YSR_Racer_99 Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I called and placed my deposit on a Grom about seven weeks ago at a semi-local Honda Power Dealer. "We've got a list of people who want to be called when the Groms come in, but no hard deposits yet. You get your choice of color, and the first one in the door is yours". Sweet. I called the salesman twice over that seven week period to see if he had heard anything, and emphasized on the second call that I wanted to receive a black Grom in the crate. "Why do you want it in the crate?". "Because I don't want one that the shop staff have been wheelying and doing stoppies on out behind the shop". "Okay". I started bouncing around here on Hondagrom.net and other forums on Thurs Aug 15 when there were reports of the bikes starting to arrive. I was anxious because this is the first new bike I've bought in 20 years, and because we were leaving very early morning on the 17th to go out of state on vacation. "When the bike comes in, we'll call you". Friday comes and goes, and no word from the dealer. I took the day off from work in order to get ready for vacation, and had a relaxed day. Saturday morning Aug 17th we're on the road two states away when my phone rings at 10am. Its my sales guy and he says (you guessed it...) "your bike is HERE!". I explained to him that we were on our way out of town for a week of vacation, and the earliest I can pick it up it Monday Aug 26. He confirms that its still in the crate, verbally confirms the date, and he even texts me a photo of the bike in the crate, back in the warehouse/ shop. I told him to put it in a corner in the shop, forget about it, and I'd be in on Monday 28th to get it. "Okay". I ask him when they came in. "They came in yesterday" (Friday, the day which I had nothing major going on). I ask him why he didn't call me, and he says "I was off yesterday. The other two buyers came and got theirs. Yours is the only one left". (Note: I THINK that the other two buyers must have seen them on Facebook or been on their "call list". I don't do Facebook, and didn't see that they had come in. On Tuesday afternoon I get a call from him. "We took it out of the crate. Do you still want it?". WHAT?!?! "Why did you do that?" "Sales manager told me to. We have some locals who want to see it, so we put it out on the floor. Do you still want it?". "No. I told you that I wanted it in the crate, you agreed, and I am the only one confident enough that I wanted it to actually put money down and wait".So he says "We're working with the regional Honda rep to get another black crated one in here for you". Huh? No dealer is going to have "extra Groms" sitting around. "Yeah, sorry". I went in yesterday (Mon 08/26) because I was in the area for work, and made sure that my deposit was refunded. I ask the sales mgr why nobody called me on Friday 16th when the bikes came in. "we just didn't think about it. Sorry". One person puts a hard deposit on a sought-after bike, the other two bikes in the shipment fly out the door the same day that they come in, and NOBODY in a Power Dealer dealership thinks to give the deposit guy a phone call? Amazing. Big dealership physically, but on the occasions that I've been in there, they have never been very busy. I figured that they probably sold "my bike" early last week to one of the locals who were so anxious to see one. Nope. Sold it Saturday the 26th to a buyer from Indiana. "we sold all three to out of state buyers". (They rec'd three in the shipment, two black and one red). Saved themselves one day (sold Sat, closed Sun, and I would have picked it up Mon). On the bright side, a buyer from Indiana just moved up one spot in the queue and will get the next Grom that this dealer receives.And I've still got $3500 in my pocket (figuratively). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 In before everyone jumps your case.Moral of the story: you should do Facebook. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowdog Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I would be pissed too! And facebook is GHEY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I picked up mine from just for fun honda in middlefield for 3300 otd. No fuss, no muss, very professional and has a nice shop. I hope that wasn't where you had problems but I picked up a red one. I know that western reserve Honda in mentor will have one coming in soon or it might already be there. They wanted 350 more but like you said... They're not too over abundant. I think the dealer in middlefield said they're going to get another one in next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotleadsingerguy Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 Prepare yourself: The people on this forum that stick up for dealerships will try ripping you a new one just because you think that the dealership didn't act with morality and integrity. That being said, you were completely correct. Dealerships like that deserve to die off. If any other retail store in the world acted like that, people would lose their minds. The thing is, motorcycles (and even most cars) aren't generally even big-ticket items. Think about it: the Tiffany jeweler in NYC sells 50x in a day what dealerships sell (and not talking about online sales, purely person-to-person) and if they acted like that people would stop shopping in the store. A dealership sells 3-5 bikes a day and they pull crap like that all the time. Granted, the reason they do it is because with such low physical numbers of sales they go for the guaranteed sale (someone comes in and says they'll buy it, they do it)...it's just shady and lacks integrity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 who will bite the bullet and post the granny titty? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OsuMj Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magley64 Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 Dealership dropped the ball, no doubt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackFlash Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I got a long memory. I would be pissedand never let them touch a dollar of mymoney, after this. . