bought a DEMO boat-didn't plan to-screwed by dealer??

Bought 2 2013 pro angler 14s on Friday from a local dealer. Paid full price for both. One was marked demo written in marker on a white piece of paper taped to boat. Asked the owner of the store about it and she says it is a boat they PLANNED to use as a DEMO but it had NOT been used. She says it is exactly like any of the others. No differences. So no problem. They only have three of them and we want two in two different colors so we buy the DEMO as it is the only one in the other color. We get it in the water on Saturday and seems good until I notice the word DEMO stamped into the boat!

Now, I am pretty pissed because she said it was just like the others. Well the other boat doesn't say that. If I try to sell this boat in the future I can't get 1-owner price for it because no one is going to believe it wasn't ever used as a demo and that I didn't pay demo price. I called and she offered $100 off the price (a joke in my opinion) of the boat or bring it back and she would give me a new one. She stated that we discussed it was a demo and that it hadn't been used but honestly, I feel I was lied to. If she had stated it was stamped demo at the time of purchase and that it was missing a couple of accessories then I could have made an informed decision and likely would have insisted on a discount. Statement of Origin states that it was a new boat sold to dealer in October 2012 (a long time to not be used).

So I have a couple of questions:
What makes a demo a demo? Is it an irregular, slight defect, or nothing?
Saw in another post where dealer got discount on it being a demo and it could be sold but as a used boat. Is this correct?
What about warrenty?
If all is good, what kind of discount should she really give me on this boat?

Thanks in advance! Oh, and used the new boat a bit this weekend and LOVE it!!

Sucks, but go get yourself the new boat....you'll regret it forever if you dont. I'd be pissed too and wouldnt shop at that dealer in the future or at least let the owner know what happened.

Hobie is good stuff dude....the demo would probably be fine but I totally see your point.

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It's not the heat it's the humility!!!
Hobie Pro Angler

I'm not really sure why you're so upset. You inspected the boat before buying (or should have) and the dealer didn't conceal the fact that it was a demo, used or not. This sounds like buyer's remorse, in which case the dealer is being great and allowing you to exchange the demo for a new boat. So what's the problem exactly? Either exchange the boat or accept a negotiated discount to keep it. Seems like you're in the driver seat, can't ask for more than that now.

Thank you Wolf for the reply. She would not negotiate on the discount so we did return it for the new boat and plan to never purchase anything there again.

To others: I would still like the answers about the demo I asked just for future reference or for anyone else who might end up in this situation.

The issue of a demo and warranty has been discussed before. Here is the link to the thread with Matt's official response. He states that a demo boat is still covered by a warranty.

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=47840&p=211618&hilit=demo+warranty#p211618

If the word "demo" was not obvious, it probably would not bother me at all. As far as stating a discount, it's in Hobie's best interest if a negotiated purchase price is not publicly discussed as that keeps the pricing on a level playing field for the dealers.

It's up to the dealer to decide if they will give you a discount (especially for purchasing more than one) and most want to discuss that in person when you are in their shop. I can only speak from my experience and live in the U.S.. Not sure where you are located.

My Hobie dealer is very good to me and I've purchase several Hobies from him. Sorry yours did not work out as there was a mis-communication during the purchase process.

Best of luck with your PAs. You will love fishing from them!

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

I appreciate the input. As stated we did return the demo boat for a new one. The reason for being so upset is that I felt like the dealer was trying to pull one over on us. She only offered a discount after she had lied about it being exactly like a new boat, never in the water, etc. and she also later confirmed that she purchased as a demo, got a discount on that boat and was to have sold it as a used boat (she sold it as a new boat). I agree that we should have inspected the boat closer but if you saw the stamped word (turns out it was in three places) in person it is very small and easily missed. I also agree that the dealer made it right in the end, but we will not be shopping there again as we felt she was not completely truthful from the start. If we had known she had it for almost a year and pointed out that it was stamped demo in multiple places, we might have purchased it for a discounted price or at least had the info at the time of purchase to say no, we want the new one.

Anyway, it is all good now. We have two new PAs and plan to redfish this afternoon!

Thanks again for the input!

In many industries, dealers are offered a limited number of "demo" products to be used for that purpose. They are identical to non demo units, but are sold at a greater discount in order to encourage dealers to have some demo's for customer use. They are usually stamped or marked as demo's, so that dealers can't simply take advantage of the lower price and then turn around and sell the demo units as part of their regular inventory. Obviously, some do.

But it would be the same boat, with the exception of the stamping of "Demo" in the hull.

I bought my PA14 from a dealer as a demo (and it clearly had been used for that purpose.) I did get a reduced price and some accessories thrown in as well. If my boat has "DEMO" stamped into it anywhere, I haven't found it in two years of use and cleaning. Not saying it isn't there, just that I darn sure haven't found it.

I'm as happy as two clams.

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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Pro Angler-14 owner

My wife's Outback was a demo model. Not only is the word 'demo' molded conspicuously on the hull just behind the seat, the dealer ensured that we knew it was a demo, and why. They showed us the inside of the boat, which was apparently somewhat 'overcooked' during molding, resulting in it being discolored. Plus, it was the previous years model. All said, it was about $450 cheaper than a new current year boat. Full warranty, no missing pieces, and in excellent, clean condition. We were quite happy with it.

Our dealer is Quest Watersports in Ottawa, IL. We bought both of our boats there, and a number of accessories, and they've been outstanding to work with. When we were first considering kayaks, they put several in the water specifically for us to try, answered all our questions, and communicated well every step of the way. I can't say enough good things about them.

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2013 Pro Angler 14 || 2012 Outback (wife's) || 2006 Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter

A demo shows signs of use.

Normally, yes, but not always the case. As in the case described earlier when a dealer has more than one officially labeled "DEMO" that is never put out on the display floor and decides to sell it.

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Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014

I recently had use of a demo while my PA was being repaired under warranty. It was clearly marked DEMO. They pulled it out of the warehouse still wrapped for my use. So, not all demo's are used. I did notice that the inside of the hull also looked "cooked". Nothing wrong with it, just discolored on the inside.

I know that my dealer will pull any Hobie off the showroom rack and let you demo it if you wish and show an interest in buying it.

Seems like an unused yak marked demo is really a "blem"... Because it has deformities or blemishes. I think the use of the word demo could be construed as misleading. The word demo implies it was used for demonstration purposes.