Stay clear of this dealer worst experience I've ever had. Scott had every excuse in the book. 6 months to get my trailer registration, boat registration & title. No customer service. Stay away. I rate them 1 out 10. read more

I bought a pontoon boat from Munson Ski & Marine about 3 years ago. And after 3 years I can't say I've been happier...until today. My salesperson at the time, Peter Biasco, was outstanding and thoroughly knowledgeable about his product as well as the competitive marketplace. He advised me on what was great, what was not necessary to meet my needs, and what was the best way to go with the boat in terms of how do I outfit it. All of his recommendations have proven to be outstanding. Fast forward to 3 years later and I happen to have had a problem with the cover that covers the Bimini when it's down. Unfortunately, I got a tear in it, and I reached out to Peter on how I should handle the process. Honestly I wasn't sure what I was going to get because Peter was my salesperson and not involved with service, per se, but he really stepped up. Not only did he listen to my concern about the tear, he went through the process of checking into the warranty, checking with his service people, and as a result, I'm getting a brand new bimini because of his efforts. I'm very grateful that I picked Munson as my place of purchase, and I'm grateful that I had Peter as my original salesperson--someone I could turn to 3 years later when I had my first problem. He picked up the ball and ran with it and scored a SERVICE touchdown. Thank you, Peter. I appreciate your help very much. So, if you're looking to buy a boat and you need help, I highly recommend Munson and I highly recommend that when you walk in the door, you ask for Peter. You won't be disappointed... Ever! read more

Very disappointed in Munson's ongoing customer service. They are so attentive to get the sale and not so good on service. Drove 600 miles up north, opened up boat and found the service department left my battery on and drained it completely. Also found 2 out of 4 of the bearing covers on my trailer fell off in transit and grease covered the wheel and tires. Keep in mind this was the first time the boat was trailered any distance. Also, keep in mind that I have had multiple boats and trailers and never had this happen! The response to the battery issue was quote, "our bad" sorry. The response to the trailer issue was it's out of warranty (at a year and a couple of weeks). They wanted to charge $108.00 to put two caps on. They ended up charging $68.00 after I complained. Matilda claimed the trailer company said you probably rubbed up against a curb or something (It would have been a trick because it was one wheel on each side). Very disappointed, expected no charge considering the inconvenience of their "our bad" battery draining. Will be looking for a new service provider in the future. I hope the loss of the $2,000.00 yearly service was worth their poor customer service choice. read more

Well it looks like they get mostly good reviews but that was not my experience at all. I found a 30000 boat I liked but I lived in Michigan so I had hard time finding time to go out and look. I was back and forth on the phone with Mark several times trying to schedule a time to come out. He was kind enough to sort of hold the boat for me until I could make it out. I finally made the 4 hour drive there yesterday. But prior to coming out I asked him if he could make sure it was clean for my wife when she saw it, also it was promised that it was in great shape and ran super etc. Anyway I got there on a Thursday at 1130. Mark was not there to meet which was disappointing a little. Instead he had his captain meet me. The boat was in the water for a trial run. When I first saw the boat I was a little disappointed as the carpet was dirty and the boat smelled a little musty. But I had driven four hours so I overlooked that. We got underway and I kid you not. Not even 5 minutes and the boat had engine problems. We had to limp back to the marina. I texted Mark and said there were issues and he never got back to me. My wife and son and I just sat there as a few guys milled around looking at the boat and engine. They never once came to check on us, apologized, nothing. I watched as they took the boat out of the water and still not a peep from anyone. We sat there like dummies. No clue what was happening. Finally after 30 minutes we just looked and each other and left. I drove 4 hours to see this boat. No Mark to meet us, no bottle of water nothing. I texted him again before we left and told him we were going to pass. Day later still no response, nothing, no sorry, thanks for coming, just silence. What the hell? Is 30 grand not enough to warrant a response? I felt stupid and totally taken advantage of. I hope someone reads this and looks elsewhere if they are looking to buy a boat. read more

Always reliable, Tyler is great, responsive and knowledgeable. You don't buy a boat, you buy a dealership and this one is the best.

