Dropping ducati

[iRam]

So my local motorcycle shop will cease to carry ducati this month. I heard from the grapevine that ducati is refusing payment on some of the warranty stuff that they did for customers. somethin tells me most of them are swelling tanks. Looks like swelling tank replacement is coming to an end.  

[fastwin]

Doesn't surprise me. I figured they would get tired of it after a while. Company lawyers probably are just waiting for the law suits over the tanks to play themselves out. Want your tank replaced? Then make us! I don't blame your dealer if they were losing the head banging contest. Hope there is another Duc dealer close by for you.

[duccarlos]

I have heard no such thing from my dealer. Maybe the dealer just did not like the amount of time it took to be reimbursed.

[iRam]

Theres 2 that are relatively close.  ill just havea a much longer  when i need somethin done with my bike from now on. Closest one is almost 100 miles away the other one is 200 miles away.

[iRam]

I have heard no such thing from my dealer. Maybe the dealer just did not like the amount of time it took to be reimbursed.

you might be right. Or maybe they were tardy with regards to filing their claims and ducati used that as a reason to deny payment. Bottom line they didnt get paid on warranty work. I hope its not the case with other dealers.

[joshn569]

CT just lost 2 dealers recently.  I dont even think there is a dealer in CT as of right now.

[red baron]

Don't trust the grapevine.

Relationships between mfg's and distributors end all the time. Usually over money, and usually it's the distributor not paying (at least in the business I'm in).

[hillbillypolack]

Last I spoke with my dealer regarding the regional distributor and the gas tank debachle, I believe he said there would be one (1) tank per VIN as a replacement.  And that dealer also had reimbursement monies being held up by Ducati.

So yeah, this isn't looking too good from anyone's perspective.

[duccarlos]

Last I spoke with my dealer regarding the regional distributor and the gas tank debachle, I believe he said there would be one (1) tank per VIN as a replacement. 

Again, news to me. I was at my dealer about 2 weeks ago. They were still replacing tanks regardless. it sounds like again the dealers are not seeing the refunds of the warranty work in a timely fashion, if at all. It's easier for them to say that they are limiting it to 1 so that they don't have to deal with the issue.

[junior varsity]

I have heard no such thing from my dealer. Maybe the dealer just did not like the amount of time it took to be reimbursed.

+1.  That, and you don't get reimbursed in cash as a dealer, you get reimbursed in credit towards parts/stocking orders, etc.   So it only helps with saving upfront costs on acquiring tangibles - and so only helps pay the involved staff's wages indirectly.

one thing i really liked about working at AMS was that they wanted to do right by the customers re: warranty items and stuff, even if it was inconvenient.  things may have been backed up because of volume in the service area and only a limited # of employees, but warranty claims were done at a more accelerated pace to try to get the bikes on the road and keep the customers happy as best as possible. 

[junior varsity]

Last I spoke with my dealer regarding the regional distributor and the gas tank debachle, I believe he said there would be one (1) tank per VIN as a replacement.  And that dealer also had reimbursement monies being held up by Ducati.

So yeah, this isn't looking too good from anyone's perspective.

not really money, as I wrote above - the crediting system is pretty much industry standard from what I understand friends who are ballsdeep in the other manufacturers tell me.   problem is, it doesn't pay the utility bill or the rent for the building, etc.


Also, I've not heard of the tank swelling 1-per-vin rule, and it was certainly not the case while i was employeed in the two-wheeled world, so if that's now in effect, its new.

[duccarlos]

If I was a dealer, I would have little patience at the fact that I had to replace swollen tanks and only get a credit. The businesses that are making a lot of money, don't mind getting credits since they are already in the black. Those smaller dealers are make the beast with two backsed and are the ones making shit up so that customers don't take their swollen tanks to them.

[justinrhenry]

one thing i really liked about working at AMS

you don't work there anymore??

[junior varsity]

nope. graduated from law school in may, studying for the bar right now.  "fun times".

[dark_duc]

Bottom line they didnt get paid on warranty work. I hope its not the case with other dealers.

I was told nearly the same thing from my local dealer.  They did say they would do it, but they seem to be getting pretty leery.