This was my experience at Eurocycle Sonoma

EuroCycles Fiasco

My name is Andrew Price, for approximately the past 40 years I have been a licensed private investigator in California and I post this openly and not anonymously. If it were not true, they would sue me.

 Over the years, I have deeply involved myself in the motorcycle industry. Since 1990, I've supported and shaped this community in various capacities. I founded the US branch of the Honda RC30 Owners Club, served as the volunteer Director of Security for Laguna Seca Raceway for five years, and was the volunteer race director for SCminiGP, a grassroots organization dedicated to opening the door to road racing for young Americans. Recently, my professional pursuits have expanded to include working on elder abuse cases and cases involving sexually trafficked minors, in collaboration with www.findingkids.org and their Special Operations investigation unit. My commitment to both the motorcycle industry and these vital social issues remains unwavering, which makes it all the more disappointing to share my recent experiences with a service that has fallen below the standard we all deserve. 

As a private investigator, I have been dedicated to safeguarding the vulnerable and defending the wronged. It has been my mission is to shield individuals from the injustices of the world, ensuring fairness and integrity prevail in the face of adversity. We stand as vigilant protectors, committed to delivering truth and justice with unwavering resolve.

Second, I was a huge supporter of EuroCycles Sonoma as they provided an immense amount of support for me on my 2019 trip to the Arctic Circle on my BMW S1000XR. I have been bouncing between service departments at BMW of Concord near where I live and EuroCycles where I have a vacation cabin in Guerneville, which is near EuroCycles Sonoma. Unfortunately, since BMW of Concord doesn’t offer loaner bikes, I’ve been more inclined to go all the way up to Windsor. I’ve been going to them since I bought my bike in 2017 which now is coming up on 60k miles.

Unfortunately, ever since their service manager extraordinaire Kerry Sturgis left, followed by their BMW Guru technician Joe, both top-notch professionals, things have fallen apart. It is with a heavy heart that I relate this information and do so out of the safety and peace of mind of my fellow riders, many of whom I have sent there for service and sales. As I have lost all confidence in the service department. I really struggled whether I should post this review or not, but with Bobby’s crappy attitude, one screwup after another, their lack of communication, see the phone logs below where I’m the only one who calls and get no call backs, and the fact that they just disregard phone calls and urgent voicemails, I felt compelled. If they had been apologetic and not so dismissive, I probably might not have.

Lastly, I don’t take posting a review like this lightly as I too am a small business owner and understand how people mostly only post negative stuff when they’re unhappy and they don’t post reviews when good things happen with their experiences. That being said, you can go to EuroCycles Sonoma Facebook page and see all my previous positive reviews. I even organized a group ride to one of their parking lot events pre-COVID.

In all honesty, I still hear good things about the sales department and my longtime friend, (un-named) is now working in sales and I have zero hesitation in recommending him wholeheartedly. 

Timeline

6/26/21 In preparation for my upcoming vacation ride with buddies to the Sierras, I called EuroCycles and spoke to Bobby to make an appointment for headlight clip repair and brake job. Unfortunately, they can’t fit me in until July 23, 2021 if I want a loaner, but it will have to be an electric bike. Since I haven’t dealt with Bobby before, I remind him I am all the way in Vallejo and ask him if range will be an issue. He says it won’t be a problem. Somewhat disappointed I have to wait almost a month for an appointment but EuroCycles has always treated me well and the service was good, with the exception of the last service I did where a gas leak occurred after my service and gas poured down over my engine, work not done by Joe. But I marked that down to a one-off anomaly and this was not Joe’s work. Things happen, no biggy. It’s worth it for me to drive from my home in Vallejo, 50 miles to Windsor as the service was superior in the past.

7/14/21 Bobby emails me “I just got word last week that since the headlight clip is not a plug but actually wired, that BMW does not sell just the headlight clip, only the whole wiring harness. I have a call to an independent tech I know who will do this kind of thing, but haven't heard back from him yet. I was told he was on vacation.” I reply to him, that I bought the extended warranty so this should be covered right?” No response, still. https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=57167&rnd=09082020 Turns out you can buy just the clip. So, he waits several days to email me this information! At that time, I tell him I now have a flat and need a new tire and valve stem.

7/22/21 I drop off the bike, remind Bobby that the valve stem isn’t working and needs to be replaced and to please reset my service light. Unfortunately, this simple drop-off took almost 45 minutes as Bobby was trying to figure out the computer system and ended up writing everything down on a notepad. I pick up the electric bike and head home. I guess Bobby doesn’t know much about the electric bikes because running in eco-mode with a top speed of 73 mph on the freeway, I barely make it home with 8 miles to go.

