ComplaintsforValley Cycle and Motorsports, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a ****** waverunner from Valley Cycle in July 2019, at that time I purchased the YES contract. In June of 2023, I sold the waverunner and at that time I contacted the ****** to inquire about getting a prorated / refund for the remainder of the unused YES contract, ****** informed me that I would be able to, but had to go through the dealership that sold it to me. I then contacted Valley Cycle via telephone and email. Numerous attempts have been made to talk to the department that is able to fulfill my request, and to this day , 2/20/2024, they have never responded to my telephone calls or emails. I have not yet been refunded the remainder of the contract. I contacted ****** and they even called Valley Cycle, but have not been able to resolve this problem.

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Emailed ******************* with our contact information and our business hours.  I was unable to find any records of calls or emails sent to our business.

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is follow up to a letter I sent you a few days ago. I just received a call from the customer service manager ********* ***** at KTM in Murrieta California. He had reached out to their attorney and has decided that he and ktm will do nothing for me. I had also sent the same letter to their corporate office in Amherst Ohio and to the KTM factory in *******. I have to have my money back for this, since I have no way to transport the vehicle to another location on minimum of 100 miles from me for service. It is cost prohibitive to get the vehicle serviced or have any warranty work done. It is for this reason and I am demanding KTM by back my motorcycle. I can afford to lose the $5,500. Had Valley Cycle center in Bakersfield been a reputable dealer then I wouldn't be in this position.

  Business response

  07/22/2022

  Hello ******,
  
   
  
  In response to customer’s complaint, this is what I’ve found:
  
  Customer Charles **** purchased 2021 KTM 200 Duke from Valley Cycle and Motorsports on 4/29/2022.
  
  Vehicle had Pre Delivery Inspected completed on 4/13/2021. Vehicle had Final Inspection performed on 4/29/2022.
  
  There were NO damages or repairs needed at this time. Vehicle was purchased new and in excellent condition.
  
   
  
  I recently spoke with Mr. **** on June 9th, regarding a Rebate check for $300.00.
  
  Mr. **** came to the dealership on June 9th in the afternoon to pick up his check.
  
  He seemed happy, he did not voice any complaints at this time.  He was rather pleasant.
  
   
  
  His complaint towards Valley Cycle and Motorsports is vague.
  
  What are his basis for saying we are not a reputable dealer?
  
   

  Customer response

  07/22/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: This has nothing to do with the purchase of the vehicle. 

  My complaint is only directed to the service department and their attempted price gouging of more than $400 for services that should have been approximately 150 to $170. I specifically asked the salesman at the time I purchased the motorcycle how much it would cost to have my first service done, and he responded about 170 to $175 after checking with the service department. That was less than 2 months ago. When I called in a week or so ago to schedule the first service, I was told by the service writer on the phone that the service would be more than $300. He was hem hawing around so much as if he were trying to decide how much he could get away with charging me for this first service. I informed him that the salesman told me, after asking service department, that the service would be no more than $175. He said well that's the price. I told him that I could not afford that and ended the call. Additionally I was trying to get a small warranty item looked at as well, since the vehicle is brand new. I wrote service for a dealership in the past, so I am well aware that service writers get a percentage of labor and parts that they sell, so it appeared that he was just trying to pad his paycheck.

  Since I have mechanical background I decided I had better do the first service myself, to save myself money. I went to the dealership and purchased the oil and filter for around $50. I went home and performed the service in about 45 minutes. So even their price of $175 would have been exorbitant, but I was trying to foster a good relationship with the dealership where I had purchased my vehicle, and also have the minor warranty item checked out. I'm too old to be doing these kinds of services myself, so normally I don't mind paying a dealer who has professionally trained mechanics doing the work for me. And of course times are tough, so everybody that works there needs to eat as well. I exist on a minimum wage disability retirement, but I wanted to have my vehicle looked at by professionals.

  After performing the service I realized I could not reset the service reminder on the dashboard, so I reached out to the KTM headquarters in Murrieta California and asked them how to do it. They told me that I would need a specific KTM computer to do that. I called down to the KTM dealer in Santa Clarita California and ask them how much they would charge me to do that. I was also asking them if there were a way to do it myself. He said no it needed the computer and that just bring it by anytime and they would reset it for 15 dollars. I told him that I was too far away to do that but thanked him anyway.

  So I attempted to give the service department at Valley Cycle center another chance to be a reputable dealer. I took the bike down to the driveway and asked them if they could reset the service reminder for me. I figured it most they would charge me $20, which would have been worth it to get the reminder reset. The service writer who I believe was the same that I talked to on the phone later identified as ****** hem hawed around again and said .... well I think I'm going to have to charge you an hour or $115 to do that and you'll have to leave it for a few hours. I wrote service in dealerships before, and I'm very aware that this is the kind of thing you handle for people in the driveway for free. Especially for someone who just spent $5,500 for a vehicle less than 2 months before. I became quite angry and said things I shouldn't have. I started to drive off. I stopped in at the office and talk to the general manager at the dealership, and he told me that without a written receipt or a written estimate he had no idea what had transpired. He also said he wouldn't get involved in service department business. He offered to get the service manager involved, and I told him at that point I did not trust the service department in any way and I didn't want anybody back there even touching my motorcycle. He couldn't comprehend that this incident was that serious. I left and reached out to the headquarters in Murrieta once again. I informed them that I wanted a full refund for my motorcycle, since I had no way to be able to get the vehicle serviced or have warranty work done. The only option would be to take it to Santa Clarita or somewhere up north at a cost of approximately $500 each time to rent a truck and trailer to transport the motorcycle. I purchased the high MPG motorcycle to save on gas. If I had to spend $500 every time I needed to get it serviced or have a warranty item looked at it would be cost prohibitive. He refused to refund my money. The customer service manager in Murrieta also told me that it was my fault that I lived in an area that only had one dealership. I told him that no it was their fault for contracting with a dealer that was disreputable. 

