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SkipperBuds Madison
5381 Westport Rd, Madison, WI 53704, United States
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SkipperBuds Madison

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Da
Review №1

I rented a pontoon from this establishment for Labor Day weekend. They were wonderful to work with, and had a great selection of boats to choose from at fair prices! It was difficult to get a hold of anyone on the phone prior to the weekend when I called to verify my reservation, but once I arrived, they were very organized and prepared. Will definitely be back!

Jo
Review №2

The Skipper Buds Service Team has done an exceptional job servicing my boat over the last couple of years. Despite the C19 supply chain delays and record number of new boaters, this team is rock solid and consistently delivers at a high level. Well done, Brandon and SB service crew!

Je
Review №3

Just when I thought service in almost every industry has became so poor that the bar couldn’t be set any lower, I run into Brian at Skipper Bud’s, who restored my faith in the service industry. He’s not a lifer in the marina service business but he could be. Nice, friendly, committed, candid, knowledgeable. Thanks Brian!

Ty
Review №4

I would like to thank, Brandon Miller, Colin, the service department, the sales department, and the rest of the wonderful crew at SkipperBud’s of Madison! Recently, the winch cable broke on my hoist the same night tornado force winds were going to hit Lake Mendota. Thankfully, SkipperBud’s allowed me to bring my boat over to avoid catastrophic damage. What a blessing, to have such kind people ready and willing to go the extra mile for their customers. Needless to say, I will be a lifelong SkipperBud’s customer for all boat related needs. Thank you again, for taking such excellent care of me and my boat during a tough set of circumstances!

Ty
Review №5

Repeat customer here.. Well run rentals, nice, clean, high end pontoons. They help you in and out of the slips and are very reasonable all around. Highly recommend for a perfect day out on the water.

La
Review №6

Purchased a brokerage boat from Skipper Buds Madison. Aaron was a pleasure to work with. Extremely knowledgeable, Aaron made the transaction seem easy. We had two appointments with Aaron, one to see the boat, the second to water test and close. Everything was ready both times on our arrival. Vehicle purchasing can be stressful. Not the case here. If you’re looking to purchase a boat, I highly recommend Aaron Orvis and Skipper Buds.

Br
Review №7

Brought my pontoon boat to skipper buds in Madison. The service tech asked me what the problem was with my boat. I told him it wouldn’t start. Now this is the crazy part of my visit. I just arrived and he said lets see if I can fix it now so you won’t have to leave your boat here. We went out and he saw that the battery wasn’t connected so he connected it. Not the problem. He proceeded to climb under the console to check the fuses. Found a broken fuse replaced it. Still not the problem. He Checked all of the fuses to find that they were also not the problem. My point is I have never had a service department try to fix my boat when I dropped it off so I wouldn’t have any down time. The techs name is Brian. Very nice guy. Best service I’ve ever had. They still have to find the problem but if the second half of my visit is like the first half I’ll be very happy. Wouldn’t go any place else.

Et
Review №8

Brand New 2021 Starcraft 221 I/O Deck Boat was damaged from Dry Stack lift...freak accident the lift lost one of the rubber pads and damaged the underside of the boat...somewhat seriously...gel coat and even hull was ripped up a little. I thought I was screwed and the boat was not repairable to like “new” condition.....I was 100% unequivocally “Wrong!”...their gel tech fixed the damage and after a spot check...couldn’t see any damage...paint matched exactly! Absolutely zero difference from brand new! Faith restored! Skipper Buds is Worth the Money 💴...apparently very talented people work there...puts my mind at ease :)

Ra
Review №9

Great place to store your boat! The staff is incredible. My brother has been with them for years storing his boat in the winters. They have a secure dock, restrooms, showers, trash collection, and are super close to a gas station and the Nau-ti-Gal restaurant :)

Sc
Review №10

Id leave zero stars if I could. Worst service Ive ever had. I bought my deck boat at Skipper Buds in Oshkosh. The delivery of my boat was a disaster. Since then Ive had my boat serviced at Skipper Buds Madison, and this year I picked it up at their location and it had no drain plug anywhere on the boat. Im very careful about the drain plug and Ive never left one out of the boat. The service tech refused to bring out a new one until next week. We live on a Madison lake and Im sure they gave drivers delivering boats nearby all the time. Im waiting on a call from Brandon who Im pretty sure wont call me back until thi review hits. Do not buy a boat or h a have your boat served there. O

