Terrible state of affairs. All I can suggest, is if its going to cost serious $$$ to fix, then consider replacing the shock with a RS Monarch. They can be had for around $200 off ebay and you can fully service the thing yourself. You will never be without your bike for 6 weeks waiting on someone else.
Definitely true - can just pick up a RS and wack her on - will run sweet for x amount of time - but not everyone has the time, mechanical knowledge, etc etc to perform their own shock services. I mean, I cant remember the last time I had time to service my shock and I know exactly how to do it. So does not matter what shock you have, still got to have a basic idea of how2shock, and time.
Just comes down to educating the consumer with honesty from the retailer. Why would a person in their right mind send a product to X who then sends the product to Y to get serviced, Y sends it back to X, and X gives it back to the customer at 25%-50% more than what the service would cost from an independent if they knew that was happening?
90-95% of retailers have no clue what to do in regards to suspension (no fault of their own - tooling, education and trial and error is very expensive and to invest all that for a staff member to potential leave? Smart option not to invest in suspension), so why not recommend the customer straight up to visit specialty service centre X or Y who can have this done in 2 days max for you, save the customer $50-$100 and at the same time you wipe your hands clean of any issues that may arise ever again - its all on the independent.
It will also swing both ways, the independent would then recommend customers in the region of that retailer to shop there, buy some tyres, tubes etc and get their general bicycle servicing done at this joint. Sharing the load and doing what you do well is key. Half doing what you don't do well is not key, or sensible.
