Bought an Ebike from a "Popular Wisconsin Dealer"

[TooMuchWitt]

I'm going to make a longer thread in the Haibike section about my decision to go with a Haibike and the other models I was seriously considering, what I tried out, etc.

This thread, however, is meant to discuss the experience I had with purchasing out-of-state from an " unnamed discount Wisconsion dealer" that gets recommended often on here.

Pre-sale:

• Very eager to respond to questions, proactive in finding answers
• Good pricing (much better than any local dealers)
• Touted the 2 year comprehensive Haibike warranty on everything as a bonus above "internet-direct" ebike purchases. I specifically asked about labor, and was told that they would "cover it".
• No sales tax out of state

Buying Process:

• Took CC over the phone
• Said I would be kept up to date with each step of the process (bike was shipping from the Haibike distribution facility in Ohio to the Dealer, then from the Dealer to me in CA)
• I said I was interested in other items to add to the order (suspension seatpost, saddle) and the salesperson set them aside so I could pay and add them to the bike shipment

Post-sale:

• Called the sales team, got a different person on the phone, but they checked their system, and said that the bike was "on the way" to their dealer location.
• In the same call, I asked about how I would handle any warranty issues, in case anything arises, and they said "contact Haibike. They will provide parts. You pay for labor at a local dealer. We don't handle anything since you're out of state"
• One day later, I suddenly received a UPS shipment email.

Here's where it all goes south:

• Upon receiving the email, I immediately called the store. The dude who answered the phone said "you just ordered the bike, it's still on it's way here. What more do you want?" That caught me off guard lol. When I explained that I just received a UPS shipment email, he then cut me off and said "Ok, that means UPS picked it up and it's gone from here. Nothing I can do. What do you want?" I asked him about the stuff that was set aside to add to my order, and his exact words were "tough s*it, looks like you missed out on that. We need to make a separate order. Your salesperson only works Saturday, Sunday, and Monday."

So, ultimately my bike is on the way, with an arrival date of Wednesday next week. I saved some money off retail price, for sure, but most retailers around here were willing to cut me a discount, just not one as deep as this "unnamed discount Wisconsin dealer".

Here's my takeaway:

1. I would have paid the $260 difference and bought local, both for better service and for the fact that local dealers provide everything under warranty, including labor.
2. I'm not confident in the "condition" my bike will arrive in. I'm hopeful they set it up correctly, per Haibike's dealer agreement, but with how they have handled everything so far, I'm skeptical.
3. I'm thankful I paid with a CC so that if they become obstinate or there are major issues with the bike, I have some recourse.
4. The salespeople are helpful until they have your money, and anything after purchase (even before delivery!) is horrendous.
5. This dealer clearly doesn't know what's going on with your order, even when it's in their system. 3 calls = 3 different people. When asking to talk to a previous person, each time I received "they aren't in and won't be in for a few days." Getting any accurate info is like pulling teeth.
6. If you're buying via a dealer for the peace of mind that a warranty provides, BUY LOCAL or from a more customer-oriented web-dealer.

Would I buy from them again? Probably not, unless the price was simply too good to pass up. If you do buy from them, go in with eyes open and realize that once they have your money, you are in trouble if you need anything else from them.

This isn't meant to blast them, but to provide a honest review of my experience with them.

On the plus side, I'm super excited for my bike! I've just set aside an extra $400 in case I need to fix/repair anything on my own. Fingers crossed!

 

[FlatSix911]

Sorry to hear about your issues so far with Crazy Lenny's. Please keep us posted on your delivery and post-sale problem resolution.

 

[onlineaddy]

Did you get the name of the post-sale phone rep? He needs to be called out, at least to the owner of the dealer.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

Did you get the name of the post-sale phone rep? He needs to be called out, at least to the owner of the dealer.

Unfortunately not. I was a bit flustered at the whole situation so I backed down, which isn't like me. It all caught me all off-guard.

 

[jaizon]

Name of the company would be helpful to those of us who might be thinking of buying that way.

 

[rich c]

I guess I'm getting lost in your post somewhere. Maybe a summary? You are upset that you aren't getting good enough service on a bike you don't have yet and now you have buyer's remorse and would have been willing to have paid a little more at a local shop, but maybe not as much as you really saved? Like I said, I'm confused.

