So that is "Dealer" service???

Glacier Girl

Hey all, I'm judging this only on my back round in autos, so if it's the norm for cart dealers, let me know. My only experience with carts before was buying an old 3 wheeler so I could salvage some of the running gear from it to build a mini sprint car style go cart.

Story is a little long so bare with me.

Anyhow, recently moved back to Florida and decided we'd stay in our RV while house hunting. Well it became pretty obvious a cart is a must in an RV lot, so off I went to buy one.

Check out the phone book, find dealer with several locations, one right down the road.

Dealersip was nice, couple of carts out front and more so in the show room. One caught my eye, lifted, off road tires, all nice and shiny.

Get the story from the GM that it was a 2002 EZ-Go trade in that they had completely gone over. Even replaced the body and engine (5 hrs on the meter), yada, yada, yada.

Didn't quibble on the price but did get them to swap out the golf bag holder for an aluminum box, and I paid for a canopy for it.

Paid cash and GM said he'd have a PDI done while they were adding the accessories and deliver it free of charge. And would call when the canopy came in.

Couple of hours later I get a call it's on it's way.

Tech (?) un trailers the cart, hands me the keys and goes to get back in the truck. I ask him "Ummm, could you show me how to run it?" He gets back out, points at a knob and says "There's the choke, turn the key and put your foot on the brake" "Then move this lever to go forward or reverse, hit the gas pedal and away you go".


So's I decide to give the cart a once over, you know how it is when you get a new toy. Me being me, I want to look at the power train, (old motor head).

I give the cart the 100 point inspection, and find the "Dealer" only missed oh maybe 85 of them.

Here's what I found on my "Totally gone over" cart, that had also been PDI'd.
Oh, PDI means PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION.
Not one of the lock nuts on the drag link or pitman arm(?) were even finger tight, they weren't even threaded up to the ends of the threads.

Neither brake light worked and one tail light either. Only one bolt, again finger tight, holding the brake switch on.

Wiring harnesses were run willy nilly, one hanging down on top of the drive clutch. Many hot leads were run thru metal channels with nothing to prevent them from chaffing, no tie straps, nothing. Ditto most of the cables, some had nasty looking rub marks on them. One brake cable was run so close to the muffler that both the outer and inner insulators were melted.

Fuse terminal plate had had the main lead melted off, and they had jumped the main lead to one of the fuses.

Let's not forget the other front end problems, as in the cart was so toed in you could see the scrub marks on the new tires, and the steering wheel was at the 4 o'clock position going straight ahead.

Then there was the aluminum box on the back. It just didn't seem to be sitting right. Looked underneath at where it mounted to the frame rails and sure enough one corner had 3/4" stack of washers between the frame and box. On removal found the box was twisted and who ever installed it, decided that the washers would work as shims, instead of tweaking the box so it fit.

And what I thought was last. Popped the air box off to check the air filter. Had to fix the lid as it was cracked. And also found part of the filter was oil soaked. Have since learned about the correct amount of oil to use, THANKS TO THE FORUM, as obviously the dealer didn't know.

Well I drug out my tool boxes and proceeded to correct everything. I wasn't about to trust the dealer to correct it after seeing how they delivered it.

Meanwhile 3 or 4 days go by. Still haven't heard about the canopy, so while I'm out I stop by the dealer to check on it. Come to find out they hadn't gotten around to ordering it yet. Parts manager tells me they should have it in a day or so.

Well after 3 or 4 more trips to get the canopy, and 3 or 4 more excuses as to why it hadn't shown up, I decided to pretty much wash my hands with the dealer. I told em, "I'll tell you what, instead of me waisting my time coming in when you say the canopy is due, just call me when it shows".

They never called.

Finally I call them, now two weeks have gone by, "Oh, yeah, it came in yesterday". So I drive back down and pick it up, telling them "No thanks, I'll install it myself".
Did ask though how soon the oil should be changed on the new motor. Was told "You should change it at 50 hours".

Well that didn't seem right to me so I waited till 10 and proceeded to change the oil.

I see the skid plate is going to get soaked if left in position when the oil and filter are changed. So I unbolt it.

AND NEARLY GET MY HEAD CRUSHED WHEN THE FRONT OF THE MOTOR DROPS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those donkey behinds had never installed the two bolts that secure the mount to the engine block. The two front skid plate bolts had pinched the mount and that's all that was holding the front of the motor in.

