| Author | Message | ||
     Joey |
Just an update. I recently misplaced my motorcycle while riding it. Had to get an insurance estimate. So, I asked the guy, as I was dropping it off, "Will this cost me anything?" He said, "No." Here's where I complicate things. The day of the accident, I was riding it to DMV to get it registered. It had expired at the end of September, but since I had just gotten back from Iraq, it was not on my list of priorities. So, I got cited for no registration. The police officer recommended that I get it registered before my court date (yesterday) so I had to go get it from the dealer. I was then informed that I owe $120 for 1.4 hours of labor. I then asked him to show me where I signed anything that stated I would be charged for the estimate. He gave me an explanation of how they only charge if I take my bike because someone put time into it. He gave me a very detailed explanation, too! I said, "I understand. Now, show me where I signed something that stated I would be charged." Finally, he found the sheet for the estimate, and pointed at the small print. The small print said nothing about charges, only that a mechanic's lein would be taken out if I didn't pay charges. I looked at the rest of the invoice, and all it said was "damage est." He got the manager, who also explained to me why I was being charged. "People will just take the insurance check and not come back, and I've already paid my mechanic for 1.4 hours of labor." Again, I told him I understand that, but I also know that it is not legal for a company to charge a customer without notifying him in advance that there would be a charge. "We don't know what the charges will be because when we take it apart, we may find something else wrong, and have to take more stuff apart." I emphasized that I understand his reasoning, but I was told there would be no charge, and there is nothing on the sheet I signed that stated any possibility of a charge. He finally said, "I'm going to wheel your bike out, and you can just take it!" He looked like he was going to explode! The other guy said, after he left, "What he means is don't bring it back." While I was there, I noticed they had no Buells in the showroom at all. | ||
| Neb25 |
There is a dealer that knows nothing about customer service. I would stay clear of them. | ||
| Court |
>>>>I would stay clear of them. Okay...I'll bite. Tell me why you'd stay clear of them? | ||
| Naustin |
Because they told him there would be no charge for a damage estimate. Then, when he came to get the bike, they tried to charge him. Then, when he pointed out that they had told him before that the damage estimate would be free, they got mad and basically kicked him out and told him not to come back. Which is fine by him, I'm sure. They should have told him in the first place: "YES, we charge an hourly rate for damage estimates, but if you actually get the bike fixed here, we waive those charges." They failed to communicate that - and they obviously realized it was their failure to communicate that resulted in the problem, and rather than apologize or negotiate, or simply take it as an opportunity to improve their employee's response to that question in the future - they got mad and tossed the guy out and told him not to come back. Nice. | ||
| Jayvee |
Well, maybe there is a "free lunch" after all. The free estimate, and the statement about not costing you anything, might have been made with their understanding on you leaving the bike there to let them fix it. But that may not have been clear to you. If they really spent that much time on it, is it truly honest of you to just take the bike, not let them earn the repair bill they were expecting the insurance to pay, and then claim they don't provide good customer service? You may have caught them on a technicality, but their attitude isn't hard to understand, based only on what was written. I wasn't there, and don't know the whole story obviously. Did they sign anything that said "free estimate"? Could have been just a misunderstanding, that seems like it worked out in your favor, except that you lost access to an apparently local dealer. I would stay clear of them now, if I were you. | ||
| Court |
Poor communication. Everyone looses. My **guess** is that they meant "we don't charge for the estimate because we make a profit on the parts a labor when the insurance folks authorize the repair". I don't **think** they meant "sure, we'll do an hour of so of work and we'll provide our tech and floor space at no charge and after we've spent out money you can take the bike and be forever gone". I believe that the fine print says exactly what you said it does and I believe they told you no charge. Nobody communicated. Everybody lost. I strive to avoid those situations. I also doubt any other dealer will honor the estimate. Yikes...I lead a dull life. | ||
| Jackbequick |
"What we have here is a failure to communicate." Strother Martin as Captain, Road Prison 36, in Cool Hand Luke. And then there are the people that don't bother to mention that, in the course of the matter they are condemning the dealer for, they themselves were demanding, loud mouthed, obnoxious, insulting, etc., etc. I know some people whose condemnations should be taken as an endorsement. Jack | ||
| Joey |
I was in no way loud-mouthed, obnoxious, or anything like that. My wife was annoyed that I was too nice to them. If you look into my past posts, you'll see that I have gone there before and had bad service. Here's what took 1.4 hours: Windshield and mounting brackets damaged, fuel tank cover scratched, handlebars bent, clutch cable damaged, mirror broken off, turn signal broken off. I knew all that stuff in a few minutes after looking at my bike at the scene of the accident. I talked to them, telling them the left mirror is bent, but they didn't notice. The left foot peg bar is bent. I told them about that, but they didn't notice. They did a value estimate on the bike using NADA, but they didn't add the after market items. They're attitude from the moment I brought the bike was one of annoyance. Monday, when the insurance agent showed up, he (not the dealer) called me and asked me what had been damaged, despite my telling them when I dropped it off. It wasn't until after I asked him questions and told him what was damaged, and we were back inside, that I told him this would be an insurance claim, and an agent would be by Monday some time. | ||
| Court |
>>>I was in no way loud-mouthed, obnoxious, or anything like that. I never said, inferred or thought you were. You lost, they lost. I'm just curious how, so I can avoid the situation if I'm ever placed in it, to understand how you allowed that to happen. Do you think if you'd have been "meaner" they would have done "better"? How would you describe "better"? Why, if you have been in there before and had unsatisfactory expereience, did you choose to go back? Lost so unaswered questions here and I am not against you. I just hate to see this type of relationship be crashed. Developing and nurturing a relationship with a dealer pays dividends. I'm wondering if this can be repaired. Court | ||
| Jackbequick |
Nor did I intend to imply that you were or that it was the problem here. It was just something that crossed my mind, that there is two sides to a story. Jack | ||
| Joey |
I went to Seaford because the next nearest dealer is Ocean City or Annapolis MD. Both places are about twice the distance as Seaford. It's been a while since I was there, and I guess I was hoping I'd see a difference. Also, my wife told me to go there.  Mike's Famous opened up a new store in Smyrna, but they're HD only. I might be able to find someone there who knows the Blast, since they maintain them for the Rider's Edge courses. I suppose if I had just pulled out my credit card when they told me the charge, then they would be happy, and I'd be out $120. I just don't like surprises. I had a verbal "no charge" and a written statement with no mention of charges. What else should I have done? Based on past experience, I don't think it is worth the effort to save a relationship with this dealer. I don't mind learning how to do all this stuff myself. I can order parts and have them delivered to my house when I need them. | ||
| Naustin |
It's not on the customer to "nurture" the relationship. In the most generous terms, its a two-way street, and in the most stark terms its 100% on the dealer to do the nurturing. Why should any customer have to kiss the dealer's ass to be served? That's ridiculous and exactly the kind of attitude of arrogance that leads HD dealers to screw Buell owners universally - with few exceptions. | ||
| Davegess |
I'm with Joey on this one. The dealer should have said "We screwed up, our bad. We should have explained it properly." This should have been done with the service writer present. then they say "We will waive the fee, hope that you bring the bike back for the insurance work when they cut you the check." I suspect Joey would then be spending more than the $120 over time. |
