Time to vent and ask a question...or two....

[SC Chill]

I agree with the intent of the post. I will say that Matthews Fun Machines in Matthews, NC treated me well at the sale and at the 600 mile service. They recognized I was there early, well before they opened to allow the spyder to cools own before service, came and got me to put me first in line for service. Thanks, Rich.

[Hberninger]

After due consideration, I believe it is time to put my cards on the table. I purchased my machine from Powersports Cleveland. Talk about kiss my behind during the purchase! Free hat for wife and I. Discount on accessories. Blah. Blah. Salesman told me numerous times that I did not need an extended warranty because "these things never break". Ain't even gonna dignify that claim with a response. They wanted $1200 for the warranty. Saw that a dealer in Colorado was selling the BRP warranty for $899. Did the right thing and called my dealer and asked if he could/would try to meet that price. Never called me back. Call again. No response. Took the bike in for a vibration problem and was given the "nature of the beast" line. Have ridden other machines and the vibration is not there, so something ain't right. Tried to talk with them about it. No luck. Call & email BRP. No luck. $30k and still vibrating.
With that said, I must say that I did stop by Hattiesburg Cycles while on vacation in hopes hey could find the cause of the vibration while I waited. They did agree that there is a problem, the owner of Hattiesburg Cycles (Mr. Larry ?) even loaned me his own Spyder use to get lunch while they looked at my machine. In the end, no quick solution, but they were honest, didn't treat me like my IQ was below room temperature and told me that if I could leave the bike they "would find the problem and fix it quickly". Talk about a can do attitude. The only issue was that I was on vacation and could not leave the bike.
I use Tapatalk and just noticed that in the about 8 topics visible on the left margin, not including my post, there are two others that deal with very unhappy people. Coincidence?? I think not.


Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....

Biosfena,
Sorry to hear of you negative experience with dealers. If all fails, I recommend J&J Cycles in Huron, OH. A small dealer, but very customer friendly.
Bernie

[pellcitypete]

Two good dealers that can get the job done. Cullman Powersports in Cullman Alabama and in Hamilton Alabama it is Motor Sport Super Store. I know the Can Am Mechanic at both of these places and they are pretty dang good.


The bad ones are Big Number 1 in Birmingham AL and Olive Branch Can Am in Olive Branch Mississippi. These two dealers just lack a knowledgeable service department. Like everyone I have my own facts about the four that make me feel this way. Don't get your panties
in a bunch if you happen to like or dislike one of them. Just the way I feel.

I agree 100% with you on the fact that big#1 is a joke an the one in Cullman is a good one ! I had no problem naming names . Butt the dealers do read this form and they don't like bad reports I say do good work get good report

[pellcitypete]

The auto manufacturers seem to have figured out a rating system for their dealers that they incent based on their results from sales and service satisfaction surveys. Better ratings mean better pricing for units bought and thus more profit if they rate high by the customers. Can I assume that BRP does NOT have this in place? If so, wouldn't it be a win win if they did so? Five star dealers get the best deAl, three stars less so.....? Would address the issue at hand and would seem to be the fairest. BRP, are you listening?

They do have a rating sys. 5 stars great 2 stars bad so BRP knows what is said on here !

[asp125]

I don't have to name my dealer, they are the only one in Denver. So far I haven't had to use them for service, but I had to repeatedly bug them for my gas cap recall. They told me my Spyder (bought used from them) would be registered with BRP and that I'd get the recall notice. After 4 months of waiting I finally just went and talked with the service manager and got my gas cap.

[SpyderWolf]

As others have stated, since most dealer reviews are going to lead to mixed results the best approach would be to ask for dealer recommendations in your area. A couple weeks ago there was an owner coming to Charleston, SC, for vacation who was going to need service along the way. He asked for recommendations and many of us gave him multiple options based on our own experiences. He wound up using Velocity Powersports and was very pleased with the result. That is one of the best ways for us to help each other.

For what its worth, I just ordered some parts directly from the BRP online store. I expected them to come from Canada, but they were actually shipped from Alcoa Good Times in TN and arrived in about a week. If I can get that kind of service directly from their online store, I find it hard to believe a dealer would have a more difficult time and a longer wait to get many of the parts they need. I also received an email survey about the purchase process that I am going to fill out in a few minutes.

I have also received a service satisfaction survey after every service performed by a dealer. As Bruiser stated, I am not sure how helpful these are to BRP but I always fill them out honestly and include additional comments about what I liked or didn't like with the dealership.

