Expensive First Service

Discussion in 'Triumph General Discussion' started by JD_Lincs, Sep 1, 2022.

  1. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Before I bought my Tiger Sport 660, I checked what I would be paying on the Triumph website - I used it to send a list of required optional extras to my local dealer.

    On checking the price, a dialogue box pops up, explaining exactly what the customer is paying for in the price of the bike. This include labour charges for the first service as long as the bike is presented for servicing at the dealer where it wa spurchased, and that is what I did.

    However, instead of the expected £65-ish that everyone else seems to be paying, I was charged £149. I asked about the labour charges, (£85 on the receipt) and referred to the notice on the Triumph website. The workshop said they had no knowledge of any such thing and they always charged for labour on first servicings, but did reduce the 'proper' charge of £199.

    £199 for a 1st service at 600 miles?

    I was very angry about the misleading information on the website, but they stuck to their line and insisted they were doing me a favour.

    I've belonged to a couple of Tiger 660 groups and in both the only people who paid more than £65 (some paid less) were those who either took their bikes to a different dealer for the servicing, or those who were being led up the garden path - and of those, several got their labout costs refunded by Triumph when they sent their complaints "upstairs", or threatened to do so.

    I only just paid the deposit 2 weeks ago, and had I known how much they were going to charge, I would have waited longer before taking the bike in. Really disgusted and won't ever go to that dealer again - though tomorrow I will phone the salesman and see what he has to say (not that I expect him to reimburse me). Next step will be contacting Triumph UK, though I've currently no idea how, I'll find out.

    Great way to spoil what had been up to now a great purchase experience and a happy customer.

    ScreenShot006.jpg
     
  2. Mrs Visor

    Mrs Visor Elite Member

    Aug 21, 2021
    3,273
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    Good luck @JD_Lincs with your complaint :).
     
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  3. Pegscraper

    Pegscraper Elite Member

    Jun 12, 2020
    3,283
    800
    Yorkshire
    On my first Street Scrambler in 2020 (the one that got nicked) I paid £182 for the first (500m) service. I'd no idea what to expect, having paid for first services on my last few new bikes so let it go even though I did think it was a bit steep. On my new 2022 SS I paid £65 for the first (600m) service, both with the same dealer. Go figure.
     
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  4. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,306
    800
    North Yorkshire
    I would always negotiate the sale price to INCLUDE the 1st 500 mile service ;)

    I mean come on, a 10 minute walkaround new filter, what £5 cost, and 3 litres or so of oil probably less than £20, so £ 25 all in.
    Hardly an issue for them to consider is it?

    My last bike came including the 500 mile service right from the start of discussions :blush:
     
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  5. brown mouse

    brown mouse Elite Member

    Sep 15, 2018
    2,288
    943
    East Midlands, UK
    #5 brown mouse, Sep 2, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2022
    If the Triumph web site indicates that first service labour is free then I'd complain to Triumph. There's contact info on their ste and I've always had quick response from emailing [email protected].

    In fact that contact page has this section...

    TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR WARRANTY

    In the first instance we ask that you contact your authorised Triumph dealer directly. If you have done this and your dealer has not been able to help you, please email [email protected] with a detailed description of the problem. Also include the last 6 digits of your motorcycle Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and the name of the dealer you have visited. Please be aware that no action can be taken regarding the motorcycle warranty until your motorcycle has been inspected by an authorised Triumph dealership.
     
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  6. brown mouse

    brown mouse Elite Member

    Sep 15, 2018
    2,288
    943
    East Midlands, UK
    In 2018 I didn't get charged labour, just £55 for oil and filter. Though when I picked up my bike he said I'd get labour free if I gave them 9/10 on the Triumph survey (!) and not wishing to be bribed I didn't reply to the survey. (Would have down marked them for the bribe attempt but didn't just in case they did have some way of cross-checking survey results with customers.)
     
