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Biggs Harley Won't Take Checks

by Steve
Monday, January 16, 2006

Harley Davidson Ultra ClassicYesterday Ox and I and my wife rode down to Biggs Harley. Biggs is a Harley dealership in San Marcos, CA. We didn't have anything to do, so I suggested riding down there just to look at bikes.

We got there, and sure enough there were lots of shiny new Harleys with signs on them saying "Please Sit On Me".

However, I saw this used 2005 Ultra Classic, with 3,500 miles on it, black cherry paint, all stock. They had it priced for $19,600. If you remember last October, I wrote that I wanted to buy a touring bike, and couldn't make up mind between a Harley or Yamaha. Well, I still hadn't made up my mind, and I was getting impatient with myself.

I sat on the bike, and then my wife got up on the back. She really found it comfortable, claiming the passenger seat was wider than the one on my Road Star, and really enjoyed the large backrest on the tour pack (and mini arm-rests too). The rider seat felt pretty good, perhaps being a used bike.

I was sold. Well actually, we've sat on Ultras and Electras before, as well as the Yamaha Venture and Tour Deluxe. But I guess it was a combination of her telling me that this was very comfortable, plus the fact that I needed to get serious about buying one, plus it was a color that I really liked, plus we had saved up a bunch of money to afford one, and that my feet could touch the ground on this thing (short legs!)

I confirmed with her again that she felt comfortable, even asking her if she thought it was more comfortable than sitting on the Road Star. "Oh yes", she replied. And that's really why I set about to buy a touring bike, so that she could be as comfortable as possible. I've learned that a having a woman on back complaining about her sore butt and sore knees almost ruins a good day of riding. Plus, she keeps falling asleep after a meal, and I feel better with her having the wide back support on the tour pack.

So I talked to a sales guy, and he ran down the numbers for me. But I couldn't buy the bike right then. Remember, I rode my Road Star there, and I couldn't ride two bikes back home. So, the three of us headed home and planned to come back in Ox's truck. While at home, my wife and I rechecked the balance in our savings and checking, and yup, we had saved up enough money.

We got back to Biggs, and I told the sales guy I was going to write a check for the full amount. "No way" he said. They don't accept personal checks over $5,000 dollars, only cashier's checks. Or at least if they did, they would have to hold the bike for 10 days until the check cleared. I couldn't believe it! Any car dealership will take a personal check for the whole amount. Heck, when I bought my Road Star, they took a check for the whole amount as well.

Ox mentioned that I could use my Bank debit card instead, because then it would automatically debit my account. However, Biggs also said "No way", because they consider that a credit card and that they don't do charges over $5,000.

Then they said I could finance the bike through Harley, and then pay off the balance in a few days, to avoid interest. So we talked about that, and soon discovered that when financing a bike, Biggs won't let me ride it off the lot unless I had full coverage on the bike. Well, I couldn't call my agent because it was a holiday weekend (MLK day). But they said their "preferred agent" could hook me up right now. I said "No way". I want MY agent.

The only thing we could do was put some money down as a deposit, and have them hold the bike until Tuesday. Then I could go to the bank and get a cashier's check for the full amount. And so that's the plan.

So, tomorrow I plan to be riding a 2005 Ultra Classic down the freeway. I was disappointed that Biggs wouldn't take a personal check. Maybe all Harley dealers are like this? I dunno. At least not all Yamaha dealers are like that. I wonder if it's a conspiracy to get people to finance through Harley!

Labels: , ,

24 Comments:

  • You'll love the Ultra Classic. I've been eyeing one myself. Currently ride as Road King.

    Are you going to buy the intercom system? Doesn't the Classic come with the plugs built in?

    Nice re-design, but you seem to have lost the link to my site in the process. Any chance of putting it back up?

    Thanks.

