As title suggests, a friends 4 month old GT Force X Carbon Pro has snapped a chainstay. This was done whilst exiting a corner on some fairly tame trails not on any rough stuff. Rang the shop yesterday to be told he must have crashed to have done said damage and basically no warranty. Anyone else had any similar problems with same/similar model.

Unless there was a crash…. I’d be going into the shop and suggesting that they can’t tell over the phone what had happened. Make them call the distributor and make sure they put your mates case to them. Although the shop is your point of contact they don’t make the decision on warranty.

This limited warranty applies only to the original owner of a GT bicycle and is not transferable to subsequent owners.
For any warranty claim to be considered, the bicycle must be brought in to an Authorized GT Bicycle Retailer on the same continent on which the bicycle was purchased. The bicycle must be in assembled condition and accompanied by the original, dated sales receipt for the bicycle. (Be sure to keep your receipt in a safe place.)
This limited warranty is void if the bicycle is subjected to abuse, neglect, improper repair, improper maintenance, alteration, modification, an accident or other abnormal, excessive, or improper use.
This limited warranty applies only to bicycles purchased in fully assembled and adjusted condition from Authorized GT Retailers or other outlets specifically authorized by GT to distribute GT bicycles. Certain.
Damage resulting from normal wear and tear, including the results of fatigue, is not covered. Fatigue damage is a symptom of the frame being worn out through normal use. It is one kind of normal wear and tear, and it is the owner’s responsibility to inspect his/her bicycle.
Damage resulting from improper assembly or maintenance, or from installation of parts and accessories not compatible with the GT bicycle, is not covered.

http://www.gtbicycles.com/aus_en/bike-registration/

Yeah ive told him to take his full bike in and also stay calm and dont shout, as it aint the shop floor lads who make these decisions.

Kona did this to me, refused to inspect the frame and made the decision off a couple of pictures

Shop just shrugged their shoulders and played postman with the email exchnge

A local guy to me fixes carbon failures…
http://magnafibre.co.uk/

Haven’t we covered this kind of thing before? IIRC, if it’s less than 6 months old, SOGA statutory rights means that it’s upto the vendor to prove it’s been misused, older than that the claimer has to prove a manufacturing defect. (I may well have the time limits wrong)

And your mate deals with the shop, not the distributor or manufacturer.

It should also be fairly obvious if there is crash damage on other parts of the frame, you’d expect a fair bit of marking especially around the fault, if there isn’t any the shop really don’t have much of an argument to make. As said above stay calm, take bike to shop, quote SOGA at them and don’t accept any fob off. Depending on how long he’s owned the bike he will likely have to give ‘reasonable’ time for repair/replace (replace in this case). If the wait time becomes ‘unreasonable’ then refunds come into the equation (these can be reduced from full retail depending on amount of use before fault).

Don’t forget to show us all a pic too.

If his story is the truth then he shouldn’t be afraid to get legal about it if they continue trying to fob him off.

Not to mention naming and shaming the shop, which sounds awful if this is to be believed.