I had a very pleasant experience working with Mike in sales picking out our new boat. He really concentrate on what I needed and what fit our needs the best and didn't try to up sell me. My wife and I are very happy with the boat we received and the service we have received from Munson Marine. The service department in very knowledgeable and always respond quickly when we have a problem. Very happy with all aspects of Munson Marine !! Our 2nd boat from Mike in past three years. read more

So far so good. Happy with the boat and the delivery process. Bill was very pleasant and gave us a nice little "tour" of the vicinity and explained the "rules of the road" and how to operate the boat. We look forward to a long relationship with Munson Marine read more

I purchased a brand new Monterey 355SY from Munson Marine in 2020. I have been blown off by the service department for a list of repairs that are under warranty. I have issues that have been unresolved now for 3 years. I was told that " we just don't have time". Buyer beware! They will communicate and give you the red carpet service up until they have sold you a boat and then you will have nothing but headaches trying to have warranty repairs. I have tried to communicate with the Monterey Boat Company in Florida and have been blown off by them as well. I would never recommend Monterey or Munson Marine to anyone. The absolute worst customer service I have ever experienced! read more

Bill delivered our new boat to us. He was on time, courteous and really took the time to take us out and show us our new boat. He was very knowledgeable and showed every detail of our new boat. I would highly recommend Munson Marine for all your boating needs. read more

I have had a great experience with the sales process of Munson Marine. Matt was our sales person and he knew I had my reservations so he didn't push me. When I finally did give the okay, Mark, the finance manager was incredible. Shopped different rates and came up with the numbers I wanted to see. I was extremely happy with my buying experience. If there is one thing I would say to do differently is to follow up since we are still waiting for some small issues that need repair. But this is our second boat from Munson and (it better be our last for awhile) but I would go back there again just because of Matt, Mark and Craig. read more

These guys are great!!! We've been coming here for two years now and they have always been helpful. Pete and Tim in service are amazing. They are always there for me, when I have a boating question or need a repair. We purchased our boat here and we could take it anywhere for service but we feel like we have a relationship with Munson. Everyone remembers us and says hello every time we stop in. We are glad to come here!!! read more

Munson Marine - Winterizing is a sad day!!! - Boat Dealers Near Me - Fox Lake, Illinois

Had our boat serviced there for 20 years, mostly ok. Had terrible experience this year (emailed them and in their defense owner called promptly). Gave me every reason, and told me how hard things were due to COVID (which I completely understand) but offered no solution for issues that were avoidable and in their power to correct before major damage occurred. Really too bad, but they are super busy now with rush of new and old clients, would not recommend using them until things are slower for them. Maybe ask "Are you too busy to properly take care of me at this time " before dealing with them. read more

Being first-time boat shoppers, we were a little overwhelmed in the beginning. Matt did a phenomenal job of educating and taking us through the entire process step by step; he really demonstrated a true expertise. Kudos to the whole Munson team, who all played a part in earning our business and making us very satisfied customers. 5 stars all the way, highly recommended!! read more

Munson Marine - Boat Dealers Near Me - Fox Lake, Illinois

I'm not sure how Munson keeps getting my review taken down, but I think Munson's customers should know not to get Munson'ed. They ruined my boating season and I'll make sure to skip Munson next time around. read more

We have purchased two boats at Munson over the past ten years. It is a wonderful place to do business. Everyone from the salespeople to the mechanics are personable and professional. They truly care about their customers. read more

Went into munson today There was three guys standing around doing nothing and I asked him a question about a 2021Manitou that I had bought used to see if there was a transferable warranty and they Promptly told me there was no warranty on it and I asked him about a Garman cable for the engine didn't really get an answer out of them they acted like I was interrupting their talking session told me to call Manitou and gave me a brochure and said here buddy here's a 2021 brochure What a joke didn't even wanna help me would never go there again read more

