Concord Marine Electronics: A Totally Negative Experience

We are monumentally disappointed with Concord Marine Electronics of Fort Lauderdale.

When you spend over $100,000 with a vendor, which is what we spent for the electronics, entertainment and security system, you have, in my opinion, a reasonable expectation that the vendor will do good work, stand behind their work and be responsive before during and after the sale. Concord Marine failed on almost every count and that is the reason for this article.  My hope is to prevent other boaters from having the kind of experience we had.

As a point of reference, we are totally satisfied, in fact, stated more precisely, delighted with Outer Reef.

So how did things go wrong with Concord.  Let me count the ways:

1. Bad advice on the Autopilot System
2. Bad advice on the GOST Security System
3. Inadequate calibration of the autopilot
4. Inadequate autopilot set-up
5. Leaving us with a live alarm system (and no training)
6. Inadequate training on the GOST security system
7. Inadequate training of the electronics package
8. Incomplete GOST set-up
9. Wrong GOST siren
10. Inadequate training on the entertainment system
11. Poor treatment of the vendor who corrected the recent autopilot failure
12. Failure to provide serial numbers
13. The Final Straw - Lousy Warranty / Customer Service
14. No serial number information and manuals dumped in a container
15. AIS not set-up to transmit and inappropriate response to set-up request

1. BAD ADVICE ON THE AUTOPILOT

In January of 2012, while in the process of determining the specifications for our marine electronics a question arose as to the adequacy of the Garmin autopilot proposed by Concord.  The issue raised by Mike Schlichtig at Outer Reef was a concern about the Garmin autopilot pump's pressure and ability to interface with the Hynautic power steering. Concord then proposed a Furuno NAV Pilot 700.

I met with Mike Robilio, President of Concord Marine Electronics along with Mike S from Outer Reef to discuss the swap.  During that meeting I asked if I would be giving anything up.  "No" he replied.  Well he was dead wrong.  If you have a Garmin autopilot networked with a Garmin Chartplotter you can take advantage of Garmin's route guidance functionality.  In short, you put in a destination and the guidance mode plots your course to it taking into account the boat's displacement and air draft.  Then, with the push of a button, the Garmin autopilot will take you there.  This greatly simplifies navigation as it eliminates the need for routes or a series of go to waypoints.

We sacrificed the capability.  It turns out that the "sentence" sent by the Garmin Chartplotter to the Garmin Autopilot is proprietary.  The Furuno cannot interpret the "sentence" and therefore cannot operate in the route guidance mode.

Mike Robilio when confronted with his misrepresentation attempted to mislead me essentially lying that Furuno would soon have a fix (absolutely not true).  When I pinned him down with regard to the representations he made in January he walked away. Fortunately, we were at the Miami Boat Show and Jeff Druek, the President of Outer Reef was available.  I told Jeff the story and he arbitrated the dispute on the spot.  Mike Robilio had no integrity or ability to negotiate a favorable outcome.

2. BAD ADVICE ON THE GOST SECURITY SYSTEM

I specified a very sophisticated GOST security system, which in addition to securing the "house" provides alarms in we lose power, lose HVAC, start taking on water or the boat gets stolen.  Probably overkill but I wanted peace of mind especially if we were away from the boat.  The GOST system is controlled by cell phone.

One question I asked Luis,who was handling our order, was do I need a special phone or phone service. No replied Luis.  This question was posed to Luis in December prior to the arrival of the boat from Taiwan. Based on Luis' advice and given that we were not happy with AT&T we switched from AT&T to Verizon. This proved to be MONUMENTALLY bad advice.

Turns out you need an AT&T phone to communicate with the GOST Phantom controller.  AT&T's network standard is GSM.  Verizon's is CDMA.  The GOST controller is GSM.  So what?  It's a big deal.  The GOST GSM controller barely recognizes the Verision CDMA tones, which results in not being able to easily control and therefore use the security system's features.

Luis was not the only member of the team that was misinfornmed.  Chris instructed us to get a Verizon SIM card, which once obtained did not even fit the slot in the GOST control head.

As a consequence of this I have difficulty using a $10,000 system that ought to be a snap.  In order to solve the problem I need to switch back to AT&T at a cost of about $1,000 to break the contract. Given it was Concord's lack of knowledge that caused my frustration and financial loss it would have been good business on their part to cover my cost of switching.  Guess if they offered.

