Complaint Review: American Scooter Center - Pirate Imports

"I contacted the BBB and filed a formal complaint. The Better Business Bureau attempted to contact them. The losers didn't even respond to them.
That is a heavy offense."

It is only a heavy offense if American Scooter Center were a member of the BBB, which I am fairly certain they aren't.

New York is a very large place!

Why would you want to send your precious scooter all the way to TEXAS when you could have found someone in New York to repair it for you ==maybe someone so close you could have monitored their progress as they worked.

But then you wouldn't have had the satisfaction of calling them" radical Texas rightwing fools...racist pieces of American mocking British National Front wannabee 'MOD' skinheads shitheads. With their loser n**i inspired Nordic scooter club logos and hate filled attiudes."

I AM A NATIVE TEXAN. MY ANCESTORS WERE HERE BEFORE YOURS EVER SHOWED UP.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE BRITISH NATIONAL FRONT IS.

MOST OF THE MOTORCYCLE PERSONS I KNOW PREFER HARLEYS AND INDIANS AND TOURING SIZE BIKES.

THE MISTAKE WAS YOUR BY NOT KEEPING YOUR REPAIR BUSINESS CLOSER TO YOU --LIKE MAYBE AT YOUR VESPA DEALER --UNLESS YOU ALIENATED ALL OF THEM WITH YOUR DELIGHTFUL PERSONALITY....

THERE IS NOTHING RACIST ABOUT LETTING SOMEONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN THAT SORT OF MINI MOTORCYCLE REPAIR IT. THERE AREN'T THAT MANY VESPAS HERE IN TEXAS.

WHERE DOES THE RACISM COME IN, ANYWAY?

New York is a very large place!

Why would you want to send your precious scooter all the way to TEXAS when you could have found someone in New York to repair it for you ==maybe someone so close you could have monitored their progress as they worked.

But then you wouldn't have had the satisfaction of calling them" radical Texas rightwing fools...racist pieces of American mocking British National Front wannabee 'MOD' skinheads shitheads. With their loser n**i inspired Nordic scooter club logos and hate filled attiudes."

I AM A NATIVE TEXAN. MY ANCESTORS WERE HERE BEFORE YOURS EVER SHOWED UP.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE BRITISH NATIONAL FRONT IS.

MOST OF THE MOTORCYCLE PERSONS I KNOW PREFER HARLEYS AND INDIANS AND TOURING SIZE BIKES.

THE MISTAKE WAS YOUR BY NOT KEEPING YOUR REPAIR BUSINESS CLOSER TO YOU --LIKE MAYBE AT YOUR VESPA DEALER --UNLESS YOU ALIENATED ALL OF THEM WITH YOUR DELIGHTFUL PERSONALITY....

THERE IS NOTHING RACIST ABOUT LETTING SOMEONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN THAT SORT OF MINI MOTORCYCLE REPAIR IT. THERE AREN'T THAT MANY VESPAS HERE IN TEXAS.

WHERE DOES THE RACISM COME IN, ANYWAY?

A few years ago I bought a carburetor from them it was a Malossi, it took over three months to get a set of jets that would actually fit, and many phone calls. Later that year they were selling some Variators on ebay, I called we figured that it was the incorrect one for my scoot and they would not substitute, fine glad we looked into it first. The next week they put the one on they said I needed on ebay, we confirm that it is the correct one, I buy it. It turn out to be the wrong one the one I need they will be in soon because they sold there last one the week before on e bay, hmmm experts. Two months pass nothing, I call, yeah there in, I'll send it out we sure are sorry, I never got it. Then they said they forgot to send it, then could not find it. Another four months I threaten to call the attorney general for fraud they say "I'll put in the mail today myself" I finally get the part. I'm always messing with scoots and have ordered tons of parts since then with very little problem, but I will never deal with ASC again.

jgr
St. Louis, MO

A few years ago I bought a carburetor from them it was a Malossi, it took over three months to get a set of jets that would actually fit, and many phone calls. Later that year they were selling some Variators on ebay, I called we figured that it was the incorrect one for my scoot and they would not substitute, fine glad we looked into it first. The next week they put the one on they said I needed on ebay, we confirm that it is the correct one, I buy it. It turn out to be the wrong one the one I need they will be in soon because they sold there last one the week before on e bay, hmmm experts. Two months pass nothing, I call, yeah there in, I'll send it out we sure are sorry, I never got it. Then they said they forgot to send it, then could not find it. Another four months I threaten to call the attorney general for fraud they say "I'll put in the mail today myself" I finally get the part. I'm always messing with scoots and have ordered tons of parts since then with very little problem, but I will never deal with ASC again.

jgr
St. Louis, MO

A few years ago I bought a carburetor from them it was a Malossi, it took over three months to get a set of jets that would actually fit, and many phone calls. Later that year they were selling some Variators on ebay, I called we figured that it was the incorrect one for my scoot and they would not substitute, fine glad we looked into it first. The next week they put the one on they said I needed on ebay, we confirm that it is the correct one, I buy it. It turn out to be the wrong one the one I need they will be in soon because they sold there last one the week before on e bay, hmmm experts. Two months pass nothing, I call, yeah there in, I'll send it out we sure are sorry, I never got it. Then they said they forgot to send it, then could not find it. Another four months I threaten to call the attorney general for fraud they say "I'll put in the mail today myself" I finally get the part. I'm always messing with scoots and have ordered tons of parts since then with very little problem, but I will never deal with ASC again.

jgr
St. Louis, MO

Being an avid scooterist and also a scooter mechanic, I need mail order companies like ASC to provide reliable, timely service, and American Scooter Center has been tops in that regard. If there has been a delay in service, there has always been a reasonable explanation.

