Herb Chambers Vespa Boston

DO NOT BUY HELMETS HERE. Had an emergency situation where my helmet broke and I desperately needed another one in order to ride my moped home from where it broke down the night before. The moped shop was closed and with no other place to buy a helmet, I dropped $ 160 on a Vega X888 helmet. You can get this very same helmet anywhere else for $ 60. On top of this, I called to ask about the return policy and the person who answered the phone was unable to give me a clear answer. I got ripped off terribly and had to dip into my savings to pay for a helmet with a $ 100 markup that I can’t return. If you don’t believe me, go to Vega’s website and look at the prices. Save your money, buy a helmet elsewhere.

i purchased my first vespa from maz and amine in 2005. chris was the fabulous service guy. loved it so much i bought a second one in 2008 (approx) so my friends could ride their own. i LOVE my vespas.
through the years i have had good and bad experiences. when diodoro and chris left for philly i was disappointed. the service was spotty until dio came back. in ²⁰¹²⁄₂₀₁₃ i had left my vespa to be repaired once and it took them 6 months to fix it and get it back to me. i was thankful i had a spare vespa to ride in the meantime. i think there was 3 managers that were there until dio came back. the techs were not consistent until they hired tim. he is very good. now, you just need to get chris burns back and then vespa will be back to business.
when i purchased my third vespa in 2014 and was driving it home, it stopped dead and would not start. i called diodoro and he and orion came out with the part and repaired the vespa, at the side of the road, on a friday afternoon, after the shop closed. this is what i call service!!! now, please get chris burns back and the vespa service will be top notch. chris knows everything about vespas and he can diagnose what is wrong with your vespa in minutes. being a faithful vespa owner i had a few years when i did not take it back to vespa boston unless i absolutely had to. i know i can go in and it will be fixed in a timely manner.

I live out of the Boston area but have found the service department to be most helpful… from procuring parts from Italy, to sending out filters and motor oil. I have found their pricing to be better than others
Sometimes it’s hard to get connected to the Service/​Parts department through the main switchboard, but when you connect, the employees are most helpful.

I had nothing but great experiences with Herb Chamber Vespa. The most recent was today. My 2006 LX150 would not start. It had started with no issue three times today. I’ve had some intermittent starting problems but usually could get it started.
So I called to see if they could pick it up, but a driver was not available. They provided the name of another service, but sensing my angst, Brendon offered to come over to me (about 15 minutes) and see what could be done. Brendon brought a fresh battery, swapped it out, and voila, Bellisimo started. I road back to work on the borrowed battery then over to HC Vespa to buy a new battery.
This is the second time that someone from HC Vespa has offered to come to me to address a starting issue.
I am VERY impressed. Brendon has a real commitment to first class service

My saga conditions.
Finally got my bike back and «fixed’. Picked it up on Saturday, June 29. Road it back to JP and on Sunday went to get the paper and it sounded very rough, made a lot of metallic sounds and had no acceleration. Then it died. Guess they did not fix the bike! Had them pick it up on Monday, July 1 Today is Tuesday, July 9. As usual, no phone call from Vespa of Boston to let me know they have my bike and when it would be looked at and when I can expect it back. The manager never calls, looks overwhelmed with being manager, service manager, parts manager, etc.
Decided to go to the showroom to try and find out what is happening. Nothing. But when is very disconcerting is that they is a backlog of ⁴⁰⁄₅₀ bikes in the service queue, which means at least a three week wait. Right in the middle of the summer! Place is understaffed with only one mechanic (and he is good). How do they expect to have new customers or have their present customers not be irate and write reviews here when we experience this kind of service. Can’t blame the mechanic. Can quibble about Brendan and his complete lack of follow-​up. The culprit is really the Herb Chambers organization which is not providing Vespa with the kind of support that it needs to keep customers satisfied.
Rolf F.

Yes, I had a few issues with my service:
1. It was over two weeks for my scooter to be serviced.
2. When I came to pick up my scooter the man behind the counter had my scooter labelled incorrectly with another scooter.
3. Three days after I returned it the same issue happened again. Then I stopped riding it, the next time I rode it (one month later) it died on me while I was using my scooter.
4. I received the vehicle with a flat tire.
Overall, the service I received was horrible. I called them back and they are taking it back with an unknown amount of time to fix it. * I will return and write the conclusion after the repairs. I paid a bit over $ 450 the first time.
The only redeeming factor is an employee named Brandon who always answers and returns call and seems helpful. I would not recommend this company to anyone ever.

Went here to find my first scooter and was very impressed with the selection of Piaggio and Vespa scooters. The store is very clean, all prices are listed up front, and everyone I dealt with was very professional. They’re open till 7pm on most days so it was easy for me to get there after work.
Brendan was extremely professional and very helpful!
He really helped me pick out the right model and answered all the questions I had!
He made the purchasing experience a pleasurable one and was really easy to talk to.
I would highly recommend going to Herb Chambers Vespa in Boston for all your scooter needs! They will answer any questions you have.

I dropped by Herb Chambers out of curiosity and had a wonderful experience.
Brendan took quite a lot of time to explain to me the different engine sizes, mileage capabilities and was extremely thorough in explaining the minor differences between the bikes on display. I was concerned about the storage capabilities and Brendan was able to explain multiple options and price out the costs exactly for each one, which I thought was very helpful. We probably spent at least 10 – 15 minutes just going through several different cases available and he took the extra time to bring me to the repair section in the back to see an older type of case and also brought a new one out of the package and opened it so I could make a decision (which I know was a pain for him since he had to rewrap everything).
I felt that Herb Chambers was able to offer me a full range of options and I really appreciated their willingness to order me a specific color/​style combination that wasn’t on the floor instead of pressuring me to get what was available. I found the selection itself great as there was a wide range of engine sizes, colors, models and I was able to easily move around the store and make comparisons. The staff offered a full range of customer service, answering my questions from everything concerning durability of the paint on metal versus plastic, the local laws regarding parking a Vespa, how to secure the vehicle to prevent theft, getting licensed in the state, engine noise, etc. Brendan mentioned when I was in the store that there had been a change in management and that he and the other new staff members had turned the store in a new direction. I’d never been to the store before but reading some of the older Unilocal reviews it seems like the Herb Chambers I visited is a completely different store than it may have once been. Good for them, they apparently had their work cut out for them and have done an amazing job. Due to the combination of above-​and-​beyond customer service and the unexpected range of options for one store, I highly recommend Herb Chambers

Ironic. It’s great to have a place that sells Vespas, but it sucks that the only thing stopping me from replacing mine is the service department at Vespa of Boston. I sincerely wish there was a competitor in the Boston greater area to press this place to get their customer service in order.
It’s great talking directly with the people at the front desk and in sales, but the service arm is seriously lacking. In my two or three times in the shop I’ve heard grumbling about being overburdened with repairs, and corporate Vespa employees imposing policies that they don’t like. The service department seems to coast on the lack of other mechanics in the area. It sucks that if you buy a Vespa from them, there isn’t a good alternative for repairs/​maintenance. The service employees are pretty sketchy, in that they sometimes asked me for cash only payments despite having a credit card machine, and use personal cell phones to do business, suggesting to me that there is not a good relationship between employees and owners. I tried to just roll with the wild-​west feel of the place since I depended on them for regular service, but after the last couple interactions I did a bit of online research and ended up feeling overcharged and underserved.
It just was too unpleasant dealing with the service department, and I hated the paranoid feeling of thinking the mechanics were trying to screw me over.
If the service department got it together, I’d buy a vespa from them in an instant, but as it stands I’ll just use cabs.

Terrible terrible service. Dropped off my 50cc at the shop for tune up and engine malfunction. I was never updated on the status of my scooter ever. I had to call everyday just to get a update on my scooter and even then I would hear different stories on whether they were working on my scooter or not. One day I called and the wheels were off. The next day I was informed they haven’t even touched my scooter yet. The next day I was told it would be done at the end of the week. Needless to say it never happened. Go anywhere else but here for any scooter problems. I know there aren’t many options, but believe me… I doubted the reviews on Unilocal and paid the price for it.

