Monstermash

So I'm curious as to what others think of an issue I have encountered.

Last summer, I responded to an ad on Craig's List to purchase a bicycle. The ad was placed on every local CL site so it was unclear where the seller was actually located. I sent an email asking for a little more info on the bike and where it was located. The response was that he was located in Maine but he worked as a sales/tech rep for Scott and traveled all over New England so could meet me somewhere close to home. When he showed up he was driving a van with the Scott logo all over it and wearing clothing with their logo as well.

When he arrived he did not have everything that he stated came with the sale. The missing items totaled a few hundred dollars. He also failed to mention that there were parts missing from the bike and that some of the parts that were there did not function properly and had to be replaced under a recall. Long story short he used his position with Scott to assure me that he would ship me the parts he forgot and not to worry. After several weeks I did not receive the parts so I sent him a text and he responded to tell me he was out of town and would ship them as soon as he returned. Well, that never happened so I sent him another text asking if he had returned from his trip. He told me he was still out of town and would send them at the end of the month (July 2014). By the middle of August I still hadn't received the parts so I sent another text and I never heard back from him even after several additional attempts to contact him.
So, my quandary is..... Even though he was selling a personal item, it is my contention that he was in some way representing the company he works for because he used that position to assure me he was trustworthy and that he would do as promised. While the company may not be responsible for the sale or his actions, would you think that said company wouldn't condone this behavior while wearing their clothing and driving their vehicle? I ask because I contacted the New England rep and was basically told to pound sand. I then contacted Scott directly and was told they would contact the sales/tech rep and ask him to contact me but didn't really seem concerned or take my situation very seriously.

I didn't contact the NE rep or Scott to ask that they get involved, only to advise them that there was someone representing their company that was doing so while ripping people off. Would you agree or disagree that Scott should be concerned that the rep doing this could negatively impact how I (or others) view them?

fietsbob

Long winter isn't It? feel better after Venting?


Generic Answer :
Company reps talk to their dealers in their network , dont expect to leap over the Bike shop and have the wholesale reps give you direct answers .


Go thru a Scott dealer . ++ most warrantees only apply to New Bike Buyers. not for 2nd Hand.

What do you expect any one on the forum to do besides say "Too Bad" sympathetically?

Monstermash

This isn't a warranty issue. It's an issue that an employee from Scott sold me a bike, did NOT include all the parts that we agreed upon, and then didn't bother to send them as promised AND used his status as a Scott employee to assure me he would send me the rest of the parts that he "forgot".

intransit1217

Beyond an actual ice cream truck, I tend to NOT buy anything from a vehicle traveling up and down any roadway or street. I have never heard of this in the cycling community.

GP

Did you pay him in advance for the parts he promised to send?

texbiker

It sounds like you got scammed by a man who happened to show up in a Scott uniform and truck. Once he left with your money you had no leverage to pressure him to do what he said he would do. Lesson learned: buying from CL never exchange cash for anything with a promise to deliver something in the future. Sad to say this man's word is not worth much. Wonder how he treats dealers in his area? This cost might be called a "stupid tax". I have paid my share of stupid taxes.

Fastfingaz

Well too bad that happened to you, it brings to mind an old,old saying ( a paid musician never plays a good tune ) meaning once he has your money, doesn't matter what or how he plays it, he's already got paid , now what,,, it might have been?,,, Confusious,,,,

AlmostTrick

I'm sorry to hear you got cheated.

Put an ad on CL calling this schmuck out. Offer to recant if he makes right by you. Probably won't get you anything but at least you'll help prevent him from making more money cheating out others.

Elvo

Next time pay in full only when fully satisfied with the transaction.

Monstermash

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I thought I could trust him based on the fact that he was a factory rep. Lesson learned I guess.

Wanderer

I disagree, and would contact Scott! When the person identified himself as a Scott employee, showed up in a Scott uniform, Driving a Scott truck, to complete the deal - he was acting as their agent.....

I'd make a formal complaint to Scott, and lay it all out to them.

Stucky

Sucks!

Assuming you don't have any personal contact info for this guy, and may not even know his real name....

Always remember, when doing a deal like that, however things are when you drive away from the meet-up, is likely going to be how they stay. I would have deducted the value of the missing items from the price- stating I'll pay when I receive them. If he'd balk at that, I'd say "So you want me to trust you, but you don't trust me?!".

Assuming you know his real name, I'd definitely want to find out if he really works for Scott; and if so, to make his higher-ups aware of his shadiness. Not that it will help you (Although it might- as the scuzzo might do the right thing to save face when confronted by superiors) but at least, just to inform them of how this guy who represents their company conducts business.

