Mark Beasenburg
Complaint 182041 Details

  • Date Occurred: 01/25/2006
  • Reported Damages: $1,000.00
  • Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC
  • !

The complaint is against an online dating profile

The complaint is a listing fraud posted on public forums or sites against an anonymous entity

The complaint is mobile text spam or smishing related against an anonymous entity

The company or person contact no longer exists

International boundaries

View scam post about Mark Beasenburg at http://www.charlestonfishing.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=29382

redeye
Senior Member



1104 Posts Posted - 01/25/2006 : 2:09:42 PM
________________________________________
Let me first begin that this story is not third or forth hand information- I have spoken to all of the parties involved either personally on the telephone that were involved if I did not experience it myself. I became involved about 2:00 on the day of the incident (January 14, 2006). I have held off posting this information until now at the request of the owner of the boat, so that he could settle this matter with his insurance company.

My friend keeps his brand new 21' Everglades at his private neighborhood dock on the Ashley River near Hampton park in Charleston. Each slip at this dock is privately owned by a home or lot owner of the neighborhood. He has a jet dock in his slip for his boat as do several other of the property owners. Most all of the slips or jet docks are unoccupied now as the development is not completely built up. We have another mutual friend that has two slips there as well (one wet, the other with a jet dock.

On Thursday (1/12/06) they put the boat in the water for the second time ever, went for a ride and returned. He decided to leave the boat in the water instead of putting it on the jet dock because he was going to go out again in two days. Friday night the winds picked up to 30 knots and kicked up 1.5-2 foot waves on the Ashley River.

Early Saturday morning, one of the other property owners was working on his boat with a friend and noticed that my friends Everglades had swamped with water. He tried to get the water out of the boat without success because the waves continued to come over the engine cutout in the stern. He did not know whose boat it was so he knocked on all the homes doors (small neighborhood) in an attempt to notify the boat owner. When he was unable to locate the boat's owner, he called Tow Boat US because he was a member with them. Tow Boat US responded with one of there boats and began to address the flooded boat without the owner’s permission.. While we recognize that they performed a noble deed at this point, what followed is poor business if not criminal.

At approximately 1:45pm our mutual friend who has two slips at the dock arrives by chance to see Tow Boat US getting the water out of the hull. He goes to see what is going on and informs the Tow Boat US captain that he knows whose boat it is and gives them the boat owners name and cell phone #. He then calls the boat’s owner and tells them what is going on as he is leaving.

At 2:00pm I get a call from the boat owner who is out of town telling me that his boat "sank" and that Sea Tow is on site (incorrect information). Keep in mind at this point I do not have any of the above information. I tell him that I will get over there ASAP, but I tell him to tell them not to do a thing and that he needs to get pictures of the boat before any work is done because of stories I have heard about marine towers before. I arrive on sight a little after 3:00. No one is there and the boat is gone. A note had been left by the guy that first found the boat. I immediately call the boats owner and tell him that the boat is gone and no one is around, but a note had been left from the guy who found the boat swamped that morning with his and Tow Boat US’s # and that they had taken the boat.

He tells me that he had called Sea Tow and that they indicated that they have no information and are not involved. I tell him that he was calling the wrong company and he needed to call Tow Boat US, not Sea Tow. I give him Tow Boat's phone # . He calls Tow Boat and leaves a message because no one answers. He again tries again 15-20 minutes later and again gets no answer.

I leave the dock and call the person who found the boat that morning. According to this guy the rear of the boat was filled with water to the edge of the base of the console. The Everglades is a foam filled boat similar to a Whaler, so it should not sink (at least according to Everglades). The engine was tilted all the way up and according to him the water reached slightly above base of the front of the engine cowling.

I saw the waves on the river that afternoon and it is obvious that the waves came over the engine cutout in the transom and swamped the boat because they were still about 1.5 ft.

I thanked him for helping and got additional details from him as to what had occurred. I asked him that once the water was pumped out by Tow Boat US, why did they not put the boat on one of the vacant jet docks. He told me that he suggested the same thing to the Tow Boat captain, but that they did not want to do that. He told me that the captain said that they were going to take the boat unless he paid them He asked how much money they wanted not to take it and they replied $125.................................................per foot. Obviously, he nor any of us would have paid a bill that large for someone who we did not know either. At this point the boat owner's name and phone # had already been provided to them almost two hours earlier, but they still did not make any attempt to contact the owner prior to performing any work on the boat, much less removing the boat from his dock.

This is where I get more involved. We know that the boat was towed away by one of the Tow Boat US boats. The guy that found the boat swamped at the dock that morning told me that Tow Boat US was sending a truck and trailer to meet the boat at a boat landing where they could put the Everglades on a trailer and take it back to their yard.

I know that the Tow Boat US docks are at the old Naval Base, so I headed over there in my truck. I get there and see the Everglades on a trailer and two guys working on the boat. I go talk to the guys. I tell them that we had been concerned about the boat. I tell them that they really need to get in touch with the owner of the boat. He just shrugs his shoulders. He tells me what they have done and I tell him that we appreciate their work to get the water out, but ask him again why they had not called the owner and he mumbles a few words. I then ask him why they did not put the boat on the jet dock that was adjacent to the floating dock where the Everglades had been tied. He then tells me that “they needed to get their money” for their services. I tell them that there was absolutely no reason that they should have taken that boat from a private dock without the owner’s permission, especially since they had the owner’s phone number before they towed it.