I managed to get a jack under the motor and jack it back into place. Figure out what size bolts I need (7/16" course thread, 1 1/2" long, remember this)

I drive down to the dealer, tell the parts manager what happened and I need the two bolts, washers, and lock washers. He tells me well they'll need to bring the cart in.

I let him know that no I don't think so just sell me the bolts and I'll fix it myself. Parts manager proceeds to look up the bolts, and at the same time calls the GM about the problem.

GM shows up and starts giving me a hard time, he has to look out for the dealership and what he gives away. I proceed to tell him that I didn't ask for anything.
He gives me the same story about bringing the cart in, and I give him the same story that I wouldn't feel very good about having his service dept working on the cart with their history so far.

Then he starts on me about folks racing carts and doing damage to them and asking him to fix them under warranty. And that the cart was built at one of their other stores and they had been running around in it no problem.
I again explain to him that I wasn't asking for anything, and that "his" service dept was to have done a PDI, I just wanted to buy what I needed, and let them know what else they had missed.

Meanwhile the parts manager calls me to look at the diagram and to show him what I needed. I do so, and he goes back to the shop and comes back with two 5/16" bolts about 5 inches long. (remember what size they are?) I tell him they are not even close, and to check the diagram as it should say what size they are.

Which to give him some leeway, the diagram was missing the 7, all it had was /16", course thread, 1 1/2" long. I tell him it's probably 7/16".

He goes back in the shop again, and comes back and says he doesn't have it, he'll have to order it. I as graciously as possible under the circumstances tell him, "No thank you, no problem, I'll go to Lowe's or Auto Zone and get em".

And with that I did, and also have totally washed my hands of the dealer, warranty or not. If it breaks I'll pay to have it fixed somewhere else, if I can't fix it myself. And as for the other accessories I was to buy, well looks like the internet dealers are going to be hearing from me.

So there's my tale of dealing with my first cart buying exerience and how a dealer delivers. So was I wrong in expecting more from them?


p.s., remember way back I said I've been in the auto business? I didn't mention that up until my retirement, I worked for Arnold Palmer, yep the Arnold Palmer, Pro golfer. The one who owns 60+ businesses, and a couple of golf courses here and in Pennsylvania, where he and I lived.

Hmmm, I think I know a certain dealer who won't be getting a lot of business from a certain golfer anytime real soon.

BGW

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scottyb

Welcome to BGW ......You have come to the anti-dealership capitol of the golf cart world
I read every bit of that and I for one would not be able to resist sending the dealer a link to this thread
I don't doubt every word of it is true! I would not trust an anything dealer further than I could throw them. It a shame because they have the resouces to do it right. There may be some good ones but I never met them before I gave up on em all .....
Sounds like you now have a very good understanding of your carts complete workings
How about posting a picture here of the cart?


By the way, the only thing I don't understand is your username?

groundpounder

great story thanks for posting this...

pizzamaker

wow,, thats a sad deal

mikesmotortoys

Unfortunately - ANYONE can open a dealership. Customer service is what a company SHOULD be based on. I hear stories like that all the time, I assume that this was an Independent dealership? Or a Factory dealership?

You have more patience and understanding than I do, thanks for sharing!

I will be a little more patient with potential customers that want to lay on the ground looking at our carts in the future - at least I know they won't find and problems!!!

FYI - I wouldn't post the NAME of the business, but at least you might say WHERE they are located. This way if someone is in that area, they can PM you to get their name...

crash12888

Scotty, It's an airplane thing. I read another one of his post refering to it (below).
Like the Grinch told the little dog "Stay Focused"!!

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/intro...ot-terror.html


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Quadmaster

Wow........ I would think in the present status of the economy people would be more understanding. But that's what I get for thinking
Sounds like you got acquainted with your cart a little earlier than you wanted to.
I think we are anti dealership around here, Except for our fine sponsors.

crash12888

If you think that was bad, (and it was!) you should walk into a Harley dealership and try to work a deal on a bike that has been sitting there for 11 months. They are still just as proud of it..........

BRS

Glacier,
I think we all have a story like yours....I know I have a few!!! Alot of those guys are simply moving carts..much like a used car lot. Minimal effort, say what you need to, get it sold. Then the $11 hour monkey works on it finding whatever bolts are laying within reach and it's out the door. I appreciate your venting...it has to be done!! Sounds like you can handle yourself, do it yourself and do it right!!! Good luck.

Quadmaster

scotty focused, that doesn't go together.