Complaint Review: 1st Performance Marina

STAY AWAY FROM THIS UNETHICAL SHADY BUSINESS! I was referred to First Performance Marina from a friend and I really wanted to like this company because it was conveniently located on the water. I live on the intracoastal and the boat requires bottom paint every year or two so they WOULD have gotten a lot of business from me. However, I had the worst experience here and their owner Bobby Banister should be ashamed of his staff if he knew how awful I was treated.

I initially got a quote for bottom paint for $600-$750 since it had already been bottom painted in the past and just needed a new coat. Amy was a sweetheart on the phone and provided great customer service but I never spoke with her in person. Since the boat needed to be out of the water for the paint, I figured it would be convenient for them to install my new transducer and GPS unit at the same time. I dropped off the unit with the boat but called two different times to get a quote on this but they kept saying someone would call me back.

A week later, they said it was ready and I went to pick up my boat last Friday at 3pm. I was disappointed there was a large hole that they made to the left of my Garmin screen and they installed the unit without my approval or without a price quote. I figured it would be about $750 for the paint and $300 for the transducer that I purchased separately and unit installation but I was shocked to see my bill at $2574! I couldn't believe how they would try to nickel and dime someone so much and wanted an explanation from Mark as to why it was over double of what I thought it would be. Mark couldn't even justify how my bill was so expensive so he brought it down to $1720.

At this time, I was upset but just wanted my boat back. I brought out my debit card to pay and they said I would have to speak with Joellen from their accounting department because they wanted cash instead. They never once mentioned that I needed to pay cash, nor did my friend have to pay cash when he had work done a month prior. Joellen was extremely rude and is a terrible person. She said she was worried I would do a charge back even though I never once mentioned that and I offered to pay with a debit card or a check and that was impossible to charge back.

She said in a very bitter voice that "If I wanted my boat back I would have to come back with $1720 cash on Monday" and proceeded to lock the door behind me early before they closed. I had no other choice but to come back with $1720 cash and now I am stuck with an ugly hole in my helm and a grudge against this establishment. Unless something is done from their owner Bobby to make this right, I will make it my mission to expose them as fraudulent crooks to everyone I know.