Whats up with Scooterworks & Genuine? -not playing toget

[ScootLemont]

So I wanted to order all 3 pieces of a jet stack for my Stella (an entirely different story)

I call scooterworks because I assume they will know what I need.
That guy says they dont sell Genuine parts anymore & I should call this number (which he gives me)

Its the number for Genuine & that guy tells me to call Scooterworks Chicago (which makes sense to me) & he transfers me over.

I tell the Scooterworks Chicago guy what I want & he gives me another number & tells me they can take care of me.

I call that number...... you guessed it..... Scooterworks (the 1st one I called)

I dont know what is going on... but Scooterworks used to play nice with Genuine & everyone I talked to was happy to help me out in the past.
Today.... not so much.

(I did figure out the part numbers I needed & ordered from Scooterworks.com, although I hated to give them money after the run around today.)

[Christophers]

Good question. I was wondering the same thing. I was told something similar last week when I tried to order some OEM badging for my Blackjack: Scooterworks is no longer allowed to sell Genuine Scooter parts - only aftermarket components.

When I called Genuine they referred me to ScooterLoungeOnline, whom they indicated was a full service Genuine retailer.

Anyone with any insight into what went on here?

[Stinkdyr]

My guess is the official explanation will term this change "to benefit our valued customers" and will no doubt result in higher costs to you!!

[theemptythrone]

man that kinda sucks...
i dont really like the way scooter lounge is layed out compared to sw

[Stormswift]

I guess my rear tire will not be getting there any time soon? OR Does it mean they will only sell through dealers and not direct to to the customers?

[Dooglas]

Anyone with any insight into what went on here?

My guess would be that Genuine dealers expressed some dissatisfaction with being undercut by Scooterworks - Genuine's own retail outlet. In fairness Vespa/Piaggio USA, Honda Powersports, and other importers do not undercut their own dealerships.

[charlie55]

Anyone with any insight into what went on here?

My guess would be that Genuine dealers expressed some dissatisfaction with being undercut by Scooterworks - Genuine's own retail outlet. In fairness Vespa/Piaggio USA, Honda Powersports, and other importers do not undercut their own dealerships.

Think it has anything to do with Phil stepping down and the newbies trying to pursue a different business plan?

[JHScoot]

^
this

[Stormswift]

uh....scooterloungeonline looks different. Website is...well...look for yourselves...

[JHScoot]

oh yeah Stormswift....looks like them Buddy times are a changin'

how will we ever adapt?

[lovemysan]

Fwiw, I've gotten better pricing through the dealer for parts. Scooterworks is high. What I don't buy at the dealer I get through enviromoto, scrappydog, or known reputable retailer. Scooterworks does have a nice website and they do run some nice sales. Despite the pricing I have used them several times.

[Wolfhound]

Sorry, scooterlounge lost me with the opening page showing the lady
riding wearing high heel shoes. I a, a 'safety nut' and that looks like an accident looking for a place to happen.

[BeefSupreme]

So Scooterworks is the parent company of Genuine...
http://www.genuinescooters.com/genuine_ ... ccaleb.pdf

I'm guessing Genuine found a way to break out of that?

[Wolfhound]

Check out scooterswest.com.They are pretty reasonable and knock off $20.00 of freight charges on orders over $100.00 I have dealt with them and with scooterworks and felt like I got better deals at the former rather than
the latter.
Now that Genuine is under new management they might give some thought to offering a bigger selection of PGO products. Just a thought.
The PGO GMAX 250cc scooter comes to mind and PGO offers a line of
trikes as well, 150cc range and 50cc range. The big question here is whether or not the cost of getting EPA approval would out weigh the sales potential.

[Dooglas]

Check out scooterswest.com.They are pretty reasonable and knock off $20.00 of freight charges on orders over $100.00 I have dealt with them and with scooterworks and felt like I got better deals at the former rather than the latter.

