[Closed] Let Down by Specialized AGAIN!! Rubbish Paintwork. Need Alternative bike?

I suggest you take the bike with the bad paint work but ask for some discount?

they offered me £100 in goods. but why you say take it?

more than one manufacturer.

I agree for £1600 you want the bike to look good but is the paint work so bad you want to give back a bike that fits well and rides well?

I agree with klunky - use it to get a £200 off and you've got a bargain...

Cheers

Danny B

I'd have blagged cash off the rrp for the imperfection and ridden off happy with the bike I wanted.

Its gonna get gnarled up anyway.

I got £100 off my heckler as there were a few tiny chips in the paint on the headtube, I'm sure it rides just as well as one would in perfect condition.

you aren't chalky46 and ICM£5

Dale f29 is taking my fancy for 1800. Or as suggested get money off and ride the thing.

Shows how different we all are.

Assuming I could use the flaw to negotiate money off, I'd be chuffed to bits about it 🙂

Get discount, Or

buy a better bike.

Tbh if you try hard enough there are defects in te finnsh on almost every bike
But some people tolerate / don't notice and for some it has to be perfect , and if there not going to be happy with there new toy then no point in keeping it no matter what the discount.

For me personal I'd go for damaged and discounted every time

Pauls have got the 2012 Flash 29er Alloy 2 with Lefty with £600 off in medium and large

What do we recommend? For riding on the road and trail?

Personally...a cyclo cross bike. Especially as you're tall.

Don't buy it mail order tho. Seems like that would just be asking for trouble.

Just barter for money off, it'll only get scratched & chipped anyway

Get £200 off and then spend £100 get it powder coated just how you like it and the other £100 on beer...

Cheers

Danny B

Get it covered in mud then you won't notice.

if you could buy a brand new car for £1600 you would not drive away with it!

how much is it too get a frame powder coated properly?

Buy a carbon frame bike. But surely it's about the ride? I'd barter some discount

You'll lose the warranty if you get it powder coated or repainted.

Every Specialized bike me or my mates have had haven't had any obvious paint defects. No other lbs you can try?

I've got a 21" Carve pro and at 6'4" I find it pretty near perfect - its actually quite usable on the road, its reasonably light and real blast in the woods.

It does scratch and chip easily though.

I'd go for the haggle for some money off option and then ride it hard and not worry too much about it. Most of time mine is covered in mud anyway.

Are you an iPhone user? Sounds like it as the final look is important to you...to many, the discount and the chance to ride the bike they wants far more important. Personally, as long as I can't see it without looking closely then I wouldn't care...I don't look at the bike whilst riding it. I'd take the discount if that was the bike you really wanted.

You sound like a big girls blouse to me; it's a bike, get it and get it ridden.

they offered me £100 in goods. but why you say take it?

more than one manufacturer.

I work in a bike shop. Believe me, this happens to all brands. You should have taken the goods. It's an MTB and in 6 months you won't give a damn about the paint but a new helmet and track pump would be really handy!

Unless large chunks of paint literally fell off as I was walking out the door I don't think I'd give a flying f*!k.

If you got offered money off then sounds like a good deal to me, or are you one of these people that worries about 'residual value' of you bikes? I'm assuming you picked that bike due to the way it rides and the spec rather than the paintjob?

It'll be chipped scratched and possibly even dented in a few months if you use it properly anyway...

Shops aren't allowed to discount until they are told to 😉 Hence the give aways 💡

I kind of sympathise with the op here. If you want it box fresh and shiny then he is perfectly entitled to shop elsewhere by brand or shop.

Having said that a new camelback and some sealant for nowt and I would have been on my way with a big cheesy grin.

OK thanks for the feed back.
Obviously its a good bike otherwise someone would of slagged it by now.

I'll phone them tomorrow and see if I can get £££'s off instead of products.

Cheers.

tip - buy last years Carve and get it resprayed,

Spesh have just re-marketed the Carve as a race hardtail for 2013, last year it was a budget 29er, buy an insurance replacement one on ebay (there are a couple every week)

Avoid Specialized. They need to learn thatthe customer deserves service. Turner go too far 8) but spesh UK dont even start.

And a turner [i]frame[/i] will only cost the same as the spesh [i]bike[/i] good shout!

Take the vouchers and the bad paint job, tho I'd maybe ask for 10% value of bike in vouchers

And what's wrong with Spesh customer service ?
Always found them helpful tbh

You maybe able to get a discount off the shop also as well as what ever vouchers Spesh have offered

I have to say that if I were the bike shop owner I'd be more than a mite miffed with your attitude. What you have done is decline the goods offered. You were then offered a different arrangement (the bike plus accessories) which you also declined and you left the shop.