7/23/21 Take the bike out for a ride after switching into sport mode and after going 37 miles, shows I have less than 30% battery left. So, bike is basically useless for me to ride around on while my bike is getting fixed. I call Bobby numerous times as the main line is going to voicemail with no one answering, (for several hours,) to check to see if my tire issue and headlight issue will be covered by my extended warranty. I finally get a hold of Blaine the service manager who says they are stuck because the valve stem is broken and they can’t get the air out to put on the new tire. I suggest they just drill a hole in the tire and he responds they can’t do that as they will have metal strands all over the place. Really? Then I suggest getting a screwdriver and pushing the plugged hole and they can then let the air out. He says, “oh, I guess we can do that”. What the hell? I need to walk the service manager through a tire repair? Then I speak with Bobby who tells me the electrical work is not covered. I asked him if he read my contract, the extended warranty contract that this dealership sold me, and he said he did not. Then he asked me to send him my declarations page for both contracts which I did. Then I followed up with an email asking him how he got my claim denied if he didn’t have my policy number. I got no response. In a later conversation he related that the majority of extended warranties they sell are with a different company and he just assumed it was that company and now will have to start all over. 

7/27/21 Still no communication from Bobby. I call only to find out that the valve stem they ordered was the wrong one and they have ordered a new one but have no idea what it will get here. I asked him to go ahead and order the tire so we have it on hand if the insurance company denies my claim, I will pay for it myself. He says they can’t do that since they don’t have any way to reimburse for a purchase that was ultimately paid by the insurance company. What?

7/28/21 I call Bobby to follow up and get a status. He says both claims have been accepted by the insurance company. He told me everything’s waiting to go there just waiting on the valve stem.  

7/30/21 I call to see if they have received the valve stem yet. He says no and they have no idea when it will get it. I called BMW motorcycles of Concord. They look up the valve stem in their system and says they are several in stock in the warehouse and they can have the valve for me by tomorrow. I call Bobby back and ask if I should just order the valve through BMW motorcycles of Concord and bring it up to them. He says no but I did anyway.

7/31/21 BMW Motorcycles of Concord sent me an email this morning telling me my valve stem was in and followed up with a phone call making sure I was informed properly. To see if I should bring the valve up to Windsor, I placed numerous calls to EuroCycles this morning only to find it again goes directly to voicemail and no return calls. In a last-ditch effort to get a hold of someone at EuroCycles Sonoma, I call EuroCycles Reno. I speak with whoever answers the phone and relate that I have a somewhat urgent issue but as in the past the telephone at EuroCycles Sonoma is going directly to voicemail and if they maybe have an internal number that they can use to let them know their phones are going straight to voicemail. Once again, I have a very disconcerting conversation how they are two separate branches yet owned by the same company and there’s nothing they can do. I asked if I could talk to the service manager in Reno and she said he was busy. I asked them do you not have the service managers cell phone number at Eurocycle Sonoma? They said yes but they can’t give that to me. I understand that completely and ask to please call Sonoma and relate my message and if they could please call me back if they were not able to get a hold of EuroCycles Sonoma. She says she would try to do that. Never heard back from anyone. So, I drive to Concord and pick up the valve and stem with the idea that I will ride the electric bike up to EuroCycles, give them the valve stem and wait for them to install the tire. After leaving several messages, I finally get a call back from Bobby who has a definite attitude like I’ve done something wrong. I related that I’ve been trying to get a hold of him all morning and the phones just go to voicemail. He says they’re very busy and don’t have the manpower to answer the phone and just let it go to voicemail. Really, when a longtime customer leaves a voicemail that they have an urgent issue, you can’t call them back. I’m dismayed/curious how they can be shorthanded when they have a service manager, a service writer and mechanics. I told him that I got the valve and stem and I’d like to bring it up. He related that they have the correct valve stem now and now they’re just waiting for the tire. Are you freaking kidding me? He told me days ago that the only thing they’re waiting on is the valve stem. I asked him how long ago he ordered it, he said they ordered the tire four days ago. He asked if I want to cut my losses and just come pick up my bike even though they have now been paid for the service work to be done by the extended warranty company. So, now it will be at least Tuesday, more likely Wednesday or Thursday where my bike will be actually ready. Almost 2 weeks to replace a tire and a headlight clip. I tell him I’m disappointed and upset and I’d like to talk to Blaine he Service Manager. He says Blaine is busy and he will call me shortly. And still no word back from EuroCycles Reno or Blaine.

8/3/21 No call from Eurocycle on Tuesday or Wednesday so I call at 4:40 p.m., it goes to voicemail and I leave a message. No call back. 5:45 p.m., I call and someone answers, I ask for Bobby and told to hang on. Bobby comes on the phone and still no tire in. That means at least one week since they ordered the tire. Still debating whether I should post this review in such detail or not as I really try to support the industry. But my frustration grows and grows and now missing out on a ride I am supposed to take with a couple buddies up to the Sierras. It all will probably boil down to their attitude when I go meet with the service manager and Bobby when I pick the bike up. I’m hoping to have a discussion as to why I should continue to bring my bike to their shop and recommend them to other people.