  After I sent letters out to three KTM locations and to several government agencies regarding this the same customer and customer customer service manager reach out to me again.

  He was just as non-responsive as before, and had already consulted their attorney, looking for a way to get out of taking care of this situation.

  I also reached out to KTM through their customer complaint form. At this point I have no response back from that. I don't believe that they are going to respond to my request to purchase the vehicle back from me.

  I made it very clear to the customer service manager in Murietta that I had no plans to use the vehicle anymore, since I could not afford to have it serviced or to have warranty work done. It's just sitting in my garage collecting dust and it's worthless to me. He could not have cared less. At this point I am just extremely angry and I've thrown away $5,500 on something that I cannot afford to keep running. I just wanted out of my garage, because it just makes me furious every time I have to look at it.

  I have never felt such anger towards a service department and a service writer for this type of attempted theft and price gouging in my life.

  I just want this thing out of my life, so I can move forward.

  I don't have the time or energy to deal with this kind of garbage or this kind of anger.

  I have no idea who from Valley Cycle responded to this complaint, but obviously it wasn't anybody I talked to, or they would have known very well what my complaint was about.

  I just want my $5,500 back, and want this thing out of my life.

  
  
  
  

  Business response

  08/03/2022

  
  *******,
  After carefully reading your review, I am hoping I can answer all of your questions. First, you state this has nothing to do with the purchase of your vehicle, yet you are asking for your money back on the vehicle? As far as price gouging goes, we establish our labor rates with KTM annually for fair market adjustments and they cannot be adjusted, so price gouging is not even possible. Our current labor rate is 115 per hour for KTM. For the first service KTM calls for 2.5 hours. While we do establish our labor rates, KTM establishes the book hours for these. The reason why it is this much is because the first service is not just an oil change. We take pride in our work, and you having a safe motorcycle is extremely important. I say this because the first service, per KTMs guidelines, includes all of the following - Read the fault memory with KTM diagnostics tool, Check that the electrical system in functioning properly, change the engine oil and oil filter, clean the oil screen, check brake disks, check front brake linings, check rear brake linings, check brake lines for damages or leaks, check the tire conditions, check tire pressure, check shock absorber and forks for leaks, check and adjust chain tension, check coolant level, check that the radiator fan is functioning properly, check that the throttle cables are undamaged, routed and adjusted correctly, check front brake fluid, check rear brake fluid, check steering head bearing play, check headlight operation, test ride vehicle and read out error memory, reset the dealer service interval, and record dealer service entry on KTM Dealer. In order for us to do our job correctly, we go through every single item mentioned above. We do understand that other dealers may not be as thorough as us and just give you a simple oil change, but that is not how we do business here. To jeopardize your safety on the motorcycle for saving 150 dollars on a service in our eyes is never worth it, and not an option. Second, in regards to re setting the service reminder, it’s not just a simple plug in and take 15 minutes. Again, we would not be doing our job properly, re setting a service reminder means that we have documented and checked everything on the list above, that's why they said it would take approximately one hour to perform. We would inspect your vehicle, test ride, plug into the dealer tool and verify functions, then reset the dealer light, and record in KTM Dealer. While I understand your position on price, I hope you understand my position or rider safety. It is our job to deliver that to you, and we do the best we can to achieve these goals while keeping your cost to a minimum. Also, I am not sure what "General Manger" you spoke to but I was not here when this happened. The reason why they said they could not make decisions and to wait was because you wanted to speak to me, and you never did.  I truly am sorry that you feel you have had a poor experience with our dealership. We constantly strive to improve our operations, and if there is anything else I can help you with you can feel comfortable to reach out to me directly. 
  
   
  
  Thank You!
  
   
  
  ***** *******
  General Manager

  Customer response

  08/03/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: the bottom line in this is that their employee tried to charge me more than $400 for less than $175 worth of Labor and parts. He was given two opportunities to act like a reputable professional and responsible service writer, and he failed miserably on both occasions. On top of that the service department did not even bother to put the nuts on the bolts that hold the license plate bracket on the bike, and it all but fell off. Luckily that occurred near my home. At this point I would not trust their service department to do anything, not even put air in my tires. And even if I did allow that, they would probably try to charge me $115.

  I want absolutely nothing to do with the service department at Valley cycle, or with the dealer at this point either.

  I did not fully read their response, but I'm quite aware of what is involved in the first service, it's right there in the manual. And I was willing to pay the exorbitant cost of $175 to have that done. But not more than 400. I cannot imagine what that kid would try to squeeze out of me for a full service, maybe $1,500 or $2,000 for a full service.

  There is only one satisfactory resolution to the situation, I want my money back, and full.

  I want this bike out of my sight as soon as possible. I cannot afford to lose $2,500 to $3,000 on a brand new motorcycle, that I cannot afford to have fixed because the service department here in Bakersfield is incompetent.

  I want my money refunded in full. After Valley Cycle sends me a check and it clears, I will make arrangements to get the bike to them as also the title.
  
  
  

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