My dealer is a crook

[hooken203]

I will try to explain this deal. Let me know what you think I should do.
March 2003 I purchase a new 2002 LE Hayabusa from Iowa City Motorsports. It has chrome wheels on it that the dealer told me came from Sport Chrome. I ride the bike about 3K miles and in August 2003 I am washing the bike and notice on the back of all three spokes on the rear wheel near the center hub small cracks. Looks like its just the chrome. Next day I ride it down to the dealer and point this out to him He says he will have to send it back to Sport Chrome and see what they will do. I want to ride the bike for the rest of the season so I tell the dealer I will take the wheel off and bring it to him. Sometime in November 2003 I take it to the dealer. He sends it to Sport Chrome. They say they didnt chrome it and that the wheel is cracked. So then I find out well maybe those wheels didnt come from Sprot Chrome. Maybe he got them from Spaz Racing. Come to find out sure enough he got them from Spaz and they dont have a clue where they came from or what they came off of. I got the wheel back and sent it out to get it stripped to see if it was really cracked. Yes it the wheel that is cracked and man is it. Iam lucky it didnt break.
Iowa City Motors Sports tells me that I am SOL no warranty on chromed wheels. I paid 800 bucks in the deal for those wheels.Now I know I got SCREWED even if there wasnt a problem. I also feel since I paid that price that he needs to step up and get me a wheel. This guys customer sevice SUCKS. I see no other choice but to take this deal to small claims court and try to get my money back that way.
Tell me what you think.

 

[MeltDownZ]

Before you take it to court, what does your paperwork say about warrenties regarding the wheel? If you have a warrenty on the bike and there's no exclusion for the wheel you may be in business. If the paperwork says the wheel is excluded then you may be out of luck.

 

[jwcfbd]

That's a tough one. I think they should do something for you but if they didn't put the rims on the bike you might be SOL. All I can do is say good luck and I hope it works out for you. My dealer strached my rims when they replaced my tires over three months ago. They told me that they bought me a "new" set of rims but I found that the rear rim was bent so now I'm waiting for my original rims to get repower coated. I should get them this weekend but it's been over a month and a half since they were sent out. I'm really getting fed up with Suzuki dealers.

 

[WarBaby]

Kevin - That stinks!

If all else fails, consult an attorney for a small fee or mabye no consultation fee at all. If the lawyer thinks you are on solid legal ground, a letter or phone call from him to the dealer might just do the trick. If necessary, take them to court. I would probably spend $800 just to get a favorable judgment and see them have to eat their own poor attitude! Good luck Bro.

 

[busabad]

Pretty messed up situation...it will depend on what your warranty says...you could always approach the dealer ownership and threaten to mount a boycott...even if it's just you standing in front of his business holding a sign that the place sucks...if he can't make it right or at least work with you since you did spend the $800 bucks for the wheels...
Ride safe...

 

[Postal]

Like Meltdown said, check your warranty for an exclusion on the wheels. If the dealer sold you a new bike with chrome wheels then he is responsible for the whole bike under the terms of the warranty (unless there is an exclusion). If your area/town/city has a "small-claims court" you can go there and they will council you for free. This is much cheaper when you have a small claim like that (usually about $40.00 to $100.00 per claim). Don't mess with an attorney if you can help it. Sometimes a little kind attitude towards the dealer helps too. If they refuse still, be sure to go to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as a minimum. Not too many businesses like having a BBB claim hanging over their head. They might ignore it for a while, but it comes back to haunt them eventually unless they clear it with the consumer.

Good luck!

Postal.

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Reason for Edit: None given...|1093521295 -->

 

[Johnnycheese]

if the wheels are chrome you have no warranty on the wheels PERIOD.Not from Suzuki and not from the dealer.
They only chance you will get something is IF you have it in writing that the chrome is covered.Then it would be covered by THE CHROMER not they dealer. If the wheel is indeed crack you do not have a leg to stand on due to chroming weakens metal. Sorry to be blunt but those are the realworld facts.
Also if Spaz did the chrome call him he is on most boards

 

[Revlis]

Pisser, but yeah... What would have been a good idea is paying $800 to have the bikes factory wheels included in the deal. But it's you don't want chrome anyway, save it for the cruiser crowd...

 

[bacharles]

I have to agree with JC on this one. If nothing in the warranty is implied about the covering of the wheels, then the dealer won't be held liable. But, since you paid the extra $800 for the wheels, then someone is liable. Hopefully you have something in writing regarding this. The one thing that bothers me though is that the dealer didn't even know who had chromed the wheels in the first place. I mean, c'mon now, he charges $800 dollars for chrome wheels that he doesn't even know where they were chromed at anyway. You could have kept your $800 and had your factory wheels done for around $500. I still agree that something isn't quite right about this deal though. Really

pisses me off to see people lose hard earned money to try to enjoy something they love only to have some a$$hole put-the-meat to ya.

Sorry dude and I wish you the best of luck in your recovery of your loss.


