Turn a lemon into lemonade with effort and determination
Clark Howard, WSB-TV consumer adviser
The Georgia Lemon Law is designed solely to protect new car buyers. There's no protection for new boats. So if you've bought a lemon, you're on your own.
Rick Griffith loves cruising on Lake Lanier. In March 1999, he spent $35,000 on the boat of his dreams. "The additional money I spent on the boat was specifically so I wouldn't have any problems," says Rick.
But within days, major problems started to surface -- gauges were broken, the name plate was falling off, the seats didn't fit right, even the motor was having problems. It ruined Rick Griffith's summer. So he contacted the Consumer Action Center, and Clark contacted the company, Chris Craft, about Rick's lemon boat. They said Rick would have to work with the dealer to resolve the problems. Rick had already exhausted that route, so he tried a more direct approach.
Says Rick, "It all started with one last call to Chris Craft, when I asked the warranty manager how he could sleep at night knowing what he had done to me. He agreed to let me bring the boat back down to Sarasota, and take a ride with me. It was my last shot, my last chance. It worked."
Rick's boat is now perfect. The gauges, the name plate, the windshield, the seats and engine were all replaced. What he had spent months fighting over was fixed in three weeks. "It's gratifying," says Rick.
Rick Griffith is proof that you can turn a lemon into lemonade. And here's what he has to say about his ordeal: "There is no lemon law. If you get a lemon, you've got a hard road in front of you. But if you're persistent, you can prevail."
Rick's story is a great example of what effort and determination can get you. Rick could have sold the boat and taken a huge financial loss, but he didn't. He fought and made a company stand behind their product. You can do the same.
A final tip from Clark: Whenever you are trying to resolve a problem, start at the top of the company and work down. CEOs and company vice presidents have the power to fix your problem quickly.
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