At this point any contract that existed between you and the bike shop is surely null and void. Therefore going back later and asking for the bike AND the £100 of accessories simply because you can't get a better offer elsewhere is pretty off in my opinion.

Oh...and Spesh customer service was first class, indeed industry leading, when I worked in the trade, albeit some years ago now. Although I hasten to add that I continue to hear good things about them from friends I still have in the trade.

OP
MTFU and ride your bike with a smile on your face

Roadie,
Your just the reason why we carry on getting crap quality. Because people like you accepting what ever is given. If there was more people like me then manufacturers quality would be better. As I've said before you would not drive away a badly finished car! Even thou in 6 months it will have scratches and the odd dent.

Donk. It was a halfprice sale Turner frame. I've experienced Brant/good service over a frame, RS but only Spesh acted slowly.

Go back get the bike and the discount and ride the damn thing! or you'll look around for a month fir the perfect bike then scuff it up on the first ride....

Jacob, I must offer my sincere apologies to you and the entire mountain biking population for accepting sub standard quality.

I'll ignore the fact that I've been mountain biking for 17 years now. That I spent five years working in an assortment of bike shops. That you've never met me and don't know me from Adam...much less know how many bikes I have or what my cycling history is.

I've disagreed with folk on here before, but that's the first time I've had someone make a comment that personal.

Finally I suggest you go back and read what I wrote. If you don't like the finish on the bike then fine. The point is that you declined the original 'deal' and then the amended 'deal' and left. Now for some reason you think you can go swanning back into the shop and pick up where you left off. I suggest you examine your attitude before you do so.

Anyway, I'm off rock climbing now. Enjoy your day examining paintwork.

I wouldn't accept a bad finish on a brand new fairly expensive bike unless it was advertised as such with a significant markdown.

Surely this is a manufacturing defect?

As such the manufacturer should either expect it to be returned by the dealer, or offer it to the dealer at a marked down price which the dealer advertises is due to the finish.

That said though, I think paint may be excluded from some warranties, but I don't think a manufacturer should be relying on such positions (if they're taken) to sell seconds quality for new prices.

Anodizing FTW!

you aren't chalky46 and ICM£5

Exactly!

Buy a carbon frame bike

I wouldn't recommend the OP to do that. Have you ever looked at a carbon frame in artificial light? They're lumpy as anything.

Hora - Specialized customer service is outstanding, and in my experience they're pretty quick too. Any slowness is likely to have been down to your LBS. Were you getting on their nerves?

OP: what about a Ragley?

roadie_in_denial - Member
Jacob, I must offer my sincere apologies to you and the entire mountain biking population for accepting sub standard quality.
I'll ignore the fact that I've been mountain biking for 17 years now. That I spent five years working in an assortment of bike shops. That you've never met me and don't know me from Adam...much less know how many bikes I have or what my cycling history is.

Calm down, you made a comment about his post why shouldn't he reply, just because like "many" people you've been biking a few years doesn't give you the right to have the final word

Pathetic !

If there was more people like me

Quite agree with the OP, its his hard earned cash, so why not expect the best quality before you hand the money over?
We often rant on here about poor customer service so why not rant about shoddy build quality?

Anyway OP, whyte 29er, Canyon 29er?? Whyte Hardtails get some good reviews....

Jeesus don't suggest a Canyon to [s]chalky[/s] jacob46...a right hissy fit will ensue.

Is the paint part of the build quality per se? Does it affect the performance or longevity of the frame? I certainly wouldn't class it as a manufacturing defect.

Dodgy ground on sales of good act as well re: fit for purpose. I think it could be argued that the paint doesn't affect its fitness for unless it left metal exposed to corrosion and the like.

Without seeing pics its hard to determine how bad the finish is. If it truly looks like a blind kid with crayons then maybe its not good enough.

But, if its oversprays and minor runs - bearing in mind the frames are mass produced in Taiwan etc and manufactured and painted for around £50 a piece then the quality of finish isn't going to be perfect.

An for crickey's sake jacob46, if your looking to buy a car then FFS don't by an Alfa. The finish on them is horrible but they drive like a dream (assuming they're working which some do and some don't - mines a good 'un in that respect).

Cheers

Danny B

Unless it has a massive obvious flaw that you can't live with I'd take the discount and enjoy the bike. Bikes soon get marked and scratched etc. when used, it might ease the pain from the 1st time you crash it.

