I had a 1854 V rake built, the boat itself is very nice. These are the issues I had. While my boat was being built, I could not get a answer on the phone when I tried to call in the beginning. I was told to email the office manager with any questions and to be honest she was very helpful. The website was not very detailed about options at the time and made it harder to figure out what was a standard feature or add on. I got a call from Chad the week before they started the build that was less than professional saying you don't know what you want do you. I laughed it off and said you have too much cool shit to choose from. During this conversation we got into a argument over my quote and a advertised boats on the facebook page with options equal to what I had that included the LED lights. Adamantly arguing that the boats weren't the same. They were slightly different, due to the fact I didn't add a gun box and the other boat did, which should have added extra money to the other boat.He did add them after arrogantly saying I'll give them to you if it makes you happy. I said it's not giving them to me, the cost should include them on my boat.When I called about picking my boat up they avoided my phone call. I had a buddy call from a different phone number right after I called from my number and they answered the phone. Told my buddy I could pick it up in 2 days. Did not call me to tell me that after my buddy called and they told him it was going to be 2 days. I did get a email the next day saying it could be picked up. I had both spud pole brackets break off, one was due to having the spud pole in the bracket lifted out of the ground and resting on the bottom. I bumped it in forward and moved about two feet and the welds let go. The second bracket broke with the pole in the mud, I walked to the front to put the second spud pole in the bow and snap the second one broke. The welds did not penetrate the transom. My dry box on the port side was taking on water, had a 12 gallon tank installed and the gas cap would not vent properly, causing gas to leak on my turf, my paint was coming off down to bare metal, I used painters tape to make my straight line to apply gator glide, when I removed the painters tape the paint came off with it. I also had hit a pole at the water line I did not see until the last minute, when I looked inside my front deck storage, the paint was flaking off where the dent was. They did state that they would fix everything, they had their truck pick my boat up on the way back to Georgia from Louisiana after picking up a load of material. It stayed there for 6 weeks. He delivered the boat back on his way to drop a boat off in Louisiana. When I got the boat back, I had bare metal spots still showing and a new hole drilled on one side of the boat near the transom to "keep the water from pooling up", no matching hole on the other side. I had overspray on my gator glide and they taped off a new line to "touch up the glide." It appears that when they removed the tape from the boat that some of the paint came with it. They did reweld the spud bracket on and reinforce them. After seeing the post on here and recieving a text asking if I was the one that posted on here about my spud pole bracket breaking off, which I did not post about at the time. I said why would I do that if you are fixing everything? The problem is everything wasn't fixed. I'm sure the Prodigy Kool Aid drinkers will be on here saying, Chad builds a great boat and I have had mine for 2 to 3 years with no problems. I was told the paint and primer was all in one by Chad and that's why bare metal was showing. He did call and text me to offer some touch up paint which I had already bought before I was told there was a paint problem and before I was told it would be fixed. 50 dollars worth of rattle can paint. I asked what stencil they use so I could buy one to touch it up and was told to "figure it out." The boat is a beast and performance wise does great after the coil was fixed on the motor.

Oh my!!

I had to fake a seizure half way thru reading that rambling dissertation - so I didn't have to read the second half

dissertation - I meant manifesto, sorry

I guess DFOU didn't teach him everything.

Would you like me to put it in paragraphs and proof read it professor? This is a forum not English 101. In short they do half ass shit.

So you drove 2 feet and broke the spud pole bracket??? Thats Chads problem? LMAO. Sounded like he fixed everything and then some. Always 3 sides to a story. Your side, his side and the truth.

The first one, the second bracket broke from walking in the boat. The first one would have done the same thing. They weren't welded properly.

You must be one of his cock suckers?

This is a good read….

Every product at some point or another is going to have things go wrong. Im not saying I believe you or don't believe you, but to make a blanket statement as to "they do half ass shit" is pretty bold. I'm having a boat built by him right now. Before I ordered it I knew exactly what my options were , what was included, and I approved all costs up front. There should be no surprises there. I've never had him not return my calls or emails either. It really has been a pleasant experience. Hell, he even talked to my bank on the phone to help clear some confusion.

Any how, sorry you had such an unpleasant experience. Do you happen to have any pictures of all these itmes that went wrong? Just curious because you are the FIRST person I have ever seen complain of Prodigy's craftsmanship.

I agree with you about that, at some point and time you will have issues. Just not with a brand new boat that at the time of the problem was only one or two months old.

Do a search of spud pole bracket prodigy. There was another guy that his broke as well. The paint is the main concern. I have pictures from others as well with the same issue. They are trying to get theirs resolved so I will leave them out of it. How many times have you heard of a paint in primer application on a aluminum substrate?

Tell you what I'll trade you my boat for your prodigy so you wont be unhappy anymore and have to deal with all this.

what i explained was the primer was put on too thick. if a etching primer is put on too thick the paint will have adhesion issues.