Regarding the charges of racist levied by Sam, I'm happy to say that I have never known the staff or owners of ASC to act in such a manner. As I am a person of color, I should have been on the receiving end of this alleged treatment at some point over the past several years; I have yet to experience this type of treatment.

Sam, please be more specific in describing how the service you received from these gentlemen was racist in any way? Were you called names? Was any inappropriate language used? Please let us know so that people can form accurate opinions.

Hello,

I live in Maine and not associated with ASC other than I have ordered parts from them. In the last few years I have worked on over 30 vintage scooters. I regularly order parts from probably 5 different shops, ASC occasionally because they always give me great support on the products I buy from them. I have seen some other people get upset with scooter shops because they expect the speed and service they have become accustomed to by a large corporation selling new vehicles and not a small shop working on vintage vehicles. Owning or working on vintage scooters takes a lot of patience.

My first question is how did Sam pick a shop in Texas to do engine work for him? There are a number of shops closer to him than ASC in Texas. My guess is that he heard ASC had a good service department reputation (which they do) and the price was fair.

I would like to respond directly to some of his comments.

".... American Scooter Center..........are pieces of Racist s**t.
I have learned that most 90% 'classic' scooter shops in America are run by racist pieces of ....skinheads *&*&heads. With their loser n**i inspired Nordic scooter club logos and hate filled attiudes. "

Please detail what they did to make you think they were racist. I have been into scooters on and off for almost 25 years. I have never had an experience where I thought someone at a shop was a racist. If it matters, I am mexican American. I have dealt with shops across the USA country and one overseas. ( The one overseeas doesn't like whinny americans and prefers to deal with europeans) I have seen many scooter club logos and shop logos and have not seen ANY with Nordic n**i inspired logos. I do know a very small part of the scooter scene associates with skinheads but I belive this to be the Northern England Skinheads which are more a working class rebellion and NOT the racist version that sprang up here in the US.

"These *&*& did a lob job on my scooter when it was sent in for repair. I was quoted a turn over of 2 weeks for the repairs. Two weeks became 3 months."

I can't believe they said two weeks. It was probably two weeks if we don't find any problems. This is not uncommon in vintage scooter repair. Sometimes the part that is needed is just not available. The Shop waits weeks and weeks and keeps being told the part is on some ship. If Sam really has done work on his scooters he must of experienced the the hunt for a missing part. I currently have 7 scooters in my barn. Only one is working. I have been waiting for weeks for a part for one scooter and I can't find any US scooter shop with a piston ring for my 1964 Lambretta.

"They refused to answer the phone or emails that I sent. "

I have always had ASC respond to my calls and emails. Sometimes the squeeky wheel gets the grease but sometimes you get ignred because they just are tired of hearing someone complain and threaten. Caller ID can be a curse if you are consitently beligerent.

"When I received my bike's engine. The engine had signs of trouble. The cheapest (Indian) possible parts were used in the repair of my Italian scooter. "

I find this hard to believe. Again, ASC has a top notch reputation. They sell new Indian engines for lambrettas only after they have replaced some of the garbage parts they come with.

"The Better Business Bureau attempted to contact them. The losers didn't even respond to them. That is a heavy offense. "

Can someone confirm tht it is illegal to not respond to the BBB? What kind of offense is it?

"At this point, any move they make against me. I have been prepared to take my case to the proper authorities as well as file a discrimination suite"

What kind of move would a scooter shop make against you and again what was their act of descrimination?

I think Sam would be happier just working on his own scooter. I realy don't think any other shop would be that much different.


Andrew
Portland Maine

First, a vintage scooter shop should be viewed the same way any classic, vintage or niche specialty shop is viewed. If you own a 30 year old Triumph Spitfire you can not take it Jiffy Lube... The same applies with vintage scooters. 2 weeks can easily turn into 3 months when you're waiting for a model specific part and since there is not a scooter shop in every city the work load can back up very quickly.

Second, "Sam" in NY gave no information about the engine or scooter in question. Many old scooters are being imported from Asia where they have been ridden into the ground and then hacked together, covered in shiny paint and sold over the internet never meeting US D.O.T. requirements. Most shops turn these away and the ones that don't usually only do the work on a "No Guarantee" basis. When you are dealing with any vehicle that is older many problems can surface, if you bring in an engine for a carburetor rebuild and a day after you get it back the clutch fails that is not the shops fault. Many "newbie" scooter owners don't realize this.

Third, if Sam's bike was a Vespa all parts are made in India, if it was a Lambretta the Indian parts are better than most.

Finally, the racism thing... I know of no scooter shop in the country that employs anyone who is racist and Sam's claims completely false if you know anything about sub-cultures and scooterists. If you are a Mod it is impossible for you to be skinhead. Less than 2% of of Skinheads are racists and the ones that are are referred to as boneheads and are mostly seen in movies and on 1980's talk shows. Further more Austin Texas is one of the most left leaning cities in the union. n**i's and Nordic Vikings have never had anything to do with each other so I don't even know how to respond to that comment.

I have had only great experiences with ASC. They are easily in the Top 5 Best scooter shops in the country, with customer service, products and prices.

I would have to attribute all of Sam's problems with not understanding what it means to own a vintage scooter and claiming racism is a result of his/her own ignorance.