August 17 2009:
This organization had been dissolved due to non interest on the part of the consumer.
It would appear the consumer is very quick to jump and scream after a bad experience with poor service or a poor product, but complacent enough to forget fast and not bother with taking even minimal effort in pointing out anything or anyone when treated well.
We continue to receive the nightmares surrounding the purchase and repair of recreational craft in Canada, but we can not build on mudslinging and badmouthing for obvious reasons, notwithstanding the many marine trade related businesses quite deserving (of the badmouthing). Instead, we were hoping that we could build a database of industry "good guys" based on positive feedback from the consumer. Obviously, the consumer was not interested to get involved....
Joe Berta
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Canadian Boating Organization
* Dedicated to information exchange and consumer protection in recreational boating *
We are boating
consumers and marine industry professionals, organizing for the betterment of recreational marine trades and for improvement in
consumer confidence across Canadian waters.
We realize, that while safety on the water is for the most part administered successfully by Transport Canada, the
Canadian Coast Guard and such entities as the Canadian Safe Boating Council and Power & Sail Squadrons, technical
standards and service related venues of our unregulated marine industry are established and
controlled from outside of our borders. This leaves the Canadian consumer with nowhere to turn for correction to a
service or product problem. The consumer is disillusioned and either absorbs the loss with
anger or turns away from investing any more of his or her interest in boating -
it does not have to be so. Recreational boating was invented to be fun!
No industry can please all of it's clients at all of the time, but there has to be a place where the consumer can turn for advise in locating a well built product or an appropriately qualified service provider. This website and the collective experience of the people involved, shall be such a place.
Our mission statement:
to facilitate the exchange of information along the avenues of consumer protection
to provide a platform for a unified consumer presence on Canadian waters
to liaison with standards organizations and trade associations
to help negotiate between parties in times of dispute
We invite the Canadian Marine Consumer to get involved - if you have dealt with a product supplier or service provider who's business practice equals to high ethics and good customer care, we want to know!
***** Please send us your nomination *****
Those of you who feel that this is a worthwhile effort are asked to become a member so that this website and the organization can grow to an industry wide acceptance where it can benefit all of us who love boating.