Is it reasonable for repair to take three months?

[SuperDDS]

I don't want to mention the name of my Segway dealer until I get some feedback from other members about my repair experience.

I bought two i2's in 2009, and rode them quite a bit until the summer of 2013. I just got super busy and they sat idle (but plugged in) for 12 months. A few months ago, in June, I decided to take them both out for a ride.

NEITHER SEGWAY HAS EVER BEEN CRASHED!

Segway #1 fired right up, and I went for a nice long ride.

Segway #2 also fired right up, and the info key registered a full battery, but as soon as I put weight on it, I got bucked off with that awful beeping sound. I also noticed that the steering column leaned about 10 degrees to the left, no matter how I adjusted it. I called the local dealer, and they came 15 miles to my house and picked up both Segways for $75 each. They only cleaned and adjusted Segway #1, but told me that both batteries on Segway #2 were bad, and if I replace both (for about $2,000), it will run just fine.

This seemed strange to me, since Segway #1 had no issues at all, and they had identical use and storage since new. Skeptical, I ok'd the battery replacement, and the $2,000+ charge. Two days later, they delivered both Segways to my home (for another $75 each), and my wife paid the repair cost with my VISA card. When I got home, I got on Segway #2, and it was no different than before. Same leaning steering column, same bucking and noise when I put any weight on it, and same error code on the info key.

I called the dealer to complain, because it's obvious that they didn't even test ride it. At this point, I suspect that they didn't even change the batteries. So they came back picked up, and a few weeks passed. When I called to get a status report, I was told that hey need to send it back to the factory, and that will cost me $199 each way. I ok'd this charge, and another month passed. When I called, I was told that the factory was 3 weeks behind. Finally, I got another $2500 estimate, whick I ok'd, and more time passed.

It has been 3 months, and almost $5000 in costs, and I still don't have it back, or any idea as to when I'll see my Segway #2 again.

Is this reasonable? Are all dealers like this? Does the Segway factory monitor or certify their dealers in any way? Am I getting the run-around, or ripped off? How can they expect to sell Segways when service is so unreliable and expensive?

Should I name the dealer here?

Chris Wolter