I would like the CT70 community to know about Brad Hendon, a dealer in Texas who runs a business called Oldhonda.com. In the past several years I have had ample opportunities to form a judgment about his business ethics and commitment to service.
In 2002, I purchased a 2001 Jincheng Panda Trail Rider, which is one of the myriad Honda CT70 clones. I did now know it was a Chinese bike until it arrived, not having any experience at all in this area; I just wanted a "Minitrail 70," and it seemed like a chance to get a new one.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed riding the bike for a few months, until it stopped working. I needed a part. I informed Brad of this, and promptly, only four months later, I received the part. Four months. I was grounded for a third of the year, waiting for a simple part.
During that time I phoned or emailed him several times, asking him simply when I could expect the part to arrive. I was polite as can be. I got nothing back, until finally he sent me an irritable message stating "I ordered it. what do you want me to do?" As a result of this, the Honda dealership told me never to bring the bike back; they were disgusted and irritated at the lengthy wait for a part, which was supposed to arrive ‘any day now.’
Over the years, I ordered other parts. Brad was sometimes helpful, and if the part was in stock, it would arrive in a timely manner. But anything requiring any extra effort to locate, I would have to pester Brad to get him even to respond to me.
Early in 2005, the bike would no longer start. I was told by my local Honda mechanic that I needed a stator.
After contacting Brad, who said he’d order it for me, I waited two months for the part, and again I couldn't get him to return an email or phone call. He said he was trying to order one for me, but I couldn't pin him down on it and find out if it was going to arrive or not.
Finally, I gave up and decided that if I ever wanted to ride this bike again I’d better locate a stator on my own. Understand: I am not an experienced rider or mechanic. I didn’t grow up around bikes. I didn’t know anything about stators or anything else. I needed to rely on my dealer to help me out on this, and I got nothing.
After weeks of my own research, I thought I'd found a stator, and emailed him to ask if I should go with that one or wait for his. He sent me the following response: "Get it from them. I don't have one in stock."
That is the level of service one can expect from Brad Hendon and Oldhonda.com.
I wound up having to purchase- and return- two stators that arrived but would not fit the bike. I found out in the interim that Jincheng had gone out of business. Of course, Brad did not inform me of this or offer to help in any way in finding me an alternative.
Having finally had enough of Brad and his total disinterest in helping a customer- his customer- I wrote a letter to him, which I posted on a couple of CT70 sites, describing my experiences with Brad in great detail. Brad immediately wrote back to me, apologizing profusely for what had happened, and offering to help me find the stator. Being a trusting soul, and because he sounded so sincere,- I responded that I’d take down the messages, and give him the chance to help me.
Brad, in the three months since I got his apology, has done absolutely nothing to help. He said he’d call and look around, and maybe he did, but he did not keep me in the loop, or stay in contact with me or anything like that. When I finally sent an exasperated message to him, reminding him he said he’d help me, he responded
"I promised to let you know if I locate one from one of my sources. I have
not located one as of right now."
That was it; nothing else. In other words, I could sit and wait till the next ice age. If he happened to find one, he’d let me know. I never heard from him again. I have not gotten a single message from him, not a phone call, nothing.
Realizing- at long last- that I could expect nothing from this man, I finally, after 10 months of trying, located a stator, which my mechanic installed, and the bike is now operable again. How is it that I- who have only the barest knowledge of min-bikes, was able to locate the stator, while Brad, who runs a dealership and presumably is an expert in these bikes- couldn’t find one with a reasonable effort? The answer is obvious: he wasn’t willing to expend the least effort in trying to help me out.
Since when does a dealer sell you a bike and then ignore you when a needed part requires a little effort to locate? Isn't that what a reputable dealer does? Isn’t that how they stay in business? Apparently this doesn’t apply to Oldhonda.com. I can certainly understand if a part is out of stock, or difficult to locate, or if the company went out of business, or whatever. Things happen. But what I would expect from a dealer- especially the dealer who sold me the bike- is something like this: "Mr. Nitikman, sorry it’s taking so long. I will make some calls this morning and get right back to you." And then do it. And then "Mr. Nitikman, I am going to research this and find you a stator, and I will keep you posted how it’s going. Don’t worry; I will do everything in my power to help you get running again."
I am posting this message on any and all CT70 forums I can find, so that the community can be aware of the problems I had and avoid doing business with Brad Hendon.
In 2002, I purchased a 2001 Jincheng Panda Trail Rider, which is one of the myriad Honda CT70 clones. I did now know it was a Chinese bike until it arrived, not having any experience at all in this area; I just wanted a "Minitrail 70," and it seemed like a chance to get a new one.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed riding the bike for a few months, until it stopped working. I needed a part. I informed Brad of this, and promptly, only four months later, I received the part. Four months. I was grounded for a third of the year, waiting for a simple part.
During that time I phoned or emailed him several times, asking him simply when I could expect the part to arrive. I was polite as can be. I got nothing back, until finally he sent me an irritable message stating "I ordered it. what do you want me to do?" As a result of this, the Honda dealership told me never to bring the bike back; they were disgusted and irritated at the lengthy wait for a part, which was supposed to arrive ‘any day now.’
Over the years, I ordered other parts. Brad was sometimes helpful, and if the part was in stock, it would arrive in a timely manner. But anything requiring any extra effort to locate, I would have to pester Brad to get him even to respond to me.
Early in 2005, the bike would no longer start. I was told by my local Honda mechanic that I needed a stator.
After contacting Brad, who said he’d order it for me, I waited two months for the part, and again I couldn't get him to return an email or phone call. He said he was trying to order one for me, but I couldn't pin him down on it and find out if it was going to arrive or not.
Finally, I gave up and decided that if I ever wanted to ride this bike again I’d better locate a stator on my own. Understand: I am not an experienced rider or mechanic. I didn’t grow up around bikes. I didn’t know anything about stators or anything else. I needed to rely on my dealer to help me out on this, and I got nothing.
After weeks of my own research, I thought I'd found a stator, and emailed him to ask if I should go with that one or wait for his. He sent me the following response: "Get it from them. I don't have one in stock."
That is the level of service one can expect from Brad Hendon and Oldhonda.com.
I wound up having to purchase- and return- two stators that arrived but would not fit the bike. I found out in the interim that Jincheng had gone out of business. Of course, Brad did not inform me of this or offer to help in any way in finding me an alternative.
Having finally had enough of Brad and his total disinterest in helping a customer- his customer- I wrote a letter to him, which I posted on a couple of CT70 sites, describing my experiences with Brad in great detail. Brad immediately wrote back to me, apologizing profusely for what had happened, and offering to help me find the stator. Being a trusting soul, and because he sounded so sincere,- I responded that I’d take down the messages, and give him the chance to help me.
Brad, in the three months since I got his apology, has done absolutely nothing to help. He said he’d call and look around, and maybe he did, but he did not keep me in the loop, or stay in contact with me or anything like that. When I finally sent an exasperated message to him, reminding him he said he’d help me, he responded
"I promised to let you know if I locate one from one of my sources. I have
not located one as of right now."
That was it; nothing else. In other words, I could sit and wait till the next ice age. If he happened to find one, he’d let me know. I never heard from him again. I have not gotten a single message from him, not a phone call, nothing.
Realizing- at long last- that I could expect nothing from this man, I finally, after 10 months of trying, located a stator, which my mechanic installed, and the bike is now operable again. How is it that I- who have only the barest knowledge of min-bikes, was able to locate the stator, while Brad, who runs a dealership and presumably is an expert in these bikes- couldn’t find one with a reasonable effort? The answer is obvious: he wasn’t willing to expend the least effort in trying to help me out.
Since when does a dealer sell you a bike and then ignore you when a needed part requires a little effort to locate? Isn't that what a reputable dealer does? Isn’t that how they stay in business? Apparently this doesn’t apply to Oldhonda.com. I can certainly understand if a part is out of stock, or difficult to locate, or if the company went out of business, or whatever. Things happen. But what I would expect from a dealer- especially the dealer who sold me the bike- is something like this: "Mr. Nitikman, sorry it’s taking so long. I will make some calls this morning and get right back to you." And then do it. And then "Mr. Nitikman, I am going to research this and find you a stator, and I will keep you posted how it’s going. Don’t worry; I will do everything in my power to help you get running again."
I am posting this message on any and all CT70 forums I can find, so that the community can be aware of the problems I had and avoid doing business with Brad Hendon.
.
