Standard reply. You won’t find many companies who will process a warranty claim without physically seeing the item in question. You chose to buy from a supplier over the Internet in another country. You should expect to have to send it back in the event of a problem. So that, to me at least, seems totally fair.

one spanish friend broke a ragley bought in jejames and they did not ask to send back the frame to the UK…

Certainly a significant amount of bikes stipulate that the bike should be assembled by a qualified bike mechanic. Every manual supplies with every frame I have ever brought or sold has said the same. Or at least that it should be professionally checked before use.

Quite a price difference between a Ragley and a Devinci. Plus there’s could have been an out and out warranty. This case is not as such due to the shim.

But that is the exception rather than the rule in my experience. They would have been perfectly reasonable to have asked for it back.

Send it to them and speak to them. Although they have no reason to give you a new frame for free based on what you have said hereyou may well be surprised. If you don’t send it to them and start the possible warranty progress how can you know what the outcome will be?!

the answer from them have been very clear: NO WARRANTY

new front triangle by 350 pounds and other costs…

definitely i prefer to repare and strengthen it by a welder here in spain: 100 euros

Snapped a kona using a shim. They warrantied the frame.
Buy big brand tat…….

Changed my seat post to a Thomson on my Giant Advanced XTC and this allowed Giant to refuse the warranty. Component change! Unofficially it was a flex issue and nothing to worry about. Officially it was a frame failure.

Gave up with Giant and spent the cash (£££££) elsewhere and this persuaded similar sized buddies (ex rowers) to do like wise. I’ll add Devinci to the list.

I think the OP is right to be sorely annoyed. He’s spent a bunch of money on parts, used a long shim and built the bike correctly. The frame warranty doesn’t mention shims not being permissible (and given the limited sizes and popularity of dropper posts it’s not an unusual requirement for a shim to be needed) and given the bike came without a post, why wouldn’t you use one. Buy a printer, and the instructions will say things like “don’t dip the printer in water”, but a bike frame has a warranty with an unwritten clause? It’s nonsense.

I’ll give some examples of good service – I bought an Orange frame from the shop I worked in. The headset I bought was out of tolerance slightly, and on installation split the head tube. Orange warranteed the frame on the basis the head tube “was tight” also. Replaced without any hassle. I tore the head tube off another while riding. Again, replaced without hassle. The only question I was asked was “what happened”? Oh and both Oranges were supplied with seat posts shimmed to fit the frame!

From the same shop a customer bought a frame, took it out front and dropped it on its head loading it into his car. Giant, with no pressure offered a new front end for a nominal fee (75 quid).

If the OP felt the distro/frame manufacturer was working with him trying to solve the issue rather than just rejecting, maybe we wouldn’t be reading a stressed first post.

For the record, I hate shims. And never use them.

I’ll add Devinci to the list

and I will add Giant to mine, thanks 😉

ask them for proof that a shimmed seat post makes your frame more likely to brake provided everything else is the same with regards to insertion depth etc.

I bet they can’t prove a correctly fitted shim makes a difference.

I would not trust a re-welded alu frame. Repaired carbon or steel maybe but not alu. £350 for a new front triangle is good deal and a much safer option I would have thought

Didn’t Giant used to make bikes that you invalidated the warranty if you used the “correct” sized seatpost- they came with a shim and you had to use a 27.2?

I think it’s pretty ropey tbh, seatpost shims have been around forever, so it’s not too shocking that people would use one, and while mechanically I don’t like the idea I think it’s pretty reasonable for people to expect that parts that are so commonplace will be basically safe.

I would not trust a re-welded alu frame. Repaired carbon or steel maybe but not alu. £350 for a new front triangle is good deal and a much safer option I would have thought

thanks for the advice Dan, but i am sure that you can understand that i have not any wishes to spend more money on them

Pjm84…

Looks like Giant have changed positions quite radically. That’s a real shame. They used to be fantastic to deal with.

johnny really knows how I feel…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Eo4-oyejk[/video]

Changed my seat post to a Thomson on my Giant Advanced XTC and this allowed Giant to refuse the warranty. Component change!

😯

There’s a guy on here, MidlandTrailquestsGraham, who broke a few frames at that point and had them successfully repaired. Have a look for his threads.
What is the minimum insertion for your frame? Surely a 4″ shim would be enough? And if it doesn’t say to the contrary in the warranty… Poor service IMO.

By the way, I think we know each other McGowan… I’m in Donosti.

This was a couple of years ago so they may have changed. They lost a few customers so short sighted by Giant and Devinci will do the same.

I just took it on the chin because I didn’t have the time to pursue and life is too short. I will not buy a Giant again and it gave me the excuse to move across to 29ers.

I think we know each other McGowan… I’m in Donosti.

Hi Bob!

Yes, we rode together ¿5? years ago

We wait you in Olarrain!

Pjm…

My good experience with Giant will predate your bad sadly. I’ve been out of the industry about 10 years now.

Based on your experience, I wouldn’t buy Giant now either. The only weapon we have is to with-hold sales from the bad guys. Your experience is particularly bad, and I can’t imagine that would hold up in legally – it’s like warranting an iPhone on the cable! Ridiculous.

