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It was time for a new tire, so I called dealer and priced Avon Cobra for $213. Looked it up online and Dennis Kirk sells them for $138 with free shipping. Obviously that's the route I chose. Called to make an appointment at dealer and they sad this Saturday is first come first serve. Got up early and got there at about 9 hauling the new tire around my waist. They told me we can't install the tire cause you didn't buy it from us. Then I got heated and made a bit of a scene and said I bought a $20,000 bike from you that's not good enough. After that I saw the salesman I bought it from and told him and he couldn't even believe it either. He went up stairs and asked the boss and they shut him down too. He said they have to registered or some weird sh*t like that. Then I went to a local shop down the road which I kinda forgot about. They did it no queastions asked. Also inspected it, put on new pads, and installed my yaffe hidden axle for $57.
This might be common knowledge for some, but I obviously wasn't aware. Hopefully this will save someone from making the same mistake I did. It's crap like this that makes never want to buy anything from the dealer again. I probably never will unless I'm in a bind. I definetly wont be taking bike back to dealer for anything! Has this happened to any of you guys?
I kind of get it, they're just getting the labor charge rather than to profit on the tire also.
But you'd think where you bought the bike there they'd do it for you.
I guess they think it's kinda like buying a steak at a butcher shop and going to a restaurant and asking them to cook it?
Customer service. My local Les Schwab understands the concept: You treat people well and they will come back, period. When I bought my new truck, I went back twice for the 'recommended tunes' on the diesel from the dealership They treated my like shiot and I bought a $40k truck from them! Les Schwab has a tire investment in me, quite a bit less than the price of the truck and I will use them for every single thing I can give them money for because they treat me right when I go there. I intend to do everything in my power to make them a part of my bike experience, too. In the long run, treating your costumers well gets you business. Foolish of a dealership in a niche market to not understand that concept.
They don't want to be liable for a tire they didn't supply because they can't put back on their distributor if it fails and you sue.
Unless it failed because of a bad install, they have no liability. Goes back to the tire manufacturer. They just have no sense of service. True, they didnt get the markup on the mdse......but they still get their inflated labor rate. People keep going back...so they have no incentive to change.
They don't want to be liable for a tire they didn't supply because they can't put back on their distributor if it fails and you sue.
I have had tire stores for vehicles that have said the same thing. I know some of the dealers will if you know the technicians but I rather give the money to a small indy shop.
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