    By Anonymous Shouting Thomas, at 1/17/2006 06:28:00 AM  

  • just bough a 2006 Road King- wrote a check no problem. They even delivered by bike and picked up my old trade in for free (bought in December in the snow)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1/23/2006 10:27:00 AM  

  • Other So-Cal Harley Dealers aren't that lame! Maye they've been burned one too many times :)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1/23/2006 08:37:00 PM  

  • Congrats on the new scoot Steve, you guys are gonna love the Ultra.....that's my next bike. Got 2 freinds that have 05 black cherry Ultra's...sweeeeeet looking machine.

    Russ

    By Blogger Russ K, at 1/30/2006 07:56:00 AM  

  • A friend of mine just quit his job working for Harley finance in Carson City. Bigg's Harley uses them and that is the scam. Is there a bike in there for 5G's? Not usually, unless you like Sportsters. And who really rolls with that much cash in this day in age, in this cashless society? They want you to use there financing and insurance. Damn the Man! Damn the Man! Ruined everything.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/02/2007 10:56:00 AM  

  • BIGGS HAS HAD A "BIGG" LAYOFF, CLOSED IT'S OCEANSIDE STORE AND HAS THE SUPERSTORE IN SAN MARCOS UP FOR SALE. IT WILL BE A TOUGH SALE BECAUSE RICHARD LILLIBRIDGE HAS SO MUCH INVESTED IN THE NEW BUILDING AND A HORRIBLE LOCATION. TOO BAD BECAUSE RICHARD IS ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GOOD GUYS -- DOES A LOT FOR CHARITY -- I THINK HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE SALES STAFF. NOT FRIENDLY AND DON'T DEAL. BUT THEY ARE A HECK OF A LOT BETTER THAN SAN DIEGO HARLEY. THEY REMIND ME OF THE JOHN MAYER SONG "VULTURES." NEW YORK MYKE NEEDS TO QUIT SPOUTING OFF ON TV COMMERCIALS AND START OVERSEEING WHAT HIS PEOPLE ARE DOING. HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS TRAINED IN THE ART OF RIPOFF, AND THE LAST TIME (YEARS AGO) I HAD A BIKE SERVICED THERE, THE KID SCRATCHED MY PAINT USING A DIRTY CLOTH TO CLEAN THE BIKE. AND IF YOU SAY SOMETHING TO MYKE YOU'LL GET BLOWN OFF..HE'LL TELL YOU HIS PEOPLE ARE THE BEST AROUND. THE PARTS GUYS ARE THE BEST AND THE ONLY REASON I STILL WALK IN THE DOOR. BUT EL CAJON IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. (NOTICE THEY ARE EXPANDING WHILE OTHERS ARE CLOSING?) GREAT SALES, GREAT WRENCHES, HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. AND NO, I DON'T WORK THERE, BUT I'VE BOUGHT MY LAST 3 BIKES THERE FROM ERIC DIAZ AND JEFF PERKINS. THEY KNOW THE VALUE OF REPEAT BUSINESS. I WON'T EVEN MENTION HOW LAME SWEETWATER IS -- IT'S SO FAR IN THE BOONIES YOU HAVE TO TAKE A SOUTHWEST FLIGHT TO GET THERE. FEELS LIKE A BIKER K-MART. I GIVE IT ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE THEY REALIZE THEY OVERBUILT LIKE RICHARD AND THEY CAN'T KEEP UP THE OVERHEAD. QUAID HAS THE LAZIEST BUNCH I'VE EVER SEEN, AND THEIR OWNER DOES NOTHING OUT OF HIS OWN POCKET FOR CHARITY. BOTTOM LINE: WHEN ARE SOUTHERN CAL HARLEY DEALERS GOING TO GET IT THROUGH THEIR HEADS THAT A FRIENDLY SMILE, A HANDSHAKE, AND A GOOD HONEST DEAL AND SERVICE IS THE WAY TO GO? IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FREE BURGERS ON SUNDAY. STOP THE GOUGING AND YOU'LL KEEP THE DOORS OPEN.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1/15/2008 08:25:00 AM  