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 With such a hot seller, they have no incentive to hold it for you. I'm sure they thought you'd wait on another. Poor customer service but then again, that's most places these days (not exclusive to dealers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackFlash Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 With such a hot seller, they have no incentive to hold it for you. I'm sure they thought you'd wait on another. Poor customer service but then again, that's most places these days (not exclusive to dealers). But with a deposit down in cold hard cash,that should buy you some preferred treatment,or at least an honored promise. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 Use the money you saved to by a Big Mac. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerpaw Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 What dealer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) But with a deposit down in cold hard cash,that should buy you some preferred treatment,or at least an honored promise. .Most reasonable people would (correctly) think that, yes. But apparently the dealer thinks more of making a sale than customer service which will eventually kill off their business. Like I said, I'm sure they thought they'd sell it AND get another sale because he had a deposit down. Edited August 28, 2013 by ScubaCinci Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Quick Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Wow story sucks, but nice looking bike for 3k! http://powersports.honda.com/2014/grom.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 They are not allowed to liver a bike in the crate without violating the dealer agreement. They legally have to do a PDI check and to do that, they need to remove from the crate. The dealer did exactly what they should have. You guys who are collectors are silly. They should have PDId the bike and then placed back in the crate, but you'd have been pissed due to miles.All these threads with dealer issues. I'm starting to think customers are going full retard! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 The deposit and selling out from under you is kinda bullshit, but in typical big dealer situations, multiple salesmen have multiple deals and not everyone is on the same page and one can slip out. You have a gripe on the fact you had a deposit. If you have the invoice, I would expect them to get one or call customer service and bitch. They will find you one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moto-Brian Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Did you make the deposit in person or offer one and they had a verbal? It isn't clear... If verbal, your loss. If in person and an invoice. Bitch hard at Honda customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Burn the Fucker down. There will he plenty of used groms on the market in a year when the neato factor wears off and people realize they bought a clown bike. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 You shut your whore mouth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motociclista Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 I don't understand motorcycle dealerships. It's like a friend of mine was telling me not too long ago. He took his car in for service and was told exactly when his appointment would be, exactly when the work would be done, they gave him a ride to work and when he got his car back, on time, it had been washed free of charge. Not long after that he took his motorcycle in for service. The dealer had no idea when they'd get to it, and when they did give an estimate they didn't keep to it, and when he got his bike back it was covered with greasy handprints. Sadly, that seems to be common. I can't think of any business I interact with where I'm more likely to get either poor or indifferent service or have to deal with a problem or mistake. Not every experience is bad, but an unusual number of them are unsatisfactory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Maybe they Woodbury'd you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 You shut your whore mouthAwe, you Asians are so cute when you're mad....Lmao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDBGoalie Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Prepare yourself: The people on this forum that stick up for dealerships will try ripping you a new one just because you think that the dealership didn't act with morality and integrity. That being said, you were completely correct. Dealerships like that deserve to die off. If any other retail store in the world acted like that, people would lose their minds. The thing is, motorcycles (and even most cars) aren't generally even big-ticket items. Think about it: the Tiffany jeweler in NYC sells 50x in a day what dealerships sell (and not talking about online sales, purely person-to-person) and if they acted like that people would stop shopping in the store. A dealership sells 3-5 bikes a day and they pull crap like that all the time. Granted, the reason they do it is because with such low physical numbers of sales they go for the guaranteed sale (someone comes in and says they'll buy it, they do it)...it's just shady and lacks integrity. No, we stick up for dealerships when you whine about things you shouldn't be expecting in the first place. In this case, the dealership did not abide by his request, so he would be correct in being angry. Although Brian does make a good point in they have to test/prep it (Not to say they couldn't have uncrated it in front of you and then done the testing, providing you were willing to wait..) I'd be annoyed and have walked as well if they didn't meet the terms of the deposit we agreed upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revelstoker Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Shitty dealers, shitty customers - world is full of both. Beggar's can't be choosers on hot, short supply items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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