Answer: Unfortunately for the most part it’s not been very good. We have used scooters coming into our shop on a weekly basis that were purchased on craigslist. By the time we get all the problems worked out for the customer they end up having spent as much as one of our new scooters cost and they still don’t have a warranty with the scooter.
Question: I recently saw someone advertising new scooters on craigslist made by Wildfire Motors with a 24 month warranty. What do you know about them?
Answer: I looked into this craigslist seller and found that it’s a person selling scooters from their house located in Matthews, NC. They told me that the warranty was with the manufacturer located in Ohio and that they don’t have any parts or service locally for the scooters. Our experience tells us that this type of scooter seller only wants to sell you a scooter, make a few hundred dollars, and then never see you again. All over Charlotte you have tire dealers and hardware stores selling scooters that have no parts or an experienced mechanic to work on them. In reality when you buy one of these scooters it has no warranty with the company selling it. The best way to purchase a scooter is from a local scooter dealer that has the experience and parts to honor the warranty and keep you a satisfied owner.
Question: How can you tell what quality a scooter is?
Answer: The easiest way to tell is by reviewing the scooter warranty. Good quality scooters will come with at lease a 1 year parts and labor warranty.
Question: What is the cheapest scooter you sell?
Answer: At Carolina Fun Machines we don’t sell the really cheap scooters. We do sell a complete line of quality scooters made by CFMOTO, Andretti - Benelli, ZNEN, Red Streak, Jonway and Lance Powersports at very low pricing and back them with the best service and support in the Charlotte area. As a direct importer of scooters we could sell the really cheap scooters but after a few months of ownership you wouldn’t be happy with your purchase. We have a number of customers that thought all scooters were the same, because they looked the same, and bought based on the lowest price. They ended up very disappointed and sold them, returning to use for one of our quality scooters.
Question: Do you charge extra for freight, assembly and documentation fees?
Answer: There are a number of scooter dealers that advertise the price of their scooter and then when they write up the sales contract they add extra charges for these items. We have had a number of customers that have purchased from us that have told us other dealers advertised a price for the scooter and then charged as much as $199 for Documentation Fees and $598 for Freight and Assembly. At Carolina Fun Machines the price we list on our website for the scooter is the price that you pay. The only other charges we add to the scooter price are the sales tax. On scooters over 50cc, if you want us to handle the state inspection and DMV paperwork, we add the related inspection, title registration and licensing fees.
Question: Can Carolina Fun Machines handle the paperwork with DMV or will I need to go to one of their offices and wait in line to get my scooter titled and licensed.
Answer: We can handle all of the DMV paperwork for you so you don’t have to take time out of your busy schedule to wait in line at a DMV office. We have North Carolina license plates and registration tags at our dealership. With proof of insurance and a valid motorcycle license or learners permit we can deliver your scooter ready to ride. We will handle all the paperwork for you and deliver your scooter to you with your actual license plate and registration certificate.
Question: Who makes the scooters that you sell?
Answer: Carolina Fun Machines is an authorized franchised dealer for CFMOTO, Andretti - Benelli, Red Streak Scooters, Jonway and Lance Powersports as well as a direct importer of scooters manufactured by ZNEN. We were the first dealership in the Charlotte area to be approved as an authorized Lance Powersports dealer.
Carolina Fun Machines is the area’s largest scooter only dealership offering 21 different models of 50cc, 150cc, 250cc and 500cc scooters. In selling only scooters we feel we can deliver to our customers a higher level of sales, service and support. Many of the Lance’s scooters are made by ZNEN, a large scooter manufacturer in China to Lances and our very strict standards. If you read the scooter forums Lance and ZNEN are considered to be some of the best built scooters manufactured in China. Lance and our ZNEN scooters come with a number of upgrades such as a YUASA battery and a Gates Rubber Powerlink drive belt. Because of the outstanding quality of the Lance and Znen scooters they come with a one year, unlimited mileage, parts and labor warranty.
Question: Are all Chinese Scooters the same?
Answer: As a direct importer of Chinese made scooters Carolina Fun Machines has evaluated dozens of Chinese scooter manufacturers and assemblers. Most of them are of very poor quality because they are being built to sell at very cheap prices focused towards the very low end of the market.
These scooters are the ones that are sold with no warranty or a 30 to 90 day parts only warranty, usually from parts stores, tire dealerships and small independent scooter dealerships.
Some even advertise a 24 month warranty but it doesn’t include labor and when you visit the sellers location they are not at all a scooter dealer, but just selling crated scooters from a warehouse or their homes and they have no parts or experienced mechanics to work on the scooters when they break down.
When Carolina Fun Machines sells a customer a scooter we are looking at building a long term relationship with the customer. So we pass up these cheaper scooter manufacturers and only import from the best manufacturers in China. That is why we can offer the warranties that we do. They may cost a little more but in the long run they are less expense to own and keep running.