They lost a few customers so short sighted by Giant and Devinci will do the same.

they have lost already one customer as one of my friends was thinking about buy a Dixon…

McGowan, I’m in Olarrain quite a lot but on a road bike… But I want to get back on mtb a bit more. Are you doing the martxa from Benta Haundi this year?
Anyway, sorry to derail the thread 😉

But I want to get back on mtb a bit more. Are you doing the martxa from Benta Haundi this year?

of course, this year is the 25th anniversary of the “martxa”, we can not fail 😀

Ok I’ll check the date and try to get some other guys to come this time. It’s a great route. Hopefully see you there (and good luck with the frame :wink:)

Hang on, side from anything else, they said that damage is usually caused by not inserting enough seatpost. So they think that is what you did, but they want to see it still because they don’t know…
Surely if they want to see it, that means they might change their minds, make some other offer or whatever. But it certainly isn’t “NO WARRANTY!” as you put it.

It isn’t clear cut, so send it back and let them give you an actual answer because at the moment it sounds like the only one stopping a warranty claim even getting started, is you.

If I buy a bike and fit my own headset does that void the warranty?

Kind of, if it’s a Yeti. DIY is frowned upon. The Handbook clearly states that

“This warranty is void if the bicycle was not assembled by an authorised Yeti dealer”

I’m sure other brands say something similar; who reads the small print?

You tried a bodge, your bike broke perhaps because of the bodge, you tried to claim and the bodge was noticed.

I’d be pissed off too but more with myself than the retailer/manufacturer.

The list of exceptions/conditions on that warranty means it’s pretty much worthless.

I’d be tempted to go down the ‘not fit for purpose’ route which I think is based on EU regulations. You’ve got to send it back to them first though surely.

Hang on, side from anything else, they said that damage is usually caused by not inserting enough seatpost. So they think that is what you did, but they want to see it still because they don’t know…
Surely if they want to see it, that means they might change their minds, make some other offer or whatever. But it certainly isn’t “NO WARRANTY!” as you put it.

It isn’t clear cut, so send it back and let them give you an actual answer because at the moment it sounds like the only one stopping a warranty claim even getting started, is you.

I think that you are wrong

Before asking me anything they told me that I could send it back to the UK but saying that there were not too many possibilities. Before asking for photos or knowing what parts I have been using! After that it was clear for me that they had not too many wishes…

So think about it, send the frame to the UK and back again almost certainly without warranty accepted… for that it’s better for me to accept the 350 pounds “offer”

Once I prove with photos that the cause was not Little insert of the seatpost (as they said firstly) now they say that the cause was the shim. Ok, does the Devinci’s owner manual avoid the use of a shim like some other brands do? NO, NO and NO.

They are not asking me to send back the frame again to see it better… the only offer is to pay for another front part of the frame

“This warranty is void if the bicycle was not assembled by an authorised Yeti dealer”

I’m sure other brands say something similar; who reads the small print?

i think that this is not compatible with selling frames by mail order like Freeborn. But of course, selling by mail order means more money for them…

You tried a bodge, your bike broke perhaps because of the bodge, you tried to claim and the bodge was noticed.
I’d be pissed off too but more with myself than the retailer/manufacturer.

Hardly a bodge – he didn’t make his own shim as plenty of folk here advocate.

I think that’s rubbish if it doesn’t expressly exclude it in the warranty. Analogies about “it doesn’t say don’t ride it into a wall” fall flat because it will say that it doesn’t cover crash damage.

Have you actually sent the frame back to them then? Have they actually rejected it, or is this just a note to say that’s the usual cause?

I’m not quite clear from previous posts, did you tell them you were using a shim, and they didn’t emotion anything about warranty?

grum – Member
I’d be tempted to go down the ‘not fit for purpose’ route which I think is based on EU regulations. You’ve got to send it back to them first though surely.

That wont get far:
“Did you use the correct size of components?”
“No”
“Next!”

I’m not quite clear from previous posts, did you tell them you were using a shim, and they didn’t emotion anything about warranty?

Yes, I told them I was using a shim and that I have the invoice where they can see that it is a correct one (lenght and diameter) and not one made by me with a can.

I think that’s rubbish if it doesn’t expressly exclude it in the warranty.

Although the crashing into a wall analogy is a poor one the notion that warranties can’t be exhaustive is correct.

So at the crux they asked you to send the frame in for warranty inspection and you declined. Instead you showed them photos and / or told them you had been using a shim and then they said no go and offered you a discount front for 25% of the full frame price and you feel hard done by?

That wont get far:
“Did you use the correct size of components?”
“No”
“Next!”

Yes, I told them I was using a shim and that I have the invoice where they can see that it is a correct one (lenght and diameter) and not one made by me with a can.

Dunno about legally but morally they are on very shaky ground IMO.

Although the crashing into a wall analogy is a poor one the notion that warranties can’t be exhaustive is correct.

And fair in this instance? Considering plenty of people here have just said “my god man, of course it broke, by using a production shim that’s been around for decades you virtually sawed through your own weld!”

Some odd opinions on here sometimes.

Dunno about legally but morally they are on very shaky ground IMO.

Business in shaky morals shocker.

So at the crux they asked you to send the frame in for warranty inspection and you declined. Instead you showed them photos and told them you had been using a shim and then they said no go and offered you a discount front for 25% of the full frame price and you feel hard done by?

That’s not true.

They asked me to send frame without knowing almost nothing about the problem and saying that there were Little possibilities.

So before do that I explained them with photos all the problem. After do that they have not asked again to send back the frame.

I think that the normal process in this cases is to send all the information with photos before send back the frame.