Wilsons Sandbox

Raamses@... writes: snip

> My question is: Should I take some type of action against these folks?

No, don't waste your time.

>Should I call Kawasaki and complain?< Yes, be polite and concise. > Should I talk to the store manager?< No >Any suggestions?

Talk to the store OWNER. In a calm and controlled manner simply explain your problem and give him a chance to fix it. If he agrees, let him fix your bike and give him a chance to be a "Good local dealer". Explain any problems you have with his shop, ie. $45 vs $110. If he wants your business let him "Earn It". Remember, the CUSTOMER is KING. Find a dealership that recognizes this and support them. Don't let some jerk spoil your day. Your problem with a new bike is why I like buying a good used bike. I save money and somebody else has already "debugged" it. Sometimes "used" is better than "new" (and sometimes "used" is pure Junk!). In either case, let the buyer beware. Ride safe! - Ernie P.

At 12:45 PM 4/14/00 -0400, Raamses@... wrote:

>I called today to set up an appointment to have them look at my gas tank,

because I think it

>has a tiny leak. I said I would like to get it fixed or replaced under >warranty. The reply was "have you had your first service done yet?" I told >him that I had done it myself. >He then said "You can bring your bike in and we'll have to do the first >service, and we'll check it over good for any leaks. If you do your own >service, your warranty is null and void. I don't know if they told you that >when you bought the bike."

I agree that you should approach the owner of the dealership and offer him/her an opportunity to do the right thing to avoid a fire or an explosion. The approach could be that you both have a mutual problem that can most likely be solved cheaply and easily. Your correct servicing of the bike cannot invalidate any expressed or implied warranties by Kawasaki, and in any case the scope of work is an external issue - it is restricted to inspection and repair/replacement of the tank. And, any insistence by the dealer that warranties are valid and contingent only when the dealer performs service, whether or not it is external of the problem component (the tank in your case), is arbitrary. Your state/consumer affairs division has lemon laws that govern this transaction, too, so you might want to get familiar with the process. Give the owner a chance, and if the problem persists, follow the lemon law directions. They're specific and easy to do. Stuart

Mike Walburn put Dual Star's Web site up this week; it's at: http://www.dual-star.com Dreas