I agree. ScooterWest (a Genuine, Piaggio, Vespa, and Kymco dealer) has consistently been a good on-line source of parts and accessories. I have been using them rather than ScooterWorks for most of my needs anyway. They don't list all parts on their website. Call them if you don't find what you need on-line.

http://www.scooterwest.com/

[BoneGirl]

I have seen some changes as well and it saddens me to no end. From Philip stepping down to the runaround I have gotten from Scooterworks.

My last dealings with Scooterworks got ugly quickly when I was waiting for months on essential parts. I was told I would have to order them from a Genuine Retail shop, which wasn't an option at the time. This was going to be the ONLY way I could get the part I wanted, even though it was listed on Scooterworks website. Long story short, they worked with me at Scooterworks to find the part I had already ordered and paid for but was told they are normally only sold through the dealerships. That, in itself, is not always the most cost effective way to purchase parts.

With the Pinkster needing a new motor, and 43K miles, I am seriously wondering what I am going to do as the scooter continues to need parts. I depend on my bike way too much to deal with too many shenanigans from either company. I have so much respect for Philip and what he did with Genuine, but having had such a bad time this past experience, I may have to reconsider purchasing another brand when the time come.

I "sell" the Buddy almost daily to people because I have so many friends who have had them for many years. For normal conditions (meaning less than 13K miles/year) I wouldn't recommend any other scooter. I just have been through two Buddys and had to start replacing all the essentials in 3 years. This isn't what happens to the majority of Buddy owners. From the day I bought my first Buddy, I had difficulty getting parts and was told "You're a high mileage rider and need to stock up on parts". Excuse me, but who has that kind of money? So once again, I can't say anything bad about the bike, but I have my doubts about supply and demand, accessible parts, etc. For someone like me, I don't have the time or energy to play phone tag or politics and it all makes me very sad.

[Tazio]

Scooterwest is the best!

As a major sponsor, they were fantastic at this year’s Amerivespa. They really saved the day when we got kicked out of the park and had to regroup at their place for the Sunday Wrap-up BBQ.

[illnoise]

There are a lot of scooterworks haters and I'm not one of them, they've always been good to me, but i'll take this chance again to say it's RIDICULOUS that I can't order something from SW USA and pick it up at their warehouse. I know they don't want tire kickers and scooter nerds hanging around their warehouse all day asking to see three different bolts and standing around trying to figure out what they want, but there's no reason they can't set up a system where you can order online or by phone, then come in (even the next day would be fine) to pick up your order packed and ready to go. I work a couple blocks away from the warehouse and I have to pay shipping and wait a few days to get anything.

Now it's to the point that you simply can't buy ANYTHING at Scooterworks Chicago, either, They don't stock batteries or cables or stuff that any regular dealer would, they tell you to order it from scooterworks and have it sent to them. If I'm going to do that, I'll just order it myself and have it shipped to me.

[Quo Vadimus]

Sorry, scooterlounge lost me with the opening page showing the lady
riding wearing high heel shoes. I a, a 'safety nut' and that looks like an accident looking for a place to happen.

If you'll pardon my saying so, I think you bought from the wrong scooter company... This was an old official ad image displayed on the genuine site, and I think from the brochure.

/am also safety nut
//and bothered by advertising's dreamy depiction of everything
///but scooters are no different from all the other stuff in ads

[Wolfhound]

I was referring to the scooterlounge website. I bought a Genuine and dont think it is the wrong co..

[sc00ter]

So I'm not the only one with parts issues. Been waiting over two months for clutch shoes thru the local dealer, who is a Genuine dealer. No matter what happens with Genuine when the Buddy dies I'm going back to Honda. I know when the economy tanked people got laid-off, etc. etc. But looong waits for parts create short tempers for customers.

