June 22, 2015 Response to Complaint ID#: [redacted] Now, for the facts: Ms. [redacted] did indeed purchase her moped from me. She refused our offer of our assembly/gas up...
service for an additional $25. I subsequently received a phone call from her stating that the moped started once, but would not start again and that it wouldn’t roll and the brake handle was broken. My response was that she needed to bring it back to me so I could check it out. A few weeks later Ms. [redacted] came to my store with her mother demanding a refund WITHOUT THE MOPED! Again my response was to bring me the moped and I would correct the problems or replace the moped. Ms. [redacted] and her mother agreed to bring me the moped the following day (a Sunday) and watch while my mechanic repaired the moped. Her mother was very concerned about her daughter’s safety which is understandable. We assured her we would make sure the moped was 100% safe. I paid my mechanic all day on Sunday to wait for Ms. [redacted] to arrive with the moped. Ms. [redacted] called me after the store was closed for the day to tell me she wasn’t coming. I surmise that she didn’t want her mother to see the true condition of the moped. After a few more weeks, Ms. [redacted] showed up at the store with the moped. My mechanic and I inspected the moped. The handlebars were installed by Ms. [redacted] so loosely that driving the moped could have been dangerous. Ms. [redacted] installed the front wheel and brake rotor improperly bending the front fork and possibly the rotor. This is why the moped would not roll as the brake rotor was forced up against the front fork. The battery cables were installed by Ms. [redacted] improperly and so loosely that they were no longer making contact with the battery. This is why the bike would not start or run. The front brake caliper had been removed from its mount, thus disabling the front and most important brake. Ms. [redacted] also left some of the hardware needed to finish assembling the moped, but some hardware was missing. My mechanic remarked that he wanted to sample whatever the people who worked on the moped were drinking! I called Ms. [redacted]’s mother to tell her that her concerns about her daughter’s safety were well founded and that it would cost $150 to complete the assembly and correct the mistakes made during her daughter’s failed attempt to assemble the moped. She told me that Ms. [redacted] didn’t have the money. I requested that she pick up the moped as I needed the room in my small shop. Now, to address that broken brake handle: this is not really an issue to me, because this is the most often performed service that we do. As a matter of fact, we now replace broken left side brake handles at no charge for customers who tell us the truth and say they dropped the moped. Ms. [redacted] story that she received the moped with the handle broken is simply not plausible. The handlebars to which the handle is attached is wrapped with 3-4 layers of bubble wrap, and they are laying loose inside the crate, attached only by cables and conduits which are flexible. There would be no way that the break handle could be scratched in the exact spot that it gets scratched when a moped falls, or that there could be any kind of force to break the handle. Ms. [redacted] also did not bother to attach the kick stand extension which would have caused the moped to fall on its left side. But as I stated, this is not really an issue because it takes minutes to replace and I buy the handles by the dozen at less than a dollar each. As for a resolution to this complaint, it must be understood that the only problems with this moped were caused by an extremely inept attempt to assemble it. Before Ms. [redacted] picked up her moped, I asked the management at the market where I rent my store to inspect her moped to verify what I have stated in this response. Ms. [redacted] and another young man were observed loading the moped into a Uhaul truck at my store. They were seen to have let the moped fall on its right side inside the truck. I will gladly put this moped in perfect running condition for the price of $150. This price assumes that the moped is in the same condition as the last time I saw it, and its condition has not worsened. I will also offer to pick up and return the moped to Ms. [redacted] at no cost, as I understand this is difficult for her. [redacted]
The customer's first complaint came more than a month and 1000 miles after she owned the moped. It is difficult for me to schedule a service call to Columbia, as my shop is in Greer. Normally, I require that the moped be brought in to my shop for repair and perhaps I should have...
required this, but I try my best to accommodate my customers. The problem was that the valves needed adjusting. This is a maintenance item, and NOT a defect in the moped. Nonetheless, my mechanic adjusted the valves, test drove the bike and she was not charged. She complained again, and again we went back, and readjusted the valves. (It may be that this was not done as perfectly as possible the first time, so she was not charged again.) My mechanic informed me that [redacted] told him her moped had been blown over during the storms in Columbia, and [redacted] is now complaining that her moped again won't start. I informed her father that when these bikes are dropped, the stator needs replacement, and that it would be around $95 charge. He agreed. My mechanic went to Columbia, and was not able to complete the job outside in Columbia. I told him to bring it back to the shop and get it done., which he did. I then made him bring the moped to [redacted] Scooter Shop in Spartanburg to have it checked out completely to avoid any additional problems. After [redacted] gave the moped a clean [redacted] of health, my mechanic brought the moped back to my shop. Before I let him deliver the moped back to [redacted], I made him start it 8-10 times in front of me, and then take it out and drive it 4-5 miles, bring it back and start it again 4-5 times before I allowed him to to deliver it back to [redacted]. Days later, [redacted] called that the moped would not start again. Again, I sent my mechanic to Columbia. He called me that he got on the moped and it started instantly. He drove it "all over Columbia" and it ran fine with no problems. The same day, [redacted] claimed that the bike again broke down.
