UNETHICAL! UNRELIABLE! INEPT! AVOID! I recently had the absolute worst consumer experience ever dealing with a local motor vehicle repair shop, FLORIDA POWERSPORTS/MAROBO MOTORS at 4960 66th St No in St Petersburg. I originally had them pick the bike up from my home for a flat rear tire repair, which turned out to be merely a valve stem replacement. They insisted on cash-only up front $80, which included the first hour labor. I should have realized this was a message saying “We certainly don't trust you (the customer); so why in hell should you trust us (the repair service).” After almost a week, they were able to find a snapped throttle cable, which was verbally quoted to me by the manager at $120; though I had previously purchased the same cable from them for $53.49, and had a mechanic install the cable “in his spare time”, over a week-end. The cable was fully functional when I turned the bike over to them.
It took over 5 weeks to get the bike back, after a frustrating game of cat-and-mouse, lies and misdirection. I was promised the bike “Monday or Tuesday” and a call-back update/work status, but no call was ever initiated from their shop, mechanic, or manager. I had no special problem with Chris Holt, the manager, as others here have had. If his job description was “telephone operator”, he always did a quick and accurate transfer of my call to the mechanic, Ray. It was almost as if he didn't want to deal with me as an unhappy customer with valid complaints and concerns. If his job was to defray or help solve obvious customer issues, I never saw any attempt at that. My main problem in getting any satisfaction (or getting my bike back) was their mechanic, Ray. He constantly lied to me about when the bike would be ready, and never called me back as he promised.
At one point about half-way thru the five weeks, I called them with two days notice, that I had arranged transportation and that I would be picking the bike up to take to another mechanic for satisfaction; though their word to me was that the bike was in a “pile of nuts and bolts”. I told them to reassemble the bike, and that I wanted it back irregardless if their work was completed or not. They seemed unconcerned by the request. When I finally arrived at the shop, two days later, they told me the bike was still in a pile of nuts and bolts, and made no attempt to reassemble it or give it back to me. They made me feel extremely powerless and insignificant, though I tried to make it perfectly clear to them that this was a huge problem for me, a senior citizen, as this was my only mode of transportation. They didn't seem to mind at all and had an arrogant and flippant attitude towards me.
The only feeling of power I got was reporting them to Better Business Bureau (semi-helpful), State Attorney Pam Bondi for Senior Citizen mistreatment and Price Gouging (no help at all, they forwarded my email to another agency), to Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services and their department for Motor Vehicle Repair complaints (still no word from them), and two local TV stations that handle consumer issues; all of which can be done online. I finally got the bike back, and the throttle cable priced at $69, and charged for an extra hour labor. The manager said it was more like 7 hours labor, and that he was doing me a huge favor by only charging me for two (one had been prepaid). He also mentioned something about a “floor-board” problem, of which I had not been notified. As a final “Thanks for your business” gesture, they tried to steal my cable lock from the under-the-seat compartment of the bike; but at this point I was prepared for unethical practices and checked the compartment before I tried to drive the bike away. They claimed, also, that they gave the bike a test run, though I don't know how this would have been possible, as the tank was on empty. I am very disappointed with the service and with the final outcome of the repair. The bike was spewing smoke as I drove it off their lot, and the throttle was difficult to handle (sticking and sluggish), and the bike top speed is now between 30-35mph, where previously to their “fixing” it, it had easily reached 40-45mph.
It was a long and frustrating 5 weeks of lies and ineptitude, and the only consolation I got was Chris saying “Sorry for the debacle”. At least they finally acknowledged that it was a debacle, indeed. The only recommendation I can give future FLORIDA POWERSPORT/MAROBO MOTORS customers is: STAY AWAY AND AVOID THIS BUSINESS; SAVE YOURSELF MONEY, TIME, AND AGGRAVATION; AND TAKE YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR BIKE ELSEWHERE! Hope this is helpful in avoiding another debacle for any future customer who needs motor vehicle repair.
