What's up with TIGE? Not Happy!

[mschmidt33]

All,

I wanted to vent...

I have made a few posts in the past about VX upgrades for my 13' RZR. I got busy... then AVX came out. I heard there would be an AVX upgrade so I contacted my dealer. Not only were they clueless about AVX but they gave me a hard time about the potential VX upgrade earlier this summer. Telling me it was much harder than I know it is. Thus, I gave up on the dealer and contacted Tige via there website. I did get a quick response and AVX will not be offered due to a safety reason? Either way I got over it and decided to pull the trigger on VX...

The situation is a little goofy as my dealer owes me a new platform due to warranty. I asked for the part numbers as if I don't babysit this I'm sure it will get messed up with my luck. Tige does not have part numbers and only sells the kits according to hull ID and color request. I got over this as well and planned to order the kit direct/or from another dealer and do it myself. I got nice instructions but then got an email saying Tige is no longer going to produce VX kits for older boats!

I will get over it. The wake is insane for a 20ft boat as is.

I love my boat, it performs well but the whole dealer experience is ruining this for me. I have some expected minor warranty work to get done this winter and this process is really frustrating. Boat has sat for 2 months now with no progress. I also heard my dealer is moving it to a sister dealer now. That was 2 weeks ago. It is still sitting collecting dust. I predict I will not have this boat back in the spring at this rate. I wanted it in March for stereo/ballast upgrades I was going to do.

Mike

[bmoorewiz]

I agree completely, I can't speak for the entire US but basically the east coast dealers are terrible in my experience so far. There is a new one in the Charlotte area that seems like he might be a little better, if he isn't i will be buying a G23.

[boardman74]

Tige does indeed not have part numbers. Amazes me that a company this size doesn't. As a dealer you email a guy at the factory and describe what you need or send a picture. It works as the guy you email is amazing and almost always knows what you need, right off the top of his head, but seems like a poor process for a large company. What if something happens to this guy?

I have said all the way along that AVX would not be retrofittable. I said that when I worked for a dealer. That is what we were told from the factory. A few people on here claimed they were told it was going to be retrofittable, that was never the case as far as I know and not sure where they got their info. Probably from less that upfront dealers trying to move current model boats without AVX's. I was even told that early 2015's we got right before AVX release (I'm talking off the truck a week prior)where not retrofittable. Basically if the boat left the factory without a AVX, it wasn't getting one is the way I understood it.

As for poor dealers and hollow promises, welcome to the boat world. A good dealer is worth their weight in gold. There seem to be far more poor dealers, than there are good. I have said it 100 times, a good dealer is far more important than what brand of boat you purchase. I know I personally talked to you prior to your purchase and warned you the dealer you purchased from had a less than stelar reputation with Tige Boats. So no surprise there.

Lastly Tige is notorious for dropping support for older models. I'm not sure if this is common thru out the industry, but with boats being a custom one off item I suspect it may be. Pretty much if they aren't currently using the part on the assembly line good luck getting it from them. Again from my understanding VX's were pretty much offered for only current model boats. Meaning they never made VX's for older models, IE 20V, 22VE, etc. Now 2012 and older boats had a different bracket system so there was some retrofitting, but not your 2013. The current model VX would be a direct replacement for your 13 so not sure why they can't get you one. I mean it literally slips right on. Takes longer to separate the platform and VX, then install(more like pin it) on the boat. Unless they are no longer making the fixed VX and its just all AVX.

[EricU]

It is amazing to hear that some dealers aren't treating folks well.

I don't know where you live, but if you are anywhere near Northern California, give the guys at CMS (Cal Marine Sports) in Suisun City a call. Those guys have always treated me very well and I would recommend them to anyone, plus their stereo guy Dennis is the BEST around here!

[talltigeguy]

This is also what happens when you switch surf systems every year. Here is a guy with a pretty new boat, parts of it even still under warranty, and he asks for a part, but it is so far out of date, he cannot get it. I am not surprised by this.

Tige needs to step up the R and D department and stop releasing something that will be obsolete the following year.