  • Have to agree with the previous poster about Eric at El Cajon HD. I also like El Cajon's parts people - they are pretty sharp. I find the parts at S.D. H.D. are OK, as well as SOME of their service department. If you know the right service person to ask for, you get good service. NY Mike F%$#'d a whole bunch of ex-employees. They were laid off, but when they went for unemployment, they were told they were fired. No more bike purchases from S.D. H.D. from me!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3/28/2008 09:34:00 AM  

  • The latest of many Biggs irritations: Mid-Feb - Made call to request 2 new tires and to have my heated grips replaced under warranty. Biggs didn't initially have tires for one of Harley's most popular models (Touring), so I waited. Feb 29th - Get call - tires in. Made appointment for March 15th to get tires and grips replaced. Also made appointment to get tires on my Buell replaced on March 22nd. Ticket started on the 29th. March 15th - Came in for first appointment, and left the bike. March 18th - Get a call that there are no heated grips in stock, BUT an order with an overnight delivery has been made (bike is apart - would have thought they'd check part availability BEFORE disassembly). March 21st - Get a call - grips are on backorder for a couple weeks. I need a bike for the weekend because I'm bringing the Buell in for tires and won't have a ride. My Ultra gets slammed together. I swap bikes. Because of the rush, it isn't cleaned and I have to ride with blue tires for a few weeks. No big deal - they'd clean it after the grips were replaced. April - Don't remember the day, but it was between the 1st-4th, get a call from Biggs . Grips are in. Can't bring it back until April 15th, though, because of a vacation conflict. April 15th - Drop bike off after about 3:PM to get the grips replaced. Tell them I'll be in the following afternoon to get the bike. April 16th - Show up about 2:45. THEY HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED WORKING YET. It may seem nitpicky, but since the bike HAD ALREADY SPENT A WEEK THERE waiting for the grips in March, I assumed someone would have at least started on it to make sure it was done early just in case they ran into more snags. For example, what would have happened if, at 6:20 PM when it was finally ready, they still couldn't get the grips working. Would I have to walk back to Poway? I had no ride other than the one I was depending on. Oh yeah, when they rolled it out, the tires were still blue.

    By Blogger Another Burned Biggs Customer, at 4/17/2008 10:30:00 AM  

  • You're crazy I would have never bought the bike there I would have took my money else where.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/03/2008 04:45:00 PM  

  • Lotsa dealers don't take personal checks for delivery. Deposit, yes. Delivery? I think only the ones who have never had a $15,000 bounced check still take personal checks and let folks ride off with the bike. In our state, we can't even hold the titlework two weeks for the check to clear as we might go over the time limit imposed upon us by DMV.

    Sucks, but this day and age, hey, people will rip off a dealer (or anyone, really) and not even think twice about it.

    And for the record, it's Harley Credit's rule about full coverage, not any one dealer. They want full coverage on the bike because, well, technically it's THEIR BIKE.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/20/2008 06:08:00 PM  

  • This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/10/2009 09:36:00 PM  

  • San Diego Harley is hands down the best dealer in the area if not in the whole country. Every time I walk in, I am greeted by a HOT chick at the counter then more hot and friendly girls to help me out. The Parts counter has the one and only Big Al along with a bunch of good dudes. I will only get my bike worked on by their guys and I like everyone on the sales staff including the GM (good dude). They always have something going on, cool events (Mike Ness is a regular customer!) If Biggs wouldn't take your money on that deal, I would have gone straight to SDHD and got on a bike that day.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4/19/2009 05:29:00 AM  

  • Dick may donate to charity, but the biggest charity he donates to is himself. He is the slimiest of the slimy. I wouldn't buy a collar for my dog from the shop. No, I am not an ex-employee, just someone who knows what the man is all about from experience.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8/16/2009 06:00:00 PM  

