ATV Discounters.com scooter ripoff

I attempted to purchase a Rocketa 150 from these people and got a SUNL 150. I didn't see a problem with the switch except for the rear trunk that was shown on the displayed model that the SUNL did not have. After uncrating the scooter, the seat latch cable was broken right from the start. Then the new battery was bad right from the start. After sending email after email, following their so-called warranty ticket procedure, and trying to call to speak to SOMEBODY, more than 3 months later, still no parts, help, or resolution. Now 3 months later, the scooter has a whole 26 miles on it and it will not start. A Nathan, Sheri, and Trisha Barling who maybe own the fake company/web page, or whatever must be laughing all the way to the bank. They have sold this crap on Ebay and you should read the mass of negative feedbacks they have gotten. Of course, they have positives from people (if they are real) that love their scooters.
But for me, I can only hope others will file claims with the FEDERAL TRADE COMISSION on these people for importing this crap and ripping people off.

We also bought a so called mo-ped from this company and found we can't get a license for it because it has no federal inspection sticker and you can't get one because it has to be put on at the time it was manufactored We are also told it is a motorcycle not a mo-ped so 14 year old in Iowa can't ride it, he is just screwed. We have left so many voice mails and e-mails we can't count them. No one returns the calls.

ATVDiscounters are no better, nor are they any worse then all the other so-called scooter dealers on the web. They all operate the same way--- out of a boiler room! They stock nothing, own nothing and fix nothing! They are just a picture, a phone number and a bunch of phony promises'.
I bought one scooter from ATVD and it was a Sunl 150-26. The shipping time was not too bad, about 20 days. The MSO and Bill of Sale however was another chore. Ended up taking another 35 days to get those. All in all I was more fortunate then most folks. Mine runs fine and arrived undamaged.
I think I was only able to get things done by a daily phone call to Steve on his cell number. He made a critical mistake by returning my first call on a weekend via his cell and we captured his number on the ID and used that to call him daily. Don't ask, he changed his number! We disputed the credit card charge and reported him to Ebay abuse dept. ASAP. Reluctantly atvd and Steve were forced to comply and send along the MSO and Bill of Sale. As far as support from atvd it does not exist. You are on your own. So don't frustrate yourself by trying. If your machine brakes, fix it yourself and order your parts from other sources.
I guess that most folks do not understand that when you order from 'Bo-Jacker' drop shippers that this is a normal situation. You get a box and they cash the check... The sweet taste of the low price has a bad aftertaste when it quits.
Thats why my machines cost a few hundred bucks more, because they are assembled, serviced and road tested before the buyer takes it home. I deal with the delivery, shipping damage, troubleshooting, and the title work. All my customer has to do is pick out the one they want, pay me and drive down the road. If it ever has a problem they just call and we fix it up. I have even made my own parts when replacements can't be gotten from the wharehouse or other sources.

Any questions? email: biguglyduck@att.net

I am not defending ATVD however you mentioned Steve in your post and I felt I should set the record straight. Steve works at a TX licensed location of ATVD and is one of the best employees they have. Also, he has NEVER changed his phone number as you stated.

Sure, it's buyer beware when you buy from an online company. But you should also be careful not to slander a honest employee on a public forum such as this.

You must be Steve's Brother. What a crock!

Has anyone had a positive buying experience from ATV? I saw a Znen for a good price on ATV's site and was considering buying it, but after seeing these posts I'm having second thought's.

Robert,

You are the person that's full of crap here. Check into it before you call me a liar, and you will find out what is true and what is not.

