Great Outdoors Marine - Lavalette, WV

So I bought a boat. A tiny boat. A pathetically small, insignificant boat.

I bought it at Great Outdoors Marine in Lavalette, WV. I got a 9.9HP mercury motor, a small dinky (but perfectly functional trailer) and a 14' x 36" fisher john boat.

Well, about a week after I buy it, the weld that holds the transom in place, just below the drain-plug cracks. Now my boat leaks.

I call up the folks in Lavalette. "Guys, boat's broken." To thier credit, they had me bring it in, and within a week or so, rewelded the boat.

The weld held for about 4 boating trips, and then broke again.

They agreed to re-weld it.

I took it in. This time, the boat was there for a couple of weeks (I think) and in prime fishing season.

This time, the weld held for an entire one-day fishing trip. I'm neither a welder or a structural engineer, but my hypothesis is that they got the aluminum too hot during the factory welding process, and caused the sheet-aluminum being welded to become too brittle and weak. I hear welding aluminum is pretty difficult, and issues like this can pop up.

This time I called Lavalette Marine and stated that I want my money back for the boat. Not the whole combination of boat, motor, and trailer, but just the boat. They won't do it. They want me to jump through hoops.

I had to threaten legal action. So as it stands right now, I'm waiting for a phone call from someone who can make the decision to give me my money back or replace the boat with a new one.

I think I just want my money back.

I'll update.