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Report: #116633

Complaint Review: Eagle Rider - San Diego California

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  • Reported By: topeka Kansas
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  • Eagle Rider San Diego, California U.S.A.

Eagle Rider Ripoff RENT A HARLEY AND RECEIVE A $1000 BILL FOR COSMETIC SCRATCHES San Diego California

*Consumer Comment: Harley rental outfits - not worth the effort

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I recently rented an 883cc Harley Davidson from Eagle Rider in San Diego, CA. The motorcycle was NOT in mint condition when I rented it, and myself and the sales associate documented the damage (scratches, dents, dings, etc.) before I took the bike out. The company authorized $2000 on my credit card in order to cover the damage deductible in the event of a major accident. (Their insurance policy is also a rip off!). I rented the motorcycle for a period of 24 hours at a rate of only $75.00. That is a VERY good price, especially when compared to similar companies in other states like Florida, Wisconsin, etc. But now I know why they charge such low rental rates - it's because they rip people off when they bring the motorcycles back with minor scratches, etc!!!!!

The first rip off surrounded the way they treated a zipper from my jacket which flapped in the wind and caused some scratching on the rear fender of the bike. In my opinion the paint job on the motorcycle was of less than acceptable quality, and it was NOT the factory paint job. In other words, they painted the bike with poor quality paint which would naturally scratch easier and cause scrathing in situations that normally would not scratch.

The second incident which caused them to *attempt* to rip me off involved my dropping of the motorcycle AS A RESULT OF THEIR FAULTY KICKSTAND!!! When the kickstand is down on a motorcycle, and the motorcycle is left in gear, there should be a safety feature installed which does not allow the motorcycle to start. I have my own 1982 Yahama Virago which uses this feature. The purpose of it is so that in that situation the motorcycle will not budge forward if someone attempts to start it on the kickstand while it is left in gear.

Not knowing that Eagle Rider did not install or have this standard safety feature on this motorcycle, I dropped the motorcycle after leaving it in gear. The proper installation of this safety feature would have prevented that from happening. The motorcycle fell on both of my knees and caused intense bruising and cuts.

The rip off comes in when they tried to charge me 1000.00 for ENTIRE REPLACEMENT OF PARTS that only had minor scratches, such as the crash bar (which is expected to get scratched if dropped), the rear taillight (he wanted to charge me for the casing, the lens, and the bulb - which were all totally functionable - we are only talking about MINOR HAIRLINE SCRATCHES HERE!!!).

In addition, the manager physically threatened me if I did not places my initials/signature next to the places he felt I damaged. The manager also threatened to charge me for "loss of use" and that that motorcycle might just have to sit in the shop for FOUR WEEKS until it can get repainted with their s**+tty paint so they can rip someone else off again. Here's the kicker - SOMEONE WAS STANDING IN LINE BEHIND ME TO RENT THE VERY SAME MOTORCYCLE AFTER ME AND HE WAS GOING TO RENT IT OUT TO THEM!!! What a crock of baloney.

Don't rent from Eagle Rider. Or if you do, and damage the bike (even with hairline scratches such as what I did), plan to lose your entire security deposit because that is how they make their money. Treat customers how they treated me a couple times a week, and you generate yourself 1/2 a million in revenue a year.

Bjs
topeka, Kansas
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 11/07/2004 11:12 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/eagle-rider/san-diego-california/eagle-rider-ripoff-rent-a-harley-and-receive-a-1000-bill-for-cosmetic-scratches-san-diego-116633. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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#1 Consumer Comment

Harley rental outfits - not worth the effort

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, November 08, 2004

BJ,

A short time ago I wanted to rent a Model 883 to try it out and see if it had anything to recommend it over comparable (and much less expensive and better-built) Japanese bikes. I went to the local Harley rental place and was informed that I could rent one for $150 a day and a $2000 deposit. I smelled ripoff and walked. From what you wrote in your report, I'm glad I did.

The auto rental companies don't ask you for a $2000 deposit on a vehicle that costs two to three times what a Harley does. The Harley rental people are cashing in on the the "mystique" associated with the machines and won't hesitate to rip you off. Do you really think a new 883 is worth over $7000? And that's MSRP; most dealers mark up that inflated price a grand or two. They figure you'll pay for the Harley name and, sadly, too many people are willing to do so and that just perpetuates the ripoff.

The old damage deposit thing is a favorite of the leasing companies who routinely screw their lessees out of megabucks for what is obviously normal wear and tear. The Harley rental people have managed to go it one better by making you pay the money up front and then making you prove you deserve to get it back, which of course you won't or at least not all of it (a twist on the rebate scam). They make the majority of their money this way, not from renting the bikes. This is a characteristic they share with car dealers whose biggest sales producers aren't the salesmen but the F&I clowns.

I'm sure you know the old joke about the only difference between a Hoover (vacuum cleaner) and a Harley is where the dirtbag's mounted. I would say that the real dirtbags are the ones who run the Harley rental companies.

I do have to ask one thing, however. Why would you start a bike that you're unfamiliar with without disengaging the clutch? That is something every rider learns early on.

However, I agree that you got ripped off big time and your story serves as a very good warning to anyone who is thinking about renting a Harley from one of these outfits.

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