Useless warranty ?

[Max11]

Does anybody know if I can contact a Honda HQ in Europe directly as a common customer ? I would like to write a official complaint about the dealer who sold me my PCX. The dealer became authorized Honda dealer just recently, maybe half year ago.

I know nobody on this forum is interested in long stories so I keep it short as possible. The thing is, that my brand new PCX has a potentially dangerous fault somewhere in the engine, which is now absolutely noticeable by the sound. I had it sound checked by several independent mechanics and every single one told me that there is definitely something wrong with my PCX and that it is strongly recommended to have it checked under warranty. Some of the mechanics told me it may be crankshaft bearing.

However the owner of the Honda shop keeps refusing to check it under warranty. And he is also very arrogant. He told me something like: „I will take your PCX to the service only if I decide so and if not, GET LOST“. Hard to translate exact meaning from my language, but it was absolutely inappropriate in my opinion as I was speaking to him with respect. I had to persuade him for almost an hour along with his own mechanic, that the PCX really seem to have some kind of internal engine fault regarding to the noise it is making. He eventually agreed that he will take it sooner to the 1000km service and that was the best he was willing to agree to. I signed the agreement to this service with an added note “sounds from area near engine and radiator”. But I'm afraid that the issue will remain unsolved as the owner is only one who miraculously hears only “standard motor sound” as he keeps saying. The PCX has only 927km in total.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Kermit]

Are there no other Honda dealers in your area?

[Max11]

Not in my region. Otherwise I would have been already there. I'd have to take a day off from work for traveling to the different dealer and another day off to pick it up and in my case it would be quite problematic.

[Alibally]

Hello,
Where are you in Europe?

Use this and select your country, then use the contact us section of the website.

http://world.honda.com/group/

[Valiant]

Aren't there any sort of lemon laws in your region that protect the consumer in the event you are sold a defective product?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_law

I would say that, if your shop is refusing to provide warranty service for a legitimate problem, they should have their authorization revoked by Honda.

[Max11]

Yes, we have that kind of laws. But first the seller must accept return by filling return protocol. Then if he cannot repair the fault, he is obliged to either swap the faulty item for new one or return the money. But this law has a catch. Well more "catches" actually. If he refuse to take the item to warranty service, he is out of the hook. Even when he accepts the item to the service but he writes to the return manifest that the "flaw was not experienced during testing", he is also off the hook.
Even it is not absolutely legal and I can sue the seller, If I sue him, I will pay the whole process until the final verdict. And as I said... it may take years, hundreds or thousands of €, days spent in the courthouse and the seller may still appeal from the verdict.

The PCX is now 8th day in the service. When I called the dealer at the end of the last week, I get very little information. The employee said that he overheard something like they called at our national Honda central and requested help with servicing my scooter. But if it is true ... after my experience with their professionality I am worried if they didn't caused another issue to it during the disassembly. And I'm very curious if they admit, that it really had an issue or if they tell me, that it is nothing wrong with it.

[Mel46]

We had a problem with our pcx and the dealer we purchased it from had the same attitude that yours did. We eventually drove to another dealer that was in another town and had it checkrd by them. Their experienced mechanics listened to us, listened to the bike, and called other mechanics to back their opinion. We put it in the shop there and I rode 2 up back home with my wife. If you go to the shop with someone else you won't miss any work. Same with going to pick it up. That shop found and repaired the problem.

[maddiedog]

That's terrible. I'd follow Alibally's advice and see if you can reach a dealer that way. Dealers can be such scumbags.

[you you]

That's terrible. I'd follow Alibally's advice and see if you can reach a dealer that way. Dealers can be such scumbags.

Some are, but in the interest of balance dealing with the public probably takes its toll too.

[Alibally]

I can certainly verify that last comment. There are certainly plenty diddys out there.

[Max11]

Just a short update:

I sent official request to get my money back with extensive details about the problem and also list of service visits both to slovak Honda HQ and local dealer where I bought the PCX. It has becomed a habit that the scoot was whole week at service and I "tested" it on weekends. They examined whole bike except the engine, because as they said they doesn't have proper tools and experience to examine the engine. The problem still persists and as I mentioned I have the scoot mainly on weekends which is unacceptable since I bought it to use it and to lower my transport expenses and not to spend my free time and be forced take vacations from work for visiting service.

So I'm waiting for reply and I'm hoping that I will get my money back. The reply from Honda HQ will decide if I stick with the Honda brand or I will try another brand.

[you you]

I can certainly verify that last comment. There are certainly plenty diddys out there.

And here