Who shall I believe? You? I don't think so. I don't know you from Adam. Anyone can claim anything and be anyone they want on these internet forums. But it dosen't mean they are or do what they say. And - I am including myself in that group. As far as I am concerned you are just another bullshit artist with your own opinions and no facts to back up what you say. Capice

I bought a 250cc SunL from an ATVdiscounter affiliate location a little over a month ago.
It was a nice little number with an iPod connection with speakers on board.
Problem #1 - As soon as I got it on the road, I noticed that it would not go over 50 MPH. A model this size should go at least 65 without any problem; it was later that I realized that the fuel line was not properly functioning.
Problem #2 - The speakers were shot. I couldn't get anything but garbled noise out of them.
Problem #3 - LESS THAN A WEEK from the store, the drive belt snapped (while I was on the road to take it back to they could replace the speakers).
Problem #4 - I got stopped by a policeman in town who wanted to see the bike, and he mentioned that I might be driving too slow with it in town. I told him that I was driving the posted limit; so he shot me with his radar gun, and the speedometer was off by 12 miles. He did it three times to be accurate...and each time was 12 MPH off.
Problem #5 - While driving in town, the rear end started to shimmy, and the engine started to sputter; which led to the bike locking up, and throwing me to the ground.

ALL IN ALL - 3 MAJOR problems and 1 minor issue inthe span of 4 weeks (27 days).

I have taken the bike back, and tried to get a refund. I was told that the "company policy" is 30 days for a refund while we try to re-sell your bike. I gave them 30 days, and then I'mm getting a lawyer.

I WOULD NOT EVER BUY FROM ATVDiscounter or any affiliate or anyone even remotely associated with them again.

Welcome to the world of Chinese scooters.

What a horrendous BBB record!
152 complaints
http://www.fortworth.bbb.org/commonreport.htm...

I was considering purchasing a bike from A.T.V. Discounters but after reading some of the horror stories about these guys I think I,ll take my buisness elsewhere. Thanks for the heads up.

WOW The more I read from online buys- the more I cringe!! I did "some" research & gave it a try. Did it from "Scooter Dynasty". Been almost 30 days now & the scoot runs better every day. They have answered ALL my e mails & even called me on the phone @ times.They told me yesterday my new w shield is on its way & a new h light bulb w/ I dont think I need? I got 300 mi on her now & it starts 1st click. Sent me "Real english instructions" as how to get it up & running properly. I am a very hard person to please, but these people have gone out of their way to make sure that all was well! So far- so Good! When I hit the 1000 mi # & all is well, then I will REALLY give them a thumbs up & more!!I bought a Triumph Bonneville from a "dealer" & the prep was notta!! The rear wheel almost fell off on day #2
& I paid for it!! Some of these net dealers are selling returns or damaged goods it seems? I was able to use my CC so if all went south- I was covered & get an extra 1 yr warrranty whatever thats worth? Will let all know when the big1000 comes. I love this thing so far!!If any net seller says money order Or cert check- RUN!!!!!!
Real buyer here Capt Don

Wow Dennis- that looks dangerous!!~!Made me go out & check my NST 150. My brake lines are a 1 piece unit. What size scoot did that line come off of? A 50 cc- maybe under the radar as far as DOT goes?They are considered a "Moped- Bike" as DOT goes altho that is dangerous even on a bicycle! My scoot is similar to a Roketa- made on same line on occasion? The NST I am told is a little better than the Roketa. The dist "Scooter Dynasty" said they couldnt sell me a BAli cause it wasnt appv'd here in Fl- even tho we dont have inspection. Sold me an NST instead & said he would keep the price the same.I really love this thing!! Just came home 15 mi w/ a HUGE box on the back. Like my truck w/o the 14 mpg!Better every day! I would report that brake thing!

Hey Dennis Just goin thru all before i call it a nite. Man that is serious!! What year, make (you said) & model, cc etc?? That item qualifys for a recall big time!! Just checked mine again & it appears to be a 1 piece hose>? Let me know the year/ size/ modle!! What did the dealer/ dist say??

Capt Don wrote:

That item qualifys for a recall big time!!