We bought our second boat from them this spring. The first was 4 years ago and they handled all service work. Each year we had valet service there in the summer and stored with them in the winter. That should say something there - they treated us so well 4 years AFTER our first purchase, that we purchased another from them. The Service Team is top notch - and very quick. Anytime we have a question Tim is quick with a reply, which is better than great! Best of all, he is quick to schedule service work and it is always done on-time, and usually before. Their service department exceeds my expectations, which is tough sometimes with boat repair! Everyone is super nice, and as another reviewer noted, they greet us by name whenever we call or stop in. Other places do that too, but we really feel like a part of the Munson "family". Plenty of parking for the docks, and very quiet. Not a lot of thru boat traffic at all. So, buying a boat, or leasing a dock is an easy recommendation from us! read more

Great service from all !!! Thanks Mike!! We can't wait to use our new Regal Valanti Cruiser this Spring!! A+++++++ read more

Initially I thought this was a great place I got a decent deal and a good boat I was told that I could store my trailer I paid cash no negotiation asking price, then I move the boat across the street to a wonderful Marina, sold the boat two years later, and they tried to hold the trailer hostage, they said they would store the trailer when I bought it. They, having no paperwork no agreement are trying not to release the trailer to the new owner basically extorting me for $800 I did not pay and will not buy my next boat from Munson Marine and either should you. I was clearly told NOTHING about storage and was led to believe they held it because I bought the boat cash. I'm hearing about this now? Who abandons a trailer with a dock across the street? What a shady place I wish I had payed attention to the three star review. read more

Where do I start with Munson marine and the salesman I dealt with. I purchased a boat from them about 2 weeks ago. Let's just say I've only been able to use it once due major safety issues with the trailer. When I went to pick the boat up on may 31 2018 we go out for the test drive they make you go on and I'm glad I did. I was assured everything on the boat was in working order and was good to go, come to find out the "booming system" the boat had didn't work and I was told by the salesman Matt harves that he just listened to it earlier that day. That's lie number 1. During the test drive I ask for the bilge pump to be turned on so I can hear it run just to make sure it worked. The guy said this boat doesn't leak so no need to turn it on. Come to find out the pump was burned up. Lie number 2. After the test drive they attempted to fix the speakers which they weren't successful. Next the service manager came out and said bring it back next week so we can take care of that which was the only good that came out of it. I ended up having to fix them my self. Next I go to hook the trailer up to my truck and the lights in the trailer don't work. Sat there for another hour to 2 hours while they figured that out. Now for the good part. The boat trailer. The rear support shown in the pictures I attached is completely rotted out. I attempted to call them back and see what they could do to help me out. They told me there's nothing they can do it's a used boat. So they are okay with the frame being cracked and having the possibility of someone getting killed and causing an accident when the frame cracks the rest of the way through. The trailer is not safe at all to drive. This is how they want to treat customers who spend thousands with them. They don't care if they have someone getting hurt or killed on their plate from something they sold to a customer. I will not be going back here ever again and I will make sure that no one I know will go to this dealer for anything in the future. read more

See all

I purchased ( deposit ) a trailer in September. The date on my bill of sale said delivery 10/14/2016. Nobody likes taking their boat out this late in the season. The trailer wont be in until 10/21. I requested my money back. Craig Munson basically told me to "stick it". No dice. I will not give you your money back he said. I have since disputed my credit card and filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney Generals office. It's just a damn shame that a local business in my own hometown operates that way. An absolute shame. I am in the market for a new South Bay as well and WILL NOT even consider shopping there. Now I have to take my business out of my own home town. A damn shame. Buyer Beware. UPDATE*** The worst thing an owner can do is argue publicly on Google. Looks pathetic. Bottom line is that I have a contract with the date 10-14-16 on it. There is ZERO stipulation on this contract about a deposit being non refundable. In fact the back of the contract states clearly that this is not valid unless signed by both parties. It is not. Oldest trick in the book. I used to own and operate a powersports dealership with 5 different lines. I know all the tricks. Mr Munson is dead wrong, greedy, and predatory in nature to the sale. Please go anywhere else if you are reading this. Mr Munson is also a LIAR. Marine Master trailers states that this is a stock order going to munson. They are a brand new dealer and in order to 'On Board" a new dealer they have to place a stock order with a minimum. By the way. There is nothing custom about a pontoon trailer. He sells pontoon boats and trailers. So to posture that they are having a trailer custom made for me is a pathetic grab. A pontoon trailer is a pontoon trailer is a pontoon trailer. read more

