Complaint Review: scooterdepot.us

*I just wrote a lengthy detailed complaint about customer service.  Now i am writing to discuss the quality of their product (or lack thereof) and their service department (or lack thereof).*

Less than 2 months ago, I paid $3500 + shipping (basically $4k) for a DongFang Titan 300cc Touring Scooter. First time in my life I purchased any type of vehicle brand new.  My thoughts were I didn't want to inherit someone else's problems by buying used, so I would start fresh.  Yeah...sure thing.  Real quick:  My advice now is spend the extra and purchase locally where if a problem does arise you at least have people you can speak with face to face.  

So, I searched the internet pretty extensively and checked out reviews on every company I was interested in doing business with.  The only company that stood out was scooterdepot.us because at the time, they had zero complaints against them.  It was only after donating my money for someone's manicure or spray tan or whatever, that I recieved paperwork from them listing them as Sunny Sports Inc.  When I did a new search under that name I was astounded at how many complaints they had.

Despite their pleasing words and their user-friendly shipping grid that assured me I would get the bike in about 3 days, it was closer to 3 weeks.  It also did not come with the "extras" that were promised.  What I got was a cheap plastic shell on some sort of metallic alloy frame.  This thing was so cheap, when I was puting on the no-skid treads I busted the plastic footrest with just the force of my thumb trying to "plug in" the tread. The lock mechanism on the seat that gives access to the storage space barely works.  I have to hold the key firmly to the left, literally jump up and down on the seat, while someone else tries to pry the seat up, just to get it open. These are just the minor issues.

Upon delivery there were items inside this storage space that I needed:  The battery w/acid fill-tubes on the side (my first and hopefully last time i have to pour acid into a battery), a $49 tool set that, in its entirety, consists of 2 L-shaped allen wrenches, 1 screwdriver, and 2 metric box-wrenches (Seriously, these tools were so low-quality, I have seen better in the kid's section at the local gas-station), and lastly, the manual (that they so proudly laud on their site), which is a generic all-purpose many-model manual that not only did not pertain to my bike at all, it was written in badly broken English.

It's a Friday when I get this mechanical vomit and for some reason, the service dept closes at 2.  I had to wait until Monday before I could even get the seat up, before I could even start it up.  Then when I did (and every d**n time after) it sounds like a weedeater on crack.  Horrible.  The whole thing shook, and still shakes, so violently that the regular kickstand will not hold it upright when idling.  I did what you are supposed to do when you order something that does not seem to work right.  I called customer service.

This is the Reader's Digest condensed version of what I was told after several calls:  Probably the carburator needs adjusted, but scooterdepot/sunny sports/whoever will not pay for a mechanic to fix.  I need to pull the carburator myself, pay to ship it to them and they will fix it when they "can get to it."  I  was told that every scooter out of their store is tested before shipping and any problems I was having must be due to something I did.  The "mechanics" were clueless.  Here's good news for all of you who purchased the extended warranty...oh wait.  Did I say "good" news?  Sorry.  The truth is that the warranty only covers internal engine parts, that the buyer has to pull him/herself out personally or pay out of pocket for a mechanic to do it, then pay the shipping to send it back to them to fix when they "can get to it."

Now here is the absolute best (shadiest) part:  They do NOT have a warehouse.  They do NOT have onsite mechanics (they have assemblers).  They do NOT carry any product at all.  They work as resellers for some obscure Chinese manufacturing wholesale company who, when scooterdepot.us calls in an order, they dropship for them.  Sunny Sports/scooterdepot.us NEVER even see the bike they send out!  Just another high-profit, low-output eStore whose concerns rest only on the sale.  Anything after that is NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

I finally took the bike to a mechanic.  He is very familiar with these Chinese knock-offs.  He even drew me pictures of how the engine was attached to show me why it shook the way it did.  He warned me to stay completely off gravel roads, driveways,etc because the vibration in conjunction with the existing shake would start spidering (cracking) the plastic housing (this is already a problem I have without being on any gravel roads).  He explained why I am unable to drive less than 30 mph without the engine cutting out, and why I can ride it on the freeway if I want, but will I be able to stay on the bike?  (cruising speed for this model is 45mph, any more than that the shaking begins and grows increasingly worse as speed increases).

On top of all that, they sent me the wrong bike.  The initial title I got (which I was told was a copy/throwaway for my own personal records) listed the bike I had recieved correctly, even though they said it was a generic and did not matter.  But when I got the new title, it listed the bike I purchased, not the one I actually recieved.  I brought this to their attention along with these few other things, and was told that I was "too stupid".  Yes, that is verbatim.  I am a very laid-back down-to-earth nature freak.  I rarely get angry and its even rarer that I respond.  I admit I was less than professional and ended the call by telling the woman that she was an "a*s" (yes, that's harsh for me) and then hung up on her.

I am now trying to get my money back and if necessary will sue.  I strongly encourage anybody reading this who is in a similar situation to climb up on the lawsuit stone with me.  If we band together, maybe we can put this business down once and for all.

Peace & Be Good

If this diatribe points at least one person away from this company and toward someone legit, than this was worth it.