  • The owner of Biggs is such an idiot that is why his business is failing. Its not the staff!
    I think he is trying to close his doors! Good job at least he is doing ONE THING right....
    I am not a past employee neither but know from personal exp he is not trust worthy he is a scum that needs to let someone else buy his dealership so we can have a successful Harley store in North County

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/03/2009 11:49:00 AM  

  • It is with great appreciation that I express my gratitude to Paul Dinnoto, who is responsible for selling my 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL1200C with 12,289 miles for a total of $9800.00 which is $2800.00 more than the bike was rated in the Kelly Blue Book! I am also very thankful to Paul because with his help selling my bike I was able to make that $2800.00 as a profit…to which Paul didn’t keep or make any commission off of the sale of my Sportster!
    Blaine B. Shivers

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/18/2009 06:12:00 PM  

  • I just wanted to thank Paul Dinoto for the service he provided me in the purchases of both Harley's the 1200 Custom and the Road King Classic. He provided me with good customer service both times understanding my needs. I also would like to thank him for assisting me in the selling of the1200 Custom. He provided me with people interested in purchasing the 1200 Custom, making no money or profit from me selling the motorcycle. Now that's good customer service. Once again thank you Paul for your good customer service and I will recommend you to my friends when they are ready to purchase their Harley-Davidson. Your friend! George

    By Anonymous George, at 10/19/2009 08:18:00 AM  

  • On Friday, June 26, 2009, I went to Quaid Harley Davidson in Temecula, California to look at a couple of motorcycles that I was interested in. I met with Paul Dinoto and asked to see a Nightster and an Iron. Paul did not have either of those bikes in stock but that he could get one for me. He asked me when I was going to buy and I told him that I had a Vespa that I had to sell first. Paul told me that he could help me take care of that at no obligation to me. He said that this was a service that he provided to his customers free of charge. I followed his directions and on Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Paul was able to sell my Vespa.

    By Anonymous Noel, at 10/20/2009 08:58:00 AM  

  • To all potential Harley Davidson buyers,

    I would like to pass on the very positive experience I had purchasing my new 2009 Harley Davidson softail deluxe from Quaid Temecula Harley Davidson. I live in San Diego California and I drive past at least three Harley Dealers on my way to Q.T.H-D. I drove the extra miles mainly due to the excellent treatment I received from sales representative Paul Dinoto. I strongly urge you to take advantage of Paul’s sales expertise. It was Paul’s attitude, assistance and keeping his promise of making me the best deal on a new Harley and making the whole process of purchasing a Harley Davidson much less stressful and surprisingly more pleasant than any purchase of a new vehicle I have ever had. Paul was always willing to go the extra distance to assist me in my purchase. Other dealer’s salesmen were often less than enthusiastic in the way I was dealt with. They did not follow up on return calls to me and seemed to either have the attitude that I needed them more than they needed my business or they could not make good on their promise of making me the best deal. Paul’s non-salesman sales approach was refreshingly unusual to my experiences with other salesman I have previously had to deal with. With Paul Dinoto as my salesman I did not have to go through the usual 4 to 6 hour haggling process so common with most vehicle purchases. I asked Paul for his best “out the door price” and that’s exactly what I received. He was true to his word that he would give me the best deal and that’s exactly what he did. (Believe me I checked around). When it came time to sign the papers to complete the purchase, there was none of the usual bait and switch tactics so common at other dealerships I have dealt with previously. Paul was also very helpful when I was customizing my new Harley, calling me constantly when ever he had an idea or suggestion he thought I might like to consider.

    I would like to thank all involved in my Harley Davidson purchase at Quaid Temecula Harley Davidson, and especially Paul Dinoto for making the process a very positive one. I would definitely want Paul as my sales representitive for any future Harley Davidson purchase and I highly recommend Paul Dinoto as your best choice for a salesman in your purchase of a New or used Harley Davidson motorcycle.

