# Elliotts Marine Service, Shepherd, Texas



## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Awhile ago, I asked for recommendations for boat motor repair. Some people responded and I went my own way with Elliots Marine Service in Shepherd, Texas.

Never, ever, will I take my engine back to this man, Dean Elliott!!!

70 dollars an hour for labor with a one hour minimum. Okay, I'm fine with that. No problem.

The story starts out that I can get my engine back in a week. I go back in a week and it is laying on the floor where I left it. He says since there is no fire to the plugs, that it is probably the charging coil.(Driver coil)

He orders one the following Monday and says it should be in by Wed.(a week and a half now). Call back on Thursday and it isn't the driver coil. He says he found a short in the electrical.He says one of the condensers was shorted out. (I'm thinking if is just one condenser, wouldn't it still fire on the other cylinder???)

Now we aren't talking about a 4-stroke Yamaha. We're talking about a 1975 9.9 evinrude. Points, condensers and coils. You know, basically like a lawn mower engine or an older model lawn mower engine.

He quotes me a price of 160 plus dollars to start with and then quotes my wife a price of 151 dollars a day or so later.

I call back after talking to other people and tell him I think the price is excessive. He says, "he gets tired of people thinking he is too high on his pricing and if it was so easy to fix, why didn't I fix it to start with".

I respond that I leave my house for work in Beaumont (from Livingston) a little after five in the morning and don't get home til seven at night and I'm not in the boat motor repair business. He says, "he has been in the business for 25 years" and I tell him, "then it shouldn't take you two hours to find a short in my engine".

We go back and forth and then he says he just charged me for an hour and a half labor and says he put a tune up kit in it. Well what happened to the driver coil that you ordered, I ask? He says he'll just have to absorb the loss on that, cause he didn't install it on my engine. Yea, right, I think I'm the one that absorbed the loss on HIS new driver coil.

When I get the motor back to the house, I notice that he has mis-aligned the teeth on my tiller handle. Nice try Dean Elliott but I do have enough sense to fix that.

I told him thanks for the experience, because if a man/woman can build it, a man/woman can repair it. I now have a 1975 evinrude 9.9 service manual on the way.

Just isn't a good feeling when you feel like you have been robbed. I didn't see any old parts that he took out of my engine and no, I didn't asked to see them. He could've handed me a truck load of parts that he has accumulated over the years and said they were out of my engine. The only one who truly knows is him.

I could've replaced the driver coil,both points,both condensers and both of the other coils for what he charged me and had everything new under the fly wheel.

So, in closing, if you see Dean Elliott from Shepherd Texas,tell him I said hello and that I discussed his business here on and as soon as I am done, I'm goin to three other local fishing web-sites that I am a member of and am going to discuss his business there too.

Mark Futral[/B]


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## panamafish (Aug 3, 2006)

well people dont realize when you dont do someone right or make every effort to correct a mistake you dont only lose 1 customer but they may know 5 people and so on and so forth and with the i-net it is a lot bigger than that now i dont know gator gar from adam but he had a bad expirence so why would i take the chance there is so many more mechanics that i havent heard bad things about so bussiness man beware the customer with the i-net is a very powerful


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## SMOKER (Jul 10, 2007)

Thanks for informing us about this "so called" outboard repair business. I experienced a problem with the repair of a jet ski at Houston Kawasaki and the service manager who claimed he knows all there is to repairing a jet ski proved he knew nothing. We too went round and round on the repair cost($500+) and still have problem. Report them to the BBB as I did . When people pull up the BBB web site to see the rating of that business perhaps they will go elsewhere for service.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

As I was leaving his business, he wouldn't even open the door to let me out. I had the evinrude in both hands and had to set it down to get the door open and use my foot to keep it cracked so I could get an elbow in there to open it.
All the while, he never left behind the counter.

I admit, that this is exactly what I wanted to accomplish by writing my story. I wanted to let other people know how I was treated.

Now on the other hand, I'm not opposed to praising a business if they treat me well. I'll do it in a heartbeat.

You are so right about this internet. It is a powerful tool and I am using it as such. I have my story on 3 different fishing web-sites in the Lake livingston forums and two other local town forums. I might not break him, but I at least would like to cost him what he overcharged me.

Mark


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## Don Smith (Nov 24, 2007)

I too made the mistake of doing business with a company that had been blasted here for poor service simply because it was more convenient for me. Bad mistake and one that I won't make again. I have come to rely on the judgement and experience of the people on this board. I have found that folks here are quick to give praise for good quality and service and will also inform others of poor quality and bad experiences and I for one really appreciate it.


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## Nutt4fishin (May 16, 2008)

I cant stand folks who try to pay their kids college tuition off a simple repair/service job
I myself look at the place of business If it dont look professional ( THEN IT Probably AINT) Just My 2 cents Thanku thanku very much


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

There is nothing proffessional about the looks of this place, that is for sure. I guess that should have been a hint. I don't know, it still burns me up just thinking about it.


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## railman (Aug 1, 2004)

Sounds like me and Travis Boating Center on I45 at Canino.I think they were bought out.I hope so.Too many crooks in the marine repair industry.


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## ssminnow355 (Oct 26, 2007)

I hear ya man. There's alot of crummy mechanics out there and is also how I learned to fix things myself. After I got my new boat a while back I wanted to take it in for the 10hr "recommended" service primarily so I could get the computer readout. Basically it was an oil change, lower unit oil, fuel water seperator, on board fuel filter job.
Bill was just shy of $500. They billed me for 3 hours of labor (and didn't even change the plugs). At 50 hrs I did the exact same thing, including the plugs and it took me 45 minutes. Go figure. Learning to do things yourself is priceless, plus you get to know your motor better should something happen in the field.


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## ssminnow355 (Oct 26, 2007)

Correction, after looking at the bill they charged me 4 hrs labor.


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## Magnolia (Dec 2, 2007)

I cant say enough about Stracks down on Louetta for the good work they do. Two trips down there has taken care of my problems in the best way and service was 2 day turnaround. Anyone have any negative reports from their experiences with Stracks?


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## BigTim (Dec 3, 2006)

I do most of my own motor repairs and maintenance and I have some pretty old motors. I can not say enough good things about Stracks. First the guys are just good people, I can go in and ask questions and pick their brains on stuff I can't figure out with the manuals. They have printed stuff out of their technical manuals for me without hesitation. I'm in there frequently during December and January. 

Hate to hijack, but felt they needed a tip-of-the-hat.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Hey, I am all for promoting a business that does a great job and treats their customers good. Hi-jack all you want for something positive.


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