3 months just for approval your scaring me now.3 months for me getting an engine approved for warranty and repaired .. Guess maybe that's not so bad ..
Damaged Bike and Dealer Story (...to be concluded...)
Wanted to share an experience that started June 2018 and is still nearing completion; almost one year later in what will hopefully be resolved by the beginning of April… 2019…
I have a 2016 Indian Springfield that I purchased the week said model was released: one of the first off the line. Last June we PCS’d (military move) from Oklahoma to NW Florida. For those who don’t know, military moves have private companies pack/move/unpack your whole house. This past year also happened to be one of the worst PCS seasons for many military families across the country.
After brutal PCS season, thousands sign petition to hold moving companies accountable for loss, damage
You can see where this is going: received my crated bike on its side. It had been packed with a strap across the seat, resting on the kickstand (I know this because the numerical lack of straps in the crate and the fact that my kickstand was down, bend forward to an insane degree… almost as if someone had packed it on its kickstand and driven a thousand miles in a wooden box…).
Preface to the below timeline: Before you start to wonder “WTF why was this guy not more aggressive with the shop??”, I’m active duty and started a new position that require(s/d) a lot of training and I have had to front load a lot of travel/training this past almost year. It’s been tough to keep up, to say the least… Now with the story:
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Two dealers nearby: Pensacola (Adventure Motorsports of NWF) and Panama City. Being new to the area and just figuring larger town, larger shop, more riders all hopefully = more experience… I called Pensacola to start the repair. This is where crap really hit the fan.
At first we thought maybe bike was a total, but on closer inspection appears all parts were replaceable no problems. Cool. So, while working with the moving company via military legal, the bike sat at the shop. A few months into it I finally get the check cut: great. I called the the service manager to see what the status was of the bike. He had not.ordered.any.parts.
They had my bike as collateral as a worst case, but more sensibly - if I’m buying new 21k motorcycles, obviously I’m paying repairs. In fact: just one phone call from the dealership to check in would have been great, but to date I've received zero calls coming from the service dept or any manager/owner.
So, we commence with the second waiting period while parts get ordered: $6k of them. At this point it's approaching Oct 2018. I check in again before the holidays, hoping for some good news. Update is: still waiting on parts, I got the schpeal that, ‘with the holidays coming up it’s been tough to get everything in’. Ok. ETA? Not sure, but ‘hoping to be done soon’. Ok. Well. I’ll wait I guess.
Holidays pass… still nothing. I check in again. Same crap.
Also at this point I should mention that, every time I called the shop they had to ‘see if we had the bike in the shop I was talking about’…(the one with $6k of damage from a mil move… apparently they get boat loads of those?).
Finally I get to a decent break in training pipeline (late Feb/early March) and call the shop.
Same deal- nobody knows about the bike & 'oh yeah- that one, parts aren’t in yet…'. So I call Indian corporate.
I have a nice conversation with a guy who wants to help. I don't want to get into the specifics since this is all still pending finalization but I’ll say he/they seem more than willing to try and make right.
Also, after they reached out to the shop he admitted there is definitely something that needs resolved with this location.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mostly, this is to inform the forum about this specific dealership. They still have skin in the game- we'll see what they do in the end (soon, I sure freakn hope).
I feel I’ve been (more than) reasonable with all of this- probably too patient, but we'll see how it shakes out.
rock
I have a 2016 Indian Springfield that I purchased the week said model was released: one of the first off the line. Last June we PCS’d (military move) from Oklahoma to NW Florida. For those who don’t know, military moves have private companies pack/move/unpack your whole house. This past year also happened to be one of the worst PCS seasons for many military families across the country.
After brutal PCS season, thousands sign petition to hold moving companies accountable for loss, damage
You can see where this is going: received my crated bike on its side. It had been packed with a strap across the seat, resting on the kickstand (I know this because the numerical lack of straps in the crate and the fact that my kickstand was down, bend forward to an insane degree… almost as if someone had packed it on its kickstand and driven a thousand miles in a wooden box…).
Preface to the below timeline: Before you start to wonder “WTF why was this guy not more aggressive with the shop??”, I’m active duty and started a new position that require(s/d) a lot of training and I have had to front load a lot of travel/training this past almost year. It’s been tough to keep up, to say the least… Now with the story:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two dealers nearby: Pensacola (Adventure Motorsports of NWF) and Panama City. Being new to the area and just figuring larger town, larger shop, more riders all hopefully = more experience… I called Pensacola to start the repair. This is where crap really hit the fan.
At first we thought maybe bike was a total, but on closer inspection appears all parts were replaceable no problems. Cool. So, while working with the moving company via military legal, the bike sat at the shop. A few months into it I finally get the check cut: great. I called the the service manager to see what the status was of the bike. He had not.ordered.any.parts.
They had my bike as collateral as a worst case, but more sensibly - if I’m buying new 21k motorcycles, obviously I’m paying repairs. In fact: just one phone call from the dealership to check in would have been great, but to date I've received zero calls coming from the service dept or any manager/owner.
