Fair cop from importer or not?

[Pontiac_Tonz]

A "friend" bought a "X" brand bike with 3,000km on the clock from a private seller.

He (or she) rode it for 5 days and the gas gauge did not move off "Full". Jumped to the conclusion gauge was faulty.

Rang the importers and explained: purchased privately, but an apparent fault. Would you look at it and repair it as it is only 3,000km and a year old?

Importers advised that as it was purchased privately there is no warranty as the original warranty was not transferable.


As it was not purchased from a dealer, the consumer guarantees act does not apply either, on which point they were absolutely correct about.

The owner was basically told "too bad"!


My question is:

Should the importer have made a "Moral" decision to look at the fault and help the rider out, or is it buyer-be-aware when buying privately?

I welcome your feedback and if it is overwhelmingly against the importer, I will reveal the brand as that would only be fair.

[Tazz]

Can see both sides of this, but really if you want warranty support you buy new in my book and something like this is the risk you take with buying secondhand.

The purchase of it at a 'cheaper than new price' should be noted too as it would have been priced accordingly being a secondhand bike with NO warranty regardless of age or KM's.

Them's the breaks.

[Mike.Gayner]

Buying a used bike and expecting the importer, of all people, to fix something? LOL

[Oakie]

Caveat emptor. No obligation on the importer, moral or otherwise, to come to the party. Tough luck pretty much.

[Steve Gauge]

your friend mr x probably expects the government to pay his rent too , johnny keys fault I reckon get him to fix it lol

[nzspokes]

Caveat emptor. No obligation on the importer, moral or otherwise, to come to the party. Tough luck pretty much.

Yup, I concur.

[Laava]

So this importer, brought the bike into the country second hand? Or is the importer the brand importer that sells them new in NZ? Just to be clear.

[FJRider]

My question is:

Should the importer have made a "Moral" decision to look at the fault and help the rider out, or is it buyer-be-aware when buying privately?

I welcome your feedback and if it is overwhelmingly against the importer, I will reveal the brand as that would only be fair.

For a "Moral" decision to be expected ... you might need to prove the importer had knowledge of the issue.

And ... The importer was the owner of the bike (and as such would have such knowledge).




But ... if the importer was only an agent of the owner ... look to the original owner ...

[Virago]

The audacity of some people never ceases to amaze me.

[TLDV8]

Rang the importers and explained: purchased privately, but an apparent fault. Would you look at it and repair it as it is only 3,000km and a year old?



That might depend on the actual situation.
If the apparent fault was a recall item then the importer of the brand would be obligated even if the bike was not owned by the original purchaser.
If it is not a recall item but a fault then I doubt they would come to the party.

Suzuki were still replacing recall items on 1997 TL1000S's many years after warranty periods has expired on bikes that were not entered as having the work done prior.
There are also quite a few cases of TL1000S frames being replaced overseas when they cracked at the left hand mounting lug for the rotary damper suspension unit.

[Voltaire]

Whats a fuel guage?

Do they do one for Nortons? :drool:

[mossy1200]

Someone took the tank off and forgot to plug it back in most likely or tore the cable out taking the tank off.

Some warranties are transferable. Appliance warranty is often covered outside original ownership if proof of purchase is shown.

[JimO]

a similar thing will happen when that carsales 2 Cheap Cars starts importing new cars and undercutting the dealerships, will factory warranty still apply

[russd7]

also dose not say how old the bike is, lots of ten year old bikes out there with only 3000k on the clock, that said i never trust the fuel gauge anyway, always set the trip meter when i fuel up, (except last ride, speedo don't work with broken cable).

[Swoop]

Whats a fuel guage?

Do they do one for Nortons? :drool:

Yes. It's called a "stick"*. The amount of wet it becomes when dipped into your tank = the amount of future riding you will be doing.



* Batteries not included.

[98tls]

That might depend on the actual situation.
If the apparent fault was a recall item then the importer of the brand would be obligated even if the bike was not owned by the original purchaser.
If it is not a recall item but a fault then I doubt they would come to the party.