[Wolfhound]

scOOter, this is certainly not good service any way you cut it. What is your local dealers reason for non delivery of parts. If he has them in stock he should sell them to you if you are going to do the work yourself. My dealer would. If he is doing the repairs then the wait for parts is intolerable.
I wonder who supplies the parts for them and if it is PGO then there is no excuse. I have a friend who has a Honda Big Ruckus and he has the same problem getting parts for it from the Honda dealer. If Genuine wants to keep its dealers they had better get on the ball or they will lose them. Most Genuine dealers carry other lines such as Piaggio, Vespa,and Sym. Genuine is a good seller but once the word gets out as to what is going on sales will dwindle. With the changes going on within management at Genuine/Scooterworks we
may see some rough times for both companies. I hope not as I am more than pleased with my 170i

[charlie55]

.....I have a friend who has a Honda Big Ruckus and he has the same problem getting parts for it from the Honda dealer.....

I think the problem there is that the Big Ruck was only in production for a few years. My experience with Honda in obtaining Helix parts, on the other hand, has been without issue. Probably due to the long production history of the model and the number of units sold worldwide under different names.

Back when I had my Blur, Scooterworks was extremely fast and helpful. I did have to do a little nudging since they insisted, at first, that I go through my dealer. When I explained that the dealer was out of business and there were no alternatives within in a reasonable distance, they were most accomodating. Also had a partially-botched order from them that they straightened out immediately.

[Wolfhound]

He found that a lot of parts for other Honda models were inter changeable with the BR parts. He had a Honda parts man tip him off to that. In one case one part shown for the BR was $20.00 but the same part for another Honda model was $4.95. My friend has a small moped dealership and that helped him to get some info. And you do make a good point as the BR was only sold here for 2 years, 06 & 07, I think.

[charlie55]

He found that a lot of parts for other Honda models were inter changeable with the BR parts. He had a Honda parts man tip him off to that. In one case one part shown for the BR was $20.00 but the same part for another Honda model was $4.95. My friend has a small moped dealership and that helped him to get some info. And you do make a good point as the BR was only sold here for 2 years, 06 & 07, I think.

Quite right. Honda tends to associate parts with a specific model even if those parts have generic applications across multiple models. To make matters more difficult, the parts fiches seldom provide enough detail to determine that a part for model "X" has the same specs as the corresponding part for model "Y".

[Dooglas]

My last dealings with Scooterworks got ugly quickly when I was waiting for months on essential parts. I was told I would have to order them from a Genuine Retail shop, which wasn't an option at the time. This was going to be the ONLY way I could get the part I wanted, even though it was listed on Scooterworks website.

The problem was never quite this difficult and has not gotten any worse with ScooterWorks new parts policy. ScooterWest always was a Genuine dealer which means you could and can order Buddy parts from them if you don't have a nearby Genuine dealer (or even if you do ). Now, that doesn't solve the problem that Genuine Scooters parts supply from PGO in Taiwan (and LML in India too, for that matter) is slow and not very responsive. If the parts aren't here, it doesn't matter how you order them.

[Wolfhound]

Thanks, Dooglas. That answers my concern as to where the pasts originated.
The hard times they may be acomin

[sc00ter]

Im doing the repairs myself. I have never had a problem in the past getting parts for the Buddy 125. But lately.... They (local dealer) are a Genuine dealer but their main brands are Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. I know they put the order in-I have a VERY GOOD relationship with the parts department, got all the other parts in about 3 weeks. Even the scooters from Genuine in the service bay are waiting on parts now-some longer than me! The bike has been nothing but great, I just feel that Im getting SYM'ed, and they dont have the same excuse as Carter Bros.

[Throwback7R]

i agree with ILLNOISE Scooterworks is my local dealer! And agree it is total crap you cant go pick it up I pay sales tax and shipping ugh.. talk about getting the shaft 2 times.. I have found other ways around some of the parts.. a lot of the parts used in the engine you can order honda parts... Sometimes higher quality and better parts in general.

So having issues with clutch shoes.. "why not just order a clutch assy?
NCY makes a great clutch pack or order from some place else?

[easy]

I use buggy parts nw when I can. Super fast on getting parts to me and shipping cost is very reasonable. Scooter lounge online for body panels, bearings etc.