 

[TomD]

Maybe spend more time reading the OP, it's pretty clear why he's upset. I would be too.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

Name of the company would be helpful to those of us who might be thinking of buying that way.

I'm unsure about the rules on putting names into threads, so I will message it to you!

 

[Nova Haibike]

Maybe spend more time reading the OP, it's pretty clear why he's upset. I would be too.

IMHO, it is not entirely justified. Why did he not ask about warranty before he purchased it? Besides, being out of state I think it would not matter much if Crazy or Haibike would be handling the warranty anyway. The only problem I see here is the attitude of the person answering the phone, and I am only reading what the OP has stated, not the actual conversation.

 

[rich c]

Maybe spend more time reading the OP, it's pretty clear why he's upset. I would be too.

Okay I re-read it. He's upset because he didn't do his homework, and got excited about the price and bought it without getting all the information he now has? And is ready and able to back charge them if he can in the future. I bought two Haibikes from there and haven't had to call or go back with an issue. That was in 2016 and 2017. So much of the OPs angst and concerns are unwarranted based on my experience. I guess this goes with good pricing and high volume, but they sure get the bashing on this forum compared to EVERY other dealer in America.

 

[TooMuchWitt]

IMHO, it is not entirely justified. Why did he not ask about warranty before he purchased it? Besides, being out of state I think it would not matter much if Crazy or Haibike would be handling the warranty anyway. The only problem I see here is the attitude of the person answering the phone, and I am only reading what the OP has stated, not the actual conversation.

Sorry, I edited the post to clarify why the warranty thing was unexpected. During the sales process, the salesperson touted the 2 year comprehensive warranty on everything as a bonus above "internet-direct" ebike purchases. Also, you're correct that you only have "my word" about the convo. But it was on speaker, and 2 family members overheard the convo as well. I also have text threads with the salesperson. So you're welcome to discredit me, but that seems a little presumptuous on your end.

Okay I re-read it. He's upset because he didn't do his homework, and got excited about the price and bought it without getting all the information he now has? And is ready and able to back charge them if he can in the future. I bought two Haibikes from there and haven't had to call or go back with an issue. That was in 2016 and 2017. So much of the OPs angst and concerns are unwarranted based on my experience.

I'm super glad you had good experiences there! I want everyone to have a great experience when purchasing an ebike. Here, I'll summarize my issues. You're completely within your rights to think they are unwarranted:

• Incredibly rude staff member when I inquired about my order status
• Promised by the salesperson that a suspension seatpost would be added to the order (for additional $ that I had agreed to) but it wasn't.
• Assured that the bike was going to be assembled, tested first, and then shipped out, (and that the salesperson would let me know), and it wasn't.
• Texted the salesperson about this mix-up, and the response was "that is weird...they didn't let me know it was in" and no contact after that.
• When getting my "ducks in a row" and asking how I would handle any issues with delivery/warranty, I discovered what they are willing to do is vastly different than what was described pre-sale to me.

I'm not "angsty" lol, I'm just simply sharing my experience with this company. Just as you are free to share yours!

 

[rich c]

Sorry, I edited the post to clarify why the warranty thing was unexpected. During the sales process, the salesperson touted the 2 year comprehensive warranty on everything as a bonus above "internet-direct" ebike purchases. Also, you're correct that you only have "my word" about the convo. But it was on speaker, and 2 family members overheard the convo as well. I also have text threads with the salesperson. So you're welcome to discredit me, but that seems a little presumptuous on your end.



I'm super glad you had good experiences there! I want everyone to have a great experience when purchasing an ebike. Here, I'll summarize my issues. You're completely within your rights to think they are unwarranted:

• Incredibly rude staff member when I inquired about my order status
• Promised by the salesperson that a suspension seatpost would be added to the order (for additional $ that I had agreed to) but it wasn't.
• Assured that the bike was going to be assembled, tested first, and then shipped out, (and that the salesperson would let me know), and it wasn't.
• Texted the salesperson about this mix-up, and the response was "that is weird...they didn't let me know it was in" and no contact after that.
• When getting my "ducks in a row" and asking how I would handle any issues with delivery/warranty, I discovered what they are willing to do is vastly different than what was described pre-sale to me.

I'm not "angsty" lol, I'm just simply sharing my experience with this company. Just as you are free to share yours!

