Modern Vespa

Soho Vespa in New York bites the dust. The owners have posted their side of the story on their website by linking to their lawsuit paperwork. Worth reading and discussing.

www.vespasoho.com

Sadly this civil war has been going in for years.

Very disheartening

Sorry Zach.....

SDG

Can anyone summarise the story? It looks interesting but I can't wade through 22 pages of legalese!

He said / she said. they did /they did not. them started it and someone is pissed.

LOL! That much I got!

Some insight into what is going on would be interesting given the two separate threads referencing "something" going on with dealers lately.

Vespa SoHo claims that this document explains the situation, but it is in fact a 2 1/2 month old affidavit to amend their claim against Piaggio, the net result of which is that they are closing, which suggests that they either caved or settled.

Meanwhile, according to their own website, they continue to operate some kind of Piaggio operation in Williamsburg/Greenpoint.

The only thing that is clear is that in the last week threads have been started on this forum about bad blood between Piaggio and two of its dealers, one in New York, one in Vancouver, that are notable for a lack of objective facts.

The affidavit that Vespa SoHo has published on its website is about assorted corporate machinations involving what appears to be their attempt to sell out to another company for $1.7 million, and doesn't contain a single sentence of any apparent interest to consumers.

I read all 22 pages, and wondered what was going through the heads of the owners of this company in publishing this drivel.

Bottom line (if Plaintiff is to be believed) is that Piaggio decided it liked the other guy better and awarded him a dealer franchise notwithstanding promises of exclusive franchise territory to Plaintiff. Complicating matters is the fact that the other guy was working with Plaintiff, and had a non-competition agreement with Plaintiff.

This reminds me of a porn film I saw years ago on a campus far, far away. A heap of naked bodies writhing around in a small room. You couldn't tell who was doing what to whom. But it was pretty clear somebody was getting F****d.

Regarding their complaint article 12 and the use of the word "recently" is a stretch by any definition of the word.



SDG

HAHA! good way to put it

I wasn't a big fan of Vespa Soho anyway. I know this is a bit off topic but I like Vespa Brooklyn a lot better... always gave me good service and the owner/president is pretty cool.

I do not have that impression at all from the website. Once you read the affidavit, thoroughly, you will fully understand the reference made on their website and the other business unit available for consumers to continue to visit. I fully disagree, many scooter consumers want to support their local business. Once the affidavit is read, it <b>appears</b> there were various violations to the franchise laws and business laws of NY. I read it entirely and it <b>appears</b>, that Piaggio was not playing in the same sandbox that they constructed as the franchsior. I did not read this as drivel. Just a business owner needing to take care of business.

Being small business Saturday in the US today, I am all for the small business owner!

My Dad told me that you cannot slice a salami so thin that it won't still have two sides.

I doubt Piaggio will, for a variety of legitimate reasons, present their side of this salami to the "court of public opinion". To be frank, Vespa SoHo's doing so does not impress me in the least.

I will agree with you to an extent ... by SoHo placing it on their wesbite, but, since the link was made availble for the affidavit being filed (and it is public information, if one knows to look for it), the complaints contained within <b>appear</b> to have discussion merit between the two entities involved and to be resolved accordingly.

Anyone with a dog in this fight, or the potential to, should keep mum.


In my 35+ years in business, I was told if lawyers are involved let
them do ALL the talking.

That's why this discussion will have very low involvement of many members. In the big picture, if one asks for a brief overview of the public affidavit, and an opinion is given, one can agree or disagree with the interpretation of the public affidavit opinion given. My 2 cents.

Just wanted to add that I was not bashing Vespa Soho in anyway, I just preferred Vespa Brooklyn. I did buy my first Vespa from Soho after all.

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

I bought my first scooter ten years ago from Vespa Soho, and I've remained a loyal customer. I'm glad their business at Carbon Negative in Brooklyn will continue to serve New York Vespa riders.

It already hasn't

At one time in the USA, Modern Vespa sales were on the rise, and
there were a limited amount of Vespa Dealers. Someone in the Piaggio
corporate office probably said to themselves, ok we gave Soho too large a territory,
if we let a few others in, we will sell a lot more scooters. The increased
sales will pay for any small inconvenience(law suits) that one shop
may have. Many companies pay tax penalties, and fines, knowing
that in the end they will maximize(or attempt to) their
profits/sales. Some people here will be happy with Piaggio's modis operandi,
and some will be distressed by it. Some people will support
Piaggio no matter what they do(or didn't do).
Ironically sales of Vespa have been declining over the past
few years.

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

The longer I ponder this outcome and the longer I reflect on this outcome the more it is tearing my guts out.

I'm very torn by this, far more than I initially realized.

I wish I knew a lot less than I know, ignorance is bliss I suppose.

%#¥*

SDG

I wasn't impressed with the sales people at SoHo. When i was ordering my Ruby they didn't know anything about it and in fact Atliers sent me stuff that should of come with it. I forget her name but she flat out told me i was nuts and that stuff didn't come with it. All she was worried about was the sale /money. Was nice to me after i bought it but i knew it was the only one left in the world and it was my size. She didn't have to worry about me not taking it. I flat out said i wanted it. To even pay was a process. Had to fax crap because she couldn't just take my card over the phone. But for it was the only one i would of went elsewhere.

I think this thread is slowly going off topic... I'm guilty for that momentum shift as well.

DISNEY no i don't think so. It sucks when any dealer goes under but there are reasons, and we'll probably never really know why. Sad part is the good employees will be out a job.

True on what you just said but I thought we were talking about more of the lawful side of the business... Lawsuit etc.

Yes but threads kinda weave around a bit. I miss NYC but i could never live there. Visit all the time but alas i live to far away mow to just hop on down. Great place. 8)

Nothing like good, unshaven porn to bring it all in perspective.

"Never do business with anyone you can't kill"

Al Capone

rotfl