Nightmare On Any Street
How to avoid unscrupulous shops
Story and Photos by MetalMan
You did your best. You scoured the area to locate someone with whom you could trust your pride and joy. Once you were satisfied that all of your questions had been answered satisfactorily, you handed over the keys to your bike to Slick's Custom Bike Emporium, and walked away. You are an intelligent person, aren’t you? The shop looked reputable, right? You saw bikes being built or serviced, there was lots of inventory, machinery, employees... And the owner's been in business for umpteen years. Heck, you even met a satisfied customer or two inside the shop during your visit. You're confident that within a reasonable period of time, you will be riding a full custom Harley, and that you'll be the envy of everyone who sees your ride.
Not to burst your bubble, but you may have just entered a two-wheeler's Twilight Zone.
It goes without saying that there are thousands of honest shops throughout the country, but tucked away in the shadows are those shops from hell that operate in the gray area of the law. If they don't outright cheat you, they'll defraud you without your knowledge, and unfortunately you won't be the wiser until it's too late... Like until you've broken down on the side of Route 25 in East Nowhere.
The Search
So how do you protect yourself? Start with the following:
— Check a shop's standing with the local Better Business Bureau. If your state's department of motor vehicles regulates automotive repair facilities, you might also check with them to see if any complaints have been filed against the shop.
— Try to find someone who's commissioned the shop to perform major overhaul and custom work. You know someone who's done business with the shop beyond buying parts. Even if you ask the shop's management for names of satisfied customers, take what you hear with a grain of salt. Seek out unimpeachable sources, if possible. Ask around at the local hangouts. If someone's got a serious gripe against a shop, you can be sure you'll get an earful!
Details, Details
If a shop passes the preliminary testing, it's time to raise the following issues.
— Demand a detailed invoice of everything the shop does, and for every part they they use to build your bike. This includes any parts the shop claims need to be replaced in your engine or transmission.
— Demand that your old parts be returned to you. For example, if you're told that your crankpin needs to be replaced, the shop should have no trouble explaining why. Also ask if they'd mind putting it in writing. They may charge you to itemize the details of their work, but consider it cheap insurance. Nothing's free.
— Ask them about their parts pricing policy. A less-than-up-front shop can make extra money is by charging you for every part separately. This behavior may be legal in some states, but it's certainly not ethical. For example, if you tell the facility that you want to use a complete set of chrome fasteners on your engine, you should get a kit price for the parts. Same goes for a tranny rebuild. Unless a small number of specific parts is all that you're replacing, your builder should be able to "kit price" your hard parts. In addition, he should also be able to give you a rate for labor so that you can know exactly what you'll have to fork over for that aspect of the project.
Speaking of parts, you may be hauling in a few that you've purchased on your own. If you do this, and the shop agrees to install them for you, make sure you get a receipt identifying each part. For example, you may have a new oil pump, stock-type wiring harness, and fuel tank in your possession. Ensure that you don't become a victim of a shell game, where your new parts are swapped for similar used components. This can happen. Devise a way to mark them permanently if you feel it's necessary.
When you're absolutely sure you're dealing with an upright and honest builder, what's next? Let's talk payment for services rendered. It isn't unreasonable for a shop to ask you to pay as you go. Unless they know you personally, don’t expect the shop to extend you much credit. If yours is a long term project, one that could take six months to a year to complete, arrange to get a project status and bill at least once a month, or when your outstanding balance reaches a specific level. If you fail to monitor costs carefully, you could end up owing the shop $10,000 before you can say, "Laconia, here I come." Such an invoice, when you're expecting a bill for $3,000, could bring your project to a screeching halt. The best thing you can do to avoid this pitfall is to track your builder's progress carefully. If you drop the ball here, this could be where your troubles really begin.
Legal Hassles
If you owe a shop money, there may be a predefined legal period of time by which you must make your account current. If you can't come up with the money, the shop may simply put your project on hold until you do. However, they may also put what's known in some states as a mechanic's lien on your baby. At this point, you might start kicking yourself. In all fairness, your shop has certain rights, too. They aren't in it for charity. Granted, if things get to this point, your faith in your builder has probably diminished, or vanished. Even if you manage to scrape up bail money for your scoot, what's your next move? Depending on your project, your baby may be in a million pieces, in various stages of completion, strewn about the shop. Assuming you want to take it elsewhere, the burden may be on you to determine whether or not you'll be loading all the parts to which you are entitled into the back of your truck. And how will you know they're parts that came off of your bike? Trust me when I say the old bait-and-switch is alive and well, and practiced in some unscrupulous shops.
It's scary to think that after you've crossed all the t's and dotted all the i's in your search for the right shop, things can still go haywire. For example, in many cases, price isn't an issue. I know of small shops that will go to great lengths to help you out, and when you leave, both your arms and legs are intact. On the other hand, I also know of facilities that charge top dollar for parts and services, yet they still manage to alienate their clientele.
The good news is that, sooner or later, the bad guys' luck always runs out. It may be of little consolation to those riders who have been unfortunate enough to fall prey to these disreputable folks, but there are always the courts. Although the waiting period for an appearance in small claims might be long, filing one is fairly inexpensive. It's far less costly than hiring a lawyer for a full-blown complaint. In some states, you may actually have recourse through the department of motor vehicles or state attorney's office, depending on the nature of your complaint. If you suspect a more serious consumer crime has been perpetrated on you, consult an attorney. It's a cheap, and often free, way of making sure you head off in the right legal direction. Again, most shops are extremely honest. They conduct business fairly, and care about their customers. However, all it takes is one bad experience to ruin the dream.
For the sake of your wallet and your sanity, remember that things aren't always as they seem. The above scenarios are not fantasies. I speak from experience; I've been a victim.
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