Wow, West Marine sucks even more than they used to

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
twistedtree

twistedtree

Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Messages
10,670
Location
Vermont/Seattle, USA
Yup, another West Marine bash. They list an item online as available in 5-7 days. I ordered it on November 9th, and it's now over two month later and no product.

So I figure I'll call them. No phone number available. The only way to communicate with them is via Chat, and that doesn't even open until 10:00 AM. I have now been waiting for over 30 minutes on chat for someone to come on. Crickets. Not even an estimated wait time, or position in queue. They must have taken customer service lessons from Simrad/Navico.

You would think I could cancel an order online, but nope, I have to talk to an agent, only via chat, with an unknown wait time. While waiting I tried calling a store to see if they could cancel it. Nobody answers. Tried another store. Nobody answers. Found an old 800 number and called it. It just directs you to Chat. At least they have done a good job of shielding themselves from their annoying customers.

This is the first thing I have bought from them in years because they suck so bad. This is proof that they haven't gotten any better, and actually much worse. Oh, an agent just came on after 40 minutes wait. All they could say is that it's backordered and they don't know when it will come in. This despite saying that I can order it today and it will be in the store for pickup in 5-7 days. I cancelled the order and asked them to close my account. They are dead to me.
 
Another option, if they have charged your card and not sent the item, and if all attempts to contact them fail is to dispute the charge on your credit card. Only takes a moment, check item never arrived, and you get a conditional credit, which is then made permanent in a week or two. I've been physically into West Marine twice in the past 7 months to try and spend a gift card (credit for a warranty return they no longer stocked), but I can't find anything I need to purchase, especially at the West Marine premium prices.
 
They don’t have a choice. The company was bought with debt. Once interest rates went up they have been gutted trying to keep up with the additional interest expense. The item you want is probably not on back order but waiting for money to be allocated to purchasing inventory. I ran across one of there stores which is open for 84 hours a week. The store is staffed with two people and no overtime is allowed. Which means they randomly close the store for an additional 4 hours each week. They can’t officially shorten the hours of operation or they loose their bonus. All of this is my opinion of course. Or is it?
 
slowgoesit said:
Another option, if they have charged your card and not sent the item, and if all attempts to contact them fail is to dispute the charge on your credit card. Only takes a moment, check item never arrived, and you get a conditional credit, which is then made permanent in a week or two. I've been physically into West Marine twice in the past 7 months to try and spend a gift card (credit for a warranty return they no longer stocked), but I can't find anything I need to purchase, especially at the West Marine premium prices.
Click to expand...
The order shows cancelled, and I'm pretty sure they never charged my CC. Unless it's changed, it's illegal in the US to charge until you ship. But I'll go back and double check.

This is also part of a growing trend of vendors making sh$t up regarding product availability. "In stock" used to mean they have their hands on the product and it can ship same or next day. Maybe it's in a remote warehouse, but it's under their control. Now it means that someone might have it somewhere and might be able to ship it in a few days. It's more like "I can order it for you from someone who says they have it." It's a new form of bait and switch. Very annoying.
 
tiltrider1 said:
They don’t have a choice. The company was bought with debt. Once interest rates went up they have been gutted trying to keep up with the additional interest expense. The item you want is probably not on back order but waiting for money to be allocated to purchasing inventory. I ran across one of there stores which is open for 84 hours a week. The store is staffed with two people and no overtime is allowed. Which means they randomly close the store for an additional 4 hours each week. They can’t officially shorten the hours of operation or they loose their bonus. All of this is my opinion of course. Or is it?
Click to expand...
Really they have been dead for years, and just don't know it yet.
 
I don't know about other parts of the country, but in the PNW there are countless independent marine suppliers, all with knowledgeable staff, quality products, and competitive prices. They have it figured out, so why is it so hard for WM to figure out? I don't think it's any longer a question of what WM is doing wrong - I think the question is whether there is ANYTHING they are doing right? I can't think of anything. Store locations are usually poor, inventory is poor, prices are over list, staff is clueless, customer service is non-existent, e-commerce sucks, and the name is tarnished.
 
twistedtree said:
This is also part of a growing trend of vendors making sh$t up regarding product availability. "In stock" used to mean they have their hands on the product and it can ship same or next day. Maybe it's in a remote warehouse, but it's under their control. Now it means that someone might have it somewhere and might be able to ship it in a few days. It's more like "I can order it for you from someone who says they have it." It's a new form of bait and switch. Very annoying.
Click to expand...
That is not unique to West Marine, quite ubiquitous in online sales. Any vendor I do not know to be honest, I always call to check if they really have the item before I will order. Very often the answer is no, even though listed online as in-stock, and continues to be after they have verified on the phone that they do not have it. There are exceptions - rarely in thousands of orders has Amazon come up empty, though it has happened. Never in thousands of orders has McMaster-Carr come up empty.
 