Sh
Review №11

Bought a boat and experience was good nice sale people

B
Review №12

Im sure some people have found reasons to bring Skipper Buds Madisons star rating below 4 stars, but Im not one of them. I have had a great diversity of dealings with them. I rented pontoons in the past years. I ordered a new tritoon through them last year. I have dealt with their service department and parts department. I am in storage and drystacking with them. Sometimes things dont go as planned. My boat came in with a few discrepancies from how it was ordered. Sales along with ownership figured it out, covered it, and fixed it - in fact they went through everything and fixed things I didnt even know needed fixing. When I had an install worked out with AMS Audio in a small window of time, John L with the service dept found a way to get the boat over there and back at the most inopportune time of the season when all of their trailers were in use for transporting boats. My boat needed some additions right at the beginning of the season - Brian got it done despite their workload. I trashed my bimini - Jens running around throughout all of their storage facilities to find something to get me by so Ive got something until a new one can come in. Karens been great with explaining things that were new to me in using the marina. My point here is that everyone has been nothing but fair, friendly, and professional, and they have in so many cases gone well beyond what I expected. I really appreciate that. 6 stars

Te
Review №13

They do not answer their phones in serviceThey got the work done when i went there.

tj
Review №14

My group rented a boat this past weekend and the staff was excellent! Everyone was friendly, professional and outstanding customer service. We will definitely be back. It was a great day on Lake Mendota!

Da
Review №15

This may be one of the most poorly run businesses I have ever dealt with. Ive had two experiences with their customer service and both have been absolutely terrible. The first time I tried to rent a pontoon boat the weather looked bad. I called 2 hour prior and was encouraged to cancel or reschedule. I chose to cancel. Of course, the weather changed and it was beautiful at the time of my rental so I called to see if we could still go. No one answered. I called again 30 minutes later, again, no answer. A few days later, I noticed that my credit card was charged for the rental. When I called back, no answer. I left a voicemail, no answer. I called again and was finally able to speak to someone who told me they had my rental marked as completed. After disputing this, I was put on hold for 13 minutes, was offered no apologies and was finally refunded. I followed up this experience with a negative review on here and was contacted the next day by the manager who bribed me with a free boat rental if I took the review down. I decided to risk it and take the bait (no shame here!). That turned out to be a terrible decision. We were given a boat that was duct taped together on one side and had loose screws holding parts together. Halfway through our ride we hit a wave head on that knocked the cheap piece of sheet metal right off the bow, cutting my friends foot. When we got back to port, we were told by the deckhand that this has happened to two of their other boats and that we would have to pay for it. We were then blamed for not using common boating sense and charged $375. I will absolutely NEVER RENT FROM THEM AGAIN and I DO NOT RECOMMEND SKIPPER BUDS TO ANYONE. Go elsewhere.

Kr
Review №16

Worked with TJ to buy a pontoon this spring. Writing a review here because of how impressed I was with the experience. TJ went above and beyond to make sure got the best bang for our buck and was quick to reply and troubleshoot issues through a fairly complicated sale.

Va
Review №17

We purchased a used boat the summer of 2020. At the beginning, there were a couple of issues with the boat. They were handled quickly and professionally. We found the staff at Skipperbuds Madison to be very accommodating and friendly. Thank you so much Jordan, Greg, and Chris!! Best summer ever :)

Te
Review №18

Purchased my first boat there from Aaron last summer. The entire transaction was done via email, texting and phone conversations. He was very efficient and accurate with his information and very competitive on pricing. Also had a great delivery experience the day we picked it up and seeing the boat for the first time we were very pleased and it was everything Aaron promised it would be. Had one small issue with a dash pad and the parts and warranty departments quickly sent the part directly to me in Iowa. I most recently called in and spoke with Jen in the parts department about replacing a decal. She was an absolute joy to speak with and quickly looked up the information on my boat and ordered the part for me and again will have sent directly to me. I know when the time comes to purchase another new boat, my first call will be to Aaron. Thanks to everyone that has made our experience completely satisfying!

Ka
Review №19

Karen in the office at Skipper Buds in Madison is amazing!!! She always has a friendly voice, outstanding customer service and takes good care of us! What a great front line face to have for a business!

Je
Review №20

Awesome job Brian in the service department. Minor repair to a boat we bought from skipper buds yesterday. Fixed it while we waited. Great customer service.

Tr
Review №21

Had their service department install a GPS/fishfinder on my Scarab Jet boat and they did an amazimg job!The transducer works perfectly which is not easy on a jet boat and the install on the captains helm looks factory. I couldnt be more pleased!! Highly recommended!

be
Review №22

Worst buying experience. Purchased a new demo boat and went to pick it up and it was not water ready. Had to come back two days later after they said they tested everything on the water. Got it home and ballast, horn and other features did not work properly. They came out a few weeks later and worked a few items but then never returned calls or email to fix all items that needed to be fixed under warranty. Sales and Service team are not responsive and dont care after the boat has been purchased. Would not recommend them under any circumstances.