Suzuki were still replacing recall items on 1997 TL1000S's many years after warranty periods has expired on bikes that were not entered as having the work done prior.
There are also quite a few cases of TL1000S frames being replaced overseas when they cracked at the left hand mounting lug for the rotary damper suspension unit.

:niceone:Beat me to it Les.Nice.You may or not recall i bought a brand new tank for the S yonks back around 12 months later Suzuki refunded me (through dealer here) the price incl of post.

[240]

You purchased it privately mate no doubt for a good price,the repair is on you

[haydes55]

Why didn't the original owner get it fixed under warranty?

If you buy second hand ask "are there any faults with this bike?" If they say no, but you later find a fault that the previous owner would have had knowledge of, they are on the losing side of any legal threat.

[Paul in NZ]

If there is an issue you go back to the person you purchased from. That's the person you had the contract with. Usually you follow the $$ back.

However - it kinda depends on how you bought it. ie if it was a dealer importing used bikes then yeah I would expect them to look at it. If it was a private import you are on shaky ground, if it is the brand importer and you have not financial relationship with them at all - erm - no - I wouldn't expect them to be very thrilled... If you got it through trademe - you might have some recourse.

By way of example. I have a jap import bike. its had a couple of kiwi owners who did bugger all miles on it but it has not ever been handled by the official NZ importer but I did buy it from a dealer who had traded it. However - I took it to the 'official' brand dealer and got them (due for a service anyway) to plug in the diagnostic tool and check all the factory recalls were done... They came back with 'no recall work outstanding' which isn't 'quite' the same thing but good enough.

If there was recall work to do - they might have done it BUT I certainly wasn't expecting them to do it free. If it had a fault I would have gone back to guy I bought it off.

[Paul in NZ]

Why didn't the original owner get it fixed under warranty?

If you buy second hand ask "are there any faults with this bike?" If they say no, but you later find a fault that the previous owner would have had knowledge of, they are on the losing side of any legal threat.

This is good advice...

[Pontiac_Tonz]

Great feedback - many thanks.

To clarify a little - it WAS the brand importer, and the bike was just over 12 months old.

The fault is a common one with this range of bikes and has been noted in a number of bike reviews. This was not picked up before they bought it.

Fair point(s) made above about buying cheaper from private vs dealer and hence the repair on the owner.

To paint a contrast - a company I left recently honors their product for 10 years regardless of how many owners. The principals of the company have a philosophy of looking after the brand AND the customer all in one foul sweep, they want people to consider their company to be fair regardless of the number of hands the product has passed through, therefore protecting the name of the brand.

[Tazz]

To paint a contrast - a company I left recently honors their product for 10 years regardless of how many owners. The principals of the company have a philosophy of looking after the brand AND the customer all in one foul sweep, they want people to consider their company to be fair regardless of the number of hands the product has passed through, therefore protecting the name of the brand.

Motor vehicle brand?

[baffa]

Honouring a product for 10 years is admirable, but unrealistic for most industries.
What if the vehicle is used as a taxi? Or in competitive motorsport?

[nzspokes]

Why does this scream hyobung.

[cynna]

truimph replaced my front discs on my 2 year old 10000km speedmaster that i brought 2nd hand from a private seller - i wasnt expecting them to

[Pontiac_Tonz]

truimph replaced my front discs on my 2 year old 10000km speedmaster that i brought 2nd hand from a private seller - i wasnt expecting them to



THAT is how you build brand loyalty!

[Hitcher]

Buying a used bike and expecting the importer, of all people, to fix something?

I once had the misfortune of buying a NEW bike in return for the privilege of being fucked around by the official New Zealand agent for said brand.

[Hitcher]

truimph replaced my front discs on my 2 year old 10000km speedmaster that i brought 2nd hand from a private seller - i wasnt expecting them to

I have just required the urgent application of CPR after reading that.

[JimO]

truimph replaced my front discs on my 2 year old 10000km speedmaster that i brought 2nd hand from a private seller - i wasnt expecting them to
triumph NZ were the importers of my Cagiva and really resisted replacing my warped discs while the bike was under warranty

[cynna]

I have just required the urgent application of CPR after reading that.

shouldnt read out loud then