Pinellas Powersports Reviews
UNETHICAL! UNRELIABLE! INEPT! AVOID! I recently had the absolute worst consumer experience ever dealing with a local motor vehicle repair shop, FLORIDA POWERSPORTS/MAROBO MOTORS at 4960 66th St No in St Petersburg. I originally had them pick the bike up from my home for a flat rear tire repair, which turned out to be merely a valve stem replacement. They insisted on cash-only up front $80, which included the first hour labor. I should have realized this was a message saying “We certainly don't trust you (the customer); so why in hell should you trust us (the repair service).” After almost a week, they were able to find a snapped throttle cable, which was verbally quoted to me by the manager at $120; though I had previously purchased the same cable from them for $53.49, and had a mechanic install the cable “in his spare time”, over a week-end. The cable was fully functional when I turned the bike over to them.
It took over 5 weeks to get the bike back, after a frustrating game of cat-and-mouse, lies and misdirection. I was promised the bike “Monday or Tuesday” and a call-back update/work status, but no call was ever initiated from their shop, mechanic, or manager. I had no special problem with Chris Holt, the manager, as others here have had. If his job description was “telephone operator”, he always did a quick and accurate transfer of my call to the mechanic, Ray. It was almost as if he didn't want to deal with me as an unhappy customer with valid complaints and concerns. If his job was to defray or help solve obvious customer issues, I never saw any attempt at that. My main problem in getting any satisfaction (or getting my bike back) was their mechanic, Ray. He constantly lied to me about when the bike would be ready, and never called me back as he promised.
At one point about half-way thru the five weeks, I called them with two days notice, that I had arranged transportation and that I would be picking the bike up to take to another mechanic for satisfaction; though their word to me was that the bike was in a “pile of nuts and bolts”. I told them to reassemble the bike, and that I wanted it back irregardless if their work was completed or not. They seemed unconcerned by the request. When I finally arrived at the shop, two days later, they told me the bike was still in a pile of nuts and bolts, and made no attempt to reassemble it or give it back to me. They made me feel extremely powerless and insignificant, though I tried to make it perfectly clear to them that this was a huge problem for me, a senior citizen, as this was my only mode of transportation. They didn't seem to mind at all and had an arrogant and flippant attitude towards me.
The only feeling of power I got was reporting them to Better Business Bureau (semi-helpful), State Attorney Pam Bondi for Senior Citizen mistreatment and Price Gouging (no help at all, they forwarded my email to another agency), to Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services and their department for Motor Vehicle Repair complaints (still no word from them), and two local TV stations that handle consumer issues; all of which can be done online. I finally got the bike back, and the throttle cable priced at $69, and charged for an extra hour labor. The manager said it was more like 7 hours labor, and that he was doing me a huge favor by only charging me for two (one had been prepaid). He also mentioned something about a “floor-board” problem, of which I had not been notified. As a final “Thanks for your business” gesture, they tried to steal my cable lock from the under-the-seat compartment of the bike; but at this point I was prepared for unethical practices and checked the compartment before I tried to drive the bike away. They claimed, also, that they gave the bike a test run, though I don't know how this would have been possible, as the tank was on empty. I am very disappointed with the service and with the final outcome of the repair. The bike was spewing smoke as I drove it off their lot, and the throttle was difficult to handle (sticking and sluggish), and the bike top speed is now between 30-35mph, where previously to their “fixing” it, it had easily reached 40-45mph.
It was a long and frustrating 5 weeks of lies and ineptitude, and the only consolation I got was Chris saying “Sorry for the debacle”. At least they finally acknowledged that it was a debacle, indeed. The only recommendation I can give future FLORIDA POWERSPORT/MAROBO MOTORS customers is: STAY AWAY AND AVOID THIS BUSINESS; SAVE YOURSELF MONEY, TIME, AND AGGRAVATION; AND TAKE YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR BIKE ELSEWHERE! Hope this is helpful in avoiding another debacle for any future customer who needs motor vehicle repair.