J&E HD or Greenville (Winterville) NC

[hardy]

This happend to me about 3 years ago and evertime i think of it i get pi$$ed so i thought I would share.

J&E HD is located just outside Greenville NC in Winterville. A fairly small shop. I needed a rear tire and they advertise 10% over cost for tires...which is actually a good price. So i go to them, about an hours ride away. They promptly begin to work on my bike. Tell me it will be an hour or so. Hey great so far. After an hour or so I see my bike roll down the road for the test ride, then a few minutes later the tech is pushing it back into the shop. I think, "This wont be good."

The service mgr tells me the drive belt broke on the test ride. Well, there is really only a couple things that can make a drive belt just break. One, If it picks up a small rock or piece of gravel just right and two, if it is not aligned properly when the rear tire is removed and i guess if it is extremely worn out then it could break at any time. They claim it picked up a rock.

It is nearly 5:30 pm the shop closes at 6. The SM says the tech will stay and replace the belt but it is a 3 - 4 hour job. I have no way home...remember i rode an hour to get here. So i get a loaner super glide...man how do you folks ride these things. I thought i was on a drink crate with wheels...i digress.

Since the belt broke on their test ride the SM states if I buy the belt he will do the labor for free. I figure. Hey not too bad. I can get a new belt...mine had 20K miles on it or so...installed for 150$ or so...the cost of the new belt. So i agree with out too much debate.

Now the fun part. My wife and I are actually on the way for vacation. So the next day I ride the loaner super glide back to the shop and my wife follows on the car and we head off on vacation. I tell the SM i will see them in a few days. While on vacation, i get a terrible summer head-chest cold and fell like crap. We cut our vacation short and head home. We go to the HD shop to pick up the bike. The SM is also on vacation and a new/different guy is there. He hands me the bill...nearly 400$...i just about hit the floor. I was expecting 175$ tops. They have billed me for every nickle and dime thing in the world on top of the belt. Items such as primary fluid, gasket, shop supplies, coffee break , etc. Now I know all this is needed to replace the belt, but my agreement was that i would buy the BELT nothing else. I guess the shop thought that the labor was all they were going to have to eat.

I am not only sick but a whole new level of pi$$ed off. I go directly to the owner James Hannah. I get no where with him. By this point all i want to do is go home and get to bed. So I reluctantly pay the cost and needless to say give the owner/manager and anyone else in the shop my .02 on their customer service plan.

I have not been back in that shop since and tell this story to all that I can.

Moral:
If you are promised something for free from an HD shop, you had better get all the details in writing beforehand.

Since that time, i have started changing my own tires. I have always done 99% of my own wrenching. I cant claim 100% since I had an indy shop put it on the dyno last spring. At least if something goes fubar then i know who to blame and additionally I know the job is done right when i get finished.