Bill, I'm a LEO too.&nbsp\\; I'm sure you realize as well as I do, that the officers were probably dispatched to a "disturbance" because of the dispute between the two parties.&nbsp\\; And that they hung around to keep the peace and make sure they didn't get called back again.&nbsp\\; We have a real shoddy car dealer here in town and we get calls to of disturbances all the time when they try to rip people off and the people rightfully get upset.&nbsp\\; Just remember, there are 2 sides to every story.

 

Bill, I'm a LEO too.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; I'm sure you realize as well as I do, that the officers were probably dispatched to a "disturbance" because of the dispute between the two parties.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; And that they hung around to keep the peace and make sure they didn't't get called back again.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; We have a real shoddy car dealer here in town and we get calls to of disturbances all the time when they try to rip people off and the people rightfully get upset.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\; Just remember, there are 2 sides to every story.


I would like to address this point because of the implications it has. I was never upset to the point of being out of control at anytime. No voices were raised or threats made. In fact, I asked several times what my options were if I disagreed and refused to pay the alleged damages. I have heard enough cop stories from family to know how to behave in situations such as this. I am not a hothead nor do I have a temper. It was obvious to me that I was being intentionally&nbsp\\;provoked and that the person in charge was just trying to get me to do something above and beyond so that I would look bad. I guess it kind of worked in reverse. Because I was so calm and would NOT lose my temper nor make threats he found himself at a loss on how to proceed.
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As far as the actual call to the police went I was standing there when he called the police on his cell phone. He told them he had a customer who REFUSED to pay a bill and was threatening to leave without paying. After he hung up I stood there and almost laughed at him and asked him how he could make up such a story. His answer was that I told him that I wouldn't pay the damages.&nbsp\\;He took the license to extend that to mean I WOULDN'T PAY THE RENTAL FEES EITHER which was a total fabrication. In fact, I had asked several times to have the bill prepared for just the rental fees without the damages being included. He said he needed to close out the WHOLE contract and that in order to do so it had to INCLUDE the damages. If not he couldn't close it out.
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Long story short, when the men in blue arrived he spent 15 minutes talking with them on the other side of the showroom but where I could see them. I waited patiently for them to approach me as is customary in a "he said she said dispute" so that I could tell my side of the story. When they never even came near me but just HUNG around I became even more&nbsp\\;suspicious. When I finally got tired of waiting around the dealership for permission to leave I approached them and politely asked them if there were any issues that needed to be addressed before I left the dealership? They said no and that was that. There was no other purpose for them to be called other than pure and simple intimidation. It may have certainly worked on someone with less experience than my wife and I have for sure.
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I was considering doing a fly n ride deal for vacation later this year so I renewed my HOG membership last month. That was the only reason I have it. I can get the pins and patches online if posing was my thing and my insurance provides motorcycle roadside assistance. At this point I'm seriously at a loss to figure what good Harley's "marketing machine" is for. Although I have to admit I do rather enjoy the magazines.

 

What damage equaled $1100, just curious

 

I did a Fly N Ride out of Peterson's Miami HD this past January. It was a great experience. They were easy to deal with and very helpful. We showed up very late (almost closing time thanks to Northwest Airlines) and without helmets (Northwest lost our luggage also!). Helmets are a requirement to pic up the bike even in a no helmet state. They treated us great! But if I do a rental in Phoenix I will go to another dealer or Eagle Rider after reading this!

 

I don't know if this a good idea or not, but at some point should we e-mail a link to this thread to the GM at Buddy Stubbs? Also to whoever might care at HD?

 

I just had a very similar bad experience at Schaeffer Harley Davidson in Orwigsburg, PA. I rented a Fat Boy Lo for 1 day...a quick once over before I took off, very friendly rental agent, and then...when I bring it back...he is feeling underneath the bike (something I obviously didn't think to check) and says I will be responsible for the damage (scrapes) on the bottom of the engine guard. I had 3 other people riding with me that day and all of them can attest that I babied the bike and there were absolutely NO incidents (the rental guy thought I had laid down the bike or tipped it over).
If you rent make sure you pour over the bike top and bottom and document every single scratch, ding, or smear or you will end up paying for it.

 

Sorry that your wife had to go through all that. That's something I have thought about. I checked out your first post & I had an idea they were given you the
"SHAFT without the LUBE"

 

Thanks for all the time and effort you put in this thread to make us aware of some of the practices out there. My wife and I travell to Anthem often and have done some retail at the Stubbs in Anthem and have been thinking about renting from them to ride to Sedona and the mtns. but will now reconsider our options. Sorry that an unfortunate incident had to ruin a great ride.

 

shredder22 and 103 you realize this is a mix-match on a 3 year old thread? Not that bmetdoc didn't get a royal shaft job but he is not the threads OP and is speaking about a bad experience he had in Pennsylvania.