3. INADEQUATE AUTOPILOT CALIBRATION

The first sign of relationship trouble happened on the sea trial on the day we took ownership of the 63. During the sea trial the technician, Chris, who was responsible for the commissioning of our boat's Concord supplied systems and whose last name I do not know (nor did I ever have his phone number) accompanied Captain Randy and I so that he could calibrate the Furuno's flux gate compass. That calibration did not go smoothly.

My tolerance for heading error alignment between the GPS heading and the flux gate's heading and the technician's were somewhat different.  I wanted no more that two degrees.  Chris would have settled for 6 or more.  He started to give me a song and dance about tolerance when I stated that the calibration was not to my satisfaction and we got into a heated argument.  Captain Randy interceded and told Chris that I was correct.

I also had a concern with regard to response, I wanted the autopilot to track directly to a waypoint, turn onto the course and then hold course within 50 feet of the course center line.  The autopilot was not responding even close.  Turns out there are two settings, "precision" and "economy."  The unit was set to economy.

Bottom line: After numerous attempts to swing the compass and change other parameters (which later proved to be incorrect), the unit performed very close to my expectations.

4. INADEQUATE AUTOPILOT SET-UP

The depth of Concord's technician's, Chris' incompetence was not fully revealed until this month.

Background: The autopilot worked perfectly during our cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Hingham Massachusetts.  Then while returning from a casual day cruise to Boston I attempted to engage the autopilot and got a big surprise. The autopilot turned the boat hard to port instead of tracking the programmed route. I again attempted to follow the route with the exact same result, she swung hard to port. Remembering Einstein's principle that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, I placed the autopilot in the "auto" mode.  My expectation is that the boat would hold the current course. Again she swung hard to port.

I contact Furuno and then Concord.  The advice was the same.  Get a local Furuno technician to assess the situation in person.  I contacted Outer Reef and they connected me with Dan Hodgkins of Commercial Marine Electronics. Dan arrived on Friday July 11.  His first step was to check the settings using the installation manual.  Many were incorrect.  Chris's had been careless in the set-up.

5. LEAVING US WITH A LIVE ALARM SYSTEM

We took delivery of the boat on February 10, the same day that Chris sea trialed the Furuno Autopilot. There was no question that he was aware that we were taking possession.

We had not discussed the operation of the security system prior to that time nor did we have any discussion that day.   Unbeknownst to us, Chris left us with a live security system.  Murphy's law.  Late in the evening we managed to trigger an alarm and had no idea as how to silence it. An emergency call to Mike Schlictig, solved the problem.  Chris had not provided me with his phone number and Concord had not provided me with an emergency contact.  Without Mike (Outer Reef) we would have had to abandon the boat and find a hotel for the night.  Meanwhile, the siren would have disturbed the nearby boats and homes at Marina Bay Marina.

6. INADEQUATE TRAINING ON THE GOST SECURITY SYSTEM

GOST makes a great system and it also provides great customer support.  That said, it was up to Concord to train us to properly operate the system and again Concord's Chris did a poor job.  The training process was further made EXTREMELY difficult by the fact that our Verizon CDMA phones BARELY communicated with the GOST Paradox control module.  Learning how to communicate with the controller is directly related to the cell phone.  Hence, we wasted hours trying to communicate and as a consequence we learned very little.

Chris was always in a hurry.  His approach was "read the manual."

7. INADEQUATE TRAINING ON THE ELECTRONICS PACKAGE

Again, Chris was in the hurry and proposed that we read the manuals.  That's was not my expectation and there are a lot of manuals (Chartplotter, AIS, Satellite Weather, Sonar, Autopilot, GMI 10, Furuno RD33) I demanded that, at a minimum, he show me how to set up a route on the Garmin chartplotter, which he grudgingly did.

My training on the autopilot was minimal and limited only to NAV, AUTO and STANDBY functions.  Use of the TURN and DODGE functions were not discussed.  Nothing was discussed as it related to the MENU function and settings I may need to change (like the Precision and Economy settings).

Fortunately, the Garmin 7215 multifunction touch screen has a VERY user friendly interface.  No thanks to Chris and Concord I ultimately mastered the entire system (and rarely had to even look at the manual).

8. INCOMPLETE GOST SET-UP

Each security zone in the GOST security system is identified with a number along with a text and audible description (e.g., 01 Flybridge Hatch).  Chris failed to add the text descriptions next to the numbers.  Hence, I did not have a clue as to which number matched which sensor.  No one for Concord quality checked his work on this or any other item.

9. WRONG GOST SIREN

Concord provided a siren that should have been mounted inside.  They did not advise me of this fact. Then they asked me where to mount it.  They suggested it be mounted in the engine room.  That did not make sense to me as that location would muffle the sound.  I proposed it be mounted on the hardtop and they said OK.  Well, not OK.  The unit rusted.  Outer Reef working with GOST and replaced the unit with one suited to an outdoor location.

