You kind of lost credibility when you posted that your dealer broke the airbags on your Harley a while back.

 

2nd that - Stars and Strips - DON'T TRUST THEM. I was specifically looking for a XL1200T. Looking around at a few local dealers web sites and noticed 2 dealer who had one listed in their used inventory. The 1st closest dealer to me had a XL1200T without a price. Called them and they wouldn't give a price over the phone. They persuaded a visit to look at the bike but they WERE NOT willing to negotiate on their inflated price one penny. Called the 2nd dealer Stars and Strips while in the 1st dealers parking lot. Stars and Strips is 95 mile from home one way and it was over 120 miles from the 1st dealer's parking lot. Told Stars and Strips I'd be there first thing tomorrow morning to look at the XL1200T they had listed. In the meantime when I got home from the 1st dealer I called a (3rd) dealer in the area closer to home thinking maybe they might have a few bikes not listed on their website. The 3rd dealer sales person warned me about Stars and Strips switch and bait tactics. It was explained I should be sure Stars and Strips actually has a XL1200T in their bike inventory.

Next morning before (95 miles) going to see the XL1200T (they said they had) I call Stars and Strips. After the issue I have to travel 95 miles to get there, verify you have the XL1200T I called you about yesterday. I was put on hold for about 10 minutes, when the sales person came back she explained the bike sold yesterday right after I got off with you. Why didn't you call me? They tried to convince me they had other bikes I'd be interested in and I should visit the dealership. Not interested and I hung up. A month later out of curiosity I checked Stars and Strips website. They still had XL1200T listed in their used bike inventory. Turns out I bought a XL1200T privately for $3,500 less then what I would have paid for one at 1st dealer I visited.

 

In a classic case of Stealership service departments grubbing and grabbing any dollar they can ...

I bring my Low Rider to Ocean County Harley-Davidson (NJ), the place where I bought it to have the lower fork legs replaced under warranty.
The sales department, boutique and management level of this business are fine; they have a long tenure in the business and do relate to their customers. The service department however is horrible - wish I could be more polite ... but just plain horrible.

The Plain Jane two-year manufacture's warranty on my 2019 Low Rider was set to expire in June so days before the expiration I bring it in to show them my eroded/corroded and generally beat up lower fork legs. My salesman (Chris), who is cool, accompanies me to the Service Department to make sure I am taken care of - kudos to Chris. The service writer approves it and says OK, good-to-go; we'll call you when the parts come in.

A month later, with no call, I call them to see about my parts. "COVID, supply chain problems, yada-yada." A few weeks thereafter I can again. "COVID, supply chain problems, yada-yada." So I go on Harley-Davidson.com and parts show as available... "Click Here/Buy Now." I go on some of the familiar discount parts retailers and sure enough, shows as available ... "Click Here/Buy Now."

Without disclosing my intel I call the Service Manager, Brandon - a very fine, honorable and likable young man. He checks on things for me and comes totally clean ... the parts were never ordered. Mind you, Brandon could have said that the parts came in and were wrong, damaged or the dog ate the homework, but he didn't. He said that he would order the parts and call me when there's an anticipated delivery date. Kudos to Brandon.

Thereafter Brandon, true to his word, called me again and said the parts are expected to be in on/about the 13th. Come August 10th I get a call from Brandon; my parts are in. Kudos yet again to Brandon.

Here's where things go off the rails. Brandon is off for a few days. The service department is open until 5pm and I ask what's the latest I can drop a bike off. I'm told 4pm because "We close at five and don't have time to take bikes in at the end of the day when we're trying to close up." I explain that my ride can't get there until 5:30 and I'm told, "No later than 4:15!" I've already done my time where I have to take orders and be places at others' convenience - but it is what it is.

I drop the bike off (at 4:10) and the fellow behind the counter says, "Picking up or dropping off?"
To which I advise, "Good afternoon, how are you? I'm dropping off."
The response is, "Name?"
I ask him if he wants my name and he says "yes." I give him my name and says, "There's no appointment in the computer for you."
I explain that the bike is owned by the a company and ask him if he wants that name - the bike owner's name. He says, "I've never heard of that."
I was going to say that all of the bikes in the showroom are owned by a company but learned not to argue with idiots, a fools or drunks lest they drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

I explain to Service Writer of the Year that after the 1,000 mile service I could hear my drive belt squeaking when low speed coasting in neutral with the engine off. A day later I get a call from the Service Department that it is likely ... get ready ... I thought they were joking ... " Air passing through the holes of my ventilated front brake disc making the noise." When I explained that I never heard the noise before the 1,000 mile service, that sound like it's coming from the left rear of the motorcycle and that I have two front ventilated discs on my Road Glide, Road King, Bandit 1250 as well as V-Strom 1,000 and that I don't hear the noise on any of those motorcycles. The Service Writer of the Year says, "Look, nobody cares how many bikes you've owned in you lifetime since 1920; do you want us to check this out or not?"