[stillriding]

[QUOTE=Biosafena;630766]After due consideration, I believe it is time to put my cards on the table. I purchased my machine from Powersports Cleveland. Talk about kiss my behind during the purchase! Free hat for wife and I. Discount on accessories. Blah. Blah. Salesman told me numerous times that I did not need an extended warranty because "these things never break". Ain't even gonna dignify that claim with a response. They wanted $1200 for the warranty. Saw that a dealer in Colorado was selling the BRP warranty for $899. Did the right thing and called my dealer and asked if he could/would try to meet that price. Never called me back. Call again. No response. Took the bike in for a vibration problem and was given the "nature of the beast" line. Have ridden other machines and the vibration is not there, so something ain't right. Tried to talk with them about it. No luck. Call & email BRP. No luck. $30k and still vibrating.
With that said, I must say that I did stop by Hattiesburg Cycles while on vacation in hopes hey could find the cause of the vibration while I waited. They did agree that there is a problem, the owner of Hattiesburg Cycles (Mr. Larry ?) even loaned me his own Spyder use to get lunch while they looked at my machine. In the end, no quick solution, but they were honest, didn't treat me like my IQ was below room temperature and told me that if I could leave the bike they "would find the problem and fix it quickly". Talk about a can do attitude. The only issue was that I was on vacation and could not leave the bike.
I use Tapatalk and just noticed that in the about 8 topics visible on the left margin, not including my post, there are two others that deal with very unhappy people. Coincidence?? I think not.

PM sent.

[flaggerphil]

I totally agree with you BRP has a poor service after the sale attitude and the few that have a great dealership in their area is very Lucky and don't understand all of us that don't have one BUT for the most part all the THOUSANDS of ISSUES on this site is from BRP and Dealership lack of concern to keep the customer happy and is poor way to run a Business BUT I Love my Bike but we all got to deal with the poor BIKE issues BRP lack of quality has and Like you said they don't care I spoke with JULES (BRP REP) in Canada a few times and its like ok let her hang the phone up so she don't have to deal with it attitude glad you wrote this and you was not afraid to ruffle some peoples feathers and now you,ll get critized I,am sure like I do when I post something like this but $25-30 K for a bike that breaks down is crazy

Whoa...someone stole your punctuation!

[cabodan]

Call BRP costumer service directly and give them your concerns.Also you may get a little compensation for your down time and poor service from that dealer you mentioned.Good luck....

[jthornton]

In regards to your question about a survey after a service visit.......................I have gotten them several times, they are sent by e-mail with a link to a web site. I happen to be one of the blessed ones with two great dealers in the state, Cowtown (80 miles one way) and Pitbull (225 miles one way)! I was just at Cowtown today for an oil change, new rear break, and a general check-up before we leave for the Owners Event!

I can add one more Dealer in the great state of Missouri, while not as big as the other two the Service Department at Midwest Sports Center in Farmington is top notch and tries very hard to do the right thing for the customer. I assume the Service Departments are what we are rating here...

JT

[flaggerphil]

Central Florida Powersports in Kissimmee is, IMHO, outstanding. Daytona Fun Machines is also very good.

Route 1 Motorsports in Grant, FL...not so much.

[daveinva]

Yeah, I'm definitely caveat emptor when it comes to dealer reviews, particularly in the service departments.

There are great dealers. There are terrible dealers. Then there are "good enough" dealers, or "good luck with that" dealers. And everything in between, sometimes even depending on the day of the week.

Customer service is hard. Let's start from that, shall we? No matter how good a business is, it's tough to get great customer service 100% of the time. We're all human.

And, of course, we customers all have our own different ideas of what makes for good customer service. Some of us want as much of a personal touch as possible. Others prefer a more transactional approach.

I admit, I'm in the latter category. Contrary to my internet persona, I'm generally a man of few words. I love online shopping, show me the Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews (and I read the positive AND negative reviews, and take salt with both). I love the no-haggle Carmax model and "buy it now" eBay auctions. Tell me in writing what you're selling me, quote me a price, and let's get on with it. I realize, however, that there are others out there who prefer a very different consumer style.

Thing is, two people can go to the same Spyder dealer, have almost identical experiences, yet come away with very different perceptions. Thus, if you only have two reviews of any one dealer, you're not getting enough information.

For that reason, I'm all for naming dealers here at Spyderlovers. Rave about great service, complain about bad service. But don't just rave or complain-- *explain* what happened to make you rave or complain. Give us all the information you can, and we'll make our own decisions then.

[jerpinoy]

Good relationship between people always end up in good terms. Bullying is detrimental to anyone.

Good timing is the best time. Good greetings will open up a bright day. A nice smile will lift some creases on someone face. Have a nice day to all. God Bless us all. Lets ride and be safe.

[Mr. White]

I will tell you my dealers name....hey, it is (was) in the phonebook.... South Texas Suzuki, Lytle, TX. Took me six weeks to get a throttle body...I called BRP and they said they were having "some problems" with this dealer. Finally got the TB and BR1 runs like a hose.