We don't write reviews often, but need to let folks know about this. I made a deal with one of their salesman (I will not use his name) after spending about two weeks shopping for a triple toon pontoon boat. Had an agreement on a 24' South Bay with 200 HP Yamaha and the 3.0 Performance package. I wrote down all the features of the boat he was selling me. (it will not be delivered until next week). He was hungry for the sale and threw in some nice perks and gave me what I felt was a fair price. We had verbal agreement last night June 25.  Then this morning he sends me the sales contract and it states clearly "2.75 Perf Package". This is not a true Tri-toon. its really 2.75 exactly as they call it. The middle toon does not have the performance lifting stakes and it only runs 3/4  length of the boat.  The motor still mounts to the small piece mounted only on the rear of the craft (just like the dual toon). The 3.0 was key. Not only will it provide more rigidity to this boat with its composite flooring but it is also super strong for mounting the big motor to.  He said he was sorry that he said that in error, its actually only a 2.75. He made no offer to give me a discount, made no offer to get me the real boat we agreed upon, only asks if I want him to sell this boat to the next guy. I told him PLEASE DO! After I hung up I was thinking maybe it was an honest mistake, but thinking more on the conversation as he was trying to convince me to buy the lesser boat, he says the 200HP would never need the 3.0, that's only needed for 250s or higher. So then why would he ever have made the statement wrong to begin with? I do not think it was an honest mistake, I think this was the classic bait and switch.  So BUYER BEWARE! read more

I purchased a boat from Matt Harves and it was the most pleasant purchase I have ever made! He was attentive, thoughtful, and so well educated! He found the perfect boat for me and my family! We couldn't be happier with the entire sales process, service and friendliness!!! The company and especially Matt are the BEST! Thank you!! Rebecca E. read more

Convenient launch point. No frills set up. Generally plenty of parking for you and your buds. Beer and ice within walking distance.

Don't have them work on you boat. Complete waste to time and money. All work done here had to be redone at another shop

So far so good!! I have good feelings about these guys and our purchase. Bought a beautiful pontoon boat at the RV & Boat Show this weekend in Chicago from them. With all those overwhelming, amazing and competitive choices there these guys made it happen! Matt, Casey, Marty, Mike H, Tyler and owner Mr. Munson himself clinched a "SCREAMING DEAL" ...and I'm happy to write about it! Once we get our boat the in water this spring and complete the last leg of the deal, I'm sure that experience will be equally as great and will gladly come back to give them 5 stars! read more

Was not a good experience dealing with them at all. Ordered a boat from them and when it came in it was the wrong year. Was told they would reorder the boat. Now we were going to be going into winter. Told them I didn't want the boat till spring. In the mean time some health issues came up with my wife and we will be heading to the Mayo Clinic. I went in to talk with them to let the know we needed to cancel the boat. At that time the boat wasn't even made or on its way, keep in mind. I asked if I could get our deposit back due to the health issues with my wife. They said they would have to talk to the owner. After calling multiple times and being told the owner would call me back, which he never did. They told me the owner said he would not give me the deposit of $5,500 back but we could use it for up to a year to buy another boat. I told them I would not be in a position to buy a boat due to medical expenses. I told them keep a $1,000 for the time you spent on it. He said nope its the policy. I have my own company and have never treated anyone like this under unfortunate circumstances. I thought dealing with a family owned business they would have compassion for others in the community. Instead, they just said well this is our policy. Based on my experience, my opinion to any one looking to buy a boat, you should go look at another boat dealer! read more