They promised to assemble it, test it, then take it back apart to fit it back in the box?

 

[TooMuchWitt]

They promised to assemble it, test it, then take it back apart to fit it back in the box?

When asking about the reason for the bike having to be shipped from Ohio to Wisconsin, and then to CA, I was told that it was part of their dealer agreement with Haibike that the bikes be shipped to them first for "inspection and testing", so that they can ID any issues and/or fix anything wrong with the bike before shipping out. I'm not sure how ebike dealer agreements work, so I am going purely off what I was told.

I understand that you're trying to poke holes in my experience, but I'm honestly just trying to relay how things went for my purchase. $3000 isn't a trivial sum of money for me, and I am trying to make a post that would have helped 2-weeks-ago me.

EDIT: I called them again to ask specifically about the "assemble it, test it, then ship it" that I was told initially, and was told in these exact words: "We take it out of the box, set it up, make sure everything is adjusted and working properly, and then ship it out in either the same box with additional padding, or a different one if the original one was damaged in transit to us. This is done for every Haibike that gets sent to us from their Ohio distribution center."

So maybe chill out?

 

[Johnny]

Dealer's attitude is not acceptable. In the forum they have a presence and I am sure this will come to owner's attention. Keep us posted.



On a side note I feel like you are feeling buyer's remorse since you would have paid only $260 more for local(but probably you thought it would have been more).

I bought my first bike (a haibike) online since my local shops didn't have exact the same model and the similar models were a good $1k+ more which I didn't have. The thing is 3 weeks after I got my bike Haibike did a deep discount and the newer models that I would have liked to have decreased almost 1k in price.

1.Now if I purchased the bike from lbs I would have paid 1-1.5K more just to see the bike getting discounted 1k in 2-3 weeks.
2.f I waited a bit more I could have gotten a bike I liked better for a bit more from the lbs.

1st would be really disappointing, 2nd would have been good. That is life. Sometimes you can not know what is going to happen.

My Haibike arrived in the box straight from factory, I did the setup and installation and I have been happy with it since no problems whatsoever. We later purchased another ebike, this time from the lbs and it was a pleasant experience.

 

[Nova Haibike]

Clarification is everything. I understand why you are upset now.

 

[rich c]

When asking about the reason for the bike having to be shipped from Ohio to Wisconsin, and then to CA, I was told that it was part of their dealer agreement with Haibike that the bikes be shipped to them first for "inspection and testing", so that they can ID any issues and/or fix anything wrong with the bike before shipping out. I'm not sure how ebike dealer agreements work, so I am going purely off what I was told.

I understand that you're trying to poke holes in my experience, but I'm honestly just trying to relay how things went for my purchase. $3000 isn't a trivial sum of money for me, and I am trying to make a post that would have helped 2-weeks-ago me.

Just trying to understand the situation since I had such a good experience there. Full assembly of a bike these days is take it out of the box, put on the pedals, front wheel, handlebars, and seat. Everything else is done at the factory. It won't go back in the box with all that assembled. The brakes would be hydraulic, so no setting there. About the only single thing that needs to be checked on a Haibike is the derailleur adjustment.

 

[GypsyTreker]

What is the OP being attacked for and more important, why? He is relating his experience with Crazy Larry's? So let me get this straight....he buys based on a good price...adds more "purchased" items to the list and gets totally blown out by a "worker bee" representing CL simply because he calls to clarify shippers email he got? How boorish to respond to this guy in the manner you did. Wtf?

 

[DaveMatthews]

Anyone who utters the words "tough sh!t" to a customer regarding any sized purchase is not good enough to deal with, and is a detriment to the business.
As the manager of technical people who deal with our customers directly, if I found out that they had uttered those words to my customer I'd fire them on the spot.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Exactly! And if that guy has been employed at CL for more that 2 weeks that attitude has already reared its ugly head and the principle of that establishment has let it slide. Good chance it was a family member.

 

[Dallant]

Truth is that anyone selling you anything makes it all seem like sunshine and lollipops but it’s rarely as good as they make it seem. I’m a very skeptical person and that’s why I go with well-established brands with lots of shops so I can have options.
BTW, if anyone I spent big money with uttered “tough sh*t” to me, I’d make sure their name was SH*T everywhere!