Minor update, apparently a replacement frame will be with me next week.

They want the original back for ‘further analysis’ and have suggested hacking the required section of by cutting through the seat tube, top tube and seat stays. Though this may be quite therapeutic it seems a bit brutal to hack up a frame I’ve genuinely enjoyed riding. Ah well.

This is my Meta AM. How much seat post do I need in there, I don’t even think it will go down 50mm below the top tube and if it does it’ll be hitting the shock!!

I had the following through from them when asking the same question – hope it shed some light for you…

About your Meta AM V3, first of all this is absolutely not the same design and you have a dropper post. So unless this frame is really too small for you, there won’t be any problem. The reverb collar has to be at 5cm maximum above the clamp. If any doubt, don’t hesitate to send me a picture of the Reverb fully deployed.

I’ll update this again when/if the replacement turns up. For anyone reading this in the future who may have similar warranty problems I’ve now got contact details for a guy higher up with a good grasp of English who seems a bit more helpful.

Pleased that you’ve got to the point where they’re not just dismissing your experience as numptiness and engaging in a conversation about it.

As you say, hopefully this thread will help anyone else in a similar position and maybe Commencal will adjust their initial responses too.

Great to hear James.

Went out on my Meta HT last night and for the first 15 minutes I was fully expecting some kind of loud cracking noise shortly followed by a trail-backside interface, but after that spent the rest of the ride realising what a great handling, fun to ride bike it really is!

I think I know who the OP was dealing with initially, and from my own experience, front of house go from ultra helpful to useless.

Good you’ve got a result, and its worth stating again, this looks a one off with their latest range of great frames in the last couple of years. Which makes me wonder why they just didn’t replace it quietly to start with instead of ending up with a load of negative publicity which makes them look confused and quite frankly unprofessional.

after that spent the rest of the ride realising what a great handling, fun to ride bike it really is!

Thanks again for your help Ant, really appreciate it.

That’s the thing, it’s a great bike and as much as I want to get shot there is part of me that is tempted to find the longest seatpost I can and build it back up.

Its worth stating again, this looks a one off with their latest range/quote]

Yup, would 100% agree, as you say makes it even dafter for them to have cocked about in the first place – specially over a €300 frame!

I have one and I think it is great fun, but I do have a long reverb with 150 drop in it.
Might just be easier to get a long reverb than trying to sell the frame.
I can’t fault Commencal, they were really good to me, when I bought last years HT meta in the sale, they phoned me up to say they are only able to offer me a 2016 for the same price.

Jamesfts, as I am having similar difficulties with the customer service of commencal, may I ask you to let me know who this guy was who dealt with your warranty-issue in the end?
Many thanks!

No problem, email me ‘james at fromthesticks dot co dot uk’ and I’ll send you his details.

Update.

Well Commencal did indeed post a frame to me on the 22nd December, unfortunately it was to the wrong address (despite them emailing me to confirm where I wanted it to go!).

They did however manage to send me some touch up paint to the correct address.

FFS.

[James] not sure whether you’ve noticed this or not but I see Commencal have been a bit sneaky and updated the information on their website for the HT frames.

Spec now includes: “MINIMUM SEATPOST INSERT:12 cm”

All a bit underhand and pointless given it contradicts the info they send out with their bikes but I hope you enjoy the new one, (if you keep it). I’ve stuck a 400mm post in mine now, just in case!

That isn’t being ‘sneaky’ at all. That is correcting the problem of communication about it.

That isn’t being ‘sneaky’ at all. That is correcting the problem of communication about it.

Not really, the documentation they send out with the bikes says 9cm, now the website says 12cm. Just sounds like grounds for another argument if something goes wrong.

Yeah, I did spot that, I was running over the 120mm they’re now suggesting.

All a bit underhand and pointless given it contradicts the info they send out with their bikes

It also contradicts the “165mm” number they were throwing around to try to get out of honouring the warranty!

In better news the frame has turned up though a combination of a busy life and the faff it has taken I’ve lost the motivation to do anything with it. Has sat in the box in the shed for a week or so next to a big pile of bits ready to be built up – bit of a shame really.