Me
Review №23

We rented a pontoon boat today and were given brief instructions on how to drive and where to go. During the trip, a big wave hit our boat head-on and dented the very thin sheet metal of the front door. Upon returning the boat, Skipper Buds told us that this has happened to two other boats this season and that we would have to pay for the damage because we should have known that we needed to go faster into the wave. However, if this is a known issue, then they should give warning/advice about it ahead of time, especially on windy days like today. This is terrible customer service and I have heard of several other stories from other Skipper Buds customers who have had terrible customer service, ending in situations like this where it seems to be a scam to have you pay for extra things (or in one friends case, damage that Skipper Buds did to their boat during storage and then tried to say that the damage had already existed). Not to mention that todays ride was actually given to us for free as a BRIBE to remove the negative review that we previously left after poor customer service. I would not recommend Skipper Buds at all and will go elsewhere for any further boating experiences.

Ja
Review №24

I had a great experience. I was on the water and ruined a prop. They had one in stock and brought it out. I thought Id have to change out the prop in the water. They offered to pull the boat out of the water for me. Great service salvaged a bad day.

Ja
Review №25

I’ll be honest, when I called the service department at Skipper Bud’s, I was prepared to get mediocre service at best. Everybody’s busy and I’m just one boat owner with a problem. I left a message about my problem expecting I wouldn’t get a call back for days. I was shocked when Brian Burdick called me back in 5 minutes. I was even more shocked when he said he’d be willing to stop by my place on his way home from work to fix my problem. He stopped by, that very same day, fixed my problem, and I am back on the water. That is remarkable customer service. Thank you Brian!!!

Du
Review №26

Karen was so helpful getting me info I needed even when it was at closing time👍😊

Mi
Review №27

Great Place !

We
Review №28

Horrible service, twice this year (2020) have been denied use of my boat due to SB being too busy to launch. Also, returned boat back to slip at 3pm on a Sunday and boat left out overnight and not returned to dry stack. Boat was full of water the next week on a launch as it rained hard that evening it was left out. This is a common complaint, unable to launch boats from dry stack due to not enough slips and too many boats and not enough staff. Quick to take my $4,000 but horrible at taking care of existing customers.

Da
Review №29

We purchased a 2019 Axis T-22 from Aaron Orvis at SkipperBud’s Madison, Wisconsin.We absolutely love the boat and had the best experience finding and purchasing the boat.Thanks again for helping us find what we were looking for and making the buying process painless and for returning all the questions we had via email and phone calls.This inboard tow boat is way different than anything we have ever had, but felt confident after going through it with everyone at SkipperBuds.Impeccable customer care and service!You and your team definitely all work together to make it a top tier business.We would highly recommend SkipperBuds and can’t say enough about the staff. They help you make an educated decision about the products you want and need, and nothing else. No pushy sales people here.Thanks again for all the smiles!

Ai
Review №30

I just recently made my 2nd new boat purchase with Aaron and Skipper Buds, great job! Aaron and the staff know there stuff when it comes to buying and setting up a new boat!

Ka
Review №31

We wanted a fun day on the lake so we rented a boat from Skipper Buds. The kids that helped us get the boat and set us up were great! The boat was great, the maps and directions were helpful, the process was easy and the customer service was awesome. Thanks for a great day!

Sa
Review №32

Please reconsider using Skipper Buds as a broker. I had them sell a boat that I inherited and it was the most terrible customer service experience Ive ever had. Spare yourself the headaches and tears. Sell it yourself. I wish I could get the commission back they charged because Im the only one that did any work to get that boat sold. :(

An
Review №33

I had an insurance claim due to a fire. Brandon in the service department went above and beyond to assist me. I appreciated the communication throughout the process. I Highly recommend working with Skipper Buds and they have earned my business!

Ki
Review №34

I purchased my 2019 Four Winns 260 Horizon from Skipper Buds this past spring. I put 135 hrs on it!! The boat ran beautifully! The buying experience was top notch, Aaron Orvis my sales rep did an outstanding job. Upfront honest and fair throughout the whole process. The delivery was excellent. The young man took the time and answered all my questions. If I did have a concern the service department was there to help as well. Overall A + experience. Thanks Aaron and Skipper Buds.Randy Wolf and family

Gr
Review №35

My wife and I purchased a new Scarab 195 from Skipper Buds. When we were taken on our boat ride/check prior to taking delivery, we were told to bring the boat back in when it hit 10 hours for an oil change. When we took delivery, the boat already had 7 hours on it, as we were told breaking it in for customers is a service that Skipper Buds provides. We were told that the oil change would be a complimentary service. After taking it in, we were called and told that not only would the oil change be $125, but the boat also needed a 10 hour service check that would bring the total bill to over $300. We told the service dept. that we had been told that the oil change would be free and that there was no mention that a $175 check-up would be needed after owning the boat for only 3 hours. When we questioned the bill, we were told that Nothing is free. We went ahead with the oil change and were surprised to find that when we arrived to pick up the boat, the total bill came to almost $150. The extra money was for shop supplies. When we arrived home, I checked the engine and discovered that they had not replaced the oil cap. I would not recommend Skipper Buds for any kind of service. The kindest word I can use for them is shysters.

