Warranty advice ..

[elyob]

I'm about to get into a barney with an importer, possibly. I've just been
told my frame may have had a 5 year warranty "models produced between 2000
and 2002 had a 5 year warranty so your frame could well be out of warranty",
yet my owner's manual quite clearly states a lifetime warranty on defective
materials/workmanship.

Is it possible that my owner's manual could be superceded by the UK
importer's rules? If I was not made aware of a 5 year warranty, and I only
have the owner's manual .. surely this is more important?

Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before sending it
back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up in small claims
court.

 

[Ziggy]

On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:31:25 +0100, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm about to get into a barney with an importer, possibly. I've just been
>told my frame may have had a 5 year warranty "models produced between 2000
>and 2002 had a 5 year warranty so your frame could well be out of warranty",
>yet my owner's manual quite clearly states a lifetime warranty on defective
>materials/workmanship.
>
>Is it possible that my owner's manual could be superceded by the UK
>importer's rules? If I was not made aware of a 5 year warranty, and I only
>have the owner's manual .. surely this is more important?
>
>Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before sending it
>back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up in small claims
>court.

Remember that your case is against the person from whom you *bought* the bike -
not the importer or manufacturer.

If they are still in business then you will need to be able to show that you
were informed of the lifetime's warranty *before* you purchased the bike (and
thus that the warranty formed part of the contract) and that there was no
contra-indication that you could reasonably have been expected to see before
purchase.

Good luck!

 

[elyob]

"Ziggy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:31:25 +0100, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I'm about to get into a barney with an importer, possibly. I've just been
>>told my frame may have had a 5 year warranty "models produced between 2000
>>and 2002 had a 5 year warranty so your frame could well be out of
>>warranty",
>>yet my owner's manual quite clearly states a lifetime warranty on
>>defective
>>materials/workmanship.
>>
>>Is it possible that my owner's manual could be superceded by the UK
>>importer's rules? If I was not made aware of a 5 year warranty, and I only
>>have the owner's manual .. surely this is more important?
>>
>>Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before sending
>>it
>>back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up in small
>>claims
>>court.
>
> Remember that your case is against the person from whom you *bought* the
> bike -
> not the importer or manufacturer.
>
> If they are still in business then you will need to be able to show that
> you
> were informed of the lifetime's warranty *before* you purchased the bike
> (and
> thus that the warranty formed part of the contract) and that there was no
> contra-indication that you could reasonably have been expected to see
> before
> purchase.

Damn, warranty only applies in USA and Canada.

 

[Peter Clinch]

elyob wrote:

> Damn, warranty only applies in USA and Canada.

Bah! Still, worth seeing what the importer and original manufacturer
have to say anyway. When the frame failed on my quite clearly out of
warranty EBC Country EBC bent over backwards to replace it free of
charge, transfer all the bits over free of charge, and even threw in a
new headset for free as well. Total cost to me was getting it to
Edinburgh and back, while they legally didn't have to do anything.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[elyob]

"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> elyob wrote:
>
>> Damn, warranty only applies in USA and Canada.
>
> Bah! Still, worth seeing what the importer and original manufacturer have
> to say anyway. When the frame failed on my quite clearly out of warranty
> EBC Country EBC bent over backwards to replace it free of charge, transfer
> all the bits over free of charge, and even threw in a new headset for free
> as well. Total cost to me was getting it to Edinburgh and back, while
> they legally didn't have to do anything.

I'd have to take it back to my nearest dealer ... who just happen to be
Evans. Double damn.

What was the cheapest way to get the bike back to Edinburgh? I'm guessing
that the dealer will file a report with the importer who will then make a
decision. The bike probably won't go back to the importer at all?

Also, what's the deal on taking a bike to a different bike shop from where
you bought it? Mine was an insurance jobby which was supplied by their own
people.

 

[POHB]

On 11 Apr, 14:52, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'd have to take it back to my nearest dealer ... who just happen to be
> Evans. Double damn.
>
> Also, what's the deal on taking a bike to a different bike shop from where
> you bought it? Mine was an insurance jobby which was supplied by their > own people.

My limited experience is that Evans will happily do the work if they
can get the manufacturer to agree to pay for it.

 

[elyob]

"POHB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 11 Apr, 14:52, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I'd have to take it back to my nearest dealer ... who just happen to be
>> Evans. Double damn.
>>
>> Also, what's the deal on taking a bike to a different bike shop from
>> where
>> you bought it? Mine was an insurance jobby which was supplied by their >
>> own people.
>
> My limited experience is that Evans will happily do the work if they
> can get the manufacturer to agree to pay for it.

My experience is that I don't want to deal with them ever again.

 

[Duncan Smith]

On Apr 11, 1:31 pm, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm about to get into a barney with an importer, possibly. I've just been
> told my frame may have had a 5 year warranty "models produced between 2000
> and 2002 had a 5 year warranty so your frame could well be out of warranty",
> yet my owner's manual quite clearly states a lifetime warranty on defective
> materials/workmanship.
>
> Is it possible that my owner's manual could be superceded by the UK
> importer's rules? If I was not made aware of a 5 year warranty, and I only
> have the owner's manual .. surely this is more important?
>
> Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before sending it
> back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up in small claims
> court.

