differing bike warranty discussion

[pliskin]

Without at the moment wanting to name the company in question, i was looking at the fineprint of a particular brands warranty on frames.

a particular clause i noticed is the requirement to have the bike serviced once a year. to keep the warranty for 5 years. if this is not carried out, the warranty is only valid for 3 years.. only for the original owner( this is standard across nearly all brands )

This is the 1st instance i have noticed of having to maintain a service record for a bike, is anyone else familiar with these requirements? What happens if you do all the wrench work yourself or send the bike too any shop to get it fixed, will the brand call the service history into question ?

 

[LPG]

I don't personally see any issue posting who the company is. The fine print on a warranty isn't supposed to be a secret and is already in the public space.

 

[ozzybmx]

Nothing like doing all your own servicing, building your own wheels, pulling forks apart and rebuilding shocks... only to be told you need to drop your bike in to a shop for 3 days so a spotty 15yr old waxes your chain and the bike shop charge $100+ to extend the warranty to 5yrs.

I took a new bike back once about 10yrs ago, it sat there for 3 days then when I went to pick it up, its wasn't even looked at. They told me to go for a coffee and come back in 45 mins, looked like they only lubed the chain and adjusted the rear derailleur out of spec... waste of an hour each way and 3 days with no bike, I've never took a bike back since.

 

[Sethius]

More than 1 brand does the above warranty process.

 

[schred]

Makes zero difference, written by morons from overseas without regard to Aussie legislation that protects the poor old consumer.

The ACL provides us with legislated consumer guarantees.

From ACCC: A warranty against defects is provided in addition to consumer guarantees and does not limit or replace them.

Suck on that whoever you are.

 

[teK--]

If you are relying purely on the ACL and not on the voluntary manufacturer warranty, then in the event of a dispute the burden of proof is on the customer to show there was a manufacturing defect and not some other cause such as misuse or accidental damage. Proving this, can become quite costly as you may need to engage independent experts etc.

Speaking from experience there are a great number of warranty claims whereby there is a high chance of misuse or false representation by the customer, but the claim is approved anyway under the voluntary warranty simply to provide a good customer experience and protect the brand image.

 

[Minlak]

Lol ACCC protecting you .....

 

[Litenbror]

Lol ACCC protecting you .....

Ha ha the only people the ACCC protect are those poor defenceless banks. Oh you broke the law thousands of times, dont worry we wont charge you its not your fault you wanted your big fat bonus and those dead people were getting in the way.

 

[tasty.dirt74]

Interesting. I am just in the process of getting a frame built up by the LBS. Have been told that the warranty will be voided if I assemble bike. Have been quoted 3 hrs at $80/hr to build bike. WTF !! All I really need them to do is install BB, as pressfit, and route 1x brake line through frame. Headset drops in, and for the life of me cannot fathom how this is 3 hrs work by a professional. Hell, I could do it in 3 hrs half cut !!

 

[Minlak]

Interesting. I am just in the process of getting a frame built up by the LBS. Have been told that the warranty will be voided if I assemble bike. Have been quoted 3 hrs at $80/hr to build bike. WTF !! All I really need them to do is install BB, as pressfit, and route 1x brake line through frame. Headset drops in, and for the life of me cannot fathom how this is 3 hrs work by a professional. Hell, I could do it in 3 hrs half cut !!

Lies. If it is a custom build all lies. You could void your warranty by damaging it but you can’t automatically void your warranty. What if you had bought the parts from another shop. A warranty is for faulty workmanship. If it fails due to any other reason it’s not warranty.

 

[teK--]

Lies. If it is a custom build all lies. You could void your warranty by damaging it but you can’t automatically void your warranty. What if you had bought the parts from another shop. A warranty is for faulty workmanship. If it fails due to any other reason it’s not warranty.

Yes you can void the manufacturer's warranty if you don't follow their terms and conditions. But no you can't void your statutory warranty unless you misuse or accidentally/intentionally damage.

 

[Minlak]

Yes you can void the manufacturer's warranty if you don't follow their terms and conditions. But no you can't void your statutory warranty unless you misuse or accidentally/intentionally damage.

Show me a frame warranty that states a shop must assemble it. Seriously not being combative want to see one.

 

[teK--]

Show me a frame warranty that states a shop must assemble it. Seriously not being combative want to see one.

I don't know of any it was the OP who said he came across one.

 

[pink poodle]

I'd be surprised if these small print warranty clauses held up.

 

[Minlak]

You don’t need warranty as long as you have Facebook to single out and accuse companies of doing the wrong thing.

 

[pink poodle]

You don’t need warranty as long as you have Facebook to single out and accuse companies of doing the wrong thing.

I usually employ the services of a well renowned consumer advocate for that sort of work. He is known to chop right to the heart of the issue.

 

[ozzybmx]

Crazy ! Spent 15yrs collecting and building Old School BMX, then over 10 on MTB's now, talk about serving your time, 25yrs of actual passion rather than an after school job, I prob have more tools than the average bike shop.

Stupidity at its best.

EDIT: Yes, I have spent some time fixing some of my 'handy' mates work, I can understand the thought behind the small print... so do we have to work under a bike shop to know about bikes ?

 

[pliskin]

I don't know of any it was the OP who said he came across one.

sorry, the bike i was looking at , was a complete bike from a fairly well known brand, not just the frame..

the warranty made no mention of what was actually required, ie a quick lube and grease, or a full strip and rebuild .
The warranty is mainly for the frame. the components normally wear out , aren't covered due to general usage. though previously , i have had components/ replaced serviced due to recall notices, or known faults
thanks for all the replies so far. yeah have been looking at a few new bikes over the last 2 weeks, warranties and servicing wont be a deal breaker on which bike i purchase, but its interesting to see how they all stack up.
some companies offer lifetime warranties, others limited. a few negate the warranty entirely if the bike has been used competitively ( which mine wont ).

my last bike had the frame replaced under warranty, which was a fairly easy and straight forward process, but have heard horror stories too.
the original post wasn't about naming the brand, but just to get a discussion of how many people actually check the finer details, or do you just rush in when making a purchase.

 

[slowmick]

The big S used to require that all warranty frames were built up by an authorised dealer to maintain the warranty. Seems they have changed their words in the last few years or my google fu is crap.

 

[pink poodle]

^...retailers that want you to pay them the rebuild your warranty frame in a situation like that above, especially when the original was purchased through them.