ever used it.

I've been with Sea//Tow since the CG started with private services
and have never had to use them.

Thanks for the info.

... we like the idea of free towing even if we haven't ever used it.



Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
I've been with Sea//Tow since the CG started with private services
and have never had to use them.

Clearly, we're doing it wrong. We're shelling out hard earned money for
a service that we never use. We both should start boating more dangerously!

DSK

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 11:40:40 -0400, DSK wrote:

... we like the idea of free towing even if we haven't ever used it.



Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
I've been with Sea//Tow since the CG started with private services
and have never had to use them.

Clearly, we're doing it wrong. We're shelling out hard earned money for
a service that we never use. We both should start boating more dangerously!

Never quite thought of it that way before.

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 07:38:38 -0400, DSK wrote:

wrote:
NEWS From BoatU.S.
BOATU.S. ONLINE CONSUMER DATABASE DEBUTS
... (snipped for brevity) ...

Thanks, Chuck. I'm a Boats US member and didn't know about this.

BTW if the Boats US magazine is included in the $14 membership, I'd
recommend it highly as a good deal.

Give me a good reason to join BoatUS for $14 per year - seriously, as
a member, what do you gain for the $14?

Without being a member, I can walk into their Rochester NY store any time I
want and be "helped" by some of the worst retail staff I've ever met. :-)

Went in last week to buy a boat ladder. The ones they had wouldn't fit, but
the merchandise label showed the model numbers for OTHER sizes, one of which
I wanted. Went to the vegetable at the counter and asked if she could give
me the phone # of the West Marine 15 minutes away so I could call & see if
they had the ladder. She said she could check their inventory from her
computer. She punched in the model number and came up with two results:

Model 385788 - 3 Step Ladder 7" Hook - $34.95
Model 385788 - *** 3 Step Ladder 7" Hook 6 Pack - $38.95

She asked "Which one is it?" I said "They both show the right model number,
and the first one matches the right price on your shelf. I don't know what a
6 Pack of ladders is all about, so it has to be the first one". She says
"Well, it shows both in stock, but I can't call them to be sure unless
you're sure of which one it is". I said "It's YOUR computer system. Aren't
you supposed to know more about it than I am? How about just giving me their
phone number?" She walks away and gets the manager, who goes through the
same routine with the computer. I finally convinced them to just give me the
damned phone number. It took about 30 seconds for the human at the other
store to find out that he had the ladder, and set it aside for me.

The store's like this ALL the time, and has been for years. West Marine, on
the other hand, is a dream to shop at. I don't understand how the two
companies can be related.

"DSK" wrote in message
.. .

We've considered shifting to a true maritime insurance policy which covers
a lot of boat-related casualties that Boats US (along with any other
mainstream insurance co) won't touch.

What sorts of casualties?