Subject: AquaPro inflatable tenders

Posted 2009-08-08

Message:

Kevin Comer posted a message in 2007 (see below) concerning the poor quality build of AquaPro tenders and the refusal of the manufacturer to honor their warranty. We have now had a similar problem.

We purchased an AquaPro tender in Bodrum marina costing £750, then sailed across the Aegean. This product has built a reputation for good design and build in the Far East and Eastern Med. Three months after the purchase the glues on the port side started to part, particularly the rowlock support.

We contacted the New Zealand manufacturer. After 20 emails they refused to accept responsibility for the warranty; in one email stating that the tender had not been purchased from an “authorized agent” and therefore the warranty was void. How a buyer is supposed to know this before purchase, is an issue unresolved.

The person who recommended us to AquaPro returned to Greece in May 2009 to discover that his AquaPro purchased 2 years and one week earlier had also failed on the glue joints.

Having initially been told there was an AquaPro agent in Palma, I contacted the company when we reached Spain recently but have received no reply.

This is clearly not an acceptable state of affairs and the response of the company to its warranty obligations is unacceptable.

John Parsons

Aquapro Inflatable Boats – Warranty Claims

Posted Dec 2007

We purchased an Aquapro SMR 901 (Polymar) inflatable boat in October 2006. Within 6 months of purchase, all of the handles and fittings started to fall off. We have experienced on-going problems with the manufacturer, RFD Australia, getting them to first acknowledge our claim and more recently coming to an agreement on a satisfactory resolution. Have any fellow yachties experienced similar problems with their Aquapro inflatables and/or dealing with RFD Australia?

Kevin Comer

Following the posting of this report, The Managing Director of AquaPro, Joanne McMahon, contacted John Parsons with the following explanation:

“Basically, Aquapro stopped manufacture in New Zealand in 2005 and all production was shifted to Sagittarius in Xiamen, China. RFD New Zealand and RFD Australia are only responsible for the sales and distribution of the Aquapro boat products in New Zealand and Australia. All boats sold around the rest of the world are the responsibility of Sagittarius since they have the license to manufacture and sell into all countries except NZ and Australia.

Aquapro is not a manufacturing company, it is a brand of boats manufactured by Sagittarius.

I can state categorically that RFD NZ is responsible for any boat that it sells here in New Zealand, and the warranty is strictly enforced. Therefore, if either of these boats was sold in New Zealand, we would ask for proof of purchase and take it from there.

I’m sorry that your dealings on this have been less than satisfactory but sales outside New Zealand are unfortunately outside our jurisdiction as we do not have the license to sell outside this marketplace.

The contact point in Sagittarius is a lady called Melody and her email address is melody@xmsag.com – she may be able to help you with your complaint.

I will now try and intervene on your behalf to Sagittarius but fear it may be too late to be of any use.

Apart from that, all I can suggest is that you return the boat to the dealer copied with all your correspondence as it would have been well within the warranty period when you commenced contact and you are well within your rights to have the boat repaired free of charge. This is what we would have done if you had purchased over here.

I’m sorry that I can not be of more help to you”.

Received 17 September 2009

We bought ours in New Zealand in 2008. By the time we arrived in Australia ALL our handles, etc. were literally falling off. I contacted the New Zealand branch and was referred to RFD Australia and, after proof of purchase, made arrangements with them to have them all re-glued in Cairns.

This was taken care of satisfactorily by the local dealer. He told us that he had done a lot of these and that at one time RFD re-glued the attachments as they came in from China and before they were distributed to the agents.

My advice here is to buy an ABB or Caribe – do not trust the Chinese knockoffs.

Mike Rigby-Williams