Thinking of buying a Victory Motorcycle...You may not want to

[bscrive]

When my cousin and I came back from Americade on the 12th, his radio was acting strange.  He just purchased a 2011 Victory Cross Country from a dealer in Montreal.  When we got home he decided to bring the bike to a Victory dealer near his work.  They told him that they will not do warranty work on bikes that were not purchased from them.  My cousin Bill was pretty shocked.  He then decided to go to the only other dealer in Ottawa and was told the same thing.  He called Victory to complain and they told him that it was up to the individual dealer if they wanted to do warranty work on a bike they did not sell.  When Bill asked them what happens if he breaks down far away from the place he bought the bike, they said that he would have to deal with that when it happens.
I don't know about you guys but I would be supremely upset getting this kind of crap from a company.
The reason he bought the bike in Montreal is because the dealers in Ottawa would not let him test ride a bike.  They expected him to shell out 20 grand and not ride the bike first.  So, he found a dealer in Montreal that let him test ride the bike so he bought it from them.  He thought that he could take the bike to any dealer for warranty work.  He is thinking of selling the bike now.

[ricoman]

Have a hard time grasping that.
Urge him to read the factory supplied warranty.
I think it would state clearly the corporate policy on where warranty service can be performed.
Imagine buying a new car and being told you can't get warranty service a a dealer other than where you bought it.
Makes no sense.

[MacDragon]

That is just stupid... watch their sales go down the tubes...

[bg]

while on a trip to the upper peninsula in michigan by buddy's goldwing had a minor issue.
he took it to the local dealer. they worked on it ahead of others since he was from out of town.
the service manager let us use his car to go for breakfast. when we returned, the bike was done and we
were on our way.
that's the way it should be.
kudos for the bike shop, they went far and above what was expected.

[f-Stop]

Seems to me that turning away warranty work is pretty stupid on the dealer's part.  They get paid by the factory and can actually make a buck or two.  I guess you just can't fix stupid.

I occasionally ride with my neighbor who loves his Victory.  He did mention, though, that he was unable to get new factory repair parts to fix his bike after hitting a deer.  The bike was only a few years old when that happened.

So, customer service must not be a strong point for Victory!

[bigguy]

I sold my V92TC Deluxe after getting my Valk. I was a member on the VOG (Victory Owners Group) and can tell you dealer support from the company seems non-existent. Also, you can forget contacting the company with a complaint about a stealer. If you do manage to get through to somebody at the company, they'll just refer you back to the dealer.
IMHO, Victory's philosophy for customers is to simply write a big check. Good luck finding used parts, or an inexpensive alternative on anything that needs to be fixed or replaced. I got the impression that they sort of wanted to keep out the riff raff.
My bike had a lot going for it, but it had some serious problems too. As solid as the engine was, and as comfortable as it rode, none of the shiny stuff seemed to have been triple chromed. It was having tarnish spots show up on almost all chrome pieces. The bikes look and ride well through the first several years, but I wonder have many will ever see 100,000+ miles.

[ricoman]

Looked at the owner's manual, page 93. It states that
"You are responsible for presenting your motorcycle to a VICTORY dealer  as soon as a problem exists." That's "a" dealer, not the selling dealer.
I cannot find that warranty work is restricted to the selling dealership.
I would suggest your friend recontact Victory corporate and ask again.
He shpould have his manual and warranty at hand when he calls.

[bscrive]

Unfortunately, just because it is written does not mean they will follow it I guess.  Like I stated, he contacted the head office of Victory and they told him that it is up to the individual dealers on whether they will do warranty work or not.  Victory does not seem to want to enforce anything.

Try bringing yours to another dealer to see if they will do it, maybe the dealers here are just buttheads, or maybe you will have an eye opening experience.  I hope it is the former.

[Cliff]

Unfortunately, just because it is written does not mean they will follow it I guess.  Like I stated, he contacted the head office of Victory and they told him that it is up to the individual dealers on whether they will do warranty work or not.  Victory does not seem to want to enforce anything.