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  7. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Thanks for replies - I'm trying to contact the sales guy right now but so far no-one is answering. First time that's happeneed, must be on his own and busy, as he often is.

    I just looked back and found that I paid the same amount exactly for my Street Scrambler service two years ago. If this is the right price that's one thing, but something needs to change - either the info on the website needs removing or changing, or customers need to be advised that it will not apply, along with the reasoning, when they buy the bike.

    I returned a Bonnie Scrambler on PCP early and had the remaining debt paid by the dealer. I bought a new bike (on HP) and got a credit of £319 'equity' on the old bike.

    I also requested that I be charged the price of the Tiger when I paid my holding deposit, as it had since risen by £300 when the bike was actually delivered 4 months later. The price the salesman came up with was a complete mystery to me - about £9225 iirc - and the whole deal as far as exact amounts is still a mystery to me.

    Also wasn't happy when Black Horse sent me a settlement figure and told me to subtract any payments I'd made in the meantime - of which there was one, but the dealer told me they would pay the original settlement figure and I should wait for a refund (which I now have). This to save them redoing the paperwork.

    Another thing (sigh...) was that I wanted to add another optional extra to the purchase, but again this was refused as the guy didn't want to have to redo that paperwork, either. I already had 6 items on the list of extras - and that's a lot of writing! So now I'll get that gear elsewhere. It'll be cheaper, so maybe he did me a favour!
     
  8. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Yeah they charged me £50 for 4 litres of oil, £1.08 for the washer, £9.55 for the oil filter and 2.50 for "sundry parts".

    The oil is a bit steep, but not beyond what I would expect for a dealer service, same with the filter. The only real quibble is that labour charge of £85

    PS - plus the fact everyone else seems to be paying £65, of course
     
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  9. Waterboy

    Waterboy New Member

    Aug 30, 2022
    10
    3
    Cardiff
    good luck with contacting Triumph Uk, ive been emailing and ringing them all week, even left them a voice mail, also went on their official face book site, put up a post twice asking for someone to contact me, both occasions the posts were deleted , gotta say, piss poor customer service so far
     
  10. Allan Robertson

    Allan Robertson New Member

    Jun 22, 2022
    15
    3
    East Kilbride
    Your dealers taking the piss, if you payed full list price, it clearly includes a parts only first service.
     
  11. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,306
    800
    North Yorkshire
    The last bike oil I bought was 20 litres of Castrol engine oil for £125 so that makes my oil less than £20/ change ;)

    £2.50 will be for "a squirt" of chain lube :rolleyes:

    Like you say the labour charge is the contentious bit but your paperwork and transaction detail sounds very cloudy and lacking definition.
     
  12. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    I went through the paperwork again this afternoon and all I have is a bill of sale for the PCP bike and another for the new Tiger. Not even the extras listed, just the complete price, though there are individual till receipts for the extras.

    I didn't realise I don't even have the customer copy of the purchase contract I signed. On Monday I'll email the guy brown mouse mentioned.
     
  13. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Rode it again today for the first time since the service and found they had left the rear tyre overinflated as well! (2.68 Bar instead of 2.5 - and it's colder today than it was when serviced 2 days ago).
    I must admit, I didn't like the mechanic and the things he came out with whilst I was there, including trying to make me feel responsible for the trade plate on the courtesy bike falling off when it was not my fault. Said it's the second one in a week - obviously not bright enough to work out he's not securing it well enough (two rubber bands 1" wide and a rag stuffed behind the plate to take up the slack).

    He insisted that changing the drive sprocket by 1 tooth would mess up the quickshifter. I don't know - that's why I asked - but many people who own this bike say it doesn't, so might just go ahead and do it anyway. I got the impression he was a 'junior' mechanic and seemed to look to the older guy for gen, though he didn't ask him about this. I'll have to look into it more before going ahead, I guess.
     
