One is too many stars. In early November, 2020 I was contemplating the purchase of a used 1999 Bayliner boat, located in Kennewick WA. As per good business practices I wanted a thorough pre-purchase inspection done on this boat and trailer. Knowing no one in the area, and living in Eagle Point in southern OR, I searched the local area (Tri-Cities) for a boat repair facility that would be able to provide me with such and settled on Columbia Marine Center in Pasco. The boat owner agreed to take the boat in for this inspection. After speaking with a man named Andrew @ CMC twice on the phone regarding what I was looking for and sending a document to him listing the (minimum) items I was concerned about, we agreed on an inspection to be done, price, and appointment for 11/11/2020. I received, their (seemingly very minimal) inspection results printed on the invoice through the boat owner, who was given my inspection and receipt upon picking up his boat on the afternoon of the 11th of November. I had agreed with Andrew to pay for and get this inspection when I came into town on the morning of Nov. 12th, but CMC would not release the boat back to the owner until the inspection had been paid for (on 11/11/20). Andrew had never mentioned that the inspection had to be paid before the boat would be released until the owner came to pick it up, which caused some consternation on the owner's part; had Andrew told me this in advance, instead of agreeing to take payment from me the following day, I could have provided my card by phone when we set up the appointment. After a very heated discussion with the shop owner, a Mr. Travis Toroni, about the timing of the payment and who actually had a right to receive the inspection I had contracted for, I agreed to let them release the inspection to the boat seller and take my credit card over the phone so that the boat owner could get his boat back. This was a huge mistake. Their inspection was minimal and did not cover a number of the items Andrew and I had agreed on.
Moving forward two days to the 13th of November, after sea trial with the owner on the 12th, and based on any negative indicators from the CMC inspection, I purchased the boat and trailer. On the 14th I hooked up the boat and started the 400 plus mile trip home. About 60 miles into my journey, near Boardman, OR, one of the tortion axles on the trailer failed and sheared off the trailer. Six days later and over $4200 in material and labor costs, an unplanned trip from Boardman to Spokane to pick up new axles from trailer manufacturer EZ-Loader, and having to rent a space in a monthly storage facility for the disabled boat & trailer so that I could make the aforementioned trip to Spokane, I was finally able to continue my journey home.
On Dec. 1, 2020 I placed a call to Columbia Marine Center owner, Mr. Travis Toroni to inform him of the events and see about a refund of the inspection fee, due to the obvious lack of having properly inspected the trailer axles. He had my call on speaker phone and was with his employee, Andrew, who said that he had previously told me they are a boat shop & only inspect the lights on trailers. This was a lie; he had NEVER said anything to me, despite my written directions to inspect the trailer, about them not inspecting the trailer. I did not press for any remuneration from them for my costs incurred, I simply asked for a refund of the inspection fees of $434.40. Mr. Toroni's response was, and I quote, "ain't gonna happen". read more
