Just getting last minute info from various people. Won’t be long. Turns out getting lots of the bike industry to all answer questions at the same time is harder that you’d think
Responses from bike industry:
That's not the reply from the bike industry, they would have eaten the green and red crayons at the very least
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EDIT: ha, new thread just appeared, good work STW 👍
EDIT EDIT: giant's reply does them no favours 🤔 😂
So, wait, Giant says they can, but they also can't? I'm really confused now.
So what was Giant's formal statement?
Ah, you take a belt and braces approach.
This did not get enough credit.
So what was Giant’s formal statement?
Reading the article, it was a bit if a nothing statement, that is/was contradicted by the emails the OP got from Giant UK.
Didn't actually clear up anything IMHO.
Been following this with interest having worked for a brand that has a less than flawless warranty reputation, a shop that was an exemplar of "the customer's always right" even when they blatantly weren't and many years ago had a very good experience with the company currently being flamed,I find squirrelling the means by which one can compare the industry response behind the members only pay wall a bit of a dick move. It seems to be the way of things these days, from political misdemeanours to clickbait headlines, you have to work hard to find the truth.
Can a user remove the shock and fork, send it for servicing, and re-fit it to their bike without voiding the warranty?
Yes they can , however if they enquire we always recommend that the customer takes the bike to an authorised retailer for such work.
Can a user carry out their own repairs without voiding the warranty? Are there any exclusions to this?
We fully appreciate that some riders service and replace parts on their own bikes as well as get their bikes serviced and parts replaced by non-Giant retailers and in the majority of scenarios this is unlikely to affect any warranty. However If a situation does occur where an issue is directly attributed to the change being incorrectly completed then this can create problems.
Are there any maintenance or repair tasks which you require to be carried out by an authorised dealer to maintain the warranty’s validity?
No there is nothing specific but we do recommend talking with your retailer to know and understand service intervals.
Compare and contrast with the texts from Giant to OP. They are talking about 'reviewing the processes which led to this situation', and hopefully that word salad actually means they are going to sort it for him.
Crikey! A bit of humility could have gone a long way here instead I think the situation for Giant is even worse and we're all even more as confused!
I've taken the liberty of drafting a response that may help...
Sorry we cocked up.
Here's a new frame.
We're reviewing our policies and making sure everyone knows what they are so we don't cock up again.
Sorry again.
Loads of Love
Giant
I’ve taken the liberty of drafting a response that may help…
Sorry we cocked up.
Here’s a new frame.
We’re reviewing our policies and making sure everyone knows what they are so we don’t cock up again.
Sorry again.Loads of Love
Giant
I wish more companies would speak plain English...
From the Pinkbike thread:
A quote from Giant's T&C's:
THE ABOVE WARRANTY, OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY, DOES NOT COVER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. ALL WARRANTIES ARE VOID IF THE BICYCLE IS MODIFIED FROM ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION OR THE BICYCLE IS USED FOR OTHER THAN NORMAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FAILING TO FOLLOW THE OWNER’S MANUAL OR USING THE BICYCLE FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES OR IN COMPETITIVE EVENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BICYCLE RACING, BICYCLE MOTORCROSS RACING, STUNT RIDING, RAMP JUMPING OR SIMILAR ACTIVITIES, AND TRAINING FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS. GIANT MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. Except to the extent specifically prohibited by law, ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THAT OF THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES STATED ABOVE.
So anyone who:
- guides or uses a Giant for work, no warranty.
- anyone who trains for a race, no warranty.
- anyone who races, no warranty.
I see Giant are now advertising for a digital marketing specialist...
My bad, didn't see the date on the Tweet - back in 2021
Update: I have spoken to Ian, they are going to as he said reevaluate the CS procedure as this shouldnt have got to this point, it IS policy to want the full bike to evaluate, the cost should not be passed on to the consumer. I am awaiting contact from the warranty department themselves, not the CS team regarding my reopened claim.
Common sense seems to have prevailed.
Wheres the like button?
Update: I have spoken to Ian, they are going to as he said reevaluate the CS procedure as this shouldnt have got to this point, it IS policy to want the full bike to evaluate, the cost should not be passed on to the consumer. I am awaiting contact from the warranty department themselves, not the CS team regarding my reopened claim.
Common sense seems to have prevailed.
That is indeed great news... It won't change how i see the future of bike purchases in terms of Giant, but it will hopefully resolve your issue.
Common sense seems to have prevailed.
I'm not sure it's common sense, it's pressure from the public and this turning into some very bad publicity for Giant. Good news all the same for you, hope its resolved soon.
WARRANTIES ARE VOID IF THE BICYCLE IS MODIFIED FROM ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION
does that include changing tyres or going tubeless?
Excellent news and hopefully a good result will come out of this for you Wysiwyg.
@wysiwyg gets replacement from from Giant under warranty.
Soon followed by a new, warranty-replacement Giant frame appearing in the classifieds and the purchase of a replacement frame from Bird/Cotic/Trek/other manufacturer who responded to the STW questions.
So they’ve caved due to an absolute internet pasting.
Are they going to add in to the warranty t’s &c’s ‘the success of your warranty will largely be determined by the level of flaming we receive online’?
The fact it’s taken a damning thread and a magazine article on here to get a frame (known for breaking exactly where it has broken) inspected, doesn’t bode well for anyone with an issue in future
Yay, Go STW. Sticking it to the man....or at least lets hope so.
Common sense seems to have prevailed.
Hallelujah. Hopefully they won't now try to suggest that four years is beyond the expected lifetime for a MTB frame...
Hopefully a good result for the op. Unfortunately for giant, I think many will have been persuaded to avoid them altogether after this, regardless of the late U-turn.
it IS policy to want the full bike to evaluate, the cost should not be passed on to the consumer
👏🏼
That is good news for WYSIWIG.
It does not solve the organisational, warranty policy and customer support/service issues that Giant and their dealers clearly have in the UK.
"Naah – HebTroCo crack surveillance team at work…"
Sorry lads *hoiks up moleskins*
Unsure how much a small group of people saying they won't buy is going to impact Giant - they sell loads of bikes to loads of people, many of those people don't have as much interest or