I said to just forget it and that, BTW, those are bike I currently own now - not in my lifetime. Keep in mind if I was born in 1920, irrespective of whether or not I owned any motorcycles then, I'd be 101 years old now! I suppose Service Writer of the Year's strong point wasn't math.

Later that same day, after telling them to just forget the noise complaint, I get a call from another Service Writer saying that they found the source of the noise. Get ready ... I'm not making this up ..., you're going to enjoy this one, ... they said, "It's air going through the holes in my ventilated brake discs and that my front pads were glazed out."

Wow, "glazed out!" After over hundreds of thousands of miles on motorcycles (mostly Harleys) I've never had "glazed out" pads. Mind you that this is my least used bike - only solo and basically a bar hopper; 4,000 miles and I'm the original owner. I tell them that while I appreciate their kind offer to replace the front pads (only two on a regular Low Rider) for $120, I'll pass for now and just check it out myself.

It doesn't end there. They try to charge me extra for the chrome lowers and I explain that Brandon already waived that upcharge. They call Brandon (at home) and verify that. Thank you Brandon. Then they say, "It'll just be $50 then."
I said, "OK, $50 for what?"
Response, "Deductible on the extended warranty."
I say, "I don't have an extended warranty."
Service Writer boy then asked the assistant manager, right in front of me, "So what can we charge him for?"
To her credit, she said, "Nothing."
I thank her, thank Service Writer of the Year and am ready to leave when a tech who was nearby said, loud enough for me (and the assistant manger to hear), "We're givin' too much stuff away around hear; yesterday it was tires (which had nothing to do with me or my bike) and now this!"

I always liked Ocean County Harley as they are the dealership closest to my NJ home and the owner as well as sales staff are very nice; I always called them when shopping for my last few new Harley - and while all resulted in a sale, only one was from them but after this, I'm just not feelin' the love.

I dread letting a Stealership touch any of my bikes and this latest experience just sealed that fate.

 

High Octane HD. Sales manager is another slick talking, fast talking guy that continually asked me to sign on the line to show my commitment. I'm thinking, slow down pal, I've been in sales for 20 years. I felt like asking him where he went to sales school, fully expecting him to say a car dealership. Sales isn't about fast talking and slick salesmanship. It's about taking care of the customer. Anyhow, the sales guy (different from aforementioned manager) was great. Calm, willing to negotiate.

Anyhow, I was in service waiting to get an estimate to have the accessory light bar mounted and heard the service guy telling another customer that the brakes on his new Low Rider S are designed to squeal and they deliberately chose pads with metal flakes. That's normal. The owner was getting so mad. I was having a good little chuckle off to the side.

 

Old Glory HD in Maryland.

Super sleezy sales tactics.

Call them up about a bike they have on cycle trader. Ask sales guy to check it out take some additional pics etc.

it’s a 3hr drive so I wanted to be sure.

Don’t hear anything for most of the day.

End up filling out a credit app on their site which appeared to be HD financing but was not. some other credit. Maybe great maybe not. I never saw rates or terms

Finally called back hours later only to find out from someone else that the bike has “recently sold” how long would it take the sales guy I talked to to look it up? 30sec?

Then I get an email from the internet person saying congrats come in and look at bikes. I assume because I got approved for whatever loan I wanted.

I’m still waiting on a call from the finance guy about the loan app which was surely approved for about a month now. Lol

Also still waiting on the internet sales person to locate me similar bikes. She was supposed to call the next day over a month ago.

Zero contact after the 1st day.

I believe this was a classic bait and switch tactic but failed because I’m not local and asked questions.

once they realized it wasn’t happening they cut off all comms.

I would not take a dump in their bathroom if I were passing through.

as always YMMv

 

Old Glory/Stares and Strips are associated together or connected some how.

 

Multi dealer Corp. Which is a huge red flag. Brian's HD was a shithole. Not surprised the new owners are no worse. So everyone that shops there can just stay with business as usual.

 

I do my best to avoid dealers whenever I can. I thinks the new versions of the same old ARE MUCH WORSE. I didn't have to much dealing with Brian's but when I did I didn't notice they were any better or worse then what's expected from any other MoCo Dealer. I'm confident and I can say with certainty Stars and Strips will NOT BE GETTING any of my money or business.

 

heads up do not ever use warhorse harley in Ocala they are the worst. having a milky speedo and they said its normal NOT TRUE

 

True as hell - just because it happens to a ton of bikes does not mean it's normal - it means they should fix it.