Brian

 

[Postal]

If I buy a new car from a dealer and they offer you chrome wheels, you better bet they are on the hook for them unless they have an exclusion clause in the warrenty. I'm not saying there may not be another way around it for the dealer, and that may not apply to MCs, but that is "implied warranty" regulation and is governed by Federal sales codes. At least it was the last time I checked. Who knows, things could have changed. Bottom line, check it out and get all of the facts. I am going on my own past personal experience. May not apply here. I'll check it out here with my local Suzuki dealer (friend) and see what he says. Good luck!

Postal.

 

[Postal]

Okay, here is the long and short of it. I spoke with my Suzuki dealer friend. It all depends on any exclusions in the warranty, and whether or not you requested the wheels to be put on, or whether or not the dealer had them put on (on their own) and sold it to you as new with their choice of wheels (chrome after market wheels in this case). If you requested that the chrome wheels be put on, and he sold you the bike with the chrome wheels on it as a new bike with chrome wheels, and there is no exclusion in the warranty, then he is most likely on the hook for their quality. But! You will still have to fight this if the dealer doesn't want to make them good. You could be in for a battle. My dealer told me that if he had the wheels put on before the sale (which, he said he would never do), then he would help the customer out if his chromer screwed up. He said he would sell the bike to you, then have you buy the wheels as an after market add-on and his shop would do the install for you (at a cost), but you would have to deal with the chromer if there were problems. Geez, I am glad I am not in the middle of this with my bike. Anyway, JC could give you the best perspective from a dealer, but I just wanted to through in what another dealer might say. Bottom line is that you might be in for a battle. Back to my earlier post, go to small claims court and see if they can help you, that is, if the dealer or the chromer won't. Again, good luck!

 

[Johnnycheese]

If I buy a new car from a dealer and they offer you chrome wheels, you better bet they are on the hook for them unless they have an exclusion clause in the warrenty. I'm not saying there may not be another way around it for the dealer, and that may not apply to MCs, but that is "implied warranty" regulation and is governed by Federal sales codes. At least it was the last time I checked. Who knows, things could have changed. Bottom line, check it out and get all of the facts. I am going on my own past personal experience. May not apply here. I'll check it out here with my local Suzuki dealer (friend) and see what he says. Good luck!

Postal.

Postal I was dealer.
Warranty is defects of workmanship and matierials made by Suzuki the wheels were altered thus voiding any warranty by US Suzuki.
The dealership has it's own set of rules as to the wheels but the dealership has no WARRANTY period

 

[Postal]

If I buy a new car from a dealer and they offer you chrome wheels, you better bet they are on the hook for them unless they have an exclusion clause in the warrenty. I'm not saying there may not be another way around it for the dealer, and that may not apply to MCs, but that is "implied warranty" regulation and is governed by Federal sales codes. At least it was the last time I checked. Who knows, things could have changed. Bottom line, check it out and get all of the facts. I am going on my own past personal experience. May not apply here. I'll check it out here with my local Suzuki dealer (friend) and see what he says. Good luck!

Postal.

Postal I was dealer.
Warranty is defects of workmanship and matierials made by Suzuki the wheels were altered thus voiding any warranty by US Suzuki.
The dealership has it's own set of rules as to the wheels but the dealership has no WARRANTY period

Thanks JC! Always good to have some real-world experience and knowledge on the board. Some of us here are just consumers and get a little defensive, especially when it comes to MC dealers. Appreciate you being willing to share the "dealer's" perspective.

Take care!

Postal.

 

[hooken203]

The wheels were on the bike when I bought it. I knew that Suzuki would not warranty these wheels when I bought the bike because they are modified. There is nothing in writing about these wheels in the sale contract other than the price. The deal is that I feel if you are going to charge me almost double what it costs to chrome the wheels then you need to stand behind them and if you tell me they came from Sport Chrome then thats where they had better have come from. Sorry JC the chroming doesnt change the metal. There is no heat involved so how can it.
I will be going to small claims court on this deal and will be happy to spend that 800 clams again just to get some satisfaction out of this deal.
This is the great thing about these web pages they can make or break your business. Do not buy from Iowa City Motor Sports.
Spaz is not even sure where these wheels came from I have talked to him about it and this deal is not between him and I because I didnt buy them from him.

 

[STUNNAH]

I have to agree with Hooken...He made a deal with the dealership...It should be their obligation to make the purchase right...If Hooker had requested that the dealership order a set of chrome rims and install them then he would be doing so at his risk...Just my opinion...I hope it works out in your favor...

 

[Johnnycheese]

Hooken"Chrome doesn't change the metal?

?

??"
Sorry I have to say this.......
Did you ever go to school or ever take any type of schooling??? if you think that putting acid on metal does not change anything,then I have some tickets to a Beatles concert for sale FRONT ROW!!!!!


Damm that is dense

 

[Rob'sBus]

hooken203, if the dealer represented that the wheels had been chromed by a certain company and they weren't, you certainly have a misrepresentation claim, as well as a breach of contract claim. A lawyer likely won't take the case (unless he or she is paid hourly or is simply a good friend/family member) as 1/3 of $800 isn't worth the trouble. Take it to small claims court where the dealer may not even appear, giving you a default judgment. If he does appear, he may just pay to have the tire replaced just to save time/money/effort. Good luck.