Bought an Ebike from a "Popular Wisconsin Dealer"

[TooMuchWitt]

This was a thread made to review CL's service. I recommend buying local for better service, but I ultimately got my bike and it was in great shape, so all's well that ends well.

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[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!

 

[sed6]

All that for 10% saving, not worth it. Sorry you went thru it. Lesson learned right?Next time support your LBS or they won't be there to support you.

 

[GypsyTreker]

All that for 10% saving, not worth it. Sorry you went thru it. Lesson learned right?Next time support your LBS or they won't be there to support you.

In theory I agree with you but in my experience I'm not sure LBS's get a carte blanche on being the answer to on-line purchase risk. Frankly I had to sell an LBS to fix a flat on my wifes fatty eBike. He explained he only is willing to work on, not warenty, mind you, eBikes he sells. Then a long winded explanation as to why he is unable to fairly compete with internet competition blah, blah. I did get him to put sealent in the rear tire (because he refused to unplug the hub). I smiled, payed him and ordered what he had available as accessories from Amazon because....drum roll, I don't give a sh*t about some retailers "reasons" he can't or won't take my money after explaining why I should support local business. My job as a consumer is to advocate for my best interests not be a kumbiya patron of a brick and mortar retailer, although I do get it because I have had to pry a retailer away from his loyal customers hanging around his shop buying nothing, in order to get some service. If the OP gets his bike and all's well with it, I would say his 10% was worth the effort. If Larry ships out of state without charging tax, another 6-7%. If the idiot who gave him grief and they forgot the extras they were going to send guess what...the LBS lost add-on margins. I would love to see the return of the Ma and Pa model but for that to happen it would require Ma and Pa to give a serious reason to $hop there beyond some LBS preservation movement.