I can see that CRC will offer ‘a warranty’ of some sort but is the lack of back from Yeti in the long term likely to be an issue?

Re: Chain Reaction

Dear Yeti Dealers and Distributors:

It recently came to our attention that Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) is
selling Yeti frames discounted online. We were able to purchase a
frame from CRC and track the serial number to a distributor in Europe
who sold the frames to a dealer in Russia, who apparently sold the
frames to CRC.
We have not authorized CRC to sell Yeti product and have been very
selective in our distribution to prevent issues like this from happening.
Since CRC is not an authorized Yeti dealer, all product sold through
this channel will not qualify for warranty service.
We are sorry for any disruption this has caused and remain committed
to preventing this from happening in the future.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Best Regards,

Chris Conroy
President

Your warranty is with the retailer & not Yeti anyway.

but if Evolution/Yeti won’t sell CRC spares then the warranty is meaningless isn’t it?

Perhaps Yeti needs referred to the monopolies commission? What does it matter what the supply chain was if they are original Yeti products then Yeti needs to honour their warranty.

Crikey, that sounds like some dodgy dealing!
CRC seems very good with warranty claims, but how would they honour something like a broken swingarm? (It happens!)

What does it matter what the supply chain was if they are original Yeti products then Yeti needs to honour their warranty.

Without wishing to get into the whole ‘brand’ debate again, a lot of specialist manufacturers can enforce a supply chain ‘rule’ as they can claim it offers best customer service. The perfume companies do it all the time with people tryign to sell their stuff cheap.

The warranty is above and beyond their legal duty and thus voluntary on their part anyway. The legal minimimum needs to be covered by CRC.

wwaswas – Member
but if Evolution/Yeti won’t sell CRC spares then the warranty is meaningless isn’t it?

Not really. If the bike broke and CRC couldn’t get hold of a spare part to repair it while it was under warranty, they’d have to either refund or replace. What it does mean though is you only have the legal warranty period (can’t recall if it’s one or two years) rather than anything that Yeti may offer (for example if they did a five year warranty).

but if Evolution/Yeti won’t sell CRC spares then the warranty is meaningless isn’t it?

IIRC if they can’t, they have to offer a suitable alternative or refund anyway. SOGA applies.

The crc frames are not cheap anyway, like a 2007 yeti dh frame for 2600. WTF http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=66078

See Recent threads Re: Specialized products sold via Halfords…

Long and short of it is, resale of products from one retailer to another and then on-to a customer in the eyes of many distributors/manufacturers constitues a 2nd hand sale (even if un-used) and thus Warranty is considered void… I’d love to know if anyone has ever attempted to challenge this legally?

SOG means your contract is with the retailer and hence CRC are liable for the quality of the goods they sell, not Yeti, but as stated already, Yeti can make it harder for them by refusing to deal with them… Hence they pop off to Russia by the looks of it…

Yeti warranty details, 2 yrs or 5 yrs depending on the frame.

Isn’t the legal minimum for “satisfactory quality” set at six months? I think during that time you’re entitled to repair, replacement or refund. I read it somewhere on the internet so it must be true. Quite a bit of difference between six months and the warranties that Yeti are offering. Will be interesting to see what CRC say about it.

it’s the ‘refund’ bit that woudl worry me, really – you don;t want to build a whole frame up, somethign break and them say “Oh well, have a refund” and you’re left with a bike’s worth of components and no frame.

“Oh well, have a refund” and you’re left with a bike’s worth of components and no frame.

But a pile of cash to buy a shiny new frame with…

CRC did the same thing with the cheap mountain cycles they were selling, they offered a 2 year warranty that they would back. In the meantime MC offered their warranty to anyone who registered their frame. So it was win win…

It’s sort of telling that they’re flogging “Older” 2007-2009ish models, looks like they found someone stuck with expensive inventory they couldn’t shift and offered them “a deal they couldn’t refuse” Perhaps the Ruskies aren’t as keen on Yeti as us lot in Yerp and the UK…

With regards to the Warranty CRC should be offering, I thought SOG simply states a “Reasonable period” or similar wording, why would they not match Yeti’s 2 years?
Other than the supply chain the goods thaemselves are identical, from the same original source and would be backed by a 2 year manufacturers warranty were it not for some “Inter-trade” selling, the Precedent is set by Yeti’s own Warranty surely, if CRC tried to short change you over that 2 year period then I think you could well have a case for Trading standards there…

I don’t think CRC have done or are likely to do anything “Wrong” or illegal, they’ve simply found a source for “boutique” products which they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain and taken opportunity, it might not fit in with Yeti’s Brand identity and there desire to control suply chain and prices but they’ve taken as much action as they can in that respect by refusing to provide Warranty cover to CRC customers…

wwaswas – Member
it’s the ‘refund’ bit that woudl worry me, really – you don;t want to build a whole frame up, somethign break and them say “Oh well, have a refund” and you’re left with a bike’s worth of components and no frame.

Actually I’m pretty fine with that.

As the purchase of the bike is from CRC your statutory warranty is with them i.e 1 year. And they would have to chase the Russian dealer who’d have to chase the European dealer etc etc back to Yeti. Any addition warranty Yeti/Specialized/Trek/Turner offer is over and above your statutory rights and they can therefore refuse to offer it if their T’s&C’s aren’t met.

Specialized, Trek can and do refuse warranty on bikes that have been sold out of their dealer network on the basis that it has not be sold/checked by one of their dealer that have the ‘correct knowledge’ in building it/checking it over.

Also the 2nd had sales thing stands, as the bike has been sold (by the Russians to CRC) out of Yeti’s dealer network so CRC become the end user. It is therefore not a new product sale. Also SOGA stops at CRC as there is no way to enforce it outside of the European Union.

Massive mine field