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Having a bit of a nightmare with a certain French manufacture just now over a BB which is supposed to have a 1 year no quibble guarantee. second issue they have been well very French with basically.
Just wondering if any has had any 1st class warranty experiences? or some howlers
Yep, have had nothing but very good experiences with Specialized. Warranty support is always near the top of my list when buying a bike.
Yes.
Orange replaced rear and rocker of my ST4 three times, twice out of Warranty.
Santa Cruz
Never had a problem with Specialized, they seem to be on the ball.
Radon bikes in Germany via bikediscount- I had truly excellent warranty service when I found a slight defect in my frame after 1year. They offered to collect the bike and change it over for me or let me do it and gave me a credit for there site as compo.
Very pleased
For frames etc.
Very good:
Personal experience with Trek -once the initial stages completed which took a while, exemplary service but then I did have three frames break in quick sucession.
A few friends with Giant- with LBS support better than Trek in terms of turn around time
Quite good:
Canyon both personally and friends- just takes a while to get through to them but after that no issues
Adequate:
Friends with Lapierre over broken Zesty rear ends ( three different bikes)
Giant
Hope
Spesh
Oakley
All brilliant.
Turner
Hope
Oakley
Rapha
On-One - floater tyre blew up and had a fatty headset that wouldn't stay tight, traced to the stem being on the piss.
Halfords - gave me a new cassette at 3 months when I was 15, wasn't a warranty issue but the lad in the shop obviously decided to take pity (or at least didn't want the hassle of arguing).
Specialized - they 'fixed' the problem, but blamed me, then it came back (avid elixirs being impossible to bleed and pulling to the bars at random) and the worlds worst rear hub.
specialized are brilliant imho.
snapped a chainstay on a sirrius hybrid, 18 month old, got a new one.
sheared a freehub on a enduro, got a new wheel.
Unwarranty is the peak for me- stuff you know you're not covered for but they help anyway. Halfords and Cotic aced this for me, both times I was a second owner AND out of warranty anyway, I got a free wheel from Halfords for my carrera, without even asking...
And Cotic, well, I basically got a whole new Hemlock over the years 😆 Occasionally paid a little but never as much as I should, and I was always saying things like "So I raced the Fort William Endurance Downhill and COINCIDENTALLY the swingarm broke while Just Riding Along, how much will a new one cost"...
I suspect a lot of it comes down to the LBS you go through and their relationship with the distributor.
Since you all seem to be having problems with your Specializeds I might avoid them in future. I'd prefer bikes that don't break. 😆
When I used to do a lot of warranty work for a local business Spesh were always great to deal with, as were Trek.
Internet purchase maybe part the problem. Basically part issues and manufacturer doesn't want to know even though there warranty says otherwise (commencal). Referring me to e13 in the uk.
My Specialized story is hard to beat, I had a 10 year old M2 road frame whose chainstay had a crack in it. I was going to see if I could get it repaired, but the repairer needed to know how it was made to see if a repair was feasible. Accordingly called Specialized, they said it couldn't be repaired but the frame had a lifetime guarantee so get my bike shop to send it in and they will send me a replacement. They duly did a brand new top of the range carbon Tarmac frame, with forks and headset included. Really exceptional service.
Nothing but first class experience through LBS with Whyte, Giant, Rock-Shox, Cat Eye and Topeak.
Massive fan of the LBS here!
Yep, have had nothing but very good experiences with Specialized. Warranty support is always near the top of my list when buying a bike.
This +1
Great service from spesh
Been impressed with Merida over the years - had a chainstay snap and they sent out a new one FOC very quickly with an extra mech hanger.
Then got in touch with them asking for availability of bearings for an old FS design, was asked for a photo to double check which exact back end I had then sent a set FOC (i'm still on the first set too).
Each time they were friendly and fast.
Mixed feelings towards Santa cruz, they did increase their warranty term for a bike I had already bought so brilliant for that but they gave me a frame which required different size wheels and forks and refused to provide a shock (old one wouldn't fit). Bloody expensive warranty.
A friend has seen great service from Trek, when they probably could have refused it.
I have had exemplary service from Turner who provided new hardware FOC (the Uk distributor was useless) and Hope who just send you what you need and are very helpful with it.
Much as I love santa cruz bikes, I'd feel far better buying a turner. If only I liked how they ride as much!
Orbea were pretty good for me, cracked frame that was replaced without too much fuss. They weren't overly quick but it was sorted. In fact I had a very similar experience with Trek, not fast but it was sorted.
another +1 for Specialized - broke some cranks that were a good 5 years old and they replaced them at marginal cost which I was more than happy with.
didn't spesh redefine their warranty periods recently, to much shorter periods and excluding swingarms - or something like that ??
The only bikes I've had to warranty were:
- Giant TCR Composite where the rear mech cable stop came off the frame - Giant were excellent.
- Raleigh road bike with alloy front & carbon rear, the BB shell bond cracked where the carbon chain-stays were bonded in, they could've given me a new frame, but I got a whole new bike instead, an even betterer full carbon one, which is nice.
On One Ti 29er made by Lynskey cracked along headtube weld after 7 years use. Sent back to Planet X, who sent to Lynskey. Frame returned looking as new. 🙂
Well considering the issues I've had since I bought my specialized I have had virtually had anything replaced 2/3 times in 14 months ... so their warranty dept is very good
Hope & RockShox
"...a 10 year old M2 road frame whose chainstay had a crack in it... brand new top of the range carbon Tarmac frame, with forks and headset included."
I had an almost identical experience with a Stumpy HT frame. Very pleased !
