Moped Held For Ransom

Mark from Durham, New Hampshire writes to us about a "bad dealer" experience, and wants to know what he can do. Anybody have any ...

Mark from Durham, New Hampshire writes to us about a "bad dealer" experience, and wants to know what he can do. Anybody have any thoughts?

Here's his letter...

Hi steve,

I've tried to work this with the dealership in about every way I can think of. I'm a 55 y/o professional who recently purchased a new 2006 honda metropolitan moped for my wife. she is faculty at the university in the town where we live. Parking is difficult at the university so I purchased the moped for her for her last birthday. Note that the moped is kept in a heated garage and that I have been riding motorcycles for 40 years and currently own two street bikes and an off-road bike.

After less than 4 weeks with only 48 miles on it (a few practice rides around the local neighborhoods and about 6 roundtrips back/forth to the university) - my wife called me one morning and told me the moped would not keep running. I called the dealership where I purchased it and they told me to bring it in. I asked them if it was ok for me to bring it to a closer Honda dealer and they said that would be ok.

The nearby dealership now tells me I have to pay for repairs because the gas was contaminated (they found rust particles in the tank which clogged a jet in the carb) and that this is not a warrantee repair. Note that the moped came with a full tank of gas and still had half a tank of gas in it. I hadn't put any gas in it yet and had not even had the gas cap off yet.

I called the purchase dealership and they told me it wasn't my responsibility but took no action. After 4 calls to their service and sales managers with no return calls and no action - I paid a visit to the general manager of Best Ford/Motosports in Nashua, NH. He also took no responsibility and attempted to victimize me with such absurd statements as "maybe someone went into your garage and poured water in the gas tank". I live in a house with a locked garage and someone would also need the moped key to get the gas cap off. At this point - I realized that talking to this guy was a lost cause.

Meanwhile - the moped is being "held for ransom" at the repair dealership, my wife is not able to use it, and the purchase dealership will take no responsibility to make good. I suppose I will go and pay the repair fee so my wife can use the moped but it really bothers me that the purchase dealership is able to get away with such irresponsibility.

I put down my cash and bought a brand new name-brand machine, which four weeks later wouldn't run and I have to pay for the repairs. I'd love to have this come back at the dealership and see them get a black-eye for the way they have treated me. Any thoughts?? - thanks, mark

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