Beijing Harley Dealer is AWFUL

Time to vent ...

I've owned a lot of Harleys over the years, and dealt with a lot of dealers in Canada, the USA, Europe and the Middle East. I acquired my first new Harley back in 1976, a Liberty Edition AMF dresser (which was a total POS). Anyways, my expectations for Harleys is not really high, but one expects at least a little, little bit of service from a dealer ... especially since they charge ridiculous, inflated China prices.

Anyways, I bought a new 2012 Harley in Beijing ... picked it up earlier this year ...

Part 1 - My delivery:

The brand new bike had large, obvious smudges on the paint. It appeared to be some form of grease. It was on the tank and rear fender. This is something NO respectable dealer would permit during delivery. I naturally assumed they would clean it. My first incorrect assumption. Instead, the "customer service rep" (CSR) called some teenager from the shop to clean it. So the little boy showed up with a can of Carb Cleaner and a dirty old rag. WTF?!?!?!?! Forget it, I will clean my new bike myself.

The bike is wheeled outside. the CSR tried to show me the bike's operations. He couldn't start it. I then pointed out that the kill switch was off. OK. He then tried to demonstrate the lockable gas cap - he couldn't open it. I showed him how a Harley gas cap works. I then asked if they could adjust the shocks for me (a larger guy), because the shocks were at their softest setting. The CSR guy said "you have to make an appointment with the Service Department." Huh?!?!?!?! Please ask the mechanic for the shock adjustment tool, I will do it myself in under a minute. Nope, sorry, you need to make an appointment.

I ask about gas - the CSR rep says "there is enough gas to get you to the gas station." F me - I just paid a HUGE whack of money for this bike (FULL price) and I don't get a f'ing tank of gas (we're talking a Sportster tank)???? Whatever, TIC.

I ask if they can prep the tires? Complete blank stares from the dealer's group of CSR that have now assembled (since I seem to be teaching them about the bike). So, I explain, could you maybe check the tire pressure? Also, can you remove that shiny, super-slippery showroom crap on them? Response: oh, your tires have air in them, and the tire wax will be removed by the time you get to the gas station. OMG.

Fine ... I ride away, totally pissed off, slipping and sliding down the road (seriously, that tire stuff is deadly!), with my low fuel light flashing away, and pull into the busy gas station. Fill it up and the tank had been totally empty. I mean, it is bone dry - I tried to slosh the gas around to see what was in there - it was dead silent. I am sure the dealer uses a syringe to measures the fuel it puts in - just enough to get a person to the gas station.

Part 2: Plating the bike

The Harley dealer charges an outrageous price for legal A plates, adding several thousand to the market price. Therefore, I said "I know exactly how much your agent is charging for plates, and it is 5,000 less than what you are trying to charge me." The dealer says "fine, you telephone him." OK.

Well, the Harley dealer doesn't give me the brackets to mount the odd-shaped Chinese plates. I guess they think they are worth the 5,000 rmb. I later discover that the Harley dealer actually doesn't have any license plate brackets. (more later)

Part 3: Servicing the bike

The bike blew its regulator around 100 kms (no big deal - this is a Harley). The dealer replaced it (after a mild argument), under warranty, but made me feel like it was giving me very special customer service by fixing an obviously faulty item on a brand new bike. At first, the dealer tried to claim that maybe I had done something. Huh? WTF? The bike had 120 kms on it. What could I have possibly done to my bike ... and why, for F sake? I've since learned that the 2010 onwards Sporties have had regulator problems (something the dealer should have known).

Part 4: More plating

Harleys are sold by the Beijing dealer without the license plate brackets (I know - it is F'n incredible, but true). Well, during the current police crackdown in Beijing, bikes without properly mounted front plates are getting fines and the rider gets 6 points. OK, I thought I'd check the dealer to see if they had done anything. I go by the store last Thursday. The manager says "no, we do not have any Harley front plate mounting brackets - people just double up the plates on the rear, or not ride with the front plate." I say "yeah, well, that's illegal ... and I spent the big bucks to have a legal bike ... I don't want fines and/or points."

After realizing that he is losing an obviously ridiculous argument, the manager finally sends me over to another dealer (owned by the same company as the Harley dealer) to buy a Vespa front plate holder for 35 rmb. Huh? Vespa?

Whatever ... I go over to the Vespa dealer and get a front fork bracket. It doesn't work perfectly, but at least it is something. That was Thursday. Oh yeah, that Vespa dealer (again, it is owned b ythe same company as the Harley dealer) wanted to charge me 20 rmb to bolt it on. Hmmmm ... no thanks ... I think I can handle a 12mm wrench on a single bolt.

The very next f'n day, the Beijing Harley dealer posts a notice on the HOG website ... "free front license plate holders available - come and get them." Assh*les.

OK Harley - do you want to know why experienced riders are switching to Vics? Fix your f'n dealers!!!! I am old enough to remember the 1970s, when Harley was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy ... and every Harley owner was bitchin' and complaining about the dealers of old. Don't think it can't happen again ... Harley may very well turn into a t-shirt and coffee cup company.

/rant

what can I say. I feel and share your pain. The shame is that is a dealer who lets the side down. The other shame is that these dealers also don't give a flying fark, they are just after the quick money like most in this place. Some of the manufacturers are from a similar mould too which doesn't help. All I can add without getting to cynical and pessimistic about this hell hole, is this is situation repeated in all manner of interactions with the locals in different situations and circumstances.
Case in point.
We have it at the moment with the compound where we live. We are meant to be moving from our currently lived in villa (for the past six years) which is falling apart (Canadian designed, but Chinese constructed (CRAP!) so we are slated to move out into another villa to allow extensive repairs on the current one. At the moment the compound management has hired a team to supposedly fix the villa we are meant to move into; whereby with the last two typhoons having dumped enormous amounts of rain and high winds, leading to bad leaks on the top floor master bedroom ceiling and around several window frames in two of the four upstairs bedrooms (damaging the Gib board/dry rock surfaces). Most of the ceiling was heavily stained from water damage and some mould started forming on both the ceiling and the floor under the carpet, which I lifted in an attempt to let it dry out, as well as the window frames.