Try bringing yours to another dealer to see if they will do it, maybe the dealers here are just buttheads, or maybe you will have an eye opening experience.  I hope it is the former.

I am waiting for a reply on this subject from : David Shelleny-Digital Marketing Specialist for Victory Motorcycles. Administrator of our Victory Facebook site.

[old2soon]

Damnation buffalo bob. What are these folks thinking(victory)?? That are not a good way to win customers and keep em coming back for more. I have visited a lot of m/c dealers(not a victory dealer YET) and at least one sales or service person has come out and talked with me about what i'm riding. I'm guessing victory has not heard of the internet??  Ya know it's bad enough to spend THAT much money on something and then to have a problem and then have it ignored?? Who thought up their business model?? Well if nothing gets done about this i know who to NOT take my business to if i ever get the urge for a v-twinky. RIDE SAFE.

[ricoman]

May be different here in the states. A guy I know with a 2010 Vic goes to the different dealers for warranty work-whoever he's closest to when he's out on a ride.

You'd think a company as large as Polaris would have a warranty policy more in line with the other manufacturers.

I really think your friend talked to the wrong person at Victory.
He could join a Victory forum and see if others have had the same issue and what they did about it.

[Tundra]

Wow, I have a hard time grasping that ??? In tough economical times I would think any company that wanted to survive would bend over backwards striving to give the best possible customer service. If that's for true and gets out, it could surely put a dent in their new sales.

[R J]

I have a buddy who owns a Victory.    He also rides the hell out of it.  Has like 90K on it.

He made a trip to California and lost a wheel bearing.   Stopped at a Victory dealer and they pushed him in ahead as he was on the road.

I'm thinking this must be a Canada thing.

Polaris is no dummy when it comes to Customer Service, otherwise they would not of staid in business this long.

[Redline +]

Same deal here, a good friend bought a new Bozo bike from an out of state dealer to get a better deal. Now the local dealer doesn't want to take care of the warranty issues.

Redline 

[Cliff]

When my cousin and I came back from Americade on the 12th, his radio was acting strange.  He just purchased a 2011 Victory Cross Country from a dealer in Montreal.  When we got home he decided to bring the bike to a Victory dealer near his work.  They told him that they will not do warranty work on bikes that were not purchased from them.  My cousin Bill was pretty shocked.  He then decided to go to the only other dealer in Ottawa and was told the same thing.  He called Victory to complain and they told him that it was up to the individual dealer if they wanted to do warranty work on a bike they did not sell.  When Bill asked them what happens if he breaks down far away from the place he bought the bike, they said that he would have to deal with that when it happens.
I don't know about you guys but I would be supremely upset getting this kind of crap from a company.
The reason he bought the bike in Montreal is because the dealers in Ottawa would not let him test ride a bike.  They expected him to shell out 20 grand and not ride the bike first.  So, he found a dealer in Montreal that let him test ride the bike so he bought it from them.  He thought that he could take the bike to any dealer for warranty work.  He is thinking of selling the bike now.

I sent you a pm regarding contact Info for Victory,,, they want more info regarding this incident.  ( Yes I did mention he lives in Ottawa but purchased in Montreal.)

[bscrive]

Thanks Cliff,

I sent him a copy of the email you sent me.  Lets see what happens.

Thanks.

[Cliff]

Thanks Cliff,

I sent him a copy of the email you sent me.  Lets see what happens.

Thanks.

Don't mention it ,, just trying to help out.  Just be sure to let me know how it works out.

[Tx Bohemian]

In my experience this is common pratice.  I ran into it with both Suzuki and Yamaha.

Local dealers fudged because they weren't selling dealers but other dealers 50 miles away, also non-selling, were more than willing to do the work.

And when I called and complained both Suzuki and Yamaha said the same, that it is the individual dealers choice.

Personally I think it is stupid to turn the work away because as of right now if I'm looking to buy a new bike I will not go to the ones that refused the work so they possibly lost out on future bike sales.
Also if me and my buds are sitting around talking and this subject come up guess what story I'm going to tell?  Word of mouth advertising can be bad.

