0810042030 Things said in haste...

This letter was not sent to the head office of Vespa.

I have heard it said that just writing a letter of complaint is enough to alleviate the frustration. I feel better now.

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Dear Vespa Dealer



Dear Sir,
I recently bought a beautiful new GTS250ie but last Tuesday morning (30th of September 2008) , my new Vespa suffered an electrical problem and stopped. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment caused by burning wires. Later that afternoon, I pushed my Vespa to the authorised repair centre at San Po Kong where I told the friendly and helpful staff about the problem. They told me that they understood that I was disappointed. Everyone was polite and there was no need to discuss warranty claims - it is understood that my Vespa has done only 1000 kilometres, and had been serviced at the San Po Kong service centre on Monday the 29th of September and the fault will be repaired under warranty.

Today, (Saturday 4th of October), at about one o’clock, I went to the service centre to see what progress has been made on the repair. To my disappointment, I found that nothing has been done to repair the faulty wiring. I was told that the good people at the authorised repair centre have taken photos of the damage and have asked head office for advice. I understand that this may be part of the process when making a warranty repair, however, I am disappointed that the authorised service centre seems to be more concerned about getting advice and asking what department within the Vespa company will pay for the warranty claim rather than focusing on customer service and doing the actual repair.

I would have liked to have seen some progress on replacing the wires. A service centre should put the customer first. The good people at the service centre have said that they understand that I am concerned and they have even “apologised” for the inconvenience. Actions speak louder than words, or as it is said locally, “Talk doesn't cook rice” and I am sorry to say that I have seen no action on the repair.

Sadly, as a result of this electrical failure, and the lack of progress in the repairs, I have lost confidence in the product. My confidence in the quality of Vespa scooters went up in smoke – the same as the wiring – when it stopped on the side of the road. I bought a new Vespa partly because I see a lot of old Vespa scooters still running. The research into my decision to buy a Vespa lead me to conclude that the quality of Vespa scooters would make them reliable.

Can you please do one of the following:
1) Repair my Vespa in a timely manner. I am sure that a skilled Vespa technician could replace the wiring harness in two days. It would restore my confidence if the service department could repair my Vespa soon.
2) Replace my Vespa. I can be reasonable if another black GTS250ie is not available.
3) Refund.

Could you please reply informing me of your preferred course of action by return email by close of business on Monday the 6th of October 2008.

Please feel free to ask any questions by return email at any time.
Thank you.
David Nightingale
Vespa owner NM 1207
66224730 Saturday 4th October 2008

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They have a million and one things to do - mine is somewhere in near 345,876.