After meetings, deliberations and decisions made, and me telling the compound assistant maanger that they need to remove the ceiling due to the Gib getting water logged and therefore needing replacement, which would also allow "someone" with a clue (what a stupid idea on my part) to actually determine where the leak is coming from in the roofing (as this is the second time leaks to this ceiling had occurred, the first time it was supposedly repaired properly). I was astounded on Thursday to find that the jackasses doing said repair have painted over the areas stained, no Gib replacement of any kind. On the roof, no tiles have been lifted, instead they are applying tubes and tubes of silicone sealant, I'd imagine around the edges of the roofing tiles. Give me a farking break... man these people!

Back to HD, LJH you might find Jimmy (Taiwanese) of Suzhou HD a little more favourable to deal with... but then there the monkeys underneath him that would do the work... and that's often where the trouble begins. Often clueless... and for anyone reading this who hasn't been in China living here for a length of time, you really wouldn't have a clue how genuinely farked up the place is... while these are my thoughts and I realise they are generalisations... it is what it is... at times a farkin joke!

After 8 years in Nanjing, all I can say is these two previous posts hit the target right in the middle of the center circle. Robin Hood would have been proud of these two shots!

Nothing in my life prepared me for BCD's (Bad China Days) Fortunately, there are a few days where it makes up for it.

I use the local Benelli dealership here in Nanjing with low expectations which are pretty much met and after hearing this Harley story, I no longer wonder if it would be better here in Nanjing with more real dealers. I am starting to truly believe there are not any good dealers here in China anywhere.

Anyone try a BMW dealer yet?

Don't get me wrong fellas, but we, who come from 3rd world countries, have little bit hard time getting your pain. "Dealer support" transcripts to "expensive, but rubbish" where I live.

Cars, computers, washing machines, etc., I get the shivers when I have to deal with "official dealers/distributors" for pre-sales, sales, and after sales support! I know it shouldn't be like that, but my life's too short to fight these battles. When I win the lottery, I'll stop getting my hands dirty :goodtime:

I think most of us who live, or have lived, in developing countries are very tolerant of the daily challenges. Personally, before coming to China, I lived for several years in a violent country where one was thankful for being alive at the end of each day. Most foreigners I meet in China are very tolerant. If you aren't, you somehow find your way back to the airport.

In the case of the Beijing Harley, what is infuriating is that it KNOWS it is providing bad service ... but it just doesn't care. This is not ignorance, it is intentional. It profits by raping and pillaging the Harley name, selling bikes to customers who have virtually no experience of a decent dealer interaction. And there is zero competition. If you want a legal Harley in Beijing, you have to bend over and spread em.

Well, I (for one) am getting p'd off at being the catcher ... time to be the pitcher! :lol8:

@bikerdoc ... there should be a thread about:

1) pleasant experiences with Chinese 'tradespeople' (zero posts); or,
2) nightmares with Chinese home improvements (blow up Carl's server)

@Texas Aggie ... totally agree, the good days in China are remarkable (as are the wives/gfs!). It reminds me of my hometown, Vancouver, Canada. It rains 320 days a year in Vancouver, but those few days that the sun is out, sky is blue, snow-capped mountains, ocean breezes ... it really is magical. And after suffering non-stop rain from October to May, a sunny day gives the same experience of "wow, that hammer has stopped hitting me on the head ... I think it is going to be a great day today!"

Paying a very high price for something like a lottery winner would and still receiving bad service is not something I ever want to accept. However, I too find lots of reasons to stay here and many times, after a good rant, the next day just seems to be better a better day!

Unfortunately LJH, not only does this increasing level of incompetence bordering on arrogance apply within the building sector, it is prevalent across a whole broad range of sectors and permeates within the PRC society in general. There are those that know no better and the rest who screw their brethren over with substandard and at times down-right dangerous workmanship, using lies, deceit, deception, bull faeces, trickery, short sightedness, no moral compass, hongbao's and all the other crap used to swindle a deal together. I've lived and worked in multiple areas and fields in my life thus far, and have done so in both first world and developed countries, but none of them including time in several other Asian & Middle Eastern countries, compare to PRC. None can hold a candle to PRC in the bull faeces going on, on a daily basis. None of the countries I have lived in in this part of the world would really be able to prepare one for the increasing prevalence of ineptitude affecting all levels of society here. Much like you comment LJH concerning the BJ HD dealership, who know that they offer a substandard service, at ridiculously overinflated pricing (price gouging), they don't give a shiet. Take it or leave it, is the prevailing attitude these days and even more so with the new found wealth (stolen) with the use of underhanded, deceitful, and often immoral practices. Now those that should give a rats arse or be held accountable, don't or aren't!

If there is an analogy that comes to mind, it is that the PRC of today and the attitude of many PRC citizens is akin to a prevailing festering ulcer that hasn't quite 'scabbed' over, on the 'earth's skin' and if left to run its course unchecked without adequate treatment it will lead to a sceptic condition which will poison the earth and we'll all pay the price. Maybe overly dramatic, but combine what is happening in PRC and the systemic causes, with the other festering sores on this planet then perhaps it is not too far fetched.

/Rant!