I bought an Alumicraft boat two years ago. What a disaster!!! They had my boat for two winters for body repair. When it was fina

We stored our boat at Munson for two years. The facility itself is very nice, newer docks with protective bumpers. The dust from the gravel parking lot, was, however, very anoying, and made for very dusty boat. We had valet service (in/out). They would do anything they could to keep from pulling the boat out of the water. Sometimes in the water for 4 days without being used. If I wanted my boat to stay in the water I would have rented a slip.... The service dept. was good at dealing with mechanical issues, but did take 3 months to detail the boat! They did not get to it until JULY!! As far as dealing with customers..... Not so much I think they lost sight of the fact that we have boats to have fun on the water. We once asked to use an air hose to inflate a tube. They were less than helpful, and actually made it known that doing this would be very inconveniant for THEM.... Also directed us to dock the boat in a certain area, after hours. They neglected to tell us that they had rented the docks in that area, so we wound up docking in someones spot. Honest mistake created by poor communication on Munson's part. They actually BILLED me over $100 to move my boat. We were never made to feel welcome there. Not sure if that was because we did not buy a boat from them.... In fact, I would say the Munson team made us feel very unwelcome. We have been boating the chain for 24 years, and have never been treated so poorly. We couldn't get out of there quick enoungh. We have since moved to the marina accross the street , and couldnt be happier. They actually THANKED me for my business, yesterday. Imagine that..... read more

Quality, friendly marina with a small town atmosphere! The sales staff is honest and upbeat. Our experience with the Service Department has been nothing but exceptional. They know how important it is to get work done on a timely basis so you can get back on the water in no time at all! We keep our boat at the Marina with in/out service. They are quick to respond and super easy to get in touch with. It goes to say that we have had a very positive experience with Munson Marine, from both the sales and service aspect. We look forward to many more years of friendly service from Munson Marine! read more

These guys make used car salesmen look like angels! They are high pressure and don't know how to handle rejection like mature adults/businessmen. I was beyond shocked at the reply we received after telling them we found a boat somewhere else. They ruined any chance of us ever going there in the future. And we will be sure tell everyone we know to STAY AWAY! High prices too! read more

My husband and I had been looking for a new boat for quite some time. We would always stop in to Munson Marine to shop as well as a few other boat places. But we would always circle back to Munson because we could find what we liked there. We tried several times to purchase a boat from them and one sales rep in particular (Ed) would always be there and working with us but he could never close the deal - There was always some reason he had. So again, let down we left that same day to go somewhere else (a smaller boat dealer) and bought a beautiful brand new boat for a finaminal deal (we didn't even have to negotiate price) with NO financing problems! Why is this? Why couldn't Munson get the deal done? There was no reason. They are your best friend when your looking to buy something but when they can't make top dollar on the deal and get it done you're a low class 2nd rate citizen to them and shoved out the door "Better luck next time". Went back to Munson to let them know they lost us as a customer and their true colors showed. Not surprised. read more

Don't buy a boat here. We had agreed to pay the price listed on their website only to receive a call from the salesman, after a deposit was placed, raising the price on us by 22%!!!!!!!!!! Wow.. Chaparral 28' jumped from 58K to 71K. This is just bad business. read more

We had a terrible experience while docking with Munson Marine. The facilities were nice, with the exception of the gravel area, which created a lot of dust on our car and boat. Although we share a boat with another family, Munson would only give us one parking pass. They were very unfriendly and we felt that everything was done at their convenience. It was as if they were doing us a favor by asking them to just do what we paid them for. We have since switched marinas and couldn't be happier. We are not demanding customers, but don't liked being treated badly. I'm wondering if our experience would have been different if we had bought our boat from them? read more