[JLG]

[QUOTE=boardman74;737221]
I have said all the way along that AVX would not be retrofittable. I said that when I worked for a dealer. That is what we were told from the factory. A few people on here claimed they were told it was going to be retrofittable, that was never the case as far as I know and not sure where they got their info. Probably from less that upfront dealers trying to move current model boats without AVX's. I was even told that early 2015's we got right before AVX release (I'm talking off the truck a week prior)where not retrofittable. Basically if the boat left the factory without a AVX, it wasn't getting one is the way I understood it.

I am one of the 15 owners that stated it can be retrofitted and that is not just from my dealer but from the factory when I emailed them. They said parts would be available soon which was a couple months ago when I asked and that my dealer could give me the cost of upgrade. I spoke to my dealer a week or so ago and he had an approx. price for the parts but wasn't sure on labor as they were just getting ready to install on the 15 model ASR he had on site that came out early without the AVX. Unless I'm missing something or the factory and my dealer are lying the 15 VX can be upgraded to the AVX with remote! Now as far as the miscommunication yes there has been plenty of that and maybe tige had no intention to allow an upgrade and perhaps had a change of heart after seeing how agitated us early 15 owners were by missing out on the upgrade.

[boardman74]

Well hopefully something has changed. But considering its been going on 4 months now on 15's and your still waiting I'm not holding my breathe. Add that to the OP just talked to the factory in the last few days and now they are saying no retrofit. Sounds like the normal factory face washing to me. Personally knowing what I know and having seen what I have seen, I am going to take the "I will believe it when I see it" stance. Not saying it won't happen, but it hasn't yet.

[mschmidt33]

Thanks for the replies guys. I feel better. Btw send me your contact info for the "factory". All I did was go to the Tige website and sent an email to info@tige.com. I got a reply from someone else but don't know if he works at the factory or not.

[lee]

Tige does indeed not have part numbers. Amazes me that a company this size doesn't. As a dealer you email a guy at the factory and describe what you need or send a picture.

When did they drop part numbers? The 12 years I was a dealer they used part numbers.

[boardman74]

I'm not sure when they did. I just know they don't know. They also have no way to look up a part, i.e. microfiche, break downs, exploded views, etc. You email the guy at the factory the HIN and what you need and they hook you up. Sometimes they will want to see a picture. I do recall once getting a part number for a part no longer carried from an outside vendor. It was the outside vendors part number and it was "tigeshaft" I remember because it made me laugh!!

[boardman74]

So your telling me every part in the boat is in there? Actually very few are. Thats interesting…not how we ordered parts as a dealer.

Are you a dealer or a dealer employee? I also see you have shown off Tige's 100% mark up on parts. Can't help but think they are gonna be pretty excited about that!!! There is a reason I all but quit posting on here when I was working for a dealer. I'm pretty sure what you just posted is confidential Dealer/ manufacturer info!

[sandm]

I don't think it's any surprise that initial dealer markup is that high. same in the auto industry, hence the reason you go to the dealer for the $400 alternator that cost $179 at checker.

years ago, story on a ford escort that cost $10k. someone went thru the parts catalog and the total was north of $25k to build the same car ordering part by part.

really just shows how well you should get in with the dealer you buy the boat from as I doubt that markup is being charged by all dealers.

[gwhite94]

Adding on to what sandm stated this type of mark up is in every type of merchandise industry.... I do agree though not sure Tige will be pumped about it being on a public site....

[Dandy]

As stated above, mark ups are what they are. I would guess that Tige owns that part for about $100.00 or less and then have it at a dealer cost of $208.94. To be honest, I am not sure if Tige would be as pissed off about it being posted or other Dealers. If I was a Dealer, I would not want my margins to be published to the public - this screen shot shows what the dealer buys it for and what Tige suggests it be sold for...not how much Tige makes on it. Kind of a Thread Jack over the pricing thing...sorry.

[boardman74]

^^ Thats what I was getting at, not sure the dealers want customers to know that the retail is exactly double what they pay for it!!

But I could be wrong, maybe no one cares!! LOL