rcookfw1 October 27, 2011 06:39 PM
In my opinion, the Glacial Lakes Harley Davidson dealership is exceptionally unethical, or, at least, the individuals I encountered were. Again, in my opinion, they engage in the worst sort of business practices, the sort that make one feel violated. I had such an experience with these folks. I stopped in as I was passing through on a roadtrip from Washington state to Maine, hoping to replace a highway peg that had been broken during an encounter with a deer. They did not carry the line of pegs I needed, but urged me to purchase a different set of extensions that would allow me to then use the highway pegs they had available. The salesman convincingly declared that the extensions offered the greatest flexibility of any I could buy. I'm a fairly tall guy (6'3"), so the maximum-flexibility promise was appealing. So, not wanting to continue my trip without being able to stretch out my legs, I decided to follow his advice. About 75 miles down the road, finding a roadside park with shade, I installed the extensions and pegs. Taking off again, I found that the extensions, extended as far forward as possible, offered virtually no change from the normal footboard position. The extensions I was sold were completely useless to me. When I contacted the dealership, explaining that I'd been mislead about the suitability of the extensions, the fine gentleman who responded graciously offered a rock-solid 80% as compensation for their error, provided I covered shipping costs. With little alternative and because the extensions were worthless to me, I agreed and mailed the extensions back. A few days later, I received an e-mail from the same fine gentleman, notifying me that he was returning the extensions--they had been used. Yes, of course they had been used. That's how I found that I'd been misled. I removed them at the close of the same day I purchased them, after checking into a motel. So, now, having trusted the advice of a Harley "expert", I'm stuck with $100 extensions that are completely useless to me. They have had to suffer nothing from their unethical practice of taking advantage of a person traveling through, just for the sake of making a sale even though they did not have the parts that I really needed. Apparently, if they don't have the part one needs, they'll say anything to make a sale. Appealing to Harley Davidson, I've learned, would accomplish nothing--there is virtually no connection between Harley Davidson and the independently-owned dealerships, nor is there any sense of obligation on the part of one dealership to honor purchases made at another. It is one of the biggest complaints I have about Harley Davidson, other than their ridiculously high prices. Believe me, I love my Ultra Classic. It's a terrific bike. But I have nothing but contempt for Harley Davidson and its dealerships. In my opinion, neither has any sense of honor. Certainly, there are exceptions. I have encountered a few really good and helpful dealerships. In my opinion, this is not one of them. If I'm ever in the Watertown area again, and happen to break down in a way I can't repair, I would call a Honda dealer before I'd ask these guys for help! They do sell fine paper weights, although, at $100, they're overpriced.