I guess I'm lucky- I did a CL meet-up deal with a bicycle mechanic....and it went very smoothly and worked out great for both of us.

Monstermash

I did call Scott. They did not seem interested in helping me at all.

Stucky

I'd put it IN WRITING and look-up the name [i.e. not just "Dear Sir Or Madam"] of a pertinent person in upper management. Letters to executives accomplish a lot more than phone calls to switchboard operators and flunkies.

LGHT

Wow what a story...

Some people are thieves no matter who they "rep" for. This has nothing to do with Scott, or there brand, but more importantly a dead beat who's trying to scam you. Do you know where he lives or works or anything about him other than an e-mail? If not good luck trying to get anything from him.

Leebo

Try a LBS next time. If it seems to good to be true.....

bikecrate

Just to be clear...was he selling his own personal property? If so, then I don't see how Scott Co. is involved. Their only interest might be how their employee is spending Co. time/Vehicle for personal business (if it was company time and some companies care less than others). The reaction you got suggest they are not that concerned. As others have stated you probably don't have much recourse. One lesson from dealing with sales reps is they are sometimes only interested in closing a deal. It may have helped to get something in writing although I'm not sure how much use that is unless you're prepared to go to small claims court. At this point it is your word vs. his.

Monstermash

Yes, it was his bike. The problem isn't with Scott. I only called them because I thought they might be interested in how their employee was representing himself as a Scott rep and using their name to assure someone on a private sale that he was trustworthy.

I've pretty much given up on getting anything from him. This thread was started because I was curious if anyone else thought it was detrimental to Scott's image to have someone like this running around screwing people.

wphamilton

If I wanted to pursue this, I'd contact Scott in writing about the incomplete bike I purchased from Scott through their rep, documented with the dates and results of each prior contact, and listing exactly what I wanted to happen. Refund for the missing and substandard parts, or return and full refund. Certified and return receipt for documentation purposes. Find out who their attorney of record is, either ahead of time and carbon copy the letter, or ask them in the letter.

If nothing happens from that, you can file in small claims court - vs the rep AND the company. Since the entire deal went down in your local area you can argue for local jurisdiction against the rep. To include the company, either an office in the state (which it sounds like they don't have) or if they have enough business contacts in the state. Such as dealerships. I'm harping on this because the corporate lawyers, if Scott has any, will try to bluff on that point with dire threats of court costs and legal fees. But one can file for very little cost, serve notice on their attorney, and it's not worth going to court over just to blow you off.

Point being, you don't have to put up with that from them, just because they're a big company and you're some random guy they or their representative screwed over.

and BTW, Scott company is very much responsible for the actions of their representative in their uniform, using their equipment, and referencing the company in the transaction, especially when he's selling a product produced by the company. It doesn't absolve them that the bike was his private property. If it in fact was.

dual650c

My perspective.. NOTHING sold on CG is company/manufacturer-related-responsibility-wise unless specifically stated in writing otherwise. IOW, all sales are between individuals and once money and items have exchanged hands, all bets are off, no warranties are in effect, and "you gots what you paid for".

I know that's not what you want to hear. But, if you appraoch CG sales that way, you rarely get disappointed despite possibly being surprised.

jon c. 

If he places ads on CL all over the region (which I gather from the original post), it would seem that he might be selling "his bike" to a lot of different people. It sounds like he may actually be dealing in gray market goods. If I was Scott, I'd want to know what he was selling and where it was being sourced.

Stucky

DING!DING!DING! ^Winner!

FBOATSB

If you have reported his name and any other info directly to Scott, (to the right management people) It's a good chance he has already been fired. Probably won't here from him much more.

bikecrate

I really hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction. The guy does sound like a dick. However, I still don't see where Scott Co. is involved.

I work for a hospital. If I showed up in my scrubs and sold you a bike you were later unhappy about would you start calling my employer? Plus you got nothing in writing and its been half a year now.

But I do wish you luck.

Wanderer

Buttttttt, the seller representing himself as a Scott employee, delivering in a Scott vehicle, dressed in a Scott uniform, gives the impression that Scott IS involved, (and you could make a pretty good argument that he did act as their agent) --- which it now is, by use of it's equipment. Scott's lawyers would take a "responsibility" tack, to try to get this wiped away cheaply................. Certainly lots of bad press already viewed on here!

If Scott doesn't step up, I would certainly question their decision making, and customer service! Right now, I wouldn't look at one!

MHO