Sa
Review №36

Bought new a boat. Can not back up the trailer as there is an electric issue with it. Would not work on it for me when I called as they were too busy with winterizing boats. Spoke to the GM asked for the brake solenoid to be shipped and I will install it. That was 3 months ago still no part sent to me. I will never buy a Glastron as Skipperbuds is the only dealer that can work on it. No customer care what so ever.

sl
Review №37

Brandon in service is excellent. Just had my alumacraft in for service this week, top notch customer service and professional.

Ch
Review №38

I was looking for a affordable boat for my family to enjoy this summer. I found a boat at skipper buds in oshkosh and delt with the Madison store. I talked with James and Jordan multiple times and met with Eric in oshkosh. They were all very friendly and i really want to thank Eric for taking the time to help me during the busy boat show in oshkosh. I also got to talk to the sales manager of the Madison store he was very friendly and easy to work with. The paperwork was easy to finish and I went home with the new to me boat i was looking for. Thanks for everything guys if i have any other boat needs i will definitely call this team first.

Tu
Review №39

Originally I wrote a 2 star review for the fact that they sold us a Malibu with over $4000 in repairs needed that they “supposedly” didn’t know about. How can one sell a $30k boy with that many issues. Once we brought it back they fixed all the issues and didn’t charge us anything. Overall began as a bad experience but they handled it rather well and I thank them for taking care of a mistake they made and following through. Still a very nice place to buy a boat!

na
Review №40

This place has the WORST customer service. Our boat had previous damage that they pinned on us which caused us to pay an extra $350. We would NEVER go there again. We also watched them smash a customers Malibu into the dock. Very unprofessional and terrible customer service.

Aa
Review №41

Bad experience. Attempted to inquire and make an offer from their website. I was told that there were no further photos of the boat available, and that they would only submit my offer (consignment boat) to the owners if i put money down to show I was serious. You have to be kidding me! I would never put money down on a boat before knowing what I was agreeing to pay. Smelled a lot like bait-and-switch.

Ra
Review №42

Was in town and had some free time. Even though it was last minute we got a boat and had a great time. Can’t wait to go again.

Am
Review №43

I want to say how awesome our experience has always been at Skipperbudsdue to Karen!! She is so helpful and more than willing to do whatever she can to help accommodate your needs. We bought our 2017 Yamaha 242from Skipperbuds almost 2 1/2 years ago, and we plan on buying a new boat from them next year.

Ke
Review №44

Skipper Buds is great! Quality merchandise,great Service and extremely. Knowledgeable and friendly staff.

Am
Review №45

Brandon Miller & his team gave us top notch customer service. We called multiple shops closer to home & then called Skipper Buds, quickly realizing we shouldve called them first. Brandon walked us through things over the phone to try to avoid us having to come in. When toubleshooting via phone didnt solve it, they fit us in and had us out the door within a half hour. Theyve earned lifelong customers from us! Thank you Brandon & team!

Br
Review №46

Ive never been here but just received a spam text about this place. Stop these unsolicited messages.

To
Review №47

Six years ago!

Ja
Review №48

We had a great experience buying our first boat. The sales staff was helpful and Tom took time to answer all of our questions and showed us options based on what we were looking for. We keep our boat in dry stacks and have had a great experience with that as well. Very friendly and courteous staff!

Ri
Review №49

Service above expectations!

Br
Review №50

Nice staff.If youre feeling adventurous.Go rent a boat for the day or half day. Its a great way to see Madison from a different view.Their policy is that you cannot go through the loches. So get that out of your head. Theres plenty of lake!

Je
Review №51

It is with distinct pleasure and honor I convey my sincere appreciation and gratitude for the world-class customer service, integrity and professionalism of your staff, specifically Brandon Miller and his team of mechanics, specialists and technicians who redefine customer care. It is because of people like Brandon and the staff at SkipperBud’s my family and friends can continue to operate and enjoy our God given waters with great confidence, knowing we will not fail upon the water, and that we will look good doing it. THANK YOU!

