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Tagged: CoCat
How long is it taking for your Caracal SP’s to be done from order to finish?
Anybody? I ordered this boat many months ago and I’m not getting any answers from my dealer.
Your dealership has a regional sales manager and that gentleman has full insight on the build dates, on their data stream. They have the most up to date information daily and can transfer that information to your dealership. Your dealership is our overall customer and our business partner. We must respect them having that knowledge and then expect them to transfer that to you.
BCB
Thank you, I will relay this information to my dealer.
First congrats on ordering a Caracal! I have my dream 2021 custom order Caracal and it’s a fantastic rig. Wait times are brutal mine took seven months and I was not disappointed on my order. Your dealer should keep you informed with your request for updates. If communication is lacking then I would definitely get the regional representative involved. There is no reason for a dealer not to give you the most updated information on your order.
Wayne Walters
We apologize if there is a miscommunication through your dealership, or a lack thereof. We suggest you contact the dealer and if they are not clear on where your boat is, then we ask that your efforts be directed to our sales director and he will engage your RSM to get the dealer engaged.
Thank you,
BCB
Just FYI and 100% not to be negative in any way to anyone including Bass Cat Boats, I ordered my Puma in September of 2021 and the dealer is supposed to have my rig next week. Hope this helps.
I ordered my Caracal SP end of October. Was told Mid March for finish, so I sold my Puma (my regret). In mid Feb my dealer told me that mid March was still accurate. Then first week of March I was told they have no idea. Said Mercury had suspended production of the 225hp motors to fulfill 250’s. Not sure what could have happened in those couple weeks. I called Mercury and the 3 people I spoke with at Mercury emphatically denied this so I didn’t know what to make of it. I did talk to the BCB regional manager who said they are having issues getting engines and that the boat would not be built until they had an invoice from Mercury. Said getting Garmin stuff is faster than HB and MK. He explained a time estimate that they somehow generate and gave me an estimated build start date of mid June now. It takes 3-4 weeks to build plus dealer rigging. It has been very frustrating. Even just getting calls returned etc, which I’ve never experienced from BCB or this dealer. I am sure its frustrating for them too as I know BCB and the dealer benefit from not getting product out… unless I bail and they pass on the new costs to the next buyer….hmmm. I have had to pass up a couple really appealing opportunities at almost new boats due to this wait. I am in Michigan, without a boat, without much information, and hoping I don’t loose more than half my season. Keep you posted!
I ordered my Caracal SP on September 7, 2021. In January my dealer checked, and mid April was estimated. On April 1 he told me that late April was the time. Today he called and told me that he had received the invoice and estimated that the boat would be here in a few days. Overall, my dealer and Basscat have been pretty consistent on estimates.
Glad you are at the end of your long wait.
Thank you for your patience.
Now go enjoy that new rig!
BCB
I ordered one the third week of Sept and still don’t have mine. Whats frustrating is dealers up and down the east coast have some sitting on lots and customers that ordered a boat are left standing around waiting and hoping they get to use theirs before the summers over. At this point I honestly don’t even want mine anymore.
For the last 90 days Mercury 200 and 225 engines have been in short supply. We have several boats completed at the factory waiting for engines and some parts at this time.
Wait times on orders now are delivering in November.
Also, our sellable field inventory is under 27 boats in the USA, including Yar-Craft brand. We have been unable to keep up with demand.
I understand wait times, parts shortages, and even waiting over a year for a boat. What I don’t understand, and what is completely unacceptable, is to let any dealers, including mine, recieve any caracals sp’s just to sit on their lots when paid customers are waiting 9-12 months to recieve their boat. Especially when every dealer said customers who ordered boats get priority over dealers who ordered boats. I left a message with a Basscat rep friday to take care of this problem. Its sad that I have been extremely exited to join the Basscat family for years and now I want nothing to do with it.
Let’s us help any thoughts on this and it will be lengthy as you’ve brought forward opinion that will have a variety of views. There are other consumers potentially reading this which have boats on order and they have their own questions. We need to try and address all. We also have always been a transparent company and this is a transparent reply to your post.
We don’t want consumers tied up and unknowledgeable. Field representatives have had full vision on the schedule this season to see anticipated production dates. Supply chain has altered those dates, both forward and backwards, in 2022.
As to your year on order, we don’t see any sold retail order dates on the system extending back 12 months now, other than boats ordered with Yamaha engine product on hold. The oldest there is 8/4 as it was changed to Mercury this month. Only stock orders we did not build extend back to July 2021. So yes, dealer clarity would be suggested here.
We presently have several dozen boats totally built, and stored, waiting on supply chain issues.
This has been an extremely unusual season in 2022, and 2021 was just a flurry. Then 2022 our pace picked up after both the 2021 and 2022 product offering was released. This was exponential growth over the new accelerated sales pace of this CoVid outdoor market. In 2022 we sidelined and then rejected several hundred dealership stock orders to prioritize consumer sold units. The 2022 accessories and product changes, along with the Puma STS brought even more sales. Many say it’s a good thing, and today it is manageable. Of course every new product or item introduced alters the demand loads and shifts the base.
In the CoVid supply chain and employment market we simply could not reach the levels of staff, or supply, to increase production. Allocations have existed on several products and raw materials in 2021 and 2022.
We have some dealers that do not generally sell product to order. Some of those dealers have no retail boats on order as they simply don’t sell product to order. Thus their frustrations are they have not received enough product to sell, due to prioritizing sold units over production. We have a few dealerships which have received very limited, if any, 2022 product.
In the fall a small number of boats were built for stocking dealers to try and balance this issue. Then over the spring a few boats were issued to stock for consumer shows. We prefer not to use individuals new product at those shows.
In this season we have built more boats than most any prior year, we rejected or froze as many orders as we built for Bass Cat. Those were stock boats for those dealerships and we know it’s a fine line we walk to try and keep both dealers and consumers pleased. In 2023 we are committing to a per dealer allotment to meet each dealers individual needs and we expect several questions and challenges. We have dealerships that will fast reach our total commitment to them for 2023. We also feel those numbers will shift as they usually do between dealerships.
We do expect the market to balance in 2023 and dealership stock to normalize in 2024. Hopefully supply chain will also become more normal over the next 18 months. Anticipated delivery of sold retail orders today is late November and soon to hit December.
While we know this doesn’t answer all your questions it is where we are and we hope we’ve brought some clarity to yourself and equally to others with questions. We know you have more to learn from your dealership.
Everyone have a wonderful 4th of July!
BCB
Well even after talking to a rep I was told what turned out to be more lies. So much for being a family company that takes care of their customers. You have treated me like the biggest piece of shit and showed you don’t care about your customers. Honestly you should be ashamed. Thanks for everything.
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