My father went to the tampa boat show in March to look at boats. After a long year of COVID and quarantine we as a family were ready to get back in the water. myself, my father and mother, my brother were all going to put money in the buy a brand new boat to enjoy ourselves and especially for my brother who is a recently returned combat vet USMARINE CORPS with diagnosed service connected disability nerve damage and PTSD. we found through renting a boat that the most calming thing for him is be on the water so what better way than with a new boat of our own so we can go enjoy any time we wanted?
My father looked at the Clearwater models of boats offered by CHAMPION MARINE GROUP at the tampa show. he put down a big depsoit on a 24-ft custom ordered Clearwater. his sales man, doug, was very kind and as a fellow retired veteran assured my vet father and my vet brother that he would make sure we were very happy! We were all so happy! well that is where the dream ended and the nightmare began.
This boat was supposed to be delivered to us in 2-4 weeks. we Were assured of this by DAVID PETRANTONI the owner of CHAMPION MARINE. this seemed very unusual for s because every other boat dealer told us, no, it would be 6-10 weeks AT BEST for an ordered boat because of factories being backed up from covid and shortages in parts and motors. DAVID PETRANTONI told us he had open slots with the factory and we would have our boat in the promised time. We chose to cancel an order with a different dealer and give our money to CHAMPION based on this promise.
First red flag - David wanted the deposit in CASH all $10,000 of it. this was the only way to guarantee the order. the other dealer accepted a check. Okay we said. my father is very by the book and asked if we needed to fill out any forms because of all the cash "dont worry what you give us is between us and no ones business" is what he said. we were so excited about the boat we just went along with it. he also kept talking about making sure it was cash because of problems he had with his ex wife which i thought was an odd thing to mention to strangers.
Second red flag - four weeks went by, and we heard nothing in between. my father called a few times just to check not to bother anyone but we were very excited and had the rest of the money we just wanted to be on the water! My father is retired air force and is very soft spoken and kind, so when he called four times and was told someone would call him back he just went with it.
Thrid red flag - when my brother and me decided to stop by on our way home from tampa to CHAMPION MARINE dealership in clearwater, Doug was not there but david was. He went up to him and said "hi david its Sebastian is our boat in yet?" he looked at us like he had no idea who we were and just said curtly "no, no its not in yet your salesman should be talking to you about this not me" and went back into his office and closed his door. Not even a handshake and like we were strangers! I know this is a business and he is busy, but remember we interacted with him for probably 2 1/2 hours over two days at the show and PERSONALLY handed him $10,000 in CASH! I would certainly remember me doing that!! And even if he didn't remember, do you really talk to you clients like that???
So four weeks becomes five, six, seven, eight weeks later - still no boat. We call and stop by multiple times and nerly every time the only people who recognize us and we recognize are our sales man Doug, another older man Ron, and Frank who is the lot helper. Every else is different! the ladies at the front desk, the people in back. We are getting super concerned at this point because all we have is a hand written receipt and a hand written contract!
At this point, I start doing my research and i see that DAVID PERTRANTONI used to own OUTPOST MARINE GROUP in new port richey for five years and the place closed down because they lost boat manufacturers, owed banks hundreds of thousands of dollars, and had such terrible reviews online. I also learned that DAVID PETRANTONI was sued several times over deposits for ordered boats that were never ordered or ordered so late boating season was over or misordered and boats arrived with different colors, wrong motors, and such! and the people that wanted depsoits backs had to SUE DAVID TO GET REFUNDS! oh my gosh what did we do???
I decided to call Clearwater Boats directly and what they said SHOCKED US! They had received an order for our boat LAST WEEK - SEVEN 7 WEEKS AFTER WE GAVE DAVID THE MONEY! He also said it would be at least EIGHT WEEKS until we got our boat!
I was very angry and had to control myself. I called the factory back the next day and the president of Clearwater was very apologetic and i understand that they can only make a boat when ordered and paid for a deposit. I also learned that there is no way possible for them to make a boat like ours or any in 4 weeks!
I stopped by Champion Marine Group the next Monday they were open and wanting to make sure DAVID was there. I stopped for four days in a row and he was never until the Friday that week some one must have slipped up because I saw him getting out of a big white truck with CHAMPION on the side and learned that was his personal truck. It was there THREE OF THE FOUR PREVIOUS DAYS and he just made his staff LIE and HID in his office! I was furious! I told the woman at the desk and Doug very strongly that I needed to talk to David NOW and I wanted the TRUTH! Doug walked into the back to David's office and his front desk lady asked me to talk to her outside. She walked me around back allegedly to show me something as to why my boat was delayed when I turned around and saw DAVID climb into his truck and DRIVE AWAY OUT OF THE LOT AND ACROSS THE STREET PEELING OUT LIKE A CRAZY MAN. WOW! All this to avoid talking to me, an upset female customer!
As of today, April 24 2021, I am beside myself, my brother is VERY angry, and my father is on the verge of crying. All we wanted to do was enjoy time as a family and I feel the LIES from DAVID PETRANTONI caused us so much un needed stress for no reason.
My dad likes the boat! My brother too! We would've waited 8-10 weeks IF WE WERE TOLD THE TRUTH.
Here is the TRUTH! DAVID PETRANTONI WILL TAKE YOU DEPOSIT AND SPEND IT ON OTHER THINGS BEFORE ORDERING YOUR BOAT AND HOPE SOMEONE ELSE NEW BUYS SOMETHING SO HE CAN PAY FOR THE BOAT HE OWES YOU!!!!!
He has a track record of this! search OUTPOST MARINE GROUP and his name, even here on rip off reports. search the country court system for all his LAWSUITS. and DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Do not buy from this SCUMBAG SCAM ARTIST CRIMINAL!
