Hello all! Does anybody know where to get a replacement cabin key without paying $12 from Tiara? Obviously $12 is probably the cheapest thing you'll ever get for a boat, but it's a KEY! I ran into the same situation with a previous boat - not Tiara - and I remember someone recommending an alternative.
So you buy a key for $6 and pay $5 to get it cut and what if it does not work. You just wasted $24 worth of your life trying to squeeze out $1. Belly up to the counter , send Tiara your Hull and get a key that works. Your into it for $36 now. Do you want to waste any more time pinching out $s.
You can try your local sea ray dealer...I was told they use similar key....but most likely will cost the same.....You can't beat Tiara support....brian's comment correct!
T-Fin, I don't think I ever questioned Tiara's support. I agree, they have excellent support and I've used it on more than one occasion. My complaint is not with Tiara directly, which is why I said in the first post that I had the same situation with another boat. Sometimes it's not about the $$, but just the little pet peeves that get you...like paying $12 for a $1 item. That being said, I think it's somewhat inappropriate for a Tiara Rep to come on a board and tell a customer to "belly up".
Your initial reply was spot on & you need not have apologized. Jeff is way out of touch if he thinks a key bought from Tiara is a $1 item & moreso to spend 3 weeks+ trying to avoid spending $12!! That $12 is about the amount of fuel I would use putting over the 300 yards to the gas dock for a pumpout.
Kevin - RELAX...Brian's a big boy as am I, and I'm pretty sure neither of us really cares about this as much as you. But since you decided to stir the pot...
I already stated my position. My initial dissappointment was not with Tiara, or with Brian. I was simply venting about a pet peeve and clearly stated it was not about the $12 - which by the way, I'm thoroughly impressed, as I'm sure everyone else on this board is, that money is not an object to you and that your boat burns so much fuel.
The marine industry is somewhat a captive one, and when you are asked to spend $12 for a KEY, and two or three times as much for a cleaning product that simply says "Marine" on it but has the exact same ingredients as the non-marine version, it's nothing but ridiculous.
I also don't know when or how you started tracking my time, so I don't know where the 3 weeks comes from, but again, since you're feeling compelled to puff your chest over the internet, I'll bite. I actually found key blanks and had them cut at a local Ace Hardware for a couple bucks - two keys for a fraction of the cost of one. BTW, if you think I'm alone, go check out a handfull of other boating forums and you will see the exact same discussion about cabin key replacements.
Lastly, as for my comment about Brian's initial response, I stand by it. I simply felt as a representative of a well respected company (which by the way we must all feel strongly about or we wouldn't spend what we spend to own one of their products) it was somewhat unprofessional. He has responded, which he didn't even have to do as far as I'm concerned, and I'm going to take it for face value and assume it's sincere.
Brian - if you're taking the time to read this crazy thread, I realized I never responded to your last post. Thanks for the reply.
I'm very sorry for the rant, but I had very high hopes for a boating forum that would stand above the others and not get bogged down with the usual &^%.
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