Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A couple weeks ago I dropped off my bike to Drake's Powersports on fluvanna. He was ?supposed to clean my carburetors while I was gone because they were spilling gas out of the overflow, and look into why my rear caliper wasn’t bleeding. I told him my budget was $450 and to call me if it was going to be more. After I dropped it off I left for California for a 3 week annual training exercise for the Marine Corps . Once ?I returned I went to his shop to check on my bike. He had told me that he cleaned out both carburetor’s and the gas leak issue was still happening, he told me he was going to tear into it again to see if he missed anything. Two days later he called me and said that he tore back into them and they were dirty again and that I had some kind of sediment in my tank. He advised me to get the tank cleaned out and get new carbs. I paid him $250, picked up my bike and brought it home. Once I got home, I began to tear into it, keep in mind this is a 1997 so the motorcycle is 26 years old. The carburetors were very stubborn to get torn apart which was surprising because I had just paid someone to tear them apart. Once I got them apart I discovered ?that they where disgusting and filled with what looks to be gunk from years of build up. (Almost like he didn’t touch them at all) Once I cleaned them out and reassembled them, the bike was running fine. I disassembled them one more time. ?to ensure that nothing in the tank was immediately plugging them up again. and they still look spotless. He had me pay him $250 for work that he did not do, he told me he cleaned out the carburetors and he did not touch them. I also have pictures of the dirty carburetors after I picked up the motorcycle if that could help. I would just like my money back.

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  When the customer had us pick up the motorcycle from his residence, the motorcycle was not in running condition. He stated that he could not get the bike running and he was thinking he had a problem with the carburetors. He stated that his budget was around 450 dollars and that he wouldn't be able to pick up his bike for at least 3 weeks until he was back in town from a training. When we began working on the bike, it was clear that gas was leaking out of his carburetors. We took them apart to clean them. When we did this, the walls of the bowls on the carburetors were completely caked with gunk, sediments and debris. We took apart all the jets and cleaned them as well as the ports and the bowls. After cleaning them, they were reassembled and put back on the bike. The bike started and ran after this. The next day when attempting to start the bike again, it was clear that the carburetors were still leaking gas. At this point we spoke to the customer and let him know of the situation. We explained that we would take them apart again and see what we find. He was okay with this idea. When we took them apart again, the carburetors were full of sediments again. We recleaned them a second time. As we were putting the bike back together, we noticed that the fuel tank was full of debris as well. When you tipped the tank from side to side you could hear a lot of sediment inside it, almost like a bunch of sand. We put the entire bike back together and called the customer. We explained that the carbs were full of debris again when we took it back apart. We explained that the fuel tank, as well as the lines most likely, were full of what sounded like a bunch of sand/sediment. We told him that there was no reason to keep cleaning the carburetors because they would continue to fill up with debris every time the bike was ran, until the fuel tank and the lines were cleaned out. We explained to him that we were already 1 hour of labor over his intended budget, and that we wouldn't be able to work on it more unless he wanted to increased his budget. He explained that he didn't want to spend any more than that amount, so he would like to just come pick it up. We told him that we would just put his bill at the $450, and not charge him for the hour of labor that we had went over. He said okay, and then set up a time to come pick up his bike. When he had arrived to pick up his bike, he was accompanied by another party. We discussed with him the problem once again, and then took off the fuel tank and showed him and the other party what it sounded like and how you could hear all the debris sloshing around inside of it. He stated that since the bike was old, he assumed that it was a lot of rust from inside the tank. We told him again that he would need to either clean out the tank or replace it with a new one before he tackled the problem with the carburetors again. He said that he would look into finding another tank or attempt to clean it out at home, in which we gave him some ideas on how to do it. Then when it was time to pay his bill, he stated that he did not want to pay the full $450. He stated that the problem was not fixed so he didn't think he needed to pay that amount. We explained to him that although the problem was not completely fixed, the labor that was involved in tearing down the bike to remove the carburetors, cleaning the carburetors, and putting the bike back together a total of two separate times still needed to be paid for. He stated that he understood that, but didn't think he should have to pay that much for it if it was not completely fixed. He asked if we could work with him, and lower his bill. We explained that we had a lot of time into it, and then reminded him that we had already not charged him for the hour of labor that we had went over. He was still not satisfied with this. He then asked if we could just charge him 150-200 dollars. We explained that we had too much time invested into it to accept that low of an amount. We told him that the best we could do to help satisfy him would be $250. We told him that we would do this because he was young and we understood how he felt that his bike wasn't fixed how he was expecting it to turn out. We then explained to him that he was better off purchasing a new set of carburetors after he cleaned out/replaced his fuel tank, since the current carburetors had so much excess buildup inside of them, that we felt they would never properly run right. He said he would buy new ones once he had enough money for that. He then agreed to paying the $250+ tax (total of $270). We then helped him load the bike into the back of his pick-up truck and he left. A few days later he called us and stated that we never worked on his bike and was demanding that we give him his money back. We explained that we had cleaned his carburetors out two separate times. He stated that he had taken apart his carburetors at home and that they were dirty inside and looked like they had not been cleaned. We explained to him, that is what happens as soon as the bike is ran, because of all the debris in the tank and the lines. He then stated that if we would not give him his money back that he was going to report us to BBB. We told him to do what he wished, but we was unable to give him his money back, especially since we had already discounted his bill to begin with, as well as stored his bike at our shop, free of charge, while he was out of town at his Marine Corp. training. He was still not satisfied and then he hung up. This is where the situation ended. Although he was not satisfied with the outcome, that does not negate the amount of time and labor that was involved in diagnosing his motorcycle and attempting to fix the problem within his specific budget. 

  Customer response

  07/26/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.   after I picked the motorcycle up, I brought it home and cleaned out the carburetors myself installed a rebuild kit, including new floats and the bike, has been running fine ever since. There was no issue with any sediment in the tank, and the explanation from the business is simply not correct. The carburetors were also quite difficult to take apart, indicating that they have not been touched. The gunk and buildup was caked into both reservoirs. It is simply not possible for them to be that dirty and gunked up, if they were in fact, already clean “twice”  Regards, **** ********

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