rant on "service" around here (Orlando: job, sick)

[Magnulus]

Last week I went out looking at motorcycles. I contacted this one guy on Craigslist, he has a shop (won't name names) and I went and looked at his bike. It looked OK, the engine ran fine, it seemed. I looked over everything I could think of, the tires, the bodywork, etc.

Well, I decided to buy it and this guy then tells me it needs a little work, nothing major, just a little polishing up a few scratches and draining the old gas in the tank. Fine, we agree it will be delivered the next day. Next day comes, not a damn thing happens. I call again, no answer. I call again, I get a call back telling me tomorrow will be the delivery day, no particular time is given. Then he tells me my check isn't good, that he wants cash instead, because his wife doesn't like checks. Tomorrow comes, nothing happens. Next day comes, no phone calls, he won't answer his cellphone. Finally, it is delivered on Friday, late in the evening. I am too tired to ride it, so I just have him ride it around a little to "test" it out. I ride it into the garage.

Next morning I go out and ride it and it does OK, until after about 10 minutes or so of riding and the engine coolant starts to boil, I can hear it. It sounds like a tea kettle going off and steam is escaping the radiator cap. I limp it back up the driveway back into the garage That's not good. I call the guy up and he agrees that it needs repairs that he will perform for no charge, he says he can't pick it up that day, he will do it tomorrow. Well, tomorrow came and went and I heard nothing. I'm so sick of this crap.

I don't want to name names again but this guy is of a particular ethnicity and he just seems to have the attitude that timetables don't matter, that keeping your word doesn't matter one whit. He tries to be nice and chummy to people, and he's a friendly guy that does seem to do great restoration work on bikes, but he doesn't seem to think that being punctual and keeping on a schedule matters to me, and it is irritating. His excuse is always that he is busy in the shop, or his wife has breast cancer, blah blah- a sad story but really shouldn't change the fact that I have an 1800 dollar paperweight (2000 after taxes and tag) in my garage. He spends alot of time yakking with customers when he could be working. It's annoying as hell. I can't believe somebody like that stays in business. This guy has made me and my family's life a hell for a week and ruined my birthday.

I want my money back but I don't know if I have any rights under Florida law. I am so mad, upset, and angry that I have been trying to drink myself to sleep the last couple of days. I hardly ever drink. Tonight I cannot sleep period, I'm just so infuriated that somebody thinks this kind of behavior is acceptable or good business practice. Yes, I could work on the bike myself but for 1800 dollars I shouldn't have to, frankly, be fixing problems that I didn't cause. Not when the Blue Book value on one in "fair" condition is around the same price (fair implies that it has problems but it is functional as transportation, not as a door stop). If he had sold it to me for 900 dollars that would be a different story, but he didn't. It might turn out to be a more serious problem that's over my head, something beyond a failed radiator cap or or air in the system (I already bleeded it and there was air in it, but the coolant is still boiling) It could be big money. So much money I could have bought a new one for only a few bucks more.

[Alphaman]

Guy sounds like a huckster you should have spent the money on a new bike at the Harley place.

When ever someone seems too nice in business that should put up a red flag.

[Alphaman]

Originally Posted by Fnix

Nothing a good ole .45 and some threats wont do

Yea and a good way to get locked up.

The poster might be able to call the Better business and see if they can help out or call channel 9.

[Fnix]

Originally Posted by Alphaman

Yea and a good way to get locked up.

The poster might be able to call the Better business and see if they can help out or call channel 9.

Cant prove nothing. Besides I'm pretty sure a scammer wants to call the police.

[AliceT]

Start with a call to the Orlando Slantinel. They love dirt. Channel 9 is another option. Just having a camera man and a man with a microphone show up at his store usually gets results.

Do NOT threaten him with bodily harm nor even suggest that you have a gun. Actions like that give responsible gun owners a bad rap.

[Magnulus]

Originally Posted by Alphaman

Guy sounds like a huckster you should have spent the money on a new bike at the Harley place.

When ever someone seems too nice in business that should put up a red flag.

It's not a Harley (not my kind of bike at all), it's a Kawasaki Ninja 250. I've got a few others too, including a Reflex 250 (scooter- I bought it from a shop in Lake Nona, used with 8,000 miles, and it ran flawlessly and they did an excellent job). This was going to be a second bike, then I'll sell my older scooter (a 125). I use motorcycles for running errands and delivering mail to the post office. I always keep at least two because occasionally I do repairs to one or the other.

My dad and I worked on it today and discovered that the coolant problem is due to two things: weak radiator cap and the biggest of all, the fan sensor for the radiator has failed- the pump appears to work, no fuses are blown, it just reaches a point where the coolant boils and the engine becomes in danger of overheating (glad I didn't ride this thing home). I might be able to replace both the cap and the sensor, though neither part is easy to get locally (motorcycle stores around here have surprisingly few spare parts). Repair total will be about 75-100 dollars.

Honestly I don't feel homicidal or violent towards this guy at all, just upset that somebody considers those sort of business practices OK for customers. If things don't get better I will do as suggested and contact the BBB or Channel 9. I'm a really trusting person, guess I'm not too street savy and this is my first private purchase of a vehicle. I feel more than a bit burned. I wish Florida had a used vehicle Lemon Law but we don't.