Cr
Review №52

Personable and professional buying experience and service. I highly recommend.

sc
Review №53

I have kept my boat in dry stack for the last 3 years, and have had an awesome experience every year. Super convenient, really helpful staff. Would highly recommend

Wo
Review №54

Awesome people that made it very easy to get through the rental process. Will definitely rent from here again. The pontoon was awesome

Me
Review №55

Brandon Miller and his service team have been very helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. I am a new customer to SkipperBuds after our previous shop had closed, the transition to the new shop has been flawless. Thank you for the work youve done to get our boat back on out the water for the 2017 season.

Sh
Review №56

We bought our first boat through Skipper Buds (Pewaukee) in June of 2013. Our sales guy there was great and got us into a great little starter boat for our family. As time went on - we realized we should have bought a bigger boat, so we started the search to upgrade late 2014. The Madison Skipper Buds location came through for us with shining stars this past week/weekend. We have now upgraded to a boat that will comfortably seat our family and friends, allow us to ski/tube/fish as we please, and spend our valued family time enjoying our summers on the water. Aaron was our salesman - he was great. Stepped us through several boat options, weighing pros/cons of each and the fit for our family needs. Allen was back in contact with us on our financing in a matter of hours and with news that fit our budget requirements.Ultimately - we looked other places, and we were ignored. Aaron and the sales team answered questions, helped us research, and got us into a deal that will make everyone happy. I read the other reviews here this morning and am honestly quite surprised. The negative experiences are nothing like what we experienced at either Skipper Buds location. I dont work there - heck, I had to Google map how to get there to see the boat! But I would venture to say that ANY business can have some good and bad apples. Skipper Buds has only been a shining good apple to our family in the past 2 1/2 years.

S
Review №57

Friendly staff...Jordan was helpful.

Jo
Review №58

Very helpful and professional staff! Yesterday, in celebration of my birthday, we rented a pontoon boat, in order to cruise Lake Mendota in Madison WI. The staff was both friendly and courteous, and took the time to instruct us in the proper operation of the boat, as well as to mark hazards on the chart they provided. The boat itself was both beautiful and fuel efficient. We has a wonderful day, and would highly recommend them.

Ma
Review №59

I was in need of parts this w/e for my boat. Skippers and all the local shops were out of stock for my part I needed so I figured I was out for the w/e. Skippers service department found the part at a warehouse and sent a driver over to get the part. I had the part in 45 mins. and salvaged the weekend. Thank you to all the Skipper buds service team, great job !!

Al
Review №60

Nice place to store your boats and get out onto the lake. They offer winter storage so you dont need to worry about going somewhere else. The only downside was their bathroom, but they are remodeling that.

To
Review №61

I had my outboards services, new bottom paint, gel coat repair and buff and sealant everywhere on my 26 ft seaswirl Striper. 3500 dollars later, which I knew it would be, I took delivery of a filthy boat. Buffing compound all over the inside making for s mess to clean. Poor workmanship and integrity. Service mgr. apology but still poor.

Ma
Review №62

Dry stack is done really well. Friendly and helpful staff. Service also did a good job of locating a light base for my boat and calling me when it got in.

Th
Review №63

Absolutely a great dealership. Tom in Sales, and Alex in Finace, and Chris in Service/Delivery were all extremely helpful. I live 5 hours from Madison and had to push my closing date back twice. They were very understanding. When I finally made my appointment they were waiting for me and I was in and out in about an hour and a half including my “how to” time with Chris. If would have needed more time to learn about the boat there is no doubt in my mind they would have given it to me. They sell some very expensive toys and in comparison to their high end Malibu boats my purchase was nothing yet that didn’t matter to them, they treated me like I came in with a briefcase full of 100 dollar bills. Thanks!!!

Ch
Review №64

I have my boat in drystack storage and love the service. Karen always is prompt and friendly and hunter does an amazing job as well. We noticed something that accidentally happened to the boat while in storage and skipper repaired it for free. They have really worked on customer service and it shows!

li
Review №65

I recently purchased a boat from Skipperbuds in Madison, Wi. My purchasing experience was super good. My boat was water delivered, which made it great for showing me all the features. Aaron is very knowledgeable and I highly recommend Skipperbuds. - John K. Livesey

Sa
Review №66

We stored our boat with Skipper buds for about a year and a half. We used their dry stack service. It is way overpriced for the service that they offer. You spend over 3000 per year. Although you would think you would then receive optimal service, this is not the case. According to them, if you call 2 hours in advance, your boat will be in the water. This rarely happened. Often times the bouys were on the wrong side of the boat, and the boat would get scratched from banging into the docks. The seats were always greasy from their service guys turning on and off the battery when they put it in the water. They even left the battery on twice and had to hook up a portable charger to get it started. The final straw - we decided to pull the boat out this summer as we could not afford their prices anymore. They talked us in to staying for 3 more months by offering a lower price. They never sent us an adjusted bill and at the end of the three months said that they didnt remember offering the discounted price (and they tried to charge us late fees). After several heated conversations, we finally were able to get our boat out of there. If you know whats good for you, you will not use this company for any service or storage needs - tell your boating friends too.

