Dear Joseph Lancaster,
Your recent correspondence regarding a 2021 Sea Pro 259 DLX represents a troubling pattern of behavior that has become all too common in Sea Pro's warranty department. From your very first email, you made accusations and established a defensive posture without first gathering facts or reviewing the extensive history of problems this customer has experienced.
Let's examine your own words from your email, which you sent to a customer whose boat has serious, documented safety issues:
"I also want to clarify that your boat has been operated in a commercial capacity under the Freedom Boat Club program. As outlined in Sea Pro's limited warranty, any commercial or rental use voids the factory warranty coverage."
This accusatory statement came before you admittedly reviewed any of the boat's history. You explicitly stated in the same email:
"At this stage, neither I nor Jimmy have had the opportunity to personally review the history of your case."
So let's be clear: you immediately jumped to conclusions about warranty coverage and made accusations about commercial use voiding the warranty—all without reviewing a single document or piece of evidence. This is the very definition of making false accusations without having facts.
You then proceeded to dismiss legitimate safety concerns with shocking indifference and condescension:
"A bilge-pump failure due to poor or inconsistent preventive maintenance does not constitute a manufacturing defect under our warranty standards."
This dismissive statement was made before any investigation. You had already decided what the problem was—customer negligence—despite admitting you hadn't reviewed the case. More troublingly, when an independent certified marine technician inspected the vessel, they discovered something far different from your premature assessment:
- ✓ The boat was improperly wired from the factory
- ✓ The wiring constituted a fire hazard
- ✓ There were live wires exposed
- ✓ The entire electrical system was described as "a mess and a huge safety issue"
These are not maintenance issues. These are serious manufacturing defects that put lives at risk. Yet your first instinct was to blame the customer and dismiss their concerns without investigation.
Let's talk about your passive-aggressive tone. Your email is a masterclass in corporate condescension disguised as professionalism. Consider these statements:
"That said, our intent is not to hide behind policy, but to take a practical, good-faith look at the history of your vessel and determine the best path forward."
You claim not to be "hiding behind policy" while simultaneously citing policy to void warranty coverage in the same email—before reviewing any facts. This is the definition of hiding behind policy.
"Our goal is to resolve this matter professionally and with transparency. We simply ask for the same courtesy in return—Sea Pro will not be strong-armed or pressured through public statements or campaigns, and we will not make assumptions before completing our internal review."
This statement is particularly egregious. You accuse the customer of trying to "strong-arm" the company and make "public statements or campaigns" to pressure Sea Pro, while at the same time stating you "will not make assumptions before completing our internal review." The irony is apparently lost on you—your entire email is one giant assumption made before reviewing anything.
You're essentially threatening the customer: "Don't you dare go public with this or we won't help you." This is intimidation masquerading as a request for professional courtesy.
"While we are willing to review and assist where reasonable, Sea Pro cannot agree to a complete rebuild or full repurchase based on the information currently available."
Again, you preemptively reject reasonable resolutions before you've reviewed anything. If you don't have information available, how can you already be ruling out solutions? This is Sea Pro's standard operating procedure: deny first, ask questions later.
Where has customer service gone? Your email represents everything wrong with how Sea Pro handles warranty claims:
- Making accusations without facts
- Dismissing safety concerns before investigation
- Establishing an adversarial tone from the first communication
- Preemptively denying reasonable resolutions
- Implying customers are acting in bad faith when they seek accountability
- Threatening customers who might go public with legitimate complaints
- Blaming customers for manufacturing defects
You state in your email that you're "the active warranty manager" who took over this case when "Jimmy forwarded your email to me." You also mention that you're "not up to speed" on the case. Here's a revolutionary idea: perhaps before sending a lengthy email full of accusations, policy citations, preemptive denials, and veiled threats, you should have actually reviewed the case first.
The independent technician's findings completely vindicate the customer's concerns. This was not a maintenance issue. This was not customer negligence. This was a boat that left Sea Pro's factory with dangerous, life-threatening wiring defects. Yet your instinct was to:
- Blame the customer
- Cite warranty exclusions
- Dismiss their concerns
- Warn them not to go public
- Deny reasonable solutions
All of this before reviewing a single document.
This is unacceptable. Customers who spend tens of thousands of dollars on a boat deserve better than to be treated as adversaries. They deserve to have their safety concerns taken seriously. They deserve to have someone actually investigate before making accusations. And they certainly deserve better than passive-aggressive corporate speak designed to intimidate them into silence.
Whether you're new to the warranty manager position or not, your approach sets a troubling precedent. Sea Pro's reputation continues to suffer not just because of defective boats, but because of exactly this type of customer service—or rather, the complete lack thereof.
We now have 1 documented complaints on this platform from Sea Pro owners across the country. Your handling of this case exemplifies why this platform exists: to give voice to customers who are dismissed, blamed, and intimidated when they seek accountability for defective products.
The days of companies hiding behind warranty language while selling dangerous products are coming to an end. Customers have a right to know how companies handle warranty claims. They have a right to share their experiences publicly. And they have a right to expect that when they report serious safety defects, they won't be met with accusations, dismissals, and threats.
Perhaps it's time for Sea Pro to reconsider how it trains its warranty managers. Start with the revolutionary concept of reviewing cases before responding. Then move on to treating customers with respect rather than suspicion. And finally, take safety concerns seriously instead of immediately blaming customers for manufacturing defects.
We encourage anyone who has had a direct experience with how Joseph Lancaster handles business at Sea Pro to include it in their complaint submission, or share their experience directly with us at complaints@seaprocomplaints.com.
It's time to not only hold brands accountable but also those who make decisions that affect customers' significant investments and boating experiences. By sharing our experiences publicly, we hope to encourage positive change in the industry.
Respectfully,
The Sea Pro Owners Community
SeaProComplaints.com