This is the story with retail these days. I ran a company that used to stock hundreds of products. But then the manufacturers decided to sell directly to customers and on Amazon. So I relied on them drop shipping the items directly and I provided sales info & service. Margins are tiny these days, there's no profit in stocking items and having them sit. So they list a generic "5-7 days" as a drop ship to you, or the store, but many times the manufacturers don't have the item and nobody knows what's going on.
Honestly, consumers have brought this on themselves with online shopping on Amazon.
I've had better luck with WM with a Pro account as they have a separate sale department. But their prices are still too high.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: TJM
JackConnick said:
Honestly, consumers have brought this on themselves with online shopping on Amazon.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't blame customers for buying from people who deliver as promised. I think the problem is that other sales channels have not kept up and aren't delivering as promised. Accurate manufacturer inventory visible by the end retailer can yield the same delivery performance as Amazon. But if manufacturers can't tell you what they have in stock, and retailers just guess how long it will take to get something, people will get frustrated and buy from other retailers who can predictably deliver.

And Amazon isn't so great at this anymore. If you are in a large metro area they are still good, but in a rural location like where I live, most anything ordered from Amazon is 7 to 10 days to my door. I usually buy from other sources now because they deliver much faster at the same cost.

Companies that perform will thrive. Companies that don't perform will fail.
 
What would be best for WM would be to close under performing stores. A friend in Brick NJ, swears by them as that store is probably one of WM's highest volume stores, because they have deep stock and a loyal following.

Went into WM in Burlington VT back in 2021. I thought they were getting ready to go out of business based on their inventory.

Nowadays, labor has become a huge cost to marginal volume businesses. WM has to focus on large volume profitable stores and not try to have a store in every city.

Ted
 
Fisheries Supply in Seattle has amazing customer service, a well-curated but comprehensive selection of top quality products, and pretty good website. I order online from them often even though I tie up just down the street. They pick up the phone, they answer emails, and they give you a nice discount of their posted prices if you set up an account. If anything goes wrong with a product they sell, or even if you just change your mind, they will take it back without question. I will never shop anywhere else.
 
Yup, the story of my life anymore, no way for me as a customer to contact anybody in retail anywhere at any time.
 
Here in Seattle their decision making in store selection and customer service policies are so bad that I drive past them for an additional 15 minutes to do my shopping. Little things like all the parking in front of the store is reserved for some one else. WM's parking is in the basement, but they keep the elevator locked so you need to walk up the stairs and around from the back of the building. You can't go back down that way as you pass through a one way locking door. Now you need to get them to unlock the elevator so you can return to the parking lot. Once in the store good luck at finding any stock.

I have since replace what I buy from WM with Amazon. Mostly its electrical supplies which WM has a habit of charging 10x the price of what I pay on Amazon.
 
twistedtree said:
..... Accurate manufacturer inventory visible by the end retailer can yield the same delivery performance as Amazon. But if manufacturers can't tell you what they have in stock, and retailers just guess how long it will take to get something, people will get frustrated and buy from other retailers who can predictably deliver.
Click to expand...

I ended up buying some stuff from WM when I was finishing my refit (San Diego, one of their flagship stores). As you say, their inventory controls were driving blind; fulfilment was haphazard and slow; and point-of-sale systems antiquated. Without effective inventory control, it's impossible to compete in a low-margin retail environment. My impression was they suffered from the standard Venture Capital playbook of stripping out costs by failing to upgrade backoffice systems and de-emphasizing core business by chasing higher margins on non-core products.

I forget the whole story, but WM has been through multiple bad management teams and bankruptcies over the last 20-years and suffered strategic whiplash as they've volleyed from marine chandlery to clothing store to fishing supplier to outdoor sports. They've gone from private to public back to private. Lack of strategy that is poorly executed.

tiltrider1 said:
I have since replace what I buy from WM with Amazon. Mostly its electrical supplies which WM has a habit of charging 10x the price of what I pay on Amazon.
Click to expand...
I've moved away from Amazon. Their 30-day return policy and lack of tech support are difficult for me; and frankly their prices have drifted up to where they are no longer hugely competitive. I still buy a fair amount from them, but mostly it's esoteric stuff - my last order was for propane hose fittings that drive me nuts trying to buy at a Home Depot or similar.

BTW - I recently gave up my Amazon Prime membership. Turns out that I still get free shipping, just not next-day.

Peter
 
Fisheries is excellent, as is SeaMar, as is LFS. Plus lots of other more specialized places like SureMarine, Nebar, Marine Sanitation, etc. And there are other examples in other parts of the country. Marine Exchange in San Diego, Rose Marine in Gloucester, Hamilton Marine in Portland, ME.
 
Sababa said:
Fisheries Supply in Seattle has amazing customer service, a well-curated but comprehensive selection of top quality products, and pretty good website. I order online from them often even though I tie up just down the street. They pick up the phone, they answer emails, and they give you a nice discount of their posted prices if you set up an account. If anything goes wrong with a product they sell, or even if you just change your mind, they will take it back without question. I will never shop anywhere else.
Click to expand...
Fisheries supply was one of the only places online I could find the rather unique zinc on my bow thruster, and they got them to me in two days using standard shipping. My first purchase from them, but definitely will not be my last.

The comments about west marine stock are spot on - I went in to both the local stores looking for some things for my recent haul out and ended up walking out empty handed. The shelves were nearly barren, and these are stores in south Florida (Jensen beach and fort pierce) with a huge marine parts market. I think they are indeed on borrowed time.
 
