Me and my dealer

HarleyHarry

I would like to launch a new thread were we can share the funniest stories about our dealer.
Reason is the visit to mine to collect my Ultra after it's first 1000 mile service.
I had given them a list of things I was not happy with and needed correcting
Rust on the exhaust
Rust on the engine guards
Rust on the guards around the panniers
Crackle on the radio
wrong colour on the vehicle reg. docs.
Area of thin paint in the engine housing.
Engine overheating
When I came to collect the bike the reply to whether things had been corrected were like this.
The rust on the exhaust is not rust but DUST
We have cleaned the rust of the panier guards
We checked the crackle on the radio and find it acceptable
Don't worry about the wrong colour on the docs.
It takes a long time for the paint to start flaking
We have put in synthetic oil ( and here's the bill for doing that)
You noticed I left out the engine guard reply. I kept the best for last.
A comment was written on the engineers report about that and it reads like this:
Rust on the engine guards is visible and I advise replacing the guards with new ones.
OK I said, so this has been done?
No said the shop assistant... We were not sure if this was what you wanted.
I spent $30,000.00 on a new bike, have rust within 4 weeks and they didn't know if I wanted to get it sorted
The fact that the 2 months wait before I got my bike should have been a warning. A complaints letter to HD UK will now be send.

glider

Sounds as if you got the dealer of dealers there Harry.

At least they spared you the

"they all do that"

and

"it's normal"

Maybe they haven't learned that one yet.

It's a wonder how these guys stay in business.

I took my RK in for loose steering head bearings with about 1200 miles on it only because I was too lazy to pull it apart and do it myself. Well after about a 2 hour wait, they gave me the bike back and said it's all done.

As soon as I drove it out, I could see they were stroking me there.

I got home and called the service manager who was not there at the time the bike was done and knows his business and explained what had just happned.
He asked me for the invoice number on my repair order and after giving it to him, he tells me it has been removed from the computer by the asst. service Mgr that did the bike.
I followed this up with a visit to the manager and the owner of the business who is a great guy.

No more monkey business when my bike goes in there now (if it does)

Needless to say it was a wasted few hours that I waited on the bike and brought it home and did it myself this time. Now it's done right and I'm sure everything is back together right.

I can't say very much good about most of these dealers at all.

Here's an interesting site to check on a dealer for their rep.

http://www.stealer-dealer.com/

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Hobbit

i have a wonderful letter sitting at home waiting to be sent to the dealer and any/everyone else that needs it within the dealers ring ie parent company, HD UK so on so forth.
I went in and asked the dealer about the 5000mile and almost collapsed when told how much £327 for what is essentially a visual inspection a filter and oil change when asked if i could do it myself was told it would void the warranty - as the UK is covered under a law bought in by the OFT which allows me to use an independant or myself i was told the warranty is covered by US law as its a US bike told this by the manager and the service manager and if they or an authorised dealer did not service the bike the warranty was void - now anything sold in the UK is governed by UK law but not withstanding this, i am waiting to hear on monday if the warranty is covered by US law as if it is the letter is going in the post along with the service sheet and some links to the US Federal Magnuson Moss Warranties Act either way they are screwed as this will be going to the press, HD, the OFT, and watch dog

Hobbit

well i'm now waiting on a call from HD UK directly could not be bothered waiting for the dealer as i know they are in it for one thing money were as the MoCo will be after customer satisfaction or should i remove my rose tinited specs

glider

I'd be interested to know if they could show you that in writing. My bet is they couldn't.

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glider

Some food for thought here...

Go to this HD page

https://www.harley-davidson.com/EX/M...bmLocale=en_US

Enter your vin number and mileage for the 5000 checkup. What you will get is the screen shot that I posted below. Notice the NOTES on the bottom of the page. Thought you would get a chuckle out of this being it is printed on Harley's page by them!

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Hobbit

glider i have had a response from HD UK and an apology that the dealer misinformed me about the warranty - the CS Manager is apparently sending it to me as a mail at my request also he stated that the service can be done anywhere i choose and by myself if i wish but/if it goes in for warranty assessment work and the service is found to be the cause of the failure which i doubt for an oil change then they will not uphold the warranty but vice versa if it is not the cause the warranty will be upheld.
I to read that page which is why i say the service is little more than a detailed pre ride inspection and an oil/filter change.

glider

Don't you just love it when this happens and the dealer is left eating crow, I know I do especially when they are wrong from the start.

I had a similar experience with the local dealer and the person that I butted heads with no longer works there after many complaints from not only me but other customers also. After I spoke to the owner and pointed out the shortcomings of his employee and what I was told by him , I backed it up with facts and he agreed that I shouldn't have been told what I was told by his employee.

Anything I dislike is when someone ties to impress a customer with his knowledge that he doesn't have or their misunderstanding of the facts.

The bit about the warranty if you do something that causes damage, I can fully understand and also agree with BUT they have to prove that it was what you did that caused the damage if any.

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Hobbit

Yep i love it to, just waiting on the mail from HD UK - oh and i know they spoke to the dealer as i told them which one it was, i doubt very much i will go back they seem to be at least 35% more expensive than the other HD dealer's i have got parts from - ok it takes them a couple of weeks but they are an offshore dealer which mean no VAT and free delievery

Hobbit

well the email arrived today and i now have it in black and white from the MoCo i do not have to have the bike service by the stealer