Her father called me, and I asked him to change the one fuse in the moped. The reason for this is that when I saw this moped in my shop, I couldn't believe how beat up this moped was. When we changed the stator, we had to remove a body part. It was so beat up that it basically fell apart in my mechanic's hands. (We replaced it no charge!) This moped had not only been dropped, but had been hit or hit something numerous times. Such abuse can at very few times ( we've seen this once before after selling 1000's of them) dislodge the filament in the fuse so that sometimes it makes contact and sometimes it doesn't. Her father called me back to tell me that he had he sent someone out for a replacement fuse and this was not the problem. I doubt this, as there is a spare fuse immediately next to the fuse being used by the bike, and therefore, no reason to send someone out to buy a fuse. He demanded a complete refund. I told him there was a problem with this, as the moped was obviously extremely abused, and now had more than 1500 miles on it. He hung up.
just as a matter of reference, my mechanic has traveled from Greer to Columbia at least 4 times (105 miles and 4 hours round-trip) and [redacted] has not been charged once. I feel certain that Ofelia's Hamlet has spared no expense, and done everything possible to accommodate this customer. There is something going on here that I'm not smart enough to figure out, but I am experienced enough with my mopeds to know that the problem is NOT with the moped.
As a solution, I will agree to send my mechanic back to Columbia one more time. If the moped starts and runs fine with no problem as it did last time he was there, I will make him actually change the fuse to eliminate the remote possibility that this will be a future problem. Then I will make him drive it at least 20 miles to insure it is in good running condition. If [redacted] still does not want the moped, I suggest she sell it. There is a huge used moped demand for used mopeds in Columbia.
If there is a problem with the moped, I will have my mechanic bring it back and fix it and return it to [redacted] in perfect working condition.
June 22, 2015 Response to Complaint ID#: [redacted] Now, for the facts: Ms. [redacted] did indeed purchase her moped from me. She refused our offer of our assembly/gas up...
service for an additional $25. I subsequently received a phone call from her stating that the moped started once, but would not start again and that it wouldn’t roll and the brake handle was broken. My response was that she needed to bring it back to me so I could check it out. A few weeks later Ms. [redacted] came to my store with her mother demanding a refund WITHOUT THE MOPED! Again my response was to bring me the moped and I would correct the problems or replace the moped. Ms. [redacted] and her mother agreed to bring me the moped the following day (a Sunday) and watch while my mechanic repaired the moped. Her mother was very concerned about her daughter’s safety which is understandable. We assured her we would make sure the moped was 100% safe. I paid my mechanic all day on Sunday to wait for Ms. [redacted] to arrive with the moped. Ms. [redacted] called me after the store was closed for the day to tell me she wasn’t coming. I surmise that she didn’t want her mother to see the true condition of the moped. After a few more weeks, Ms. [redacted] showed up at the store with the moped. My mechanic and I inspected the moped. The handlebars were installed by Ms. [redacted] so loosely that driving the moped could have been dangerous. Ms. [redacted] installed the front wheel and brake rotor improperly bending the front fork and possibly the rotor. This is why the moped would not roll as the brake rotor was forced up against the front fork. The battery cables were installed by Ms. [redacted] improperly and so loosely that they were no longer making contact with the battery. This is why the bike would not start or run. The front brake caliper had been removed from its mount, thus disabling the front and most important brake. Ms. [redacted] also left some of the hardware needed to finish assembling the moped, but some hardware was missing. My mechanic remarked that he wanted to sample whatever the people who worked on the moped were drinking! I called Ms. [redacted]’s mother to tell her that her concerns about her daughter’s safety were well founded and that it would cost $150 to complete the assembly and correct the mistakes made during her daughter’s failed attempt to assemble the moped. She told me that Ms. [redacted] didn’t have the money. I requested that she pick up the moped as I needed the room in my small shop. Now, to address that broken brake handle: this is not really an issue to me, because this is the most often performed service that we do. As a matter of fact, we now replace broken left side brake handles at no charge for customers who tell us the truth and say they dropped the moped. Ms. [redacted] story that she received the moped with the handle broken is simply not plausible. The handlebars to which the handle is attached is wrapped with 3-4 layers of bubble wrap, and they are laying loose inside the crate, attached only by cables and conduits which are flexible. There would be no way that the break handle could be scratched in the exact spot that it gets scratched