Ki
Review №67

Great experience buying my boat. Everyone was very friendly and helpful from the reception staff to sales, finance and service. I will continue to be a Skipper Buds customer.

Da
Review №68

The the sales team. The guys were great, knowledgeable and easy to work with. I would recommend them to everybody. Their drystack is a great service. 3k for year round storage, and they launch my boat prior to getting there and they pull it out of the water when we are done.

Ca
Review №69

It was great the salesman knew what I wanted and helped getting the best deal.

Sa
Review №70

I had given Skipper Buds 1 star because at that time they were a 1 star dealership. I have been back a few times trying to work with their sales team and they have gotten new people who have the willingness to help and listen. Like all businesses, its hard to find good help. My review is a 4 star report. They have stepped up to the plate trying to make whats right...right. Scott the manager at the Madison store is a person I would strongly recommend if your needing any help with new or pre owned boats.

Do
Review №71

Nice place, well run

Jo
Review №72

Have a 16ft jon boat and needed it wired for lights cost 846 and change and looks like a 6 year old did the work. Fuses are located on top of transom where you get the wake occasionally crashing over hull and front wire was run along top of deck and attached to gunnel using 3m tabs.

Da
Review №73

We traded our old pontoon for a 26 foot Premier pontoon boat from Matt F. Matt made it so easy and fun to buy our new used boat that we love.

Mi
Review №74

Everyone was so very nice & helpful! Made our buying experience very pleasant!!

Ja
Review №75

Very friendly staff!

Jo
Review №76

Very personable sales staff the day I stopped. Offered plenty of info even though I made it clear I wasnt buying anything.

Ju
Review №77

Im going to change my review to a good review everyone was very friendly and helped as much as they could as in buying anything there are hassles miscommunications between the seller buyer and the bank made my experience horrid this go around. I will say this buy your boat equipment somewhere else their shop is very expensive

Er
Review №78

We asked them to take our boat from dry storage to the slip the night before so we could go out at 5:30am for the sunrise. They didnt do it. Waste of a vacation day.

Er
Review №79

Awesome the poeple there are the greatest helped with unloading and reloading the boat very courteous.thank you very much

To
Review №80

We rented a speed boat with a tube and water skis. The boat would not get up to a fast enough speed to pull an adult waterskiing behind it. You can tube but only at a very low speed. We had 8 adults, boat supposed to hold 10. We are all very experienced boaters and we know how speed boats are supposed to work. Skipper Buds refused to believe that there could be a problem, would not look at it, and seemed very uninterested in listening to us explain the issue. A couple of times it seemed to get up to a bit of a faster speed, but as soon as you would turn the boat, the speed immediately dipped back down. You can still have a fun time driving around, but this is NOT a good boat for watersports. We would recommend the pontoon boat, which is cheaper, and not spending money on a ski package or tube package that you cannot use.

Ni
Review №81

First class service.

Do
Review №82

Great rental experience...staff was very nice! wonderful day!

An
Review №83

Great experience from beginning to end with everyone at Skipper Buds Madison.

ta
Review №84

This place is horrible for service. We bought a new Four Winns H200 from them last year. We brought it in for repairs for damage caused by someone else and told them we had a gas leak. After two weeks of having our boat, we didnt hear a word from them. We followed up with them and they hadnt even pulled the boat into the shop to look at it! They said they would look at it the next day after we called them. Another week went by and we heard nothing. We called and left several messages for the service manager, John L. without a return call. We finally talked to him and he said there was no gas leak. My husband stopped in the next day to pick up our boat and lo and behold, they found the gas leak. The motor had a leak and was covered under warranty. We were told it would be repaired the next day. It is now a week later (for a total of 4 weeks that they have had our boat) and several more messages have gone unreturned. My husband has stopped in several times and they wont tell him anything other than our boat is not repaired yet. With a service manager who doesnt care about the customers, its no wonder their service stinks. What kind of example is he making for his employees? Look at all the bad reviews for this place. Surprised theyre still in business.

Sa
Review №85

My coworker Andy purchased a 2011 Mastercraft from SkipperBuds in August and was given a one week warranty period to run the boat to assure everything was as it should be. 30 minuets into the first sea trial, the boat completely shut off and would not start. Upon delivering the boat back to SkipperBuds, the sales manager was very unhelpful and unwilling to constructively aid the situation. Upon looking at the boat, their mechanics also had issues with the boat shutting off and being unusable, but never found the root cause. Unable to determine the issue, they told him the boat was fine and did not want to accept responsibility for their mistake of selling a faulty boat. one month later this issue is still not fully resolved. Issues happen, but when your a reputable dealer, you have to look customers in the eye and take on responsibility. Extremely unimpressed with the lack of professionalism.