Orange were brilliant to deal with a few years back when I bent the swingarm and seat tube on my five frame, Ben in the warranty dept was spot on, new frame in the colour of my choice, they could easily have argued the toss that I'd abused the frame, I was honest - I'd hit the mech on a rocky descent, snapped the gear cable, replaced and realised the shifting was off - after a hanger and mech change I realised the back end was out!
ATB were also great when I snapped my old Marin Attack Trail (snapped at the down tube which folded the top tube leaving just the rear shock holding the frame together). 4 1/2 years into its 5 year warranty, I took the bike to my LBS Thursday tea time and my new frame arrived the following Monday morning along with new xt cranks as mine were damaged when the frame snapped and a new seatpost as the size had changed.
These are my only two warranty claims, fortunately both positive ones!
Hope and Kinesis have both been awesome to me.
Bird have been very good with me, got me back up and riding in less than a week.
In my case, I'm not giving Hope bonus points for adequately resolving issues with a product they knew wasn't fit for purpose tbh. That's not good service, it's a bad-service save. Sending out 2 sets of replacement parts, with a spare for "next time it happens" seems nice but is really just admitting your product sucks tbh.
To be fair with my current issue e.thirteen are being very good, considering the bike manufacture isn't. New part on way apparently. 😀
I've just picked up my Giant Defy Advanced from Giant in Shoreham. The rear mudguard, made by Giant for that particular bike and fitted following the instructions by me had cut right through the rear seat stays. Took it in at 11:00 am on a Sunday and by noon on the Monday I'd had a call to tell me Giant were shipping out a new frame. Everything has been transferred over to that and the cost of the mudguards I'd bought elsewhere as the shop didn't have them in stock has been credited to me to use in the shop. I'm pretty happy with that, I don't think it'll be the last Giant I buy.
Trek - four frames replaced without quibble (one Trek, two Gary Fishers, one Klein). I'd buy another from them, a decade down the line since the last one - hoping their aluminium welders are better these days...
I work in the trade and have managed workshops for chain retailers and lbs. I've dealt with 100's of customer warranty as well as too many of my own!
specialized, Trek, Giant:- very good
When I ran the workshop at Specialized Covent Garden we picked up huge amounts of warranty and crash replacement work for London customers. SBC UK were professional and timely in every instance; on many occasions goodwill/brand reputation may have overruled a strict definition of warranty.
Giant UK are also excellent, if they can help, they will.
Hope very good with after sales support, often foc when a cost was expected.
Sram very good, often going above and beyond. Shimano in UK, not always credited as warranty sometimes the shop eating the cost.
The worst brands I've dealt with? Norco, Cervelo, cube, kona, BMC, dahon.
Difficult communication, long timescale, product eventually replaced with similar cr@p meaning customer back in a month with same failure; or worse product had same issue out the box!
Nothing worse than pulling a brand new warranty replacement frame out the box to find the disc brake mount is welded on twisted just like the original...
Meaning customer services involved for refunds or moving customer to alternative brand.
Good QC in factory, good warranty support in country, crash replacement schemes - these all have real world costs that often the small or boutique brands cannot stomach; or that mid level brands with poorly funded in country distributors cannot deal with adequately.
Something I should add, too many instances of abused and poorly maintained bikes where a customer expectations warranty, on many occasions we'll soak up the cost to maintain a relationship, whereas it was never "warranty" like the infamous JRA line...
Really glad to see lot of epic wins out there (& good customer service). Handy post for future reference- looking for a commuter just now so few things to keep in mind.
Merlin refused the warranty on my 2007 U-turn revs when they suffered oil migration. Called TF Tuned for advice (was going to get them sent there to fix them if paying myself) and they said it's a definite warranty and get in touch with X at Fishers. Did just that and when I got my forks back they had been nicely upgraded to an all new damper. Still working perfect.
I ride with a chap who, every few years, would turn down the finesse and crank up the stupid then ride his Specialized Demo outside it's comfort zone until it went. He'd then take it back and either get a new frame, or on occasions, a complete bike. Always just in time for his annual trip to France. Taking the piss a bit, the jammy git, but that's some service ;D
I've only warrantied my old Raleigh Aero Pro. Three times on the frame and four on the forks (that's over 10 hard years - it wasn't shite (well the forks were)). The old guy at the bike shop hated to see me coming but Raleigh were spot on.
boringly repetitive, but the service ive had from Specialized over the years beggars belief.
I've not come across another brand that matches their warrantee's in the 30 years ive had mountain bikes.
And again, specialized. Always brilliant service and helpful. Kinesis have gone well above and beyond for me also (well upgrade) so 2 brands I'd put top of my buying tree.
Wouldn't touch another on one on the other hand, and I'd never buy another canyon.
Bit of a theme here...
+1 Giant, Specialized and SRAM. Giant and SRAM above and beyond the call, meaning I'm very likely to continue to use their products for the foreseeable.
On the other hand, I'll never touch anything Commencal again.
In Australia I've had not issues with Giant or Cannondale, Reynolds have been a bit more of a pain though. Local bike shp sorted everything for me (where I buy all my bikes and gear).
Trek- they swapped my Madone out for me.
Oakley, - when my silver Radars discoloured and went black they replaced them.
Rapha. - came off my road bike and ripped through the knees, all repaired immediately, the jersey wasn't repairable as I'd gone through a hedge, & it had hundreds off pulled threads, so they gave me a voucher for 50% off a new one.
Another part of this comes back to who the distribution is with, for the UK Hope Etc is dealt with by Hope. Things like their brake rebuilds are not available over seas.
Have specialized sorted out their warranty definitions yet? Are they stays back up to 5 years?
I've not had much call to use any for a while but Fox Aus were great at replacing all the internals in my shock twice despite claiming there was nothing wrong with it.
See a lot of good SRAM stuff
Then other places where they don't carry enough stock so there are no replacement frames available for months