Wow! I don't even know where to start, I was looking for a pontoon boat and came upon Munson Marine The sales woman was very nice not real knowledgeable, I could tell she was new to selling boats, I hate to have to point this out but it's true. I did come to like and trust her. She was very eager to sell a boat and good at following up. I found a boat that I liked on their showroom floor. The information on the boat was a small 8x10" paper in a plastic table menu that sat on the table of the boat. There was really very little information so I asked if the boat has power steering. I was assured by the sales rep that it had power steering and that I would test drive the boat before I buy it, you just can't see it because there is no motor installed on the boat. After deciding that I would buy this boat I asked again does this boat have power steering, the answer was yes, from the sales woman and the finance person who was handling the order. He asked that I put $1,000 down, i hesitated, he said it's just the way we have to do it here it makes management happy knowing they have some sort of commitment on a boat. I asked again, does this boat have power steering, assured again that it did. I still have no reason to believe that it doesn't. They promised me they would put the motor on the boat and I could take it for a test drive, if I didn't like the way it handled I didn't have to buy the boat. I gave them my credit card and said that I would be back the next day to pick up the boat after the test drive, I was having a party this weekend if I like the way the boat steered I will buy it. When i got there the next day with my wife and son, I asked the shop manger if the boat had power steering, he looked at me like I was crazy and said no! it doesn't have power steering. take the boat for a ride I promise you will not have a problem. Well the boat would barely steer to the left, it took way more power than I cared to give, I told the mechanic who went for the ride with us that the boat is unsafe, he assured me the boat was fine, I asked my son and wife to give it a try, my wife needed 2 hands and could hardly turn the boat at all, the boat scared the hell out of her and she has driven boats since she was 14 in 1978. My son gave it a try and said he would not feel safe driving this boat, he is 24 and has driven boats since he was 12, we live on a lake and have driven boats for years. Needless to say Munson Marine offered to put a $4,000 hydraulic steering on the boat at my expense, I told them thanks but no thanks, as I had told them the money I had was all I had for a new boat. After they found out I wasn't interested in the death trap of a boat they were pushing off on me, they offered to split the $4,000 I again said no I only had the money that I had. I was supposed to be buying a boat with pwr steering.I ended up buying a boat from another dealer with a similar name. I had not one problem everything went as promised, you could steer the boat without putting your entire body weight to the left side of the steering wheel as you did on the Munson Marine Boat. I put $1,000 down on the boat with a handshake agreement with the sales woman and the finance person which is not being returned to me. I turned it into the dispute department at my credit card company and was notified today with a letter from the credit card company which had a 3 page letter from Munson Marine telling their side of the story that is full of lies, lies, lies and more lies. I make my living being honest with people, never in a million years would I not return the deposit to a client. NEVER! They said I was impressed with another boat that we took on a test ride, I was not impressed, it handled poorly and they assured me mine would be better, it wasn't. They commented that they ordered a new trailer because they didn't have one, your a boat dealer, of course you had to get a trailer I would think a number of your customers want trailers. They claimed it took 16 hours to get the boat out of the show room, 4 men 4 hours each, that is a lie also as they were having a carribbean night and were taking boats out & putting new boats into the showroom. Munson Marine claimed they had 28 man hours total at $124.00 per hour, Munson Marine is saying I should pay for them to take a boat out of their show room? They also claim that they have installed this same steering system on 1,000 boats over the years, they claim they contacted the manufacturer and the manufacturer claims to have installed over 50,000 steering systems on similar model boas and had ZERO, yes ZERO problems. Their is no company in the world that could do 50,000 installs and have zero problems. Bottom line I would stop boating rather than buy from Munson Marine. They are dishonest, they lied to me and they stole $1,000 dollars from me. They said it was a special order boat, it was a 2015 boat in the year of 2016, they had this boat for a year. I will refer no one to this dealer. read more