8/5/21 I call again hoping for good news, ask for Bobby, get put on hold and 15 minutes later he gets on and tells me still no tires. Again, I asked him why can’t I just buy the tire from someplace else and get reimbursed and he says they just can’t do that. I don’t know why.

8/10/21 Still no news from Eurocycle and wondering if they let the air out of my tire from my previous conversation with the service manager and have been rolling it in and out of the shop every day on a flat tire and scratching my rim, so I decide to jump in my truck and go check on my bike. They pulled the bike out of the shop and nothing’s been done yet. Headlight hasn’t been fixed, brakes haven’t been done and still waiting on the tire. The new headlight clip was wedged on the seat waiting to be installed. Again, I ask why can’t I just buy the tire and get reimbursed, same story blah blah blah. So, I bite the bullet and decide to order the tire myself and keep the extra one that they will get for next time I need tires. I called Cycle Gear they have the tire in stock but it won’t ship out till tomorrow and ground transportation from Pennsylvania will be at least a week. I called BMW motorcycles of Concord and they tell me they can get the tire by tomorrow if not by Thursday for sure. Which means I’ll have to take another trip up to Windsor to drop off the tire. 60 bucks round-trip in my truck. So, I call Bobby, someone answers and puts me on hold and after 25 minutes of waiting I give up. Call back a few minutes later and get a hold of Bobby and let him know what’s going on with the tire and to please get going on the brakes and headlight repair so that when I come up with the tire on Thursday, everything else is done and I can wait while they mount the tire. He says yes.

8/13/21 I drive from Vallejo to Concord, pick up the tire which they sourced from the same vendor that EuroCycles uses, Parts Unlimited, are you kidding me. I drove from Vallejo to Windsor to drop off the tire and then back to Vallejo where I then ride the loaner bike back up to Windsor to pick up my bike. I get back to Windsor and stand by for 30 minutes while Bobby figures out the computer system, again just like when I dropped off the bike roughly 3 weeks ago. So, it turns out they only did the rear brakes, which I really wasn’t concerned about, as I know I needed front ones pretty badly and put on a new rear sprocket. What the hell? A new rear sprocket, where did that come from. I never said anything about any sprockets So, they say the computer shows I paid for the new rear sprocket so I have a credit which will be used for the front brakes that I will now wait on. I brought a copy of this review with everything except the August 13 entry on and as Zach the general manager walks by, I hand him a copy and ask him if he could read about my experience here over the last three weeks. He says sure and walked away. I spent the next 30 minutes walking around waiting for my bike and no word from Zach. I get maybe he’s busy and doesn’t have the time to read right now no big deal. Finally get my bike back and ride home. Stupid me, I did not look at the headlight repair job before I left, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. They didn’t even fix it, did not even use the black plastic pin housing and just bypassed it all and put the wires directly onto the headlight terminals. I could have done that, they didn’t fix anything. The headlight is exactly as I dropped it off. 

8/16/21 Not expecting anyone to answer as it’s a Monday, I called EuroCycles to leave a message for Blaine to please call me about what we should do regarding the headlight repair. Surprisingly, someone answers, I believe it was Zach but not sure, told him I wanted to talk to Blaine about my headlight repair and he said only sales is open today and that he would have him call me tomorrow. Zach did not mention a thing about the review I asked him to read. 

8/17/21 Still no call from Zach about my situation, call from Blaine about the headlight and still no tire.

8/19/21 I got a call from the shop believe it to be Zach. He said he read my review / post about my experience and that he was going to order a tire from Amazon and email me the tracking number, that way I would have his email address and could I send him a picture of my headlight that was never repaired. This was done right away.

8/24/21 Once again ghosted, never got the email, or a follow-up telephone call or anything. 

9/2/21  I called EuroCycle corporate headquarters in Las Vegas to get the name of the owner so I could initiate my small claims suit. I ended up speaking with a guy named Joe Doyle who initially sounded very concerned and wanted to try and help. So, he asked me to send him my timeline documenting my experience. A few hours later, I sent him an email with it and asked him to please confirm he received it. Nothing, no response.

9/3/21 I called him back just to make sure he got it he said he did and would follow up with me shortly after they do their investigation.

9/8/21  With no email from Joe or telephone call, I call him and ask him what the status of his investigation is. He says he talked with the owner and that I should just do what I need to do. So once again completely ghosted by this screwed up company. 

9/10/21 I spoke with David from EFG, who reported he spoke with Bobby and Bobby told him the tire has been there and he’s been trying to get a hold of me. I have zero missed calls and zero emails from them.

9/11/21 I emailed both Bobby and Zach at EuroCycle advising them that David from EFG, had related the tire was there in stock and they had been trying to get a hold of me. I still have got no reply from them.

11/22/21

Despite occasional email and finally emailing the owner directly, still no response.

12/3/21

I sent them a certified letter seeking restitution and they refused to accept it.