> JAMIE - We have a BOAT/U.S. here in Connecticut, and i
 > went to buy a radio log book for my radio, and the salesperson asked me
 > if i was a memeber and i said no, he then told me that i would have to
 > become a member before i would be able to buy anything from them, he
 > told me that the only way that i would be able to buy anything, would be
 > to be to fake a membership number, which he did not want to do, which i
 > dont blame him.
    This is not the case here in Dallas. In fact, painted on the front of the 
building is a sign (a large one) that says, "NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED". Also in 
their catalog, it has two prices listed. One for members and one for 
non-members.
    Now I will admit there is advantages to being a member, but you don't 
have to be a member.
 > now as for the problems that you have had at West
 > marine, all i did to get their catalog is call their 800 number and
 > they sent one to me at no charge.  and you said that they have a real
 > attitude problem, it might just be the salesperson that you delt with,
 > if i were you i would either talk to another salesperson or if it keeps
 > up, i would talk to the supervisor or manager, because i have been in to
 > West marine 3 or 4 times, and i have had no problems at all with their
 > attitude.
    I don't know if this is a problem hith a regional West or not. But I 
haven't gotten what I would consider satisfactory treatment from the 
personell at West a single time I've been in there. As for the 800 number to 
get a catalog, I guess the West down here guards it with their lives because 
I didn't even know there was a 800 number to get a catalog. And to tell the 
truth about the whole affair, now that BOAT/US is in town, I don't care about 
West.
 > i should have put this part up with the BOAT/U.S. info, you may went to
 > check with the salespeople if you have to have a membership for them or
 > not for the store in your area, but usually when you have to get a
 > membership for a store, it includes all the stores and not just a few of
 > them, because the store is new, they may have a trial period, where you
 > can buy things from them without a membership, but after the trial
 > period is over, than you have to buy a membership from them before you
 > will be allowed to buy anything else.
    This is not the case with the BOAT/US store here in Dallas. I know this 
because of the sign I mentioned earlier, the two prices in the catalog and 
the fact that I bought something from them the other night and didn't have to 
be a member. Now I did join, but I didn't have to.
 > we also have a boaters world store here, i dont know if you have any of
 > those stores in your area or not, but their prices are pretty good.
    Not that I know of. But hey, more competiton is a good thing.
                                                      Jamie
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