They've offered goods because if they gave you £100 discount then it'd cost them £100, if they give you £100 of goods it'll only cost them the trade value of the goods, say, £50.

roadie_in_denial - Member
Jacob, I must offer my sincere apologies to you and the entire mountain biking population for accepting sub standard quality............

Funniest post I've read in ages, at least my tears were those caused by laughter.

Personally, I don't think the fit for purpose or cost of manufacture arguments wash, even if they are used. The paint and frame finish is still part of the manufacturing process. There's plenty of other things that might be considered cosmetic on the frame and components that don't impact the ride. How would you feel about wonky or missing stickers, untidy welds, or a component that isn't quite the right colour or finish? Bikes are sold at a fair premium where you should be able to expect decent quality. It's the bike "manufacturer" that makes the decision about what quality they will accept from the actual manufacturer against what price they're prepared to pay.

If Specialized are now happy to sell frames with poorer quality finish, effectively at their customer's expense to maximise their profits, then that would negatively influence my buying decision in the future if I heard this complaint more regularly. They therefore need to consider their reputation even if they can justify themselves with the arguments suggested. That's coming from someone who has bought 2 Specialized bikes and 3 Specialized frames from new, including 2 S-Works, all of which have been perfect to my knowledge.

Take the discount. If you are riding it properly, it'll not stay immaculate long.

Couple of years ago a mate declined the offer of a shop soiled EX9 with a few scratches and £350 off as he insisted on a "new" one. On the first ride he fell off and put a nearly identical scratch on it. We laughed lots.......

Problem is, paint finish isn't a binary thing. Disc brakes either work or don't, bearings are either okay or they aren't. Paint finish is subjective - what I think is fine others might not think is perfect.

No this was wirh BOTH the shop and Specialized UK on two seperate products.

Im buying a third. If they fail again I'll go down the small claims route this time 8)

If Specialized are now happy to sell frames with poorer quality finish, effectively at their customer's expense to maximise their profits, then that would negatively influence my buying decision in the future if I heard this complaint more regularly

Woah woah woah!
Every company in the world has the odd QC problem now and then. That's neither here not there. It not a case of them "being happy to sell poor quality" at all. There's a paint defect. It's not a safety issue so they offer a discount. If you'd rather have a perfect bike I can assure you you'll get it replaced if you ask.
I work in a Trek dealership and we had exactly this issue (paint problem) the other week on an £1800 road bike. Customer wasn't happy, so we warrantied the bike and got him a new one. A full new bike, not just a frame, and we turned it round in a few days. This is a fact of life.
Indeed only yesterday I had a customer ask me for a discount on a new bike because of a scratch (he'd not actually bought it at this point) and I simply said that we'd get him an unscratched one instead. He didn't like that and didn't buy the bike.
You just can't please some people! 🙂

Don't worry PeterPoddy, there were 2 ifs in that statement, and provided the manufacturer behaves in the manner you suggest, which would be what I would expect and have generally heard of Spesh, that's fine. But if they don't, then it's not fine in my book, even if they have the law or warranty on their side.

Also, I'm not sure in this example whether Specialized have even been asked to recognise that there is a defect, otherwise the shop would already be free to discount in cash. If they've supplied 2 bikes with the same problem that would seem to indicate a QC problem that you would have thought they'd have done their best to avoid demonstrating to the same customer, unless they were unable to avoid it because it's too common, which might go back to a bigger QC problem or cost cutting.

I N R A T S but "Jesus Wept".

I take my glib and insensitive comment back....
[img] [/img]

Paint on my camber wasn't brilliant- very pretty but it chipped pretty easily. Not On-One bad but still, not very good. Not that this would have made any difference to me if I'd liked the bike.

Don't understand the hissy fits, everyone has different priorities and the OP places finish as a higher priority than some other people. I have a specialized carbon enduro that has a wack paint finish. This doesn't bother me but would make the OP's piss boil.

As a constructive post - my friends SantaCruzs seemed to have a good finish. The VPP is utter shat compared to horst, but that is just my opinion 😉 lol

Personally, I wouldn't accept it even with a £200 discount. I just know it would bother me every time I looked at it. In the same way I wouldn't accept a new car with shit paint either.
No point in throwing a tantrum, just tell the shop that Its not acceptable. Get a new one which is up to standard or a full refund. Shops choice.