10. INADEQUATE TRAINING ON THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

Again we have "go read the manuals" Chris at the helm.

We bought one very complete entertainment package including KVH satellite, Bose System, Direct TV, Blueray DVD/CD, Sirius Satellite Radio, Apple TV in the salon and Direct TV. Bose and Blueray in the Master Stateroom.

Fortunately, I asked a lot of questions and took good notes.  Still, I do not know how to record and playback a program, use the Sirius satellite radio or take advantage of the Apple TV.

11. POOR TREATMENT OF THE VENDOR WHO CORRECTED THE AUTOPILOT FAILURE

Dan Hodgkins from Commercial Marine Electronics corrected the problem with the autopilot and corrected numerous incorrect autopilot settings.  When he submitted the bill to Concord they refused payment.

This bill has two components, a warranty item (i.e., the sudden and unexpected turn problem and "precision mode," and correction of the set-up parameters.  Concord claimed that they were working with Furuno to correct the problem with the "precision mode."

Quote From Mike Robilio's email refusing payment to Commercial: "Concord is already working directly with Furuno to resolve the autopilot issues on “precision mode” on several outer reef yachts.  A phone call to concord regarding this issue would have informed everyone that there is no fix from Furuno at this time, and the autopilot should be run in a different mode (think it’s “normal” mode?)"

Note the parenthetical (think it's the "normal" mode).  It is in fact the "economy mode," This is further evidence that Concord does not know its products or is too lazy to write an accurate description.  Further, it appears they are refusing to pay Commercial for the correction of the improper set-up.  Finally, they failed to inform me of the problem with the "precision mode," which is the parameter that Chris had set during the sea trial.

12. FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERIAL NUMBERS OR TO ASSIST WITH PRODUCT REGISTRATION

This came to light in late September when the Garmin GMR 406 HD radar went to failure.  When I called Garmin Tech Support the technician asked for the unit's serial number.  Concord had not provided these.  Our system has numerous components and compiling the serial numbers would have been easy during their "commissioning" of the system.  They provided no assistance with product registration.  Note: In October I requested they provide serial numbers for all components.  Turns out the serial numbers were listed on their invoices.  To bad they did not tell me.

13. THE FINAL STRAW - LOUSY WARRANTY / CUSTOMER SERVICE

Seven months after delivery the Triplitte power supply fan began making a loud “bearing” (grinding) noise  Concord provided a new power supply and suggested I could install it myself.  Chris (the tech who commissioned the electronics) attempted to talk me through the process.  It very quickly became apparent that this was WAY BEYOND my pay grade. The main power supply cord was bundled and barely accessible and of all people Chris should have known that.  I paid Concord over a $100,000 for the electronics, entertainment and security packages.  You would think they would pay for the labor to install the unit.  Not so!  Note: They finally did under pressure from Outer Reef.

14. MANUALS DUMPED INTO A BOX

Maybe Outer Reef spoiled me.  They gave me an Ipad with Wheelhouse Technologies software that provided complete information including model numbers, serial numbers, required spare parts and manuals for every system on the boat.  The hard copy manuals where in plastic storage boxes with tabbed indexes.  Concord dumped their manuals in a box.

15. INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO AIS SET-UP REQUEST

The Garmin AIS 600 is a transponder that identifies vessels that have AIS technology.  The system both transmits and receives allowing us to see vessels that might pose a threat and for them to see us. The transmit function requires set-up by the installer and the availability of a MMSI number issued by BoatUS acting on behalf of the USCG.  Issuance of a MMSI number requires the vessel applying to have an Official Number issued by the USCG or a state registered number.  We had neither when we took delivery in February 2014.  Concord did make a point of reminding us to call them when we became documented.  Bottom line: Our system does not transmit and I learned this when I asked a vessel with AIS if they saw us on their screen. Concord in response for set-up assistance emailed a manual and told us to do it ourselves.  Not withstanding the first sentence of the set-up instruction, which says that programming must be done by a authorized marine dealer, the process involves using system set-up software on a CD ROM and a computer with 10 MB of free space.  The computer then needs to be hooked into the Garmin 7215.  This is way beyond my pay grade and there is also a risk of screwing things up.  Again LOUSY customer service.

In summary, Concord has:

1. No integrity
2. Limited knowledge of the products it sells
3. Poorly trained technicians
4. Lousy customer service

Written by Les.