Couple Buys Brand-New Boat. It Sinks on Its First Trip Out

A husband's post on Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit has sparked discussion online after he shared how his wife's first boat purchase allegedly ended in “buyer’s remorse.”

According to the poster, his wife was excited to buy her first boat. The couple later took it out on a lake with their 5-year-old son for its maiden voyage, where they encountered unexpected problems.

“We started noticing the rear of the boat was sinking, so we raced back,” he wrote in his Reddit post. After making it safely back to land, the husband said they later learned the pontoon had holes in it and would need repairs. He explained that they had purchased the boat from Bass Pro, one of the largest outdoor retailers in the U.S., and when they returned to the store to explain what had happened, employees “just kind of shrugged and said they’d fix it.”

In addition to dealing with a brand-new boat that turned out to be defective, the husband said they would also have to drive “several hours to pick it up and drop it off for repairs” and wait an estimated two weeks for the work to be completed. He added that he and his wife are new to boating and never imagined they’d face this kind of adversity the very first time they took the vessel out on the water.

Not only were the couple left disappointed with the purchase, but the husband said his wife is now experiencing “huge buyer’s remorse for even considering buying a boat.” He also said she’s “nervous about going out on the lake again.” While he ended his post on an optimistic note, writing, “I'm sure it will all be fine once we get it back,” fellow Redditors were quick to point out that he should have asked for an entirely new boat rather than settling for repairs.

One commenter wrote, “You don’t repair a brand new boat, you replace it. Don’t accept anything less.” The comment received more than 12,000 upvotes.

Another commenter said, “I'm surprised at how many people are talking about repairing it. My ass would have brought it right back to the dealership and arguing with them to unwind the deal or replace with another.”

Many users saw the situation differently. One of them wrote, “The warranty comes from the manufacturer. The dealership isn’t going to take a massive hit by taking back a new boat on trade and giving you another new one.” They added that the “best case scenario” would likely be getting the pontoon replaced.

While opinions varied, the original poster appreciated the feedback and later shared an update, writing, “I appreciate the points you and others are making! We're going to reach out to the company.”