Spesh u.k have always been fantastic if I've had any complaints, or warranty problems

Frankers, I wasn't trying to have the final word. I was pointing out a pertinent fact: that the OP had declined the shop's solution to his complaint and then left the premises and that he now feels he can walk back into the shop and pick up where he left off. For this the OP informed me that:

"Roadie, Your just the reason why we carry on getting crap quality."

Which I felt was a personal attack, hence I reacted the way I did.

This happened to me when I bought the yelli.
The transfers on the side got rubbed during transport and left a bit patchy but great communication from the shop. I received a free pair of canfield ultimate v2 pedals (or I was offered money off or refund). Happy enough as it would end up looking like that after some use anyway.

I'd just ask for some goods and go ride it. If you plan on keeping it for a while then it makes sense.

Raw Scandal 29er frame? Similar sizing* and I've never had paint issues with mine!

* 6'6" here, fit well on Spesh XL though

I'll ignore the fact that I've been mountain biking for 17 years now.

Is it ok if I ignore it too ?

I've tried, but I just can't out how or why you think it's relevant 😐

(26 years in case you were wondering 😉 )

Ha.... 17 years!!! Newbies 🙄 (24).

I was illustrating the point that the OP didn't know me from Adam...I probably over-stated the case tho.

I was illustrating the point that the OP didn't know me from Adam...

He only commented on what you posted.

And made quite a good point too.

If nobody ever accepted dodgy paintwork, and they all went back and were unsellable, they would soon sort out their paintwork process and not send out anything that wasn't right.

Same goes for any defect.

Agreed, but my original point was nothing to do with paintwork.

It was to do with the fact that the OP declined the bike and then declined the shop's offer of £100 worth of accessories and then seemed to think he could just walk back into the shop and pick up the same offer.

It was to do with the fact that the OP declined the bike and then declined the shop's offer of £100 worth of accessories and then seemed to think he could just walk back into the shop and pick up the same offer.

And if they still have it, he probably can.

And they will be happy for the sale I would expect.

£1600 is an awful lot of money and I wouldn't be happy with a paint defect.

I know it doesn't alter the ride of the bike, but it would annoy the life out of me and I would [i]personally[/i] regret accepting it.

£100 'free' accessories seems a bit cheap, especially when shops are knocking off over 20% from other Specialized models; albeit 2012 models.

A guy I work with had a problem with his carbon Tarmac frame after a cable stop came off the frame. He had a brand new frame off them in under a week, no questions asked.

Probably. But as I said way back up there, I would expect alot to depend on attitude.

Spesh certainly do care about the quality of the finish. In early 2005 I bought a Spesh Roubaix carbon road bike. Two and a half years later i noticed the top lacquer had developed a few very small bubbles. I wasn't really bothered but was off work at the time so I phoned them. The response was "the paint finish is only warranted for 2 years, but it shouldn't happen so we'd like to have a look at it. Can you strip the frame and get it back to the place you bought it? For your trouble we'll give you a voucher (I think it was £20) for any Spesh product".

I did this fully expecting to get the frame back with a note saying it was superficial.

Two days later the LBS phoned saying "your new frame has arrived". And it was the next model up in the range as well.

Six years on the, "new" frame is still perfect...

I'd buy Spesh MTB's happily based on this experience, but they only make them now with silly sized wheels... 😀

Thanks nealglover

Had a phone call today and they said they would knock off £150 on the bike.

In Mass product its very likely that more than one frame would have paint issues. It affects ALL manufactures.

So to have 2 identical frames with the same defect isn't out of the ordinary. They would have been made in the same batch.

I think the shop did the right thing if i'm honest.

Replace 1st one with defect with a 2nd. Customer turns up 2nd has same defect. Offer a discount/free products if the customer wants it. Customer may want to ride it the next day and be happy with the extra goods/discount.

If nobody ever accepted dodgy paintwork, and they all went back and were unsellable, they would soon sort out their paintwork process and not send out anything that wasn't right.

Same goes for any defect.

that's a fair point, but 100% perfect production is nearly impossible even to bespoke manufactures.

If the factory misses the defect it won't be noticed till it gets to the shop and the box is opened. Often this happens when the customer is in store.

that's a fair point, but 100% perfect production is nearly impossible even to bespoke manufactures..

Fair enough, I probably should have said

"Same goes for any [b]significant[/b] defect"

Like a big paint run on the top of the top tube, or similar equivalent.

My cube 29er has a slight defect on the paint stenciling. I would prefer it to neater but forgot all about it until I read this thread. It does annoy me when components/parts don't work. As long as it is fixed quickly and trouble free thats what counts. It becomes very annoying if they fanny about making up excuses.