Boat Dealers

Trying to decide what I want to do about buying a boat. With used prices still so crazy, I have been considering buying new. As odd as this might sound, I'm as concerned with finding a good dealer as I am with aluminum vs glass, brand A vs brand B. Are there any dealers in the Mississippi area you would recommend that I consider or avoid? Not into anything Johnny Morris Inc. has to offer, so BPS and their affiliates are off the table. Thinking 17'-18' range due to storage considerations. I've made several inquiries and haven't been impressed. If you'd rather respond by PM, please feel free. Thanks.

While I never really shopped for a boat, I only dealt with RJ's and Smith Marine for outboard service and older fiberglass repair. When I lived in Rankin Co, RJ's was often more convenient for me, and I usually got my boat back pretty fast.

There were times that I did end up taking my boat to Smith Marine before I moved to Madison, Co, and when they were at the old location, they were pretty fast with the tuneup and fiberglass repair. After they moved to the current location, their shop has always been slammed and I got tired of waiting as much as 6 weeks for a tune-up and just started learning how to do the maintenance myself. It's been a few years since I visited a shop, so my frame of reference is at least a few years old; I'm not sure if they've gotten better or worse. If you do need to have your boat serviced, you have to consider the shops and not just the purchasing experience.

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Originally Posted by jjue1979

While I never really shopped for a boat, I only dealt with RJ's and Smith Marine for outboard service and older fiberglass repair. When I lived in Rankin Co, RJ's was often more convenient for me, and I usually got my boat back pretty fast.

There were times that I did end up taking my boat to Smith Marine before I moved to Madison, Co, and when they were at the old location, they were pretty fast with the tuneup and fiberglass repair. After they moved to the current location, their shop has always been slammed and I got tired of waiting as much as 6 weeks for a tune-up and just started learning how to do the maintenance myself. It's been a few years since I visited a shop, so my frame of reference is at least a few years old; I'm not sure if they've gotten better or worse. If you do need to have your boat serviced, you have to consider the shops and not just the purchasing experience.

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When I look at a dealership for anything, it has to be the whole package. Great sales and poor service only wind up creating an exceptionally frustrating experience.