Champion Marine Group Reviews
My father went to the tampa boat show in March to look at boats. After a long year of COVID and quarantine we as a family were ready to get back in the water. myself, my father and mother, my brother were all going to put money in the buy a brand new boat to enjoy ourselves and especially for my brother who is a recently returned combat vet USMARINE CORPS with diagnosed service connected disability nerve damage and PTSD. we found through renting a boat that the most calming thing for him is be on the water so what better way than with a new boat of our own so we can go enjoy any time we wanted?
My father looked at the Clearwater models of boats offered by CHAMPION MARINE GROUP at the tampa show. he put down a big depsoit on a 24-ft custom ordered Clearwater. his sales man, doug, was very kind and as a fellow retired veteran assured my vet father and my vet brother that he would make sure we were very happy! We were all so happy! well that is where the dream ended and the nightmare began.
This boat was supposed to be delivered to us in 2-4 weeks. we Were assured of this by DAVID PETRANTONI the owner of CHAMPION MARINE. this seemed very unusual for s because every other boat dealer told us, no, it would be 6-10 weeks AT BEST for an ordered boat because of factories being backed up from covid and shortages in parts and motors. DAVID PETRANTONI told us he had open slots with the factory and we would have our boat in the promised time. We chose to cancel an order with a different dealer and give our money to CHAMPION based on this promise.
First red flag - David wanted the deposit in CASH all $10,000 of it. this was the only way to guarantee the order. the other dealer accepted a check. Okay we said. my father is very by the book and asked if we needed to fill out any forms because of all the cash "dont worry what you give us is between us and no ones business" is what he said. we were so excited about the boat we just went along with it. he also kept talking about making sure it was cash because of problems he had with his ex wife which i thought was an odd thing to mention to strangers.
Second red flag - four weeks went by, and we heard nothing in between. my father called a few times just to check not to bother anyone but we were very excited and had the rest of the money we just wanted to be on the water! My father is retired air force and is very soft spoken and kind, so when he called four times and was told someone would call him back he just went with it.
Thrid red flag - when my brother and me decided to stop by on our way home from tampa to CHAMPION MARINE dealership in clearwater, Doug was not there but david was. He went up to him and said "hi david its Sebastian is our boat in yet?" he looked at us like he had no idea who we were and just said curtly "no, no its not in yet your salesman should be talking to you about this not me" and went back into his office and closed his door. Not even a handshake and like we were strangers! I know this is a business and he is busy, but remember we interacted with him for probably 2 1/2 hours over two days at the show and PERSONALLY handed him $10,000 in CASH! I would certainly remember me doing that!! And even if he didn't remember, do you really talk to you clients like that???
So four weeks becomes five, six, seven, eight weeks later - still no boat. We call and stop by multiple times and nerly every time the only people who recognize us and we recognize are our sales man Doug, another older man Ron, and Frank who is the lot helper. Every else is different! the ladies at the front desk, the people in back. We are getting super concerned at this point because all we have is a hand written receipt and a hand written contract!
At this point, I start doing my research and i see that DAVID PERTRANTONI used to own OUTPOST MARINE GROUP in new port richey for five years and the place closed down because they lost boat manufacturers, owed banks hundreds of thousands of dollars, and had such terrible reviews online. I also learned that DAVID PETRANTONI was sued several times over deposits for ordered boats that were never ordered or ordered so late boating season was over or misordered and boats arrived with different colors, wrong motors, and such! and the people that wanted depsoits backs had to SUE DAVID TO GET REFUNDS! oh my gosh what did we do???
I decided to call Clearwater Boats directly and what they said SHOCKED US! They had received an order for our boat LAST WEEK - SEVEN 7 WEEKS AFTER WE GAVE DAVID THE MONEY! He also said it would be at least EIGHT WEEKS until we got our boat!
I was very angry and had to control myself. I called the factory back the next day and the president of Clearwater was very apologetic and i understand that they can only make a boat when ordered and paid for a deposit. I also learned that there is no way possible for them to make a boat like ours or any in 4 weeks!
I stopped by Champion Marine Group the next Monday they were open and wanting to make sure DAVID was there. I stopped for four days in a row and he was never until the Friday that week some one must have slipped up because I saw him getting out of a big white truck with CHAMPION on the side and learned that was his personal truck. It was there THREE OF THE FOUR PREVIOUS DAYS and he just made his staff LIE and HID in his office! I was furious! I told the woman at the desk and Doug very strongly that I needed to talk to David NOW and I wanted the TRUTH! Doug walked into the back to David's office and his front desk lady asked me to talk to her outside. She walked me around back allegedly to show me something as to why my boat was delayed when I turned around and saw DAVID climb into his truck and DRIVE AWAY OUT OF THE LOT AND ACROSS THE STREET PEELING OUT LIKE A CRAZY MAN. WOW! All this to avoid talking to me, an upset female customer!
As of today, April 24 2021, I am beside myself, my brother is VERY angry, and my father is on the verge of crying. All we wanted to do was enjoy time as a family and I feel the LIES from DAVID PETRANTONI caused us so much un needed stress for no reason.
My dad likes the boat! My brother too! We would've waited 8-10 weeks IF WE WERE TOLD THE TRUTH.
Here is the TRUTH! DAVID PETRANTONI WILL TAKE YOU DEPOSIT AND SPEND IT ON OTHER THINGS BEFORE ORDERING YOUR BOAT AND HOPE SOMEONE ELSE NEW BUYS SOMETHING SO HE CAN PAY FOR THE BOAT HE OWES YOU!!!!!
He has a track record of this! search OUTPOST MARINE GROUP and his name, even here on rip off reports. search the country court system for all his LAWSUITS. and DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Do not buy from this SCUMBAG SCAM ARTIST CRIMINAL!