And just so you know there are mud boat manufacturers that do indeed use paints that do not require a primer on Alum..............the best camo painter in the business actually does..............ill let u figure out who that is.

thanks again for the learning experience.

I dont want to go rounds on the internet as i have stated. I do not recall saying 'figure it out' i have sent other folks piece of stencils for touch up etc.

i also tried to call you yesterday to discuss and you apparently do not want to talk. I also understand u are wanting to build your own boat etc which is cool.

Like i said before.........wish you all the best sir

We all are human and we try like hell to ensure things are handled correctly and timely. Good luck with the sale of your boat and the build of your new one bro.

If u need some touch up glide, paint or stencils all you have to do is ask.

I also have prob hundreds of texts and emails between us regarding how much you liked the boat and enjoyed using it etc. You also admittedly explained how you can tear up an anvil.............. customers like you can only help make us better. May seem painful but im learning.

Thanks again

I guess I am one of the "Kool-Aid" drinkers because I bought a Prodigy too. So far, I have had excellent service before and after the fact. Dealing with Chad is not dealing with a gigantic company with a PR staff, HR staff and a process/procedure for handling everything that comes up. He says it like it is sometimes, which I find funny, but he is normally realistic in his assessment of what to expect. I have gotten phone calls and text messages from him at all hours of the day and night which shows me he is putting in the effort to provide good customer service.
Not sure how the quote got screwed up. I changed my original wants on the boat numerous times and every time I received a new quote via e mail until I finally said build it and sent a check.
I do agree that dealing with Ashley is the surest way to get everything done because she is excellent and that is her main responsibility. Chad is always honest about telling me to e mail Ashley after I talk with him. I do the same thing when I get a phone call on a job site or I am on the road because I cannot remember who called or what they wanted!

No offense but I don't think I'd return your calls either by the way you handled the situation . I gave them a very detailed list of what I wanted in an email and he asked me to call him. If anything he preferred a conversation over the phone. I did not choose prodigy but the guy was very helpful and polite

I did and still do think the boat performance wise is great, paint wise, not so much. Dry box is still taking water on. We got rain today and has about a inch of water in the bottom. No need in calling anymore. I have a couple of cans of that gold plated rattle can paint ,Not getting in a cussing match with you like you like to do. I'm sure there's a kid on the MB forum you can tell he can't build a boat or give some measurements to. How about all the folks that gave you their info but you are being copied? You did say "figure it out" when Asley walked out to ask you. Amazing how I got tossed for a minute and now I'm back.

I could only make it half way through the second page and stopped reading. That sounds like way too much bullsh*t to go through for a brand new boat, way too much hassel, way too many problems (plenty of good boat builders in LA fuk going to georgia). After I made it half way through your post I was saying to myself bring that piece of chit back and demand your money back. I have put over 200 hours on my mad man custom and have had zero problems, know multiple people with mad man's with zero problems, had good communication with me throughout the build told me to expect it to take months to get bc he was so busy and I was perfectly fine with it. Called him a lot before the build started and kept changing shit, he never once got an attitude with me, whenever he thought I was making and mistake in changing something I took his professional advice and went with what he had to say. Maybe you should call dfou and get him to fix it next time it breaks, I'm sure he is very familiar with the design :mrgreen:8-):D

Wondering the same thing. Why not by from one of all the great boatbuilders in LA, if you live here? Nothing special in prodigy design, and looks like their welding and painting needs work. If a weld breaks, it better be torn at the base material, not the weld. The weld material is stronger then base and won't break first, unless you suck at welding or design is really poor.

I hate to be a ninja up in here but I am going to.
Several of these issues are your fault.
1. You think maybe you broke both spud poles when you decided to drive with them still in the mud? Maybe the second one just finished off later on?
2. You hit a pole and expect nothing to scratch?
3. Find me one boat that does not have paint chip off when you beat the chit out of it?

The boat you build will have paint chipped off of it day one. Be glad your welds broke on your spud pole and not something worse. Something caused by you. I am sorry to ninja this up but 90% of these problems are user error.

I don't know how many boats prodigy has built so far, but 1 bad review ain't too bad. Especially from this guy.....

The welds did not hold. When they came off the weld was flat. Did not penetrate. The spud is the least of my concern. I could careless if I even had them on the boat. The paint flaked off. Not a scratch or dent deal. I put painters tape on the boat to apply the gator glide and the paint pulled off to bare metal. Go buy you one. Just get somebody else to paint it.

My Prodigy has been a tank and Chad has been exceptional when it comes to service. I hope you get things straight and can humbly apologize for your rant on a public forum when the man building the boat should've been the person listening to your issues

Maybe when you sanded the bottom you caused some of the issues?

Probably due to the fact that welders are some of the most non-attention-to-detail oriented assholes you'd ever meet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^haha right


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Manufacturer defect" seems to be a wildly abused phrase these days


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I didn't have to sand the bottom. It was bare metal after the first ride. I cleaned it up with Acetone and the glide is holding on strong. That should have been my clue that there was a paint issue.