If I was writing this review in 2011, I would give Herb Chambers Vespa Boston 1 star at the very most. The past terribleness has been chronicled here in previous reviews, so I will not add my previous experiences to that. This review however is about the new management which is led by Jillian and the hard work they’re putting in to improve the Vespa Boston image.
Recently I brought in my Vespa to get the back rack replaced and pending issues from 2011 resolved… which were still pending after months and months of trying to contact Adam. Jillian was very helpful and my Vespa was fixed up in record time. I was even surprised to pick up my scooter and find that Jillian had washed & waxed it, installed new roller weights for me.
Herb Chambers Vespa has made huge strides in improving their customer service and that is why this review gets 4 stars. I would give a full 5 stars, but I think they still have a little more work to do in fixing the past soured relationships, organizing the past mess, and providing 100% customer service. If you haven’t been to the shop in a while or have avoided it because of what you have heard, then I urge you to check them out again and see the improvements for yourself!

Never had a bad experience here. Always had minor parts that I needed and at a relatively good price, too. 2-​stroke oil is cheap and they have Motul, which is nice. Jill was very friendly and helped me locate the parts I needed. All of the old reviews on here, pre– new-​régime, do not exemplify the quality of service they currently provide. Thumbs up for good prices and good service.

I bought my first bike from here back in March of 2010. At the time, I wasn’t wild about the management who sold me the bike but I’ve been much happier with their service since the shop manager Jillian has been aboard.
I got into an accident in the fall and the shop manager and mechanics were super helpful and knowledgeable. They knew how to deal with the frustrating insurance company and how to assess damages.
The mechanics and management kept in touch with me through the process and were patient and flexible with me as I made decisions on what to repair.
When I go into the shop or call, Jillian always knows me and my bike and the turnaround time is exceptional. Customer service is comfortable and easy-​going. I’m looking forward to learning more about the new mechanic.

Found myself in a pinch yesterday when I went to do my motorcycle road test and the examiner saw that my inspection sticker was 5-​months expired. Went into Vespa to see if they did these, and while they did not, they had a place to recommend. and then the services manager actually called the guy who ran the place (Mackenzies) personally to see if they could do a quick inspection for me. Dude said to come on over, I did, and had my ET4 inspected 15-​minutes after leaving Vespa. Really appreciate the quick advice!

Went in to the service department for a tune-​up and oil change.
They took the time to install their Herb-​branded license plate frame.
They did not take the time to add the oil.
Luckily, I caught it before engine seizure.
They did little to make it right or show contrition or responsibility for a terrible error.
If there was another option for Vespa service in Boston, they would have my business, so one additional star, just for existing.

Went to Herb Chambers Vespa yesterday. these things are so damn CUTE!
saving up my $$$‘s to get a PINK one!
my boyfriend got one from here and we love it!
btw the REAL PHONE NUMBER IS — (617) 254‑4000

After a few weeks of researching and visiting HC Vespa, I finally bit the bullet and bought a used one from these guys. I wasn’t Diadoro’s (the manager) number one fan, as he is pretty much just like the skeezy salesperson you expect at a dealer. There also was an issue with the bike after I bought it — something with the blinker — and he seemed a little put off about it all, but he took care of it since there was a 4 month warranty on it (I think it’s a year on used). It’s not my fault you sold me something that wasn’t working 100% well! Oh yeah — one thing to point out — if you’re buying used be sure to inspect the whole bike. I didn’t notice a ding on it, because it was on the bottom of the bike, but since it was there when I bought it he wouldn’t do anything to fix it. LAME. I did get a pretty decent deal though, so I’m not too fussed.
If this was based solely on my sales experience, this review would be a 2, maybe 3 at best. The redeeming quality of this place is the service crew. They’re awesome! Whenever I have to stop by with a question or problem, they’re super friendly and get it taken care of right away. Most of the time when I’ve come in with an issue they take care of it right then and there, and I’m out within 20 – 30 minutes. Also, when they delivered my bike to my place, the guy who delivered it showed me how to use it and spent about a half hour with me showing me the ropes. That was super helpful!
The only other downside of this place is the aftermarket products. They are totally expensive/​overpriced. But, just like with any other thing, if you shop around you can get the same stuff cheaper elsewhere. Just a buyer beware!
Happy Vespaing!

I’ve heard bad things about other Chambers dealerships, so I was wary but I wanted a scooter and I wanted a Vespa for their reliability and cool look.
I ended up buying a new GTS 250 and have nothing but good things to say about the dealership, including Diodoro the general manager. They’ve been great every time I’ve had a problem and promptly fixed free of charge with profuse apologies the time they accidentally installed a defective battery. I get my Vespa done there for regular servicing and they couldn’t be nicer.
Say what you will about the Chambers empire, but Diodoro and company are excellent.

