I am still awaiting a response. With all the difficulties, and HD's need to force confessions from the union to keep manufacturing in Milwaukee's plant, he likely has a lot on his plate.
But if you alienate a customer that has provided your company with tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits, you should expect sales to decline. Harleys are luxuries, not necessities. For too many people that $10,000-$30,000 bike in the garage represents the drop in value in their home, or tomorrows dinner.
It would be nice to go for a ride to try and forget one's financial woes. Unfortunately it may not be on your prized motorcycle.
Even the wealthy are giving up the once every one or two years tradeup.
And when that Harley was manufactured by workers forced to make drastic concessions and wage freezes, how much will you trust it. What was once company pride may now be just a bitter taste. Kind of like sending your burger back because you requested only one pickle slice. What's in the special sauce now?
Keith E. Wandell, Pres. & CEO
| Harley-Davidson, Inc. |
| 3700 W. Juneau Avenue |
| Milwaukee, WI 53208 |
|
|
Dear Mr. Wandell:
I hope this letter reaches you or someone who may be able to help me resolve a very disturbing problem regarding the treatment I have received from Harley-Davidson customer service and one of its dealerships in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.
I am a 58 year old male who was, until recently, the proud owner of seven Harley-Davidson motorcycles. I am also a Life Member of H.O.G.
My respect for Harley disintegrated after the purchase last year of an FLHTCUSE5 CVO Ultra Classic. I purchased the bike in August and rode it to my home in Pittsford, NY (because I had a garage there). The garage is shared with a 2005 Softail Deluxe and a 2009 Street Glide with 110" upgraded engine. Up until 2008, I did not have my motorcycles stored in a garage. With the acquisition of a house with a garage came the purchase of a 2009 FLHX; and the following year, the 2010 Screamin' Eagle CVO FLHTCUSE5. The 2009 was my everyday ride, and the 2010 would never be ridden in inclement weather.
During the winter I covered the 2010 with the supplied "breathable" cover. The other two were uncovered. When I removed the cover in March on the first warm day, I was shocked to see every chrome part coated with corrosion and several parts were rusted. Right next to two motorcycles with not much more than a little dust. I called Harley and my selling dealership, and sent both pictures. I spent 3 days polishing chrome, and where some parts were as good as new, others a half inch away were missing most of their chrome, with severe peeling on several parts. And the paint on much of the engine case was stained and discolored. Painted body parts were still flawless.
Through phone calls and emails, I learned that my warranty coverage was denied. This is without anyone from Harley or its dealerships having even seen the bike. The Sales Manager at Crossroads, who sold me the motorcycle, suggested that I caused the damage myself, and said he told Harley that he was advising me to seek the services of a 'Lemon' lawyer.
I asked for an estimate of the repairs and was given a detailed estimate that totaled over $10,000. When I inquired what the owner of the dealership, thought of the situation, I learned that he had not even been told.
What it all comes down to, though, is that I spent $37,000 on my seventh Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which, using the supplied cover according to the instructions, incurred over $10,000 in damage in the course of a few months. Then, instead of doing any inspection or investigation of the defects, my motorcycle was essentially blacklisted by a customer service agent over the phone, so no matter what the opinion of an experienced technician at any Harley dealership, I will be denied warranty service.
I did some searching on the internet and learned of owners of CVO bikes getting all defective chromed, rusted and corroded parts on a "one-time, one-order" basis under warranty. Why am I being treated differently?
I contacted my insurance company, and at their expense, they hired two independent testing laboratories to examine and test the parts in question. Representatives of one lab came to my home, inspected and photographed the defective parts, interviewed me, as well as visually inspected the 2009, 2005, and the environment in which they were stored. They took parts for laboratory testing, and determined them to defective (with about 50 pages of supporting documentation).
I tried to convey this information to HD customer service, but they were not interested. I asked for written documentation of why warranty coverage was being denied, and was refused.
