Well what a situation... Perhaps I shouldn't have used Halfords but we are where we are...
I took my bike, a Cannondale Topstone, into Halfords for a replacement headset. They fixed it and called for me to pick it up so I toddled along.
When I arrived the mechanic said there was an issue, the integrated top cap/expander had snapped and the topcap had come off. The expander was stuck in the fork steerer tube.
The mechanic said he hadn't come across this before and that he would "try" to get it out but if he couldn't get it out then I would need a new fork (at Halfords' expense).
However if this is the case, the fork won't be colour matching, just a generic gravel fork.
Now, call me superficial but I like it to properly match. If it was a bike I'd built etc then I might not mind, and I know that it would likely function no problem, but the point is that it's my bike and looks are (rightly or wrongly) an important factor for me.
What is my best course of action here, if the girl can't be repaired? Demand that Halfords use an OEM fork (although I doubt Cannondale make one for a 2021 bike)? I imagine that asking for money for a whole new bike is off limits here?
Thanks