This sucks but... be aware that a lifetime warranty doesn't usually
mean a warranty for the period of your lifespan, but rather the
expected lifespan of the purchased items given the conditions they
have been subjected to. For a steel frame I'd argue this should be at
least 20+ years, for aluminum/carbon then 5 is probably closer to the
mark.

I'd argue as if you were expecting lifetime to mean just that (a
lifetime), if the shop are in a mood to value your custom you should
be in luck..

Regards,

Duncan.

 

[Roger Merriman]

elyob <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > elyob wrote:
> >
> >> Damn, warranty only applies in USA and Canada.
> >
> > Bah! Still, worth seeing what the importer and original manufacturer have
> > to say anyway. When the frame failed on my quite clearly out of warranty
> > EBC Country EBC bent over backwards to replace it free of charge, transfer
> > all the bits over free of charge, and even threw in a new headset for free
> > as well. Total cost to me was getting it to Edinburgh and back, while
> > they legally didn't have to do anything.
>
> I'd have to take it back to my nearest dealer ... who just happen to be
> Evans. Double damn.
>
> What was the cheapest way to get the bike back to Edinburgh? I'm guessing
> that the dealer will file a report with the importer who will then make a
> decision. The bike probably won't go back to the importer at all?
>
> Also, what's the deal on taking a bike to a different bike shop from where
> you bought it? Mine was an insurance jobby which was supplied by their own
> people.

to be honest i'd have a chat with

<http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/>

warraties are what compaines give you what your are and aren't legaly
entitled to is another.

roger

 

[Peter Clinch]

elyob wrote:

> What was the cheapest way to get the bike back to Edinburgh?

I only stay ~60 miles away, so I popped it in the back of the car and
drove it there. If I can't find /any/ excuse to go to Edinburgh I'm not
trying, but I imagine it's a rather different matter for folks who don't
know the place and/or have pals there :-(

> Also, what's the deal on taking a bike to a different bike shop from where
> you bought it? Mine was an insurance jobby which was supplied by their own
> people.

My EBC bike came from EBC, as they're the only people that do them!
OTOH, if it was supplied by the insurance company as a Done Deal you've
got a reasonable excuse to go somewhere it didn't come from. In that
vein, I've had Tiso's deal with problem outdoor gear I haven't bought
from Tiso but that's from manufacturer's they do deal with, and it's
really down to the attitude of the shop. Those that have some weird
concept of good service being good for business (which Tiso and EBC seem
to IME) are very good in such eventualities, even when you say right up
front you haven't bought it from them, but... But it can vary
enormously, as some people seem to be in business in spite of, rather
than because of, their attitudes to customers they don't legally owe
anything to.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Ziggy]

On 11 Apr 2007 08:03:06 -0700, "Duncan Smith" <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Apr 11, 1:31 pm, "elyob" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I'm about to get into a barney with an importer, possibly. I've just been
>> told my frame may have had a 5 year warranty "models produced between 2000
>> and 2002 had a 5 year warranty so your frame could well be out of warranty",
>> yet my owner's manual quite clearly states a lifetime warranty on defective
>> materials/workmanship.
>>
>> Is it possible that my owner's manual could be superceded by the UK
>> importer's rules? If I was not made aware of a 5 year warranty, and I only
>> have the owner's manual .. surely this is more important?
>>
>> Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before sending it
>> back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up in small claims
>> court.
>
>This sucks but... be aware that a lifetime warranty doesn't usually
>mean a warranty for the period of your lifespan, but rather the
>expected lifespan of the purchased items given the conditions they
>have been subjected to. For a steel frame I'd argue this should be at
>least 20+ years, for aluminum/carbon then 5 is probably closer to the
>mark.

Five years seems to be a bit pessemistic for an aluminium frame.

Mine is approaching that age and I hope it's not going to crack on me in the
near future.

Possibly right for a heavily used (on mountains, etc.) mountain bike?

 

[Duncan Smith]

>
> Five years seems to be a bit pessemistic for an aluminium frame.
>
> Mine is approaching that age and I hope it's not going to crack on me in the
> near future.
>
> Possibly right for a heavily used (on mountains, etc.) mountain bike?

I hope you're right too, I have an ally frame and sometimes regret not
going for the steel. Perhaps it will hold out - time will tell - I
think its Achilies' heel will be the integrated headset, another
modern 'improvement' that accelerates the need to buy a new bike.
Grr!

Regards,

Duncan.

 

[Mark Thompson]

> Finally, I think I'd be best to get an "expert's" opinion before
> sending it back. Any advice on doing this? Something that may stand up
> in small claims court.

Trading Standards are the peeps to go to. CAB will say much the same as
them, but without the authority.