  14. Adie P

    Adie P Crème de la Crème

    Jul 7, 2018
    3,647
    1,000
    MID DEVON
    If it's just a quickshifter (QS - upshift ony) not a quickshifter/blipper (QS/B up and down shifts) then, AFAIK, all it does is act like a pressure sensitive switch that kills the ignition instantaneously and momentarily in order to facilitate a clutchless shift. The idea is you can - actually MUST - keep the throttle open and, the moment you hit the gear lever the 'switch' operates; kills the ignition (revs drop briefly); shift is made and the ignition is instantly restored when the lever is no longer under any pressure. And therein lies part of the rub .......... you have to ensure that your foot only touches the gear lever for the briefest amount of time and is positive but not brutally firm. It's not easy - especially if you've had a riding lifetime with your foot hovering close to or even on the lever! But it is something that , with practice you can get used to easily.

    I think, if it IS the Triumph QS and it does work in that way then, logically, the gear ratios have absolutely NO relavence or bearing on the matter at all.

    I've got a Triumph QS on my Street Triple and, as long as you are aware of the constraints and limitations, and operate it within them, it is a great piece of kit. I rarely use it - having said that I rarely use the bloody bike at all at the moment - but when I do it's usually in a situation where I need ..... OK, want .... the ultimate in rapid acceleration, e.g. emerging from a junction; merging onto a dual carriageway or motorway or fast overtakes. I don't use it to impress my mates (don't have any!;-)) as I drive through the city centre carving up the traffic.

    The one thing I would say is that, if you're considering changing the front sprocket for better acceleration, then wait until you've installed and tried the QS - it might just be the difference that you're looking for.
     
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  15. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Thanks for your explanation - I was aware how it works, but it is an up & down shifter as I mentioned in the tech thread.

    The intent isn't better acceleration - there's no problem with that and I also got used to the TSA very quickly and like it.

    The issue is how ludicrously close the gears 1 to 4 are. Seriously, most of the time I'm in 4th or 5th going through twisty road villages at 30mph. 4th is about 4,000rpm and 5th 3,500-ish.
    5th gear has a nice spectrum and can cover 30 to over 60mph very comfortably (i.e. not racing or such like). The Trident has the same engine and gearbox and the same issue with 1-4.
     
  16. littleade

    littleade The only sane one here
    Subscriber

    Mar 17, 2015
    255
    1,000
    Worcestershire
    Sounds like the dealership isn't the best and their customer service is even worse. As above I'd write to Triumph and complain as that normally gets the dealers attention. Are there any other dealers within easy reach you could go to instead as personally I'd be voting with my feet after such a poor experience. BMW always send me a survey after I've had anything done and when I complained about an issue with the ditch pump the dealer principle was on the case straightaway and got it sorted so if Triumph do the same that's an oportunity to have your say. If you don't get a satisfactory reply from the salesman go straight to the top, you're the customer not them:mad:. Good luck and let us know how you get on.
     
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  17. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Thanks - yes, there are a couple of others, though they are a quite a way away but I've used one in the past.

    Normally this local dealer has a good rep (but not always) and up to now I've been happy with them over the last 21 years. They've always been a bit on the pricey side, but not excessively so.

    I haven't received the survey yet, but the rep did mention wanting a good result. I'll see what he says today - but I'll still get in touch with Triumph about the misleading info on their website.
     
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  18. JD_Lincs

    JD_Lincs Well-Known Member

    Aug 2, 2020
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    Thanks for that contact info - Triumph have given me a case number and are investigating - I'll post what happens.
     
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  19. Neal H

    Neal H Active Member

    Mar 7, 2021
    174
    43
    England
    I just looked up what I paid for the first service last year on my Speed Triple - £56 plus VAT. They didn’t charge any labour.

    Mind you, I have been quoted £297 for it’s first ‘proper’ annual service!
     
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  20. Ian Massey

    Ian Massey Teddy4755

    Nov 2, 2022
    66
    18
    Plymouth
     
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