This is why I stay clear of motor vehicles whose manufacturers do not have a significant presence in this country.
There is a huge, unanswered question of who is responsible for the safety of these bikes, and who is responsible for recording and tracking customers for the purpose of managing safety recalls. The lack of a system of monitoring the safe provision of vehicles is a (generally) Chinese trait, not a U.S. trait. The sellers of these unsafe pieces of krappe are operating under the U.S. regulatory radar, and I highly advise steering clear of any product whose manufacturer does not have a formal, structured support mechanism in this country.
In other words, for each such safety flaw you discover, there's probably several more hiding within the design of your motorcycle, and I seriously doubt you have any recourse other than to abandon that cheap junque and move on to a reputable, established brand such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa, Aprilia, Kymco, Genuine, or Piaggio.

Not for a real long time- but Roketa,Tank,NST (all the same sorta) DO have a significant presence in this country NOW.If you were to check MV recs in all states, you would find a whole lot of these things here in the US! I would guess that there near as many as my Triumph? That makes them a "True MV" here! If the DMV will reg them- they should pass some safety & pollution specs & apparently the one I bought did have to since the co said they "couldnt " sell me a Roketa Bali since it wasnt certified here in Fla. I will then assume that my scoot is/ has passed some cert process? They are everywhere on the roads here in Fla & growing!A Chevy Vega wasnt a good car- but it WAS cert as safe in the US!I guess we need a new/ different std here now for scooters? OR do we already have one now that isnt being utilized?
A 50cc moped is a bicycle sorta. A 150 is a motorcycle period! Where does it start & end?

Capt Don wrote:

Roketa,Tank,NST (all the same sorta) DO have a significant presence in this country NOW.If you were to check MV recs in all states, you would find a whole lot of these things here in the US!

Perhaps you don't understand what I'm trying to say. Yes, I agree that the _scooters_ from Rocketa, Tank, etc are here - but the MANUFACTURERS are not! There are no manufacturer marketing and sales offices here in the U.S., no corporate presence whatsoever. There is nothing but a loosely defined group of distributors that arrange for the transport of these scooters from Chinese factories. The vehicles [probably] meet minimum requirements for such things as mirrors, placement and color of lighting, signals, and similar rules allowing for most DMV and possibly even DOT approval. However, the rules do NOT dictate such minutia as the construction of the brake system, steering components, frame strength, etc. It is assumed that manufacturers will be held responsible for the safety of their designs, construction materials, and assembly processes. IF THE MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT HERE, GOOD LUCK WITH EXPECTING THEIR PRODUCTS TO BE SAFE! I do not anticipate that these manufacturers will ever be present in this country before their products take a massive improvement in design and quality.

I understand what you meen now. I wonder what/ how some of these established dealers here in the US, do with warranty & safety issues? Honda, Yammi etc dont manufacture here in the US nor does Triumph or Ducati for that matter & they dont have offices here in the US. For my Triumph I gotta call some place in the UK.Their support comes in the forms of their "Franchised Dealers".
So I gusee that some of these dealers that sell Roketa ect have "some" support from a network in China? I assume when you buy it wholesale- you accept resposibility? There should be some govt std's for them here tho! I was told I couldnt buy a Bali here because it wasnt certified & the NST I got was. Looks real similar, but there a lot of small important differences.

Capt Don,

Support from the manufacturers is a serious problem for these "second tier" brands. From what I can tell, it consists of those extra parts that the wholesalers request from the manufacturers and then bring to this country to satisfy the service and warranty commitments from the dealers. It is at best an informal process, since there is no entity guiding a marketing strategy for those brands in this country.

If your dealer cares about the (e.g.) Rocketa you bought from him, he MIGHT be able to get certain parts to keep your bike serviced...or not. It's the distributors' call whether to import those parts or not. Rocketa (as a manufacturer) does not currently suffer from the lack of its product quality or its parts availability since it has no direct stake in this country.

While my political leanings in such areas are toward the libertarian side, it remains important to inform the public of the extreme risks and potential dangers in buying such unsupported products. Anything that purports to drag my highly exposed body at speeds approaching (or exceeding) 40MPH should be mechanically reliable and sturdy enough to be intrinsically trustworthy. My view is that such cheap, unsupported vehicles will NOT be my chosen form of transportation until all other resorts have been exhausted.