As an adult, reasonably intelligent consumer, and former manager of a Fortune 500 manufacturing company, I cannot believe that any executive whose salary and bonus depends on company sales, would so arbitrarily dismiss a major issue from a customer who has likely spent in excess of a quarter of a million dollars on Harley motorcycles and products.
But it shouldn't matter who I am, or how much I've spent. I have a defective product, and I am unable to find a single Harley employee to listen or respond reasonably, not to mention respectfully.
How is it that one part has lost most of its plating, and another less than an inch away is as good as new? Why did the paint not show any evidence of anything splashed up on the bike? Why were all the chrome parts coated with film if the cover was breathable? The motorcycle had never, in its short life, been driven in wet or rainy conditions. I wash and blow dry my motorcycle after most rides (the engine after cooling). The pictures were taken right after taking the cover off. It looked a lot better after a few hours of polishing, but I had already been brandished a slob who didn't care for his cycles.
When I informed HD customer service of the testing report, I was explained how HD uses different companies for their plating, and the tested parts may only have been from one company. Fine. Why aren't those parts being replaced?
And what does my Lifetime H.O.G. Membership get me? Besides the opportunity to spend more money on Harley? Do I get some kind of advocate? Someone who has seen very similar situations, all lumped into the excuse of 'environmental causes, not covered under warranty'.
Having owned seven Harleys, not to mention Ducatis, Suzukis, Hondas and others, I am not inexperienced with motorcycles. I am also intelligent enough to know the corrosive nature of salt, and the proper care of a vehicle. Considering the CVO was stored in the same garage, and the only difference in their treatment was the CVO was stored under the supplied cover. Considering there was evidence of corrosion on almost every chromed part on the motorcycle leads me to believe that it got there due to the nature of the supplied 'breathable' cover. IT DID NOT BREATHE. Consequently any moisture that evaporated under the cover, condensed on the cover and dripped onto the bike which caused the damage. I have thousands of miles on Harleys, many through torrential rains. There are parts of the cycle that do not get wet easily. Yet the CVO bike shows corrosion damages in those places. My 2003, which has not had the luxury of a garage (7 years older and 35,000 miles farther), looks better.
And if all I have said is still unbelievable to you, it has been confirmed by two separate testing labs who specialize in metallurgical analysis.
I could go on forever about the things that are just plain wrong here, but I won't. If you can help me, or direct this letter to someone who can, please respond as soon as possible. I have now lost practically an entire riding season attempting to resolve this, because I won't ride the motorcycle until a resolution is reached. I appreciate your consideration and understanding.
Probably the most disturbing and insulting action was the dealer who received my $37,000+ from the sale of this motorcycle, had the audacity to give me an estimate for over $10,000 to repair the motorcycle. Whether it is legal to engage in this behavior, it is certainly morally and ethically despicable.
I am not a legal expert by any means, but feel I have reasonable evidence to show my motorcycle is defective. I would like to resolve this in a civil manner. If this is not possible, I think my most prudent course of action is to have the matter handled by someone more experienced in this type of situation.
Respectfully,
James Cooper
1998 FLSTF 'Street Stalker'
1999 FLHTRCI
2000 FLHTCUI
2003 FLHTCUI
2005 FLSTN
2009 FLHX (110")
2010 FLHTCUSE5
2011-???? (not if things stay the way they are)
incl: photos of defective parts; excerpts of investigation indicating likely cause of problem, and improbability that customer treatment of motorcycle contributed to damage.
(Pictures from letter not included in this post)
Excerpts from report of professional testing lab:
"The results of our investigation indicate the damage to your vehicle is the result of a chrome adhesion issue caused by the manufacturer, Harley-Davidson."
"The investigator could find no correlation between the chrome problem and improper usage and/or storage of the motorcycle for which the insured might have caused this to have caused it to occurred."
"It shall also be noted that the insured is an experienced motorcyclist with several other motorcycles in his possession. Examination of his other motorcycles in the same storage location and facility failed to exhibit the same type of chrome adhesion problems found upon the Harley Davidson motorcycle in question."