Two months ago a friend of mine (Suzuki guy) was there and the U.S. Mashalls showed up and lots of folks started loading up all of the BRP Spyders and boats. Later Suzuki and Kawasaki came by also.

Dealer is closed! Now I have two other dealer's within 50 miles of me so I gotta choose one and see how it goes. Wish me luck as I get mixed reports on both....ya pays your money and ya takes your chances.

[MouthPiece]

I try to err on the side of extolling the virtues, and mentioning the name of my dealership, Seminole Power Sports, in Sanford, Flarda, (there I did it again) versus any complaints that I may have. I do this because I'm not the brightest bulb in the house when it comes to mechanics. Consequently, I don't have the credentials to "make judgment" about mechanical issues and whether they have acted properly or not. I think it human nature to over state when we are upset. In those instances, I feel that I should not mention their name. However, I do feel that I'm fully capable of reporting when "fixes" are made in a prompt and professional manner and are done with a service oriented attitude.

Chris



Chris

[Mad Mike]

I bought mine after reading a lot of negatives on this site and others. When a company, let's say, Company Named "PRB" builds a product and sells to the public. Computer faults and codes as well as common fixes and flaws are sent back to "PRB" over the years for analysis by the dealerships. "PRB" tells dealership that it was same old same old and not to worry. If I were President of "PRB", I would make SURE that someone in Enginering, Re-engineered the thing until it was right. I would make sure that after the first year or two of production that the forums wouldn't be full of problems that kept coming up..Car companies have problems that sometimes take years to find and I'm sure the same applies here. But HEY JACK! Get back to the drawing board and please do your job...If You Can't get it done, then BYE! Find someone that can. TOO MANY PEOPLE NEED A JOB!! I love my 2011 but if things don't change, with regard to a lot of the common flaws, I'm GONE! I echo the common theme..Pay 30K for problems, I have enough without payin' for more . I will add that I've been fortunate to have a great mechanic at the dealership I use. If there is an issue, he talks to me and the service manager tries hard to please as well. Only Minor issue with some phone calls and a part order that took 6 months (to get a hitch, should have gone to e-bay). Lexington Motorsports. (Lex. KY)..

"ENGINEER OUT" OR "RE-DESIGN" to ELIMINATE THE PROBLEMS!!!! OR AT LEAST TRY.. Please "PRB"

It Can Be Done..Too much intelligence in house to allow failure and EVERYONE on this site knows it. It Can Be Done!

Thank You and Have a Nice Day!

[Biosafena]

After reading some of the posts, I see that people can easily tell when it is time to "blast a dealer out of the water" with their comments. There is a line that when crossed, a person can tell and it is time to say something. On the other side, I see people are also singing the praises of many dealers. This trust is something that is earned and the dealer must always work to earn and keep that. The information posted here is certainly beneficial to some people based upon the named dealer being geographically desirable.


Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....

[Biosafena]

To Mad Mike:
Amen.


Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....

[Flanker]

Wellllll...
There's no prohibition against naming names... Nut since most dealers aren't in here so that they can tell their side of the story; it just doesn't seem quite right to slam them...
And you'll never solve a problem with a dealer out in an open forum; you'll just make them madder...
But if somebody asks for a name; you can always throw it out in the forum, OR PM it to them...

Excellent points!

[viperryder]

After due consideration, I believe it is time to put my cards on the table. I purchased my machine from Powersports Cleveland. Talk about kiss my behind during the purchase! Free hat for wife and I. Discount on accessories. Blah. Blah. Salesman told me numerous times that I did not need an extended warranty because "these things never break". Ain't even gonna dignify that claim with a response. They wanted $1200 for the warranty. Saw that a dealer in Colorado was selling the BRP warranty for $899. Did the right thing and called my dealer and asked if he could/would try to meet that price. Never called me back. Call again. No response. Took the bike in for a vibration problem and was given the "nature of the beast" line. Have ridden other machines and the vibration is not there, so something ain't right. Tried to talk with them about it. No luck. Call & email BRP. No luck. $30k and still vibrating.
With that said, I must say that I did stop by Hattiesburg Cycles while on vacation in hopes hey could find the cause of the vibration while I waited. They did agree that there is a problem, the owner of Hattiesburg Cycles (Mr. Larry ?) even loaned me his own Spyder use to get lunch while they looked at my machine. In the end, no quick solution, but they were honest, didn't treat me like my IQ was below room temperature and told me that if I could leave the bike they "would find the problem and fix it quickly". Talk about a can do attitude. The only issue was that I was on vacation and could not leave the bike.
I use Tapatalk and just noticed that in the about 8 topics visible on the left margin, not including my post, there are two others that deal with very unhappy people. Coincidence?? I think not.


Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....

I see that you are from Northeast Ohio. Here is a dealer that I can verify is GREAT. Johnny K's in Niles Ohio. 420 Youngstown-Niles Road. Ph 330-544-9696. I did have problems with my RT SE5 and since I have taken it to them they have done wonders. They are also a sponsor of Spyderlovers. Hope this helps and good luck.

[Ga Blue Knight]

My local dealer won't order anything until they have at least $150 of value to order in parts, so if you need a $6 grommet it's going to take a while to get it! They don't order parts for stock either except oil change kits. That mean if anything goes boink on you Spyder it going to be a wait of at least a week or to to get the part. Totally inadequate! On the other hand the folks are friendly, trying hard and just untrained and incompetent. BRP should never have given them a dealership to begin with! They lost their only certified Spyder Tech three months ago and I have no idea how they are working on Spyders. I will not bring mine there anymore but will ride 80 miles to the next competent dealership if need be. It would appear that the dealership network is degrading across the nation in total with a few dealerships appearing that are truly outstanding.

[ARtraveler]

My local dealer won't order anything until they have at least $150 of value to order in parts, so if you need a $6 grommet it's going to take a while to get it! They don't order parts for stock either except oil change kits. That mean if anything goes boink on you Spyder it going to be a wait of at least a week or to to get the part. Totally inadequate! On the other hand the folks are friendly, trying hard and just untrained and incompetent. BRP should never have given them a dealership to begin with! They lost their only certified Spyder Tech three months ago and I have no idea how they are working on Spyders. I will not bring mine there anymore but will ride 80 miles to the next competent dealership if need be. It would appear that the dealership network is degrading across the nation in total with a few dealerships appearing that are truly outstanding.

Inventory is a big deal and there are certain supplies that a dealer should have in stock. It was my understanding from my dealer that BRP requires dealers to have X $'s of inventory ('s) and X $'s of parts inventory. I am wondering how they are still able to sell 's if they are not at least making minimums.

They probably cannot carry one of everything--but--they need sufficient stuff to keep the business going. The course they are on will put them out of business eventually because no one wants to wait a week or two for something every time they need it.

[gila river rafter]

I took the advice in the previous post and searched on the names of my two closest dealers. I found one post where the question was asked about experiences, but no one replied. The info on the second only consisted of the fact that the machine was purchased from them. I thought about other Spyder owners around me and there is only one that is really close and I know that he drives or trailers his machine to New York from Ohio to have work done it. As far as following "the process" I read far too many posts where "the process" comes into play. For a dealer to tell an owner "that is the nature of the beast" and no matter how much I protest they stand their ground. I don't want to do business with them and I would hope to avoid a similar experience at other shops by having information on their performance in advance. I did try following the "process" on my vibration issue and was told by BRP that these type of issues are best resolved through the dealer. When I told them I was not getting anywhere with the dealer, I was told that the dealers are trained to diagnose and remedy these problem and to go through them. Can anyone say "deaf"?
I am not looking to start a fight with anyone. I just have a hard time understanding why such a (large?) number of people are having the problems they are, myself included, and it remains status quo with the manufacturer and their representatives.

Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....

I believe that you have hit the nail on the head .Ridenow Sports in Tucson ( Ina ) Has good mechanics, management, and staff.However they have as many problems dealing with BRP as the customers do. re: parts, technical follow up,and general concern for customers after the sale.This is why I no longer have the 2013 rs . gila river rafter

[boborgera]

[QUOTE=Ga Blue Knight;631912]My local dealer won't order anything until they have at least $150 of value to order in parts, so if you need a $6 grommet it's going to take a while to get it! They don't order parts for stock either except oil change kits. That mean if anything goes boink on you Spyder it going to be a wait of at least a week or to to get the part.
QUOTE]

That's was about the same with the dealer i bought the Spyder from' only he said 500min? Now that was over a year and a half ago so it might have changed since then, They can red flag a part, But that 6 dollar part will then become +25$ express shipping.....

[Biosafena]

Well, I just got home with my 2012 RT Ltd from being at the dealer for 2-1/2 weeks for repairs. This is what they replaced (twice!).
705004774
Can-Am
Windshield Motor Support Ass'y
$573.49
Apparently the electronics in this control the windshield and the parking brake. BRP sent one and that was defective, so had to wait for another one to be delivered.
Also had them look at a vibration that I get at certain RPM's that will make you numb after a while, especially when riding 2 up. They agreed that something ain't right, but after checking the obvious, they couldn't find anything. Said to run it and bring it back in the fall when I could leave it for an extended period of time. Does anyone know if the windshield motor assembly is something that is known to be a problem and fail? A also does anyone have any ideas on the vibration? It is more than just the belt.


Sent from the corner of walk and don't walk....