When we were replacing our fuel tanks, it was about equal cost if we ordered from Defender and payed overnight shipping vs driving to a WM 30 minutes away. Defender did screw up once on packaging but owned up to with no questions.

There’s a WM 1/2 mile away from us and we have Huckins and Lambs boat yards close by. WM is the last I’ll visit.
 

​

I copied this from a web site.​

Can I Email West Marine Customer Support?​

You can contact West Marine by using the company's email addresses other than phone numbers. The company’s email to know about their services is wmcustomerservice@westmarine.com. There is another email for the international customer, which is wminternational@westmarine.com. If you want more product information, address your concerns at productadvice@westmarine.com. When you email your concerns, it takes between 24 and 48 hours to get a response.
 
West Marine in Stockton closed and I miss them. Was easy to stop by and pick something up quick on the way to the boat. Now closest is Antioch, longer out of the way drive.

Yeah, not a real chandlery but better than Bass Pro Shops and they are even better than nothing.
 
The WM in Tarpon Springs is well stocked, has lots of sales and will price match. It will even price match Amazon as long as the seller is a business. I am glad they are here since occasionally I have had to go up there to get something in a pinch. They also have started these "BOPIS" sales which stands for BUY ONLINE PICK-UP IN STORE for a decent discount.

But for internet buying...they are very rarely the best option.
 
I agree that I rarely order anything from them unless it's a high volume item that happens to be on a good sale (like the occasional 50% off dock lines). As far as in store, they're usually expensive, but availability and quality of experience definitely varies between stores. Some have much better managers and employees than others.

Locally, our WM is smaller than some, but they're usually pretty good to deal with. In the fall when it's winterizing time I usually order my cases of antifreeze for pickup instead of just walking in (they always have tons on hand anyway). The last few times they've had the cases stacked by the door with some already on a hand truck ready to be wheeled right out to the car. Doesn't get much easier than that.
 
I'm happy that WM is there and close enough to run over and get something when I need it immediately. I have a Port supply acct so the price is usually OK. But usually, I'll just look up what I need on Amazon and it shows up the next day or day after and I save the trip.

I'm surprised that the retail sellers are not savvier with internet orders. If I were running something like WM, I'd have a department dedicated to internet sales and if the head of that department didn't stay competitive and profitable I'd find someone that could.

Other big box stores are not much better when it comes to internet sales either. Walmart and Home Depot are good examples. Usually somewhat competitive but longer wait for delivery. They also must loose on some items. I recently bought something from HD that was in the store for about $5. I had it delivered free because I didn't want to run over and get it. All the other internet prices were more like $10. Guess the internet sellers have figured out the delivery costs. You'd think a multibillion-dollar company could do the same.

Seems like retail better up the learning curve or go the way of the dinosaurs. They have the supply chain and inventory. You'd think they should be able to beat or at least be competitive with the online stuff.
 
The WM near me carries clothing from L to XXL. I am a M
 
I happened to be near South Amboy, NJ some months ago for a work thing so I stopped at Lockwood Boat works. What a pleasure. A real marine store. I need to overhaul my stuffing boxes this year including the hose jackets. The tech behind the service counter knew my boat and fixed me right up with everything. Stuffing, tool, hose clamps, hose sections, all of it. He did have to guess on packing size, but when I got home to my boat yard in SD, his guess was right. Now that's a marine store. I remember when I walked out of there $500 lighter (for everything) I thought to myself, even the WM in my father's neighborhood in Stuart, FL doesn't come close.
 
WM used to be really great to deal with. For many many years I had a Port Supply account because of the CG Aux. One time I had a real issue and I called the corporate offices. Randy Repass who was the CEO actually called me back late one night to solve the problem. That was then…. About 5 years ago they sent me a letter saying that they cancelled my port supply account even though the valued my service to the country, but basically Screw you. It really pissed me off. Don’t say you value my service to the country and then tell me to take a hike because obviously they didn’t actually value my service to the country. So I have never spent another penny at WM. And I never will even if they have something I really need and it is half the cost I would pay elsewhere.
 
When they first started out WM was great. Incredible service, 100% satisfaction the "Nordstrom of marine stores". I once bought some instruments for my sailboat and after a year they still weren't working correctly; they guy at WM said just rip 'em out as best you can, bring them in and I'll give you full credit towards Autohelm, no receipts, no problems.
Now you can barely get them to take a return, even with a Pro account. The service varies greatly with employees and locations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Awful first attempt to buy a boat - lessons learned
2
Replies
45
Views
2K
Jklotz
J
Diesel Duck
Better Late Than Never...
Replies
27
Views
4K
long-cours.62
long-cours.62
M
Ford Lehman 2703E restart problems when the motor has warmed up
Replies
14
Views
517
Nick F
Nick F
PNWPederson
Using Wyze cameras on Garmin WIFI
Replies
7
Views
840
Capt Ray
C
Marco Flamingo
Going from Lead to Lithium
2
Replies
56
Views
3K
Marco Flamingo
Marco Flamingo

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom