Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Harley Davidson Heartache

Harley Davidson of Canada

I had to respond to a letter I received from you yesterday because it upset me so much. I know its probably a computer generated letter but none the less it upset me.

In July my husband took ill and was in the hospital. I called Harley Davidson to find out about disability insurance and no one would talk to me because my name was not on the bike. they were quite rude to me in fact. I had to hire a lawyer to go to the hospital and have my husband sign power of attorney forms. I then faxed copies to Harley Davidson and I was told you would get back to me in 24 hours. No one got back to me and I ended up going to the dealership. It was there that I was informed that although we did take out disability insurance and life insurance on the bike, it was not for the whole term of the loan. I have never heard of this, who insures a loan for half the term.
They informed me that the disability and life insurance had expired 3 months prior. I tried to talk to someone at Harley Davidson but no one was willing to help me.
As my husband laid dying in the hospital I lied and assured him that everything was fine. He took comfort in the fact that I would still enjoy his bike. He was confident that he had the bike insured and took comfort in knowing that if something happened to him, I could continue to enjoy riding.
I did not have the heart to tell him, that I would have to sell his beloved Black Pearl as he called it.

On July 22 my husband died at the age of 56 from undiagnosed cancer. On top of my heartache and all that I had to do to bury my husband and my best friend. I also had to find a buyer for the bike because I was informed that because the insurance had expired 3 months prior that I was responsible for the loan. In the beginning no one would even talk to me, now they informed me that I owed $12,000 dollars to Harley Davidson.
 
It broke my heart to sell the bike and it would have broke my husbands heart to know that Harley Davidson is so hard up for money that they could not honour a life insurance contract that should have been for the whole contract and not 24 months. It was heart breaking selling that bike and seeing all of his hard work and care just go out of the driveway. And now here I am with nothing to remember him by. I will be living on his pension now and my riding gear will be sitting here gathering dust. My husbands dream of leaving me his bike is gone. I broke down seeing that bike go out of the driveway and I am furious that Harley Davidson could treat me like that. And force me to sell something that was so dear to my husband. On rainy days he would kiss me goodbye as he left for work and then kiss his bike, and say I will see you tomorrow when the sun is shining. He loved his Harley it was his baby. He named it the black pearl.

Then I get this letter and it just a slap in the face after everything that has just happened.

The letter says,

Brian Fraser
 

We're very pleased to let you know your account with Harley Davidson Financial Services Canada Inc is not paid in full. Congratulations .
We've appreciated having you as a customer, and we look forward to serving you again in the future.
Please call us at 1 800 364- 2292 if you have any questions. Once again, it has been our pleasure to have you as a customer.

And this is the part that hurt the most, you addressed the letter to my late husband.

All of this has sickened me, we have been customers of Harley Davidson for years, first with our Sportster and then with the Classic, and we have been in hundreds of Harley Davidson stores across Canada and the United States, buying all kinds of part and accessories and clothing. My husbands closet has hundreds of shirts from dealerships in all parts of the US and Canada.

But after the way I was treated during all of this, I will never step foot in one of your stores or dealerships again. I never thought in a million years that Harley Davidson would treat their customers like this. I hope your big corporation enjoys my $12,000 dollars I am sure you needed it more than I did. Because a widow who wanted to hang onto her husbands most precious possession was not important too you.

Sincerely

Tobey McCool Fraser
 
 
Brian on the day he picked up his bike, you can just see the pride and the love
 
 
 
 
Picking up his new bike, he was so excited
 
 
 
Maggie guarding Daddy's new bike

 
This pic is one of favorites and the photo we used for his memorial cards

 
I love this pic of Brian
 
 
 
Travelling British Columbia on the black pearl
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My hubby the rebel