[BIG--T]

I  really find this hard to believe. I think there must be a misunderstanding or lack of communication. Victory has their direct competitors in their sights, especially with the Cross Country vs Streetglide and the Ultra Classic vs Victory Vision. Everyone I've talked to said they offer rebates and will bend over backwards to sell one and they are  cheaper than the Harley tourers.

Having said this, if this incident was true of ALL Victorys, that would be the end of Victorys and Harley would have no direct competetion! BTW, Harley is well known for their 1st class customer service which is another reason Victory has to be the same or better. Just my $.02  

[f6john]

     My local Honda dealer has done this! I bought my 99 Valk from him new in March of 2000. Three years later I am ready to buy a new Honda 650 Rincon and I knew a dealer about 2 hours away that was blowing everybody out of the water with their prices. My dealer says well if your going to drive two hours to purchase it be prepared to drive two hours to get any service done! That day I drove to Union City Tenn. and bought the Rincon which I still have and use regularly. It's never been in his shop or any other shop for that matter. My Valkyrie hasn't been to a service dept in over 5 years either.

[bigguy]

Guys! Lousy service from Victory is nothing new. Just lurk around on the VOG and you'll see what I mean.
It's been about a year since I've been over there, so maybe things have changed. Hope so, but don't expect it.

[BIG--T]

     My local Honda dealer has done this! I bought my 99 Valk from him new in March of 2000. Three years later I am ready to buy a new Honda 650 Rincon and I knew a dealer about 2 hours away that was blowing everybody out of the water with their prices. My dealer says well if your going to drive two hours to purchase it be prepared to drive two hours to get any service done! That day I drove to Union City Tenn. and bought the Rincon which I still have and use regularly. It's never been in his shop or any other shop for that matter. My Valkyrie hasn't been to a service dept in over 5 years either.

You are not the first to say this but If I bought a new bike, truck, etc and had all the paperwork I believe I'd have a good chance winnig a law suite. I have a fairly new Silverado that's still under warranty and if it should break down anywhere in the country, a GM dealer has to honor it. Prior to buying her I thought I had to let them (dealer) service it to maintain my warranty. Not so, I just need a certified mechanic with receipts for proof. So Honda or any dealer would have to honor that warranty anywhere in the US and could have non warranty work done from any dealer.  Not only does that STEALER want you to buy the bike from HIS dealership but also make money on HIS service and parts! I'm not a HD fan but just about everyone tell me how great customer service is.  They have big partys and give free stuff..t-shirts too! A guy wants me to come out tonight at the local HD to bike night but told him I'll pass. Maybe next week. My son's Streetglide was in for scheduled maintaince and they give him a loaner even though they know he has several vehicles. I thought that was kinda cool!  

[B]

Good info to know. Thanks

[f6john]

     My local Honda dealer has done this! I bought my 99 Valk from him new in March of 2000. Three years later I am ready to buy a new Honda 650 Rincon and I knew a dealer about 2 hours away that was blowing everybody out of the water with their prices. My dealer says well if your going to drive two hours to purchase it be prepared to drive two hours to get any service done! That day I drove to Union City Tenn. and bought the Rincon which I still have and use regularly. It's never been in his shop or any other shop for that matter. My Valkyrie hasn't been to a service dept in over 5 years either.

You are not the first to say this but If I bought a new bike, truck, etc and had all the paperwork I believe I'd have a good chance winnig a law suite. I have a fairly new Silverado that's still under warranty and if it should break down anywhere in the country, a GM dealer has to honor it. Prior to buying her I thought I had to let them (dealer) service it to maintain my warranty. Not so, I just need a certified mechanic with receipts for proof. So Honda or any dealer would have to honor that warranty anywhere in the US and could have non warranty work done from any dealer.  Not only does that STEALER want you to buy the bike from HIS dealership but also make money on HIS service and parts! I'm not a HD fan but just about everyone tell me how great customer service is.  They have big partys and give free stuff..t-shirts too! A guy wants me to come out tonight at the local HD to bike night but told him I'll pass. Maybe next week. My son's Streetglide was in for scheduled maintaince and they give him a loaner even though they know he has several vehicles. I thought that was kinda cool!  

