So I recently contacted a company about a broken boat and I have not really been satisfied with the situation. Granted I am happy to be safe after what could have been a dangerous situation but I was hoping for some more love from what has been my favorite boat company. I am not going to bash the company or their representative here and now but I am including an edited version of our entire correspondence. Also as a bit of a preface I work as a raft guide and generally get some pretty nice prices on gear and boats. The pro- deal I get from this company is about $750 for a new boat I can get others for $550 but I like their boats. Anyway I have think I acted professionally and fairly but maybe I am a cheapskate pain in the rear. Tell me if I am off base or if I have any grounds to be upset:


Dear _____ (name withheld)

I was told by _______________at _________ (retailer) to get in touch with you about my cracked boat. On July 10th I bought a__________ serial # ________ on pro deal from him. I have had a few _________(other boats from this company) and decided to make the switch, so far so good until recently. A few weeks ago I pitoned it (driver error for sure) and got a little stress mark on it. I thought it was no big deal but then this past Saturday I got this big fat crack where that white stress point was. I was pretty shocked, it actually happened on a little bump on that Green River Rodeo Hole rapid. So obviously I am pretty bummed. Take a look at these pictures and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Me
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To me,
                Thank you for the photos.  I am sorry to hear about your boat cracking.  As you purchased your boat so recently, we can as a gesture of goodwill, offer you the one time opportunity to purchase a replacement shell for $450 + shipping/wrapping.
                If this is something you would be interested in let me know and I can help work out the details.
Thank you.
Customer service person (name withheld)
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Dear name witheld,

Thanks for the kind words and goodwill but I am not sure what I will do to be honest. I guess I never really read the warranty until now but I the main reason I bought new is for this little bit a reassurance. I guess after reading it, it doesn't cover all that much. Obviously, ________ (your company) is not responsible for my bad lines but I thought I would get more than 10 days in a boat and I though might get a little more help than this. I don't know if __________ (a former employee) just went the extra mile for me but it wasn't too long ago he helped me out with a replacement shell on a boat that was over a year old. I brought the broken boat, $350, and a case of beer to the warehouse; I left with some free schwag and a new boat that had the guts & hardware from the old one. So I am confused, disappointed, and frustrated with the whole situation; but I am not sure what I can do about it. I just don't have $450 bucks now. I might get back with you if I get a decent job after rafting ends or I might see about a welded fix. In the meantime I might be squirtin' some old long boats down a creek.

Me
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Then I reconsidered things and wrote another response:
Dear ______________,

I am not sure if my previous email will warrant a response from you but I thought some more on the problem and now I have a few questions for you. I admit I crashed and that is no fault of anyone but me and I understand that "_________ (company) does not warrant the craft unbreakable," yet, how do you know there are no "defects in material and workmanship?" You have seen the crack, but how do my photos constitute any type of inspection? For example, do you know for sure that the boat is not over or under cooked or too thin? As I said earlier I have owned numerous ________ boats but this ______(POS boat) flexes and warps while loaded more than any others I have owned; granted I didn't mention this previously but to me these issues seems like a sign of either bad plastic or not enough of it. I have never felt like my other _______ boats were delicate enough to be completely busted after such a crash and I have put some through pretty good testing. So would some one be willing to give a little more inspection to this boat than just a glance at a photo? I can be at the warehouse just about at your beckon call.

Also I know that the economy is hitting everyone but a $450 shell plus my labor (and given my skills at boat assembly this will be an issue) is pretty different from the way ________(company) treated me previously. I have tried to find any details as evidence but all I know is that when I busted a ________ serial #_______ in May of 2008 I paid $350 for the shell and a case of beer for the labor.

I am a loyal customer, my wife and I have purchased 5 _______ (company) boats over the last 3+ years and we have _________ (company) stickers on both our vehicles. If the boat is up to snuff and I just busted it would anyone be willing to try and weld it together? And is $450 really the best deal on a new shell? If that is what it comes down to I feel like my effort in building a boat would be better spent on the short drive to ________ and for another $100 bucks _______ (a competitor) offers a couple of good options on new boats. A good friend and co-worker just made a purchase from them and after some warranty issues with his boat they drove over to meet him, brought him a new boat, helped him outfit it and they paddled together; problem resolved. So when I consider costs and level of service I am tempted to take my business elsewhere rather than buy a new shell.

So I don't mean to be a sour grape, and after this recent helicopter rescue from the Narrows I am happy to be healthy, but I would really appreciate a more thorough response to these issues. Thanks for any consideration.

Me
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(called me by the wrong name),
                I am sorry you are not satisfied with our offer of a replacement shell.   All of our boats are tested for thickness and strength at the production facility before they are even built out with all of the parts.   Multiple hits in the same area of a boat can cause the plastic to crack.  This is not covered by warranty.  
                Every situation we deal with is different.  We have our warranty and many times there are other factors which contribute to the resolution of a problem.  If before you were âtaken care ofâ by __________, then as a representative of our company at the time, that was his decision based on your situation.  This is not a set in stone guideline of how every future issue will be dealt with.  In this specific instance, your boat cracked, as you say by user error, not to long after you purchased it.  We understand how frustrating that can be.  While it was not our fault, we have enough leeway to offer the purchase of a replacement shell as a gesture of goodwill.  We are offering this shell for less than ½ the cost of a new boat.
                If you would like us to swap the parts from your old boat to a new shell, Iâm sure we could work something out.
Thank you.
_______________ (his name here)