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Corporate stupidity

1503 Views 11 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  tima
Hello all.

To preface, this is not a dig at the bikes in general. This is an outline of an experience with the brand.

I once had a pretty little Italian motorcycle. I waited for it's delivery for months and rode it up the coast of California the day I received it. The bike was solid and nimble, purred like a kitten and roared like a lion. But Alas, my 848 evo corse SE was not right and off to the dealer it went after the first ride.

You see the quickshift and I disagreed on whether the bike should remain in the gear I selected or downshift on its own, causing it to pitch and buck when it should be powering forward. I would upshift it, it would remain in gear for a few thousand rpm, then shift itself back into the previous gear. This caused quite the experience when the bike ended up 4k past redline. Six visits and over 60 days out of service later, the problem remained and it was time for the bike to go away. As a parting gift the coolant lines and the clutch slave began to leak and were rectified with a "tightened hose clamp and no fault found."

As legal representation was unleashed, winter came and went, then came and went again. Finally the great and powerful DNA acquiesced reluctantly to offer what was required of them by state law. Much like with boat ownership, the second happiest day had arrived as the title was signed and the vehicle was sent out to pasture. and thus endeth my tale.

The end?

From the depths the kraken has returned, Sherlock interjects yet again after eluding Watson in the mist at the falls at the death of Moriarty , and Mr. Meyers has donned the mask once more for an unsuspecting teenager to run into the dark house instead of driving the hell away.

What is this I see on yonder table? A collection notice from the DMV as the vehicle somehow is still registered to me almost 6 months later, and is past due for its tags. garnishments, and tax implications abound!

Now I have enlisted the help of another authority in the land to arbitrate the latest horror. Only now the almighty DNA has turned to petty insult and mockery, declaring their innocence in it all and attempting to pass the blame on me. "Well here is an attached form that you can fill out, it's just too much to ask for us to mail in a title document you know. Your needs as a customer are really inconsiderate as it is pulling us away from counting all our money" or something like that....
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In all seriousness. I enjoy all my Ducati motorcycles, I'm just not buying a new one ever again if this is the hassle that premium price rewards me with.

If you have problems with any vehicle manufacturer, document and photograph everything. Thankfully I have a dated, time stamped picture with their rep in Ducati uniform holding the title standing next to the bike. I kept all the service records, and recorded the Time/mileage in and out that the dealers failed to document on the repair orders. Even with legal representation and the full support of legal statute, this was a PITA. The one part I thought would be a non point has even now been used to bite me.

You can love the bikes all you want. Just remember- Ducati only wants your money and customer service is not of any interest to a company who limits production to boost exclusivity. You, the customer are easily replaced. Cover your ass. Document everything. If nothing goes wrong you have lost nothing. Wear proper safety gear and go have fun. It's a short f'ing life.
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You can love the bikes all you want. Just remember- Ducati only wants your money and customer service is not of any interest to a company who limits production to boost exclusivity. You, the customer are easily replaced. Cover your ass. Document everything. If nothing goes wrong you have lost nothing. Wear proper safety gear and go have fun. It's a short f'ing life.

Honestly it sucks that you've had such a negative experience and it left such a bad taste. But your statement for most of us would be false as most of us have had good customer service with Ducati overall.
Even if you have a bad dealer experience I can tell you from experience that if you contact Ducati Italy, things get resolved.

Again sorry you had a bad taste left in your mouth.
Ducati only wants your money and customer service is not of any interest to a company who limits production to boost exclusivity. You, the customer are easily replaced. Cover your ass. Document everything. If nothing goes wrong you have lost nothing.
The above fits for both customers and employees for almost any company.

Sorry to hear about your issues, but I did enjoy the story:smoking:
:popcorn: interesting ..

What manufacture are you replacing Ducati with?
I've still got a duc left that I built myself and have had no problems with. Sadly my new career allows little time for riding other than a commute on occasion. I think I'm going to unload my current monster and pick up something inexpensive and more upright to burn up as a commuter. Maybe just an old SV, or a yamaha yz series, possibly a GS if I can find one within reason.

As it is, most days I already just take the train or drive a company car. I guess there are worse fates than to commute in a Model S. :)
Im feelin your pain. Very similar experiences for me. A good dealership is hard to find. So those of you that have a good one, count your blessings. Dealers make a little money on service, but they want to SELL motorcycles, not work on them. And most of the time, they make less money on warranty claims than regular service. They employ kids that they pay as little as possible, while they bill at $90 or more per hour. This results in apathy,and resentment among the people actually working on your bike. Do you think a 20 year old kid who is making $12 per hour is going to care about your boutique bike. Probably at first, for a while, but after making shit and being treated like shit for a year or two, how would you feel?
A good dealership will employ the same tech for years and years. Look at AMS and Jeff Nash
When you go to independent, privately owned service shops, your experience will be different. As they want you to come back BEFORE you want to buy a new bike. Often, the owners are the techs. If they have employees, they tend to be treated well, resulting in a good attitude and work ethic. Doing what they love and being fairly compensated for it.
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I worked for Benz dealerships for years and understand the dealership failings. My concern is the fact that the corporation itself feels they can jerk people around even when they are clearly in the wrong. Heck, a person who has owned 4 Ducs and paid for a new one in cash would normally be the kind of customer companies would move mountains for.

Anywho... I'm cool with pre-owned bikes from private sellers and aftermarket or ebay parts for any future Ducs. I enjoy the bikes... when they work.
Ducati and maserati service are THE PITS
,,For you maybe,for me its top notch,lucky i guess...:)
sorry to hear that rusty but mine are superb , again just lucky
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