At that point the guy tells me that I need to go talk to another person and points me to where he is located.

I go to speak to Mark Beasenburg, whom I assume is the owner. He and his crew tell me that four of the cylinders had water in them and that the engine had been entirely under water. He also tells me that the job was a salvage. He tells me that the engine will be no good, even though it was running while I was talking to them. He stated that he could work with the guys at the Everglades dealer and several marine surveyors to assure that he gets a new engine and wiring. I continue to ask why was the boat was taken from its private slip without permission and that once the water was removed that there was no reason to take the boat when alternatives existed. I even told him that the guy who found the boat suggested that same idea. I strongly insisted that he needed to contact the owner of the boat because he was eager to speak with him. Mark was pleasant to deal with, but did not provide me with a reason as to why the boat was taken. I did express to him that I am aware of similar unscrupulous tactics by boat towing companies. He indicated to me that he does not operate that kind of business and Sea Tow is the company that operates like that. He stated to me that he does not typically take a boat w/o permission, but that these were unusual circumstances. He again stated that Sea Tow does things like that and that he has been in business for 12 years, but Sea Tow has had five owners during their tenure here in Charleston. We had a pleasant conversation, but I did not feel that we were making any headway.

At this point, I contacted the owner and told him that I had looked at the boat and everything looked ok. I told him that I had given Mark at Tow Boat US his phone number and that he should be expecting a call any minute. He did not receive a call until more than an hour later after I left Tow Boat.

When Monday rolls around the owner and Mark had spoken and they had planned to meet on Monday to sort this matter out so that the dealer can inspect the boat and transfer the boat back to its true trailer, but Mark does not show up to the dealership as scheduled and does not call the owner to notify him.

They were able to meet on Tuesday.

From what I have been told by the boats owner Mark tells him that he can work out a deal to get a new engine, wiring and electronics and that his insurance should pay for it. (including his fee). His fee at this point was approximately $4600, but they were willing to remove the towing charges and reduce the bill to $1500. At this point the owner wants his boat back as it is being held hostage by Tow Boat US. He pays the $1500 to get it back. The dealer inspects the engine and says that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the engine, which is what I suspected all along. I raised concerns about the warranty being voided on the engine, but the dealer told the owner that the warranty is not in jeopardy. The boat is an “unsinkable” boat that was tied to the dock with the engine tilted in the upright position. The position of the engine and the positive flotation should have prevented this engine was being submerged and minimized any damage.

It is my theory that Tow Boat Us began by performing a noble deed that day, but saw an opportunity to get a big payday for their services and believed that it is better to ask for forgiveness than to get permission. In this case, under no circumstances would we have utilized a tow company to get the boat out of the water. We have many resources available to us in which we could have remedied the matter. What is most disturbing is that Tow Boat US did not ask permission to take the boat. Once they did get the water out of the boat, it was suggested that they put the boat on the jet dock, but they refused. They didn’t want to do this because they wanted money. They know that the insurance company will pay. When they have the boat they, have the leverage. This practice is unethical and may be fraudulent or illegal.

In my opinion, removing the boat from the dock without the owner’s permission (when they knew how to get in touch with him) is at the most criminal and at the least a horrible business practice.

As you read this, please keep in mind that marine towing businesses are franchises and are individually owned and operated. Each one is different and you should research which one in your area has integrity. I will say that I do not want Tow Boat US in Charleston, SC to come anywhere near my boats. This post is long enough, so I have left out what I think are a few minor details and have no real bearing on the final outcome.

The insurance company is reimbursing the owner the $1500 less the deductable. In my opinion that is what Tow boat hoped for. There is no doubt that they provided a service, albeit one that was not requested or authorized.





31' Contender-named Shin Dig

Wando Grill
Senior Member



1698 Posts Posted - 01/25/2006 : 2:19:21 PM
________________________________________
I would have called the police then my bulldog/lawyer.

big dog



Fishwhistle
Senior Member



985 Posts Posted - 01/25/2006 : 2:33:07 PM
________________________________________
Makes me glad I'm with Sea Tow




redeye
Senior Member



1104 Posts Posted - 01/25/2006 : 2:34:07 PM
________________________________________
The owner went to the police. The city police referred him to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard and police agree taking the boat was wrong, and the Coast Guard indicated that there was nothing they could do at that point. The owners brother is an attorney. he is only out of the $500 deductable. I suspect that is the scam. Tow Boat US preys on boats knowing that the insurance company will pay back the boat owner, thus lowering the owners willingness to go forward with legal action.

I am not a litigeous person, but if it were me, I would hire a few Italians.

The kicker is that the owner is a Sea Tow member


31' Contender-named Shin Dig
________________________________________
Edited by - redeye on 01/25/2006 2:37:01 PM



Short Circuit
Senior Member



967 Posts Posted - 01/25/2006 : 2:44:13 PM
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"Call da Law"

U'll have that on them big jobs





Source: http://www.charlestonfishing.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=29382

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Business Profile Summary

  • Mark Beasenburg logo

Company Statistics

  • Complaint Against Mark Beasenburg
  • Complaints Filed: 2
  • Reported Damages: $1,001.00
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