to buy or not to but from Fowlers

[theoldbaldone]

I have heard bad things in past about Fowlers, are they bad or is it just unlucky for some, I am looking at a little BMW G310GS they have

[wiltshire builders]

They used to be pretty bad but that's going back about 10 years ago.
Their pre owned stuff was massively overpriced.
I've bought a few bits of kit from them recently and they were very helpful.
We also test rode a load of bikes for my wife (bought elsewhere) and they were really good.

[BB]

I bought my SV from there 18 months ago, they were brilliant as I had actually booked to test ride something else I didn't like but then saw the SV and they let me out on that too. Also bought some clothing from them in the last few years, including ordering in.

They are much better nowadays than 10 - 12 years ago when a woman was invisible and they would insist on talking to the bloke with her all the time regardless of who was actually paying!

[theoldbaldone]

Thanks, didn't think of asking them, have booked in for a test ride at Dick Lovett

[Dabz]

Bought my last bike from them, great service. That was probably 8 years ago ish

[GezTheHealer]

I took my bike there last year for a triumph warranty replacement of some fuel line connectors from plastic to metal.

First time I went, they had not ordered the parts - apologies and offered to transport my bike from Trowbridge to Fowlers to do it at another date).
Did that.
It came back all scratched up, mark on the tank and a big scuff on the rear faring.
Driver confirmed it wasn't like that when he picked it up they agree'd to pay to get it re-sprayed.
Faff with local re-spray company.
Got it re-sprayed a few months later, riding it over to Bristol & a place Fowlers use.
Since been re-sprayed, but colour not quite right.
Paint man offered to do it again with Fowlers agreeing to foot the bill.
Not taken it back since, was too much hassle emailing back and forth and it looks close enough.


Basically ended up being a bit of a saga, over about 5-6 months. Fowlers paid to fix what they did, but what should have cost them nothing (replacement parts supplied by Triumph) ended up costing them transporting costs for a day and about £500odd or whatever it is for the re-spray.

New bikes look nice and they've lots of choice, impressive amount of pretty bikes there and I expect given I paid them nothing and they sorted out issues they caused, that they'd honour a warranty - though would you believe it, I've not been back.

[wiltshire builders]

Amazing they handed it back to you thinking you wouldn't notice.

[GezTheHealer]

It was a saga for what should have been an easy fix. Huge waste of time. Found out after I went there they have the nickname fowl-ups. Not surprised.

[Scotty]

I have no experience of dealing with Fowlups myself, aside from ordering something through their parts operation, which was very smoothly done.
At a recent TRF meeting there were comparisons being made between members' experiences of Fowlups service dept and that of Husky dealer Mid West in Melksham - people slated Fowlups for making customers feel like little more than a number, whereas Mid West know their customers by name - given the respective sizes of their operations and the numbers of customers they each have, this is hardly surprising, unless Fowlups employed Rain Man as their Service Manager. A large multi-franchise dealer serving a considerable area will lose the personal touch, no matter how much they might not want to.
Of potentially more annoyance to the TRF members was Husqvarna UK's decision to separate their model ranges into distinct Road and Dirt segments, and have dealers generally selling one or the other. Fair enough, what's the issue you may ask. For some inexplicable reason Husky UK have decided to list the popular 701 Enduro bike as a street bike. This means that Mid West customers have to go to Fowlups to buy one, but even more annoyingly they can't take it to Mid West afterwards for servicing because it isn't one of "their" range of bikes. Husky UK representatives were present at that particular TRF meeting, as were Mid West, and were respectfully asked to figure out a work-around to solve this predicament.

[theoldbaldone]

Thanks all, went out for a ride on the G310GS, motorway, lanes and town, and for me it was a great little bike and just want I need at this point in time, I would like to get in to some little greenlining at some point as well next summer, will be looking at new one from Dicklovett

[theoldbaldone]

had a good offer at Dicklovett, a new G310GS for just under 4200, hoping it will be ready to pick up soon, 😊

[DC]

Happy days ! :cool:

[BB]

had a good offer at Dicklovett, a new G310GS for just under 4200, hoping it will be ready to pick up soon, 

Sounds reasonable

[Last Train]

Yeah man

:cool: