If you are one many looking for a good deal on a used boat on Craigslist and have stumbled across one of the following websites: "nocreditcheckboats.com", "targamarine.com", "travisboatsales.com" or "620marine.com" through a Craiglsit posting... DO NOT call them, email them or respond to the ad in any way... These guys are the epitomy of dishonest and they will rip you off! How do I know... Because they got me.
I own a boat rental company with locations at Ute Lake, NM and Lake Belton, TX.in February of I found their site and was very interested in a 1997 Larson 290 Cabrio they had in their inventory. I called and got a guy named Warren... Nice enough guy, very helpful. He told me the boat was in mint condition and it was "by far the best boat in our fleet". I decided to apply... After all, I had a few bumps on my credit and probably would not qualify for conventional financing. So, the application process was smooth and lightning quick... Probably because they never intended to verify anything... Just get the money! I wired the $5000 down payment after being told I was approved and counted down till that weekend to have my boat delivered at Ute Lake. Well... It never showed up.
I drove five hours to Ute Lake to meet "The Transporter" and when the boat didn't arrive... I started calling Warren's mobile. No answer of course and after six hours and 17 calls, I gave up for the day. I didn't hear from the guy until the next day when I called from a friend's mobile with a 505 area code. Warren crapped himself when he heard me on the other line. Gave me some song and dance about an emergency that weekend and had lost his phone... Blah, blah, blah. Well, he "had quit" that day also and apologized for my inconvenience... Enter Chris Blair.
Chris could be one helluva salesman if he put half of the energy he puts into ripping people off into actually selling and delivering what he promises. Regardless, this guy needs to be put in prison for at least ten years for what he's done to me and dozens of other unaware buyers. Here's my experience with him:
After two weeks of arguing with the guy... And him promising to get my boat delivered if he had to drive it himself... I finally get the "mint condition" Larson 290 Cabrio delivered by a guy named Jason Ashbury... And by the way - if you ever need a boat delivered - call Jason... The guy is a genuine, salt-of-the-earth kinda guy. Had it not been for Jason, I would never have seen that boat. He ended up having to drive the boat on a trailer that blew an axle 140 miles out of Ute Lake. He had to drive 15 miles an hour the rest of the way due to a junk trailer Chris supplied him with.
The Larson that showed up, was NOT the Larson advertised on 620's website. It was beaten up, cracked gelcoat, dirty as hell, neglected, bent props and shaft, rub rail destroyed and chunks of missing fiberglass from the back swim platform. Additionally, someone had "broken into" the cabin, so the lock on the door was broken. The "staff" of crack addicts at 620 Marine had been using the boat as their own little party cruiser (and meth lab?). They had left the cabin door open in heavy rain after loading the boat and there was STANDING WATER in the cabin! The roof liner wass sagging, the carpet was stained and there was mold growing on the walls near the floor. Finally to top it off... Somebody had used the head (#2) and left their feces in the toilet!
Of course, when I saw the boat... I was irate and called Chris to tell him so. No answer... Of course. His partner Brian (Brystar Marine) didn't answer either. I realized then what I had gotten myself into. I was stuck with a boat that I would never see a dime of my money back on. I tracked down Joe COllins, the registered owner of the boat and talked to him about it. I informed the poor guy of the true condition of the boat and we came to an agreement to put what I would normally pay monthly into repairs. After another $4800 worth of engine and exterior repair (not to mention the elbow grease and wretching I did to clean the interior), I'd had enough. I paid to have the boat towed BACK to Texas and let Joe take it back.
All in all, I lost over $10,000 to 620 Marine in down payments, transport from and back to Texas and repairs. I used the boat only three times and it never ran properly and we never could use the cabin... Which the boat was originally intended to be a live-aboard while tending my rental business.
So, buyer beware! These guys should be in prison!
Chris Blair and Bryan operate under many different websites and shell companies (see above). If you've been ripped off by these clowns, call Game Warden Sean Moore at the Temple, TX TPWD office: 3615 South General Bruce Drive, Temple, TX 76504
Sean will be happy to take your information as he has been successful in putting Chris in jail a couple times for smaller crimes, but is trying to put him behind bars permanently.
Rob R
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
U.S.A.
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