Motostrano - Never Again

W

Welcome to Chilis!

New member
A few days ago I ordered a Sargent seat for the 1198. Got it this afternoon and immediately put it on my bike. The feel wasn't at all what I was expecting and it was definitely too much padding for my liking. I took the seat off and put it back in the packaging. I emailed them immediately asking if I could return the Sargent seat (I have returned quite a few seats in the past with other companies) and they gave me some canned line about not being able to return "hard items". Uhhh, any credible brick and mortar store would as long as it's not specific electronics, software or media. Home Depot would take back a tool kit.

Outstanding, so I'm stuck with a seat I won't use and the only advice the company with a non-existent return policy can give me is "It takes time to break it in". Sorry, but I didn't ask you about the break-in process, I know "Can I return this product" has a similar sound - but no. They should make their, and I use this term loosely, "return policy" a little more transparent, rather than printing it in your emailed order confirmation receipt.

Last I checked the only way to see if a seat fits for you is to sit on it. Can't very well put in on the floor still wrapped in cellophane and sit on it hoping it's an accurate fit before returning it at your expense with a 10% restocking fee.



Maybe many of you have had pleasant experiences with them, they have some good stuff and they ship quickly, but I personally will never consider shopping there again.

For a point of reference on motorcycle part returns. I purchased an exhaust from Motovation that didn't fit my specific bike model (over $500) and I packaged it up for a return (after explaining to them it didn't fit my model) and had a 30 day window I believe. Well, it took me about 1 year to finally get around to sending it back, but I emailed Jason again and embarrassingly asked if I could still return it. Shockingly, he said "Sure, as long as you have the original packaging you can return it". Now, that's probably above and beyond, but it's a "hard product" it was in some kind of clear plastic packaging I had to open and I returned it. Sounds like the way you should do business. And I didn't hesitate to spend $900 there last month.

I would say Shift-Tech has been the only other similar experience to Motovation in terms of good customer service. I really wish some of these other companies would be on the ball with it.
 
Was the seat special ordered for you at all? I know sometimes theres no returns on special orders, but if its just an item thats in stock sitting on a shelf I don't see why they won't return it for you. I'm in retail for a big chain and as the economy gets worst and worst you see more and more "shady" activities in clients and the return policy gets stricter and stricter (is this even a word). But it you just took it out of the box and tried it on for fit, didn't like it I don't see why someone wouldn't take it back, bar special order.
 
Keep in mind that when you open the packaging on something like that the company can't (or shouldn't) then be able to turn around and sell it again at the asking price of a new one.

Now whether or not any of that was disclosed to you prior to opening it who knows.

Having worked in retail it can get tiresome dealing with everyone's wants and needs and many people are out there to take advantage of a system (buyers remorse, getting new for old, etc). Some of the stuff I saw people return was just insane and my boss would always allow it even if they didn't deserve too. It reinforces bad behavior and made me look dumb. Some things I think should be allowed to be returned, but in a poor economy I think the grey area is not as grey as it once was as some of these places need to stay afloat.

So I can see both sides of the argument I guess. I had been thinking of getting one of those seats, but they did appear kind of large to me, and personally I don't think the stock seat is all that bad. Plus that is a lot of money for some foam.

Personally I have never had any issues with motostrano. They can be a little pricey. I ordered a leather jacket and it never arrived (USPS lost it), they agreed to send me a new one at no charge (then it showed up and I called them to cancel it). They also sent the wrong size pants and they took the return and sent the right size without incident. That wasn't packaged though, and it wasn't the size I ordered so they did mess the order up.

FYI you can usually get a good deal on stuff like this on ebay. If they don't take it back I'm sure you could sell it and recoup most of your money.

You do seem rather hard to please though...

I didn't do the handjob sign this time.
 
Man, I don't know. It doesn't seem like a track suit in the sense that it fights but it's new leather. It's more like the seat was built for guys 6"0+. I kind of hug the tank, and sitting way back where the seat is designed to accommodate your ass, just won't work for me.

I know I could sell it, and someone would love it (apparently I'm the ONLY person that doesn't HAHA) but it was more the principal of the return policy. Of course I get that when you don't manufacture the end product and you're just retailing something you bought wholesale, you ultimately take the loss or figure out a way to send it back to the company on any returns that can't be repackaged, but sometimes that's what customer service is about.

I get it, I do. I've just encountered WAY better customer service with other companies.
 
Back
Top