If you do your research ahead of time and recognize that they are coasting on the fact that they seem to have a local lock on the Vespa sales biz then you’ll do OK.
Key:
— Research & price ahead of time
— Don’t buy accessories here (much much cheaper online)
— Remember to get inspected if your scoot is bigger than 50cc
The 50cc scooters just can’t go fast enough for me to feel safe on the 30−45MPH limit roads around Roslindale/​Dedham/​JP/​Cambridge (the J-​way & Washington street being prime examples) — where the real-​world vehicle speed ranges from 40 – 60 depending on traffic and time of day.
Ended up getting a 150cc Vespa LX150 which for me was the right balance between size, speed and power. The 50cc scoots didn’t feel safe and the 250cc scoots just seemed way to beefy & heavy for some reason.
Bought while they were offering the 0% financing option but dialed the loan term down to 6 months to force me to pay it off quickly — seems silly to take out a lengthy loan for something like a scooter so I wanted to be sensible. Looks like they are offering that finance deal again at least this month.
Indispensable accessories besides helmet, gloves and safe jacket:
— Scooter cover
— Hardcore chain & lock
… got those at the dealership and only found out later how much I had overpaid. Would strongly recommend getting all accessories elsewhere or ideally online.
Bought helmet and riding jacket at a motorcycle shop. Both saved me lots of skin and possibly a head injury after I dumped the scoot at low speed (~10 MPH maybe) trying to make a left turn against traffic and accidentally put the back wheel across a wet manhole cover. Was not wearing gloves at the time which was a mistake soon corrected.
My biggest complaint:
The dealership put the license plate on and registered the scooter once I gave them the insurance information. Since they did that I thought it was just like a car buying experience where they basically do all the paperwork for you. My ignorance cost me some $$.
Learned the error of my ways when I got a ticket in Roslindale for not having a motorcycle inspection sticker on the license plate. The dealer had registered and plated my scoot but didn’t inspect it and did not tell me that I need that done when they delivered it. The ticket dude was really nice about it and gave me directions to the nearest place that did motorcycle inspections.
I’m still kind of mad about that. If Herb Chambers is offering plates and registration services it would have been nice if they had stepped up and either also offered inspection or told me that I’d need one.

Mr. Chamber’s, I think you need to re-​think your Vespa Sales Floor and who you have representing it.
If I rated HC Vespa two years ago, when I went in for the first time it would have easily been a 4.5 Star review. And the reason being would have been for Maz’s passion for the brand and what it represents and transcends. Maz not only knew what he was talking about but he was a genuine great guy… and not another «sales person» looking to make a sale. Unfortunately, Maz has left the company, the business, and the state (some think that he may have been pushed out of HC Vespa) and now there’s that gross, used car sales person feeling when you go in to HC Vespa.
I stopped in a couple weeks ago, Chris the shop mechanic (and the last good thing about HC Vespa) was there, as well as the new manager D. I just don’t feel the same passion from D that I felt from Maz. D incorrectly quote me about a used model on the sales floor not once, not twice, but 3 times. Great, okay simple mistake. but when I know more about your inventory then you do somethings wrong.
Umm, and seriously… you think that I’m going to buy something that I don’t test drive??? Are you serious? Did you just buy the Porsche GT on looks alone Mr. C? I know you’re smarter than that. So let me test the Granturismo, please. And, run a promotion more then once a year damn it. For reals. Remember that you came up from the bottom. Don’t try to rip your customers off by offering used «deals» at more then KBB and just shy of a NEW models MSRP. I mean, if you’re going to try to screw me at least throw me a helmet or something!!!
Carry more after market brand parts!!! This is huuuuge. Seriously, thiiiiis is your business! Sure, your putting out 10 scooters every couple weeks but you would do so SO much more if you carried aftermarket stuff like windscreens, top cases, faco racks… all the time! Trust me, people in Boston want this stuff. Maz wanted to make this part of the business, you didn’t listen to him.
With gas prices the way they’re going this location is bound to stay in business, but don’t think that people aren’t doing their research Mr. Chamber’s!!! We all know that there’s Vespa dealerships in tax free NH, in CT and now on the Cape.
Fix it Mr. C, then maybe we can talk. Thanks!