when a moped falls, or that there could be any kind of force to break the handle. Ms. [redacted] also did not bother to attach the kick stand extension which would have caused the moped to fall on its left side. But as I stated, this is not really an issue because it takes minutes to replace and I buy the handles by the dozen at less than a dollar each. As for a resolution to this complaint, it must be understood that the only problems with this moped were caused by an extremely inept attempt to assemble it. Before Ms. [redacted] picked up her moped, I asked the management at the market where I rent my store to inspect her moped to verify what I have stated in this response. Ms. [redacted] and another young man were observed loading the moped into a Uhaul truck at my store. They were seen to have let the moped fall on its right side inside the truck. I will gladly put this moped in perfect running condition for the price of $150. This price assumes that the moped is in the same condition as the last time I saw it, and its condition has not worsened. I will also offer to pick up and return the moped to Ms. [redacted] at no cost, as I understand this is difficult for her. [redacted]
The customer's first complaint came more than a month and 1000 miles after she owned the moped. It is difficult for me to schedule a service call to Columbia, as my shop is in Greer. Normally, I require that the moped be brought in to my shop for repair and perhaps I should have...
required this, but I try my best to accommodate my customers. The problem was that the valves needed adjusting. This is a maintenance item, and NOT a defect in the moped. Nonetheless, my mechanic adjusted the valves, test drove the bike and she was not charged. She complained again, and again we went back, and readjusted the valves. (It may be that this was not done as perfectly as possible the first time, so she was not charged again.) My mechanic informed me that [redacted] told him her moped had been blown over during the storms in Columbia, and [redacted] is now complaining that her moped again won't start. I informed her father that when these bikes are dropped, the stator needs replacement, and that it would be around $95 charge. He agreed. My mechanic went to Columbia, and was not able to complete the job outside in Columbia. I told him to bring it back to the shop and get it done., which he did. I then made him bring the moped to [redacted] Scooter Shop in Spartanburg to have it checked out completely to avoid any additional problems. After [redacted] gave the moped a clean [redacted] of health, my mechanic brought the moped back to my shop. Before I let him deliver the moped back to [redacted], I made him start it 8-10 times in front of me, and then take it out and drive it 4-5 miles, bring it back and start it again 4-5 times before I allowed him to to deliver it back to [redacted]. Days later, [redacted] called that the moped would not start again. Again, I sent my mechanic to Columbia. He called me that he got on the moped and it started instantly. He drove it "all over Columbia" and it ran fine with no problems. The same day, [redacted] claimed that the bike again broke down.
Her father called me, and I asked him to change the one fuse in the moped. The reason for this is that when I saw this moped in my shop, I couldn't believe how beat up this moped was. When we changed the stator, we had to remove a body part. It was so beat up that it basically fell apart in my mechanic's hands. (We replaced it no charge!) This moped had not only been dropped, but had been hit or hit something numerous times. Such abuse can at very few times ( we've seen this once before after selling 1000's of them) dislodge the filament in the fuse so that sometimes it makes contact and sometimes it doesn't. Her father called me back to tell me that he had he sent someone out for a replacement fuse and this was not the problem. I doubt this, as there is a spare fuse immediately next to the fuse being used by the bike, and therefore, no reason to send someone out to buy a fuse. He demanded a complete refund. I told him there was a problem with this, as the moped was obviously extremely abused, and now had more than 1500 miles on it. He hung up.
just as a matter of reference, my mechanic has traveled from Greer to Columbia at least 4 times (105 miles and 4 hours round-trip) and [redacted] has not been charged once. I feel certain that Ofelia's Hamlet has spared no expense, and done everything possible to accommodate this customer. There is something going on here that I'm not smart enough to figure out, but I am experienced enough with my mopeds to know that the problem is NOT with the moped.
As a solution, I will agree to send my mechanic back to Columbia one more time. If the moped starts and runs fine with no problem as it did last time he was there, I will make him actually change the fuse to eliminate the remote possibility that this will be a future problem. Then I will make him drive it at least 20 miles to insure it is in good running condition. If [redacted] still does not want the moped, I suggest she sell it. There is a huge used moped demand for used mopeds in Columbia.
If there is a problem with the moped, I will have my mechanic bring it back and fix it and return it to [redacted] in perfect working condition.