[ScootLemont]

Just to follow up....
I do like ordering from Scooterworks because I live about 30 miles from them & stuff shows up fast from UPS (usually the next day)

My new jet stack arrived today from scooterworks & I popped it in & it solved my problems.

[SonnyD]

Fwiw, I've gotten better pricing through the dealer for parts. Scooterworks is high. What I don't buy at the dealer I get through enviromoto, scrappydog, or known reputable retailer. Scooterworks does have a nice website and they do run some nice sales. Despite the pricing I have used them several times.

Yeah, I generally just go to Scooter World and have Ray order stuff for me....his price is always cheaper then when I check prices online anyway...plus no shipping and it's usually there in 2 or 3 days....

[Stinkdyr]

Painful when places like ScooterWorks ship you the wrong...or slightly wrong part. I needed a new stator for my 2009 RH50 as shown in this pic:

http://www.racingplanetusa.com/alternat ... f92f2643a7

Since it was out of stock at racingplanetusa, I spoke to a guy on the phone at Scooterworks...he confirmed that the part he would ship me fit my scooter. Well it has arrived, and it is CLOSE, but the connector pin setup is different, and the new one has 2 dangling wires, instead of just one as has the old one. Does anyone know if I can just repin the new wires into the old connector to see if it will work? Can I just leave the 2nd single wire dangling? thx.

[Syd]

Speaking of changes, I just went to Genuine's home page. I wasn't a big fan of the Home page in the most recent past, but this looks, just normal. They've even hidden or lost the customer photos.

[Wolfhound]

I just went there my self. Not awe inspiring. Will the home page sell a lot of
scooters? It remains to be seen but this along with the changes at ScooterWorks may indicate a totally different approach to selling the product as opposed to the original owners methods. What do you think Eric?

[ericalm]

Anyone with any insight into what went on here?

My guess would be that Genuine dealers expressed some dissatisfaction with being undercut by Scooterworks - Genuine's own retail outlet. In fairness Vespa/Piaggio USA, Honda Powersports, and other importers do not undercut their own dealerships.

Think it has anything to do with Phil stepping down and the newbies trying to pursue a different business plan?

Nope. Not exactly. The companies split some time ago into Genuine Scooter Co., Scooterworks Chicago (the dealer), and Scooterworks (parts and accessories retailer). About the only connections between the three are that Scooterworks handles Genuine's warranty parts supply and Scooterworks Chicago sells Genuines as well as Kymco and others.

The "newbies" have actually been there for two years now. So, yeah, it's got something to do with them, but it's not due to Philip's departure.

I just went there my self. Not awe inspiring. Will the home page sell a lot of
scooters? It remains to be seen but this along with the changes at ScooterWorks may indicate a totally different approach to selling the product as opposed to the original owners methods. What do you think Eric?

Well…

As I said above, these folks have been there two years. Any changes in the company we see now predate Philip's departure. The fundamental approach to selling scoots is unlikely to change because the business model and economics are the same as always.

IMHO, most of what the OEM website needs to do is show the product, provide the price and specs, have current updated dealer list. Even then, a LOT of that info aside from price is lost on the first time buyer. The sales really happen at the dealership level. (FWIW, the current version of the site may be short-lived anyways. We know there are a couple new models coming, so there may be a redesign when they launch.)

I think the site is clean and attractive and well-organized. The info is there and easy to find. It's fulfilling that part of its job.

However, in the past, the Genuine site has had varying degrees of success in getting across the spirit of the company. That's not as strong this time out. What remains seems a bit like holdovers from past versions. It's something only those of us who have been following the site for years might notice, but some scooter buyers do stalk the sites for years before buying.

So, it doesn't look like a new direction, but it's lost some of the charm of the old ones. (When did their tagline changed from "America's Smallest Scooter Company" to "America's Favorite Scooter Company"?) The question is whether it will make any substantial difference in sales.