Hi
Review №86

STAY AWAY from their rental services. By far one of the worse customer service Ive ever received. Document and photograph your rental as they will try and get you to pay for damages that may have not even occurred during your rental period. Take your business elsewhere since they are FAKE and its highly transparent the moment they get your money!!!

Re
Review №87

Provide good service but not exactly the way one might expect

Ri
Review №88

We purchased a pre-owned SeaRay from Skipper Buds this spring. Being first time boat owners, we were nervous about all that we didnt know about owning a boat. Our Sales Consultant Aaron, was VERY helpful and worked to educate us on the ins and outs of boat ownership. Its nearing the end of the boating season and as we look back, we couldnt be happier with our new (to us) boat and our experience with Aaron at Skipper Buds.

An
Review №89

Standard marina with marina prices. My only complaint is all the dirt near the boat ramp. I dont know what it is or where it comes from. Maybe off the forklift tires. Its a black dirt that seems to get everywhere and its right as you walk out on the dock.

Ja
Review №90

Excellent! We rented a boat for 4 hours and it worked out really well.

St
Review №91

I took my boat in on a Saturday 4/23/16 to get a estimate on buffing and waxing my boat and keep in mind... my boat is not faded all that much I just dont want it to get worse and they said they would call me first thing Monday morning because the detailer was not in on Saturdays which was fine....... well Monday went by...... Tuesday went by.... then Wednesday came around and no call so I finally called them just for them to tell me that the detail guy was not available again... they said that someone will call me Thursday when he gets in.. well Friday came and no call... so I call them again and they tell me that my boat needs to be re-clear coated and that it would cost me $4800.00.Really....... Theses guys are a joke and a ripoff.... I got a professional to look at it and he is going to charge me $250.00 and he said he can make it look brand new again and they are number 1 on Angie list.......I have a business of own and I know how customers should be treated......Dont ever go there for nothing...Dont over look the bad reviews like I did because skipper buds has a lot of bad ones...Yahhh skipper buds you suck....I give you zero stars not one.....

sc
Review №92

Took our 2014 Four Winns H200 in the beginning of April for some warranty work and a detail. Went to pick our boat in May. They said it was detailed and would be stored inside. Well it wasnt even clean when we picked it up. There was bird crap all over the cover and there was grass clippings stuck to the side of and stains on the seats. The service guy told me he had to drive through the grass to get the boat out thats why there was grass on it and he sprayed it off the best he could but the only thing he did was put water spots in it. After arguing with them they offered to pay to have it detailed in my home town. Would never go back there again.....HORRIBLE SERVICE AND LIARS!!!!!!

Br
Review №93

Just bought a boat their salesman Matt was great

Mi
Review №94

Extremely disappointing service department. I dropped my boat off (the engine would die after slowing down from high speed) and was told it would be 3 to 4 days before they could look at it. Two weeks later I called to find out how it was going, they hadnt even looked at it yet but assured me they would get to it that day. Another week goes by and I get a phone call telling me I had a bad cylinder (low compression) and that it would cost 3 to 5 thousand dollars to rebuild - did I want to have them go ahead with the work? I said no I would come pick it up on Monday - they said it would be ready by 10:00. My wife arrives to pick it up after 10:00, it was very dirty and greasy (we dropped it off freshly washed and waxed - I could not believe they didnt cover up the white seats while working on it), parts were laying all over the boat, the very rude service person he told my wife it would not be ready until late afternoon. My wife took a couple of pictures and sent them to me. I could put the spark plugs back in and the water pump back on so I told her to take it the way it was. The service person said it would be too hard to get it out right now so she would have to come back anyway. I didnt want her to have to drive several more hours round trip in hopes they might get to it later. She was finally able to find another technician that was willing to move the boat that was in front of it to get it out of the shop, he even loosely bolted the water pump on. $290 seemed high for a compression test and nothing put back together or cleaned up but we wanted to be done with them.Follow UpI took the boat to a different mechanic who looked into the cylinder with a camera and determined it was actually a bad injector, the injector was replaced for a less then a thousand dollars and the boat runs great now. If I had let SkippersBuds rebuild the cylinders like they proposed they wont have even fixed the right problem!I would not recommend SkippersBuds for any type of engine service work.

