Conch Charters Ltd British Virgin Islands Bareboat Yacht Charter Reviews
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- Boat Quality1
- Service1
- Value1
- Boat1
A terrible experience with this company. Terrible Management. Terrible Customer Service. Awful Boats.
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- Boat Quality1
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This is a company that must be upon hard times because they will do their best to rip you off. When you return the boat you will have the very unpleasant experience of a gang of pirates searching for something to ding you with and they will be successful. So, when you think you are saving some money with this company think again...in the end they will keep your damage deposit and will not bother to even make an account as to why.
I would also comment that the boats are in general very old and stinky with substandard or not working equipment and missing integral equipment. The worst part of the experience is the uncaring staff. They apparently used to be reliable and courteous but I guess things have changed. Check the date on the posts that you read.- Overall
- Overall3.25
- Boat Quality3
- Service4
- Value3
- Boat3
I had a good trip even though the boat was old with minor problems here & there including the occasional stall of the dingy engine... The staff was friendly and helpful, however communication was bad from the start and got really bad after they jacked all my security deposit. The same goes for customer care.
The 1st red flag came at the very beginning when they sent me a blunt email notifying me that they canceled my reservation coz I didn't pay the initial deposit by the deadline? I've chartered many times around the world an everyone always sends a reminder email! Anyway, I called and sorted this out coz they are very slow to reply to emails.
2nd red flag: After I've already sent them an email stating I've sent a check in the mail for the whole charter, they send me an email asking me to pay them... After sorting this out too, I don't hear from them again... Even when I send emails to ask questions... But a phone call also sorts this out.
After the trip was over, they took away my security deposit coz I had chipped 5 inches off one of the keels of the cat, and said they would refund any money left from the repair.
This is were communications stop: I would send 2-3 emails before getting any reply. They let me know the repair date but didn't bother to contact me with any details until 5.5 weeks after the repair!! (and a couple of emails from me...). The invoice they sent me was fudged to be a bit above my deposit: They charged me $240 to hire a skipper for 4 hours to take the boat back & forth from the yard!?! Note that a skipper gets paid 150/day! And they also charge me $270 for a whole gallon of paint to cover a small 5 inch repair!!! When I called to complain, they just said they charged the bare minimum since they should have charged for the diver and his photos, plus their managerial expenses!?!- Overall
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Stay away from Conch Charters if you want to enjoy your vacation. They are a dodgy operation with substandard boats. The low price is also an illusion because they will absolutely find a way to keep your $1500 (at least) Damage deposit.
Boats poorly maintained and dirty. Missing equipment. Staff unhelpful and ornery.- Overall
- Overall4.75
- Boat Quality4
- Service5
- Value5
- Boat5
We have recently returned from a wonderful yacht charter vacation. In contrast to some of the other reviews, our experience with Conch charters was excellent. This was our sixth bareboat chatter in the BVI, the fifth with Conch. There were some minor issues with the boats we've had in the past but have always been looked after promptly and generously by the staff and management of this company.
No doubt the boats rented by other charter companies are newer and more polished, that's why you pay more. We had a monohull this trip (and previously a catamaran). Everything came off smoothly from registration to check-out. Having read some of the other reviews I find they were overly harsh and critical. The rules of the game were clearly spelled out in advance and I think fair. Of course there are two sides to every, but I'm sure the Big Box charter companies are just as strict about maintaining the boat owner's investment. Some say that you usually get what you pay for. Conch is a smaller family owned company. They give you what you pay for.... and a little more
Many thanks to Cindy Brian, Ross and Irene and the rest of the staff.- Overall
- Overall4.75
- Boat Quality4
- Service5
- Value5
- Boat5
We just had two great trips w/Conch charters (2008 & 2011) at a great prices for a 46' Cat for 7 days. There were a few issues which Conch quickly resolved. A+
- Overall