The scaling back of the personality of the company — which many MBers clearly associate with Philip — does concern me a bit. As we all know, scooters are more than the sum of their specs and scooter companies are more than just their product. Other companies sell some good scooters, but haven't built such a passionate and involved group of owners. I know a lot of people who own scooters in spite of the company that makes them; some seem to even resent the companies that make them.

The Genuine community and identity make owning and riding more enjoyable. People like owning something from a company they feel good about being associated with. These are the characteristics that won so many of us over and made us such enthusiasts. It's been a huge part of Genuine's success. It's helped sell a shitload of scooters.

There is a bit of a conundrum there, though. Folks are right — much of that personality did come from Philip. I don't think anyone else could do a good job of faking it; it would feel, well, fake. So whoever's running the show is going to have to find their own way.

[Wolfhound]

Thanks, Eric. A good reply as usual.

[Dooglas]

So, it doesn't look like a new direction, but it's lost some of the charm of the old ones. (When did their tagline changed from "America's Smallest Scooter Company" to "America's Favorite Scooter Company"?) The question is whether it will make any substantial difference in sales.

And the answer is - probably not .

[Wolfhound]

Only time will tell.

[bgwss]

Great reply Eric!

[Syd]

... it's lost some of the charm of the old ones...

This is exactly what I thought but didn't say when I saw the new home page. The new page is all blues and greys and whites and organized. The last incarnation was all yellows and warm and, well, less organized. More Community with the product. Whatever happens, I hope Genuine continues to sell a shitload of Buddys and Roughhouses and Rainbow Unicorns.

[TVB]

The switch from "littlest" to "favorite", less focus on customer shots (there are still some on the FAQ page), and perhaps the shift in color palette, suggest that they're trying to present a slightly less "mom-n-pop" and more "cool" image.

[rick71454]

Hello BuddyLand:

I just talked to Scooterworks. They don't sell Genuine OEM parts anymore effective about 1.5 weeks ago. End users got to go through Genuine Dealers for those parts.

Thanks
Rick

[Wolfhound]

Another negative on the Genuine scoreboard or so it would seem.

[Wolfhound]

Strange.. Just received a online ad from them selling tranny parts. However
these were not OEM parts, they were from other mfgrs.

[rick71454]

Hello BuddyLand:

Scooterworks don't even carry Genuine EOM parts for Dealerships.
Scooterworks would like to and or trying to reestablish relationship with Genuine to sell Genuine OEM parts again.

Dealerships opposed to being undercut by Scooterworks selling to end users like you and me, while selling to Dealerships same time. As such, Dealerships are loosing some of the end user sale direct with Scooterworks.

Rick71454

[Dooglas]

Dealerships opposed to being undercut by Scooterworks selling to end users like you and me, while selling to Dealerships same time. As such, Dealerships are loosing some of the end user sale direct with Scooterworks.

This!

[bgwss]

Hello BuddyLand:

I just talked to Scooterworks. They don't sell Genuine OEM parts anymore effective about 1.5 weeks ago. End users got to go through Genuine Dealers for those parts.

Thanks
Rick

I hope this is wrong because I do not care for my local dealer it is a glorified Harley wanta to be and they charge Harley Davidson prices and their service sucks!!!!!!

[Dooglas]

I just talked to Scooterworks. They don't sell Genuine OEM parts anymore effective about 1.5 weeks ago. End users got to go through Genuine Dealers for those parts.

I hope this is wrong because I do not care for my local dealer it is a glorified Harley wanta to be and they charge Harley Davidson prices and their service sucks!!!!!!:

An uneven dealership network has always been one of Genuine's problems (and the same could be said of most all other scooter brands as well). You do not have to be held victim to a problematic dealer - or no dealer, however. There are Genuine dealers who provide mail order and on-line accessory and parts supply. ScooterWest is an excellent example.

[Wolfhound]

As I have said before, ScooterWest gives excellent service and freight breaks
on orders ove $100.00.