Er
Review №95

I dont write reviews often, but I do read them.I decided to share my experience at Skipper Buds with you all, a praise well deserved for this company.I have bought my boat a 2004 Four Winns 210 H, from Aaron Orvis, one of the sales guys at Skipper Buds Madison, during the fall of 2007. I have had good luck with the boat throughout the years, had it serviced here, kept it in their dry stack, and in the slips.The sales guys are attentive, knowledgeable, friendly and ready to help, to answer questions or if you need service. The service department is first class, the service work on my boat was done always on time, never had problems with the work.Aaron Orvis is a great guy to work with, honest, hard working he knows his boats, he is always there to help you, and follows up with you. Keeps his word, for me it is very important. I remember, back in 2007 when I was new at boating, on two occasions I left my bilge pump on, after I left my boat in the slip, and found the battery dead, when I wanted to take the boat out a few days after. Called Aaron, he was there in 15 minutes, opened the hatch, and started my boat.It did not cost me a cent. Where can you find that kind of service ?... Now, that I am well into my retirement years I am moving to Florida, for the winter months at least, my boating days will be limited, and so I decided to sell my boat, although with heavy heart. Again, I called on Aaron, he had my boat serviced, and had two buyers lined up in two weeks.My boat is sold, and as I write this, I received my check a few days ago.... I dont know if I will buy an other boat and when, but if I do, I will come back to Skipper Buds and buy it from Aaron. Thank you Skipper Buds, and thank you Aaron, well done.

Mi
Review №96

Bought a new pontoon had a second Bimini top added at extended to the front of the boat. Made it home safely. Next day headed to the river made it 3 miles from home and the top came loose and almost came off. They came to the house to pick up the boat had it 3 weeks told it was fixed went to pickup hadnt been touched. Took boat and left will fix it myself. If there was less than 1 star the service department would get it.

Ch
Review №97

Great place awesome Boats very professional very nice place !!!

Mi
Review №98

Brandon Miller provides A+++ customer service and he IS the reason I will continue to have my boat (purchased new from SkipperBuds) serviced at SkipperBuds. Period.

Ma
Review №99

After reading google reviews about Skipper Buds, and also I have been in the auto industry for the past 20 years, dealing with used vehicles. I was told by everybody DO NOT buy a used boat from a marina because of the mark up on the boats.I listened to what everyone said, and decided to buy my first boat Wed. August 12th from Aaron at Skipper Buds. It was my wife and Is first boat purchase and we had been looking around for ever. We were ready to give up, but then we stopped in to see Aaron, and that was the best decision we ever made. I felt we got a great deal on the boat we bought. It was perfect for us.Aaron had the boat brought in from Pewaukee, as me and my wife had never seen that boat other than in pictures. When the boat came in it was nicer and cleaner compared to the pictures we saw.Brandon was the captain that showed us everything about the boat and took us on a test run. He told us they had an issue starting it so they replaced the battery for us. Brandon was super helpful also.We had a couple of major user issues on our first day out, and once again Aaron answered his cell phone and help us the whole time.Me being in the car business, I understand the importance of customer service and also understand a lot times the negative reviews are done by customers who you try to help and go above and beyond more so than any other customer, and they still leave negative reviews.Well I wanted to let everyone now, how awesome Aaron and the rest of the team at Skipper Buds has been so far. I highly recommend if you are looking for a boat to look Aaron up. He is very down to earth, and was fun to deal with. You guys get an A+++ grade in me and my wifes book.

Az
Review №100

If you feel that your voice wasnt heard, talk to the upper management.Well, we had purchased our boat from this company 8 weeks or more ago. We were very happy for the purchase.We took our boat and we encountered some problems so I called the store manager Scott Henrikson about the situation, explained him about it so he suggested we bring our boat (keep in mind we live 2 hrs out) back to skipperbuds to be looked at so we told him we wont. He spoke to the manager at the service dept and they sent a guy to pick the boat up.In simple terms, our boat was fixed and loved the speedy work job well done.Id recommend all owners of boat to get the services done and for any reason you feel it a bit of insecurities dont hesitate to report to upper management. We all work hard and we should make all of us happy to work together sincerely, apologetic and trustworthy.♡♡♡♡☆☆☆☆♡♡♡♡♡♡☆☆☆☆♡♡♡

Information
85 Photos
100 Comments
3.8 Rating
  • Address:5381 Westport Rd, Madison, WI 53704, United States
  • Site:http://skipperbuds.com/
  • Phone:+1 608-246-2628
Categories
  • Boat rental service
  • Boat dealer
  • Boat storage facility
  • Marina
Working hours
  • Monday:Closed
  • Tuesday:9am–8pm
  • Wednesday:9am–5:30pm
  • Thursday:9am–5:30pm
  • Friday:9am–8pm
  • Saturday:9am–5:30pm
  • Sunday:9am–5pm
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
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