    Sincerely,
    Charles
    San Diego, Ca.

    By Anonymous Charles, at 10/21/2009 09:26:00 AM  

  • I wanted to express my appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Paul A. Dinoto for the professionalism he exhibited during a recent transaction we had on selling and purchasing Harley-Davidson bikes.

    I had talked to Paul about six months prior about purchasing a Tri Glide Ultra Classic Harley that was in the store. Unfortunately, it was already sold.
    I went back to the Quaid Temecula Harley-Davidson store to purchase a helmet and ran into Paul again. Paul and I discussed once more about the purchase of a Tri Glide Ultra with the trade-in of my 2009 Custom Softail Springer. Paul said he had a special program he could offer me to sell my bike without taking a commission from the sale. After discussion, we agreed on a price and I ended buying the Tri Glide and went home. Within 2 hours, Paul called me and told me he had a buyer for my Softail Springer. I was blown away. It was unbelievable that he sold it that quick and didn’t take a commission.

    I would highly recommend Mr. Paul Dinoto to anyone wanting to buy or sell Harleys.

    By Anonymous Bill, at 10/23/2009 01:48:00 PM  

  • Paul DiNoto,

    Thanks so much for your tireless help in selling my 2005 Harley Davidson Electra Glide. I certainily appreciate your honesty in dealing with me on my new bike, and your tireless effort in helping me. Your professional demeanor allowed me to feel comfortable in dealing not only with Quaid, but you personally. I will highly recommend others to come and purchase a bike from you in the future.

    Thanks so much
    Ken

    By Anonymous Ken, at 10/26/2009 09:19:00 AM  

  • This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10/26/2009 04:19:00 PM  

  • I wanted to thank you for your help in getting me on my new 2008 FLHTCU. You knew I was concerned with having to make two bike payments but you assured me that you would assist me with the sale and in getting financing for the new buyer if needed. You sent numerous buyers to me and ran credit checks on perspective buyers. While it took a few months to sell, you continued to send buyers until the bike was sold.

    In my opinion you went above and beyond what is expected of a salesman. Not only did you not pressure sale me into a new bike but you helped me sell the old one. You did all of this at no cost for helping to sell the old bike! I highly recommend you and Temecula Harley to anyone I know that is interested in purchasing a new or used Harley.

    Raymond

    By Anonymous Raymond, at 10/29/2009 03:59:00 PM  

  • I want to acknowledge and thank Paul DiNoto for his hard work and commitment in selling my 2008 Ultra Classic Screaming Eagle ll0 within seven days after the purchase of a 2010 Ultra Classic Screaming Eagle. This was an unusual sale in that the gentlemen who purchased my 2008 Ultra Classic for $32800, which was over retail Kelly Blue Book. As part of consideration, Paul also agreed to sell his Harley Davidson Motorcycle. Paul has made this commitment to sell both bikes free, no commission paid to him for selling each Harley Davidson.
    I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication to selling Harley Davidson Motorcycles from the Quaid Harley Davidson dealership at Temecula.

    By Anonymous Duane, at 11/02/2009 10:51:00 AM  

  • I wanted to write Paul Dinoto a letter to thank him for the incredible service he provided me. When I came into Quaid’s a few Sundays ago, the last thing on my mind was riding out of there on a new bike. I happen to spot a Street Glide in the color I wanted, and while I thought I was dreaming, because I still owed $6000 on my Road Glide and that is what dealers wanted to give me for trade. Paul said he could make it happen. I must say I was skeptical, but Paul, I am a true believer in what you say. You said to follow your "plan" and everything would work out, well you were right. Following your plan I had my 2005 Road Glide sold for $15,800, which is $3000 over Keller Blue Book retail value within 7 days. I’m on my way to finishing your plan, and know it will work just as you said!
    Thanks again Paul!

    By Anonymous Mark D., at 11/08/2009 02:07:00 PM  

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