I was buying a motorcycle from a guy, and we worked out a price. The owner told me the bike was at a car dealership that he formerly worked for. I got there and they tried to add $1200 to the price. This is when I learned they now own the bike I finally got them to waive their “millennium package” but they insisted they had to charge a documentary fee of $599. I agreed and took possession of the bike (I liked it that much) three weeks ago. I got my own financing through my credit union, so they did nothing.

At delivery they only had a car plate to give me, so I put that in the saddlebag and am riding with the previous owners Florida tag. Yesterday I called asking where my plates were and the dealership said they can not get my plates because they did not have the bike inspected. In NC it's illegal to sell a bike without an inspection.

I’ve called DMV and understand I now have some leverage with this band of thieves. I am going to ask that they refund my $599, they also charged me about $90 for expeditious processing of my DMV paperwork, and offer to get the inspection myself.

Any suggestions?

 

Shove it in deep.

 

Probably wanted a consignment fee to sell the bike and the owner bypassed the dealers fee.

 

I'm pretty sure you'll have to pay the Highway Usage Tax at the time you get the tag. It's basically a property tax with a fancy name.

The rules must be different for a dealership because an individual can sell a vehicle/motorcycle without a current inspection. I just bought a Sportster recently that had been parked a year and I had to get an inspection before getting the tag. The guy at the inspection station let me leave it on my trailer during the inspection to save me the trouble of unloading it.

 

Not sure why you had to use the dealer to do any of the DMV paperwork on a used vehicle. I've bought many used cars and two bikes in NC and I do all the paperwork myself. You get it inspected, bring proof of a passed inspection to DMV and pay up the sales tax, title fee etc, get your tag and be done with it. I doubt they'll refund you the consignment fee but you can try. Good luck.

 

What consignment fee?

So they sold you a bike, gave you a car plate for it? Why would they give you a car plate for a bike?

 

Nothing about this sounds right...

 

Exactly, no consignment fee! They gave me a car plate because it is a car dealer. The guy who did the deal with me was the former used car sales manager.

 

As soon as they wanted to tack on an extra $600 (actually $689?) is when I would have walked.

What did they promise to do for $600?

There are so many nice low mileage used bikes out there, not sure why you had to have this one bad enough to pay extra for it.

Sounds like a shady deal at best.
Start putting more pressure on them other than asking for your $599 back.
You won't see that unless you involve the BBB, small claims court, tv stations, newspapers, lawyer?

 

Yeah I have a retroactive suggestion. Tell them to stick it, then turn around and walk.