So, we commence with the second waiting period while parts get ordered: $6k of them. At this point it's approaching Oct 2018. I check in again before the holidays, hoping for some good news. Update is: still waiting on parts, I got the schpeal that, ‘with the holidays coming up it’s been tough to get everything in’. Ok. ETA? Not sure, but ‘hoping to be done soon’. Ok. Well. I’ll wait I guess.
Holidays pass… still nothing. I check in again. Same crap.
Also at this point I should mention that, every time I called the shop they had to ‘see if we had the bike in the shop I was talking about’…(the one with $6k of damage from a mil move… apparently they get boat loads of those?).
Finally I get to a decent break in training pipeline (late Feb/early March) and call the shop.
Same deal- nobody knows about the bike & 'oh yeah- that one, parts aren’t in yet…'. So I call Indian corporate.
I have a nice conversation with a guy who wants to help. I don't want to get into the specifics since this is all still pending finalization but I’ll say he/they seem more than willing to try and make right.
Also, after they reached out to the shop he admitted there is definitely something that needs resolved with this location.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mostly, this is to inform the forum about this specific dealership. They still have skin in the game- we'll see what they do in the end (soon, I sure freakn hope).
I feel I’ve been (more than) reasonable with all of this- probably too patient, but we'll see how it shakes out.
rock
1 - 12 of 60 Posts
That’s some BSTrue. I don't think the finance company is going to accept "But it's been in the shop for months..." as an excuse for not making payments.
Not good if the dealers don’t step up to the plate for their customers. Scary stuff like what you guys are talking about really hurts the brand. I’ve so far had no issues with my dealer even back to my Victory days. But issues like mentioned would make me walk in another direction myself. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with it just stand behind your brand. Especially if you want to survive in this industry. To many options out there today. I really hope things get better for all of you mentioned above. I’m sure it’s frustrating as all hell .
On my way to Cali around 02 I think. Blew the top end out of my RG in Denver. 2 days later Denver HD had me back on the road. I was impressedActually was about a Month for Warranty Approval ( Blown Piston ) Another Month for Parts and the Last Month for Proper Tools and get the Job Done .. When done had no more problems with it for almost a Year and 13,000 Miles when traded it in on my Chieftain Dark Horse ..
On my way to Cali around 02 I think. Blew the top end out of my RG in Denver. 2 days later Denver HD had me back on the road. I was impressedActually was about a Month for Warranty Approval ( Blown Piston ) Another Month for Parts and the Last Month for Proper Tools and get the Job Done .. When done had no more problems with it for almost a Year and 13,000 Miles when traded it in on my Chieftain Dark Horse ..
I have to agree with the above statement. If they can’t get parts due to back order. That’s Polaris who in that scenario really needs to step up the parts game in a huge way. Riders out there running cross country do not want to hear on vacation “sorry it’s on back order “ we can’t help you. That becomes a game changer it’s exactly why I left Victory. I know I’m a slow learner.
M
i got spoiled to many yrs in the HD networks across this country. They got this part down pat never stranded for a part. Lol I’ve broke down all over lower 48 in 37 yr touring span.Still on the dealer. Good dealers and they are out their will make the effort to find the part whether they take it off a bike they have or check with other dealers. The lazy dealer will check stock in the system see a 0 and say it's back ordered and never check on the status.
@JayFL459 Same here Jay. Leaving on a Friday for Cali last year. Sunday my voltage regulator goes south on me. I call Monday service says let me see if I can locate one for you. What ? You kidding me me it should be on a shelf in your parts room ! Well since they closed the doors were not really stocking those parts. Jay I called 4 dealers in 4 states same answer gives us your number we’ll see if we can locate one. Long story short they found one in ohio had it overnighted and got Bike Thursday nite BS ! Me and the wife left and all the way out and back kept thinking shit nothing else better go wrong uneasy feeling. We came home great trip 2 weeks later Chieftain in my Garage. I run coast to coast literally every season. I have no time for that BS. I always gave Harley that much. They are on every corner like McDonald’s lol and any time I had an issue. Parts in stock and back on the road same day. Shit I blew a top end going thru Denver and was on the road 2 days later. This is where Indian needs to be the essentials should be sitting on a shelf at all dealers.
As they should for someone traveling I’ve had it done for me by HD. And don’t misunderstand me I’m far from that person to jump up and yell YEAH HARLEYS GREAT I know better. Better but for parts and service while traveling this country they kick serious ass in this Department. A traveler in need of repairs becomes a # 1 priority in the shop.Some dealers...not all of them, but some, will pull a part of a showroom bike if they can't get the part in soon enough.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
I was referring to indian- Victory dealers cross country for my victory. I have a letter from Polaris upon closing me need to worry parts will be readily available for up to 10 yrs lmao RIGHT ! And as mentioned I called 4 dealers in states I was traveling thru and I got the same answer from themThat's your local dealers not Indian, I just found one in stock I could have ordered.
@RSA thats the stuff that make people who tour especially, move in another direction. I love this Chieftain best bagger I’ve ever owned and I’m doing the East Coast West Coast thing in 4 weeks. And I’m keeping the faith as of now lol
@Christopher_2 you did the right thing. I wouldn’t do any different. If a dealer yanks me around I will do my best on sites and forums to make people aware including the manufacturer
1 - 12 of 60 Posts
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