     I know this thread is about Victory but the rest of the story in my situation is this,. He wasn't talking about warranty work particularly he was talking any kind of service. I'm not saying you would be turned away at the door but if you brought it to the service department it could be there for weeks. In all my attempts during the early years of ownership of the Valk I was never able to walk in and get a scheduled time to bring my bike in for anything. For that reason the service threat was a non issue for me because I knew what kind of service to expect already. I still buy a few things there from time to time and there are no hard feelings on my part. If you know going in that service and attitude sucks your expectations can be adjusted.

[MacDragon]

Well... I believe wholeheartedly that if you have a good experience with a buying or service process... you'll tell a few of your friends... If you have a bad experience... you'll tell EVERYBODY...   Word of mouth is very potent and can make or break a business.  Especially on a local level.  I wonder how the Sales Mgr would like it if, after finding out that they won't work on your bike... you go to the Sales floor and start telling the potential customers about your problem. 

They better get their act together cuz it's an informed world today and word gets around fast.

[BIG--T]

Well... I believe wholeheartedly that if you have a good experience with a buying or service process... you'll tell a few of your friends... If you have a bad experience... you'll tell EVERYBODY...   Word of mouth is very potent and can make or break a business.  Especially on a local level.  I wonder how the Sales Mgr would like it if, after finding out that they won't work on your bike... you go to the Sales floor and start telling the potential customers about your problem. 

They better get their act together cuz it's an informed world today and word gets around fast.

RIDE ON BRO! 

[BIG--T]

     My local Honda dealer has done this! I bought my 99 Valk from him new in March of 2000. Three years later I am ready to buy a new Honda 650 Rincon and I knew a dealer about 2 hours away that was blowing everybody out of the water with their prices. My dealer says well if your going to drive two hours to purchase it be prepared to drive two hours to get any service done! That day I drove to Union City Tenn. and bought the Rincon which I still have and use regularly. It's never been in his shop or any other shop for that matter. My Valkyrie hasn't been to a service dept in over 5 years either.

bscrive was talking about warranty. He bought it in Montreal and when to two dealers in Ottowa and they refused to work on his radio under warranty since it wasn't bought there. Like Macdragon said, I'd sure be spreading the word locally..and bad news travels fast! Then there is the internet that I would post it everywhere and if the dealership sells more brands than Vics, I'd be there too because you can bet they do the same with others. I can't see how they stay in busniness! The Honda dealers in my area I know who charges the highest labor and usually who is cheaper on parts.

Sorry to hear about service for the Valk. I wouldn't do business with them but that's just me. I also belong to one of the biggest Honda boards there is and you'd be surprised how many people say that customer service stinks where Harley seems to have the best!!
You are not the first to say this but If I bought a new bike, truck, etc and had all the paperwork I believe I'd have a good chance winnig a law suite. I have a fairly new Silverado that's still under warranty and if it should break down anywhere in the country, a GM dealer has to honor it. Prior to buying her I thought I had to let them (dealer) service it to maintain my warranty. Not so, I just need a certified mechanic with receipts for proof. So Honda or any dealer would have to honor that warranty anywhere in the US and could have non warranty work done from any dealer.  Not only does that STEALER want you to buy the bike from HIS dealership but also make money on HIS service and parts! I'm not a HD fan but just about everyone tell me how great customer service is.  They have big partys and give free stuff..t-shirts too! A guy wants me to come out tonight at the local HD to bike night but told him I'll pass. Maybe next week. My son's Streetglide was in for scheduled maintaince and they give him a loaner even though they know he has several vehicles. I thought that was kinda cool!  

     I know this thread is about Victory but the rest of the story in my situation is this,. He wasn't talking about warranty work particularly he was talking any kind of service. I'm not saying you would be turned away at the door but if you brought it to the service department it could be there for weeks. In all my attempts during the early years of ownership of the Valk I was never able to walk in and get a scheduled time to bring my bike in for anything. For that reason the service threat was a non issue for me because I knew what kind of service to expect already. I still buy a few things there from time to time and there are no hard feelings on my part. If you know going in that service and attitude sucks your expectations can be adjusted.

[BF]

We have a Harley Davidson dealer here that does the exact same thing.  They refuse to work on anything unless it was bought at their store. 

The service manager there (or he was....he's now running a new custom shop in town) told me that the first thing he's required to do when a bike comes in is to run the VIN.  If that bike wasn't bought at that dealer, right back out the door it goes. 

They're a pretty big dealership too and sell alot of Harleys, but unless you bought your Harley from them, you're SOL.  And yes, they have a reputation for being.....uh, difficult (to put it nicely). 

[Doc Moose]

A local Chrysler, Dodge, etc.  dealer here in town used to pull the same crap years ago.  People would deal out of town on a vehicle due to much better prices.  When they tried to get warranty work here, no dice.

Eventually they closed down.  It comes back to bite you eventually when you give bad service.

[BIG--T]

We have a Harley Davidson dealer here that does the exact same thing.  They refuse to work on anything unless it was bought at their store. 

The service manager there (or he was....he's now running a new custom shop in town) told me that the first thing he's required to do when a bike comes in is to run the VIN.  If that bike wasn't bought at that dealer, right back out the door it goes. 

They're a pretty big dealership too and sell alot of Harleys, but unless you bought your Harley from them, you're SOL.  And yes, they have a reputation for being.....uh, difficult (to put it nicely). 

Wonder about the big one in Daytona?  I don't see how they can legally do that. I don't doubt what your're saying and they are several echoing the same thing, but this is bad business practice! What happems if you should go across country and it breaks down? The dealer represents Harley or any other brand, and have to adhere to the warranty policy. I can smell a law suit! I bought a new Silverado and I posed that same question and he said ANY dealer will honor it , plus free towing! I know there are some sorry smart aleck dealers out there and can make it hard on you but they have to abide by the rules. I would call other dealers that have a good reputation and find out and if that didn't work deal with Harley HQ.

[BIG--T]

A local Chrysler, Dodge, etc.  dealer here in town used to pull the same crap years ago.  People would deal out of town on a vehicle due to much better prices.  When they tried to get warranty work here, no dice.

Eventually they closed down.  It comes back to bite you eventually when you give bad service.

I don't get it cause Chrysler pays them for warranty work- same with bikes.

[eric in md]

well i guess if you dumb enough to buy a victory you better like your service man from what your saying .. i will keep my honda valkyrie it only has 92k on it now never been in for service or nothing..   i say that about them ford trucks also you better like your service guy because you will be seeing him alot..   

[The Anvil]

I know two guys with Vics. Both love them and have never had an issue with dealers refusing to work on them, though one did mention that parts can be slow. I myself have ridden a few Vics and thought they were quite nice. Not my bag personally, but for someone looking for a V-twin alternative to H-D, I can see the appeal.

I'm pretty sure that it's not a legal practice (at least in the US) for a line dealer to refuse to repair a bike they did not sell. If this did indeed happen then I suggest contacting whatever Canadia's version of the BBB is.

[Tx Bohemian]

I don't get it cause Chrysler pays them for warranty work- same with bikes.

I'm not sure how it works nowadays cause I've been out of the dealership mechanicing buisness for about 20yrs but back when I did this we didn't like warranty work because the hours per job were way less than non-warranty work.

Example: front-end alignment on a Chevy PU
      warranty  .8 hrs
non-warranty 1.5 hrs


Same amount of work,
half amount of pay for warranty.

[czuch]

I have the last bike I'll ever own.
At least the last type of bike.
For what ANY new bike costs I can fund smilemiles for the rest-o-my life.

[BIG--T]

I have the last bike I'll ever own.
At least the last type of bike.
For what ANY new bike costs I can fund smilemiles for the rest-o-my life.

Yep me too. I just hope we'll still be able to find parts!! A lot on the board is stockpiling for a reason!!

[Cliff]

bscrive..... just sent you a PM...

[bscrive]

I got it Cliff and I forwarded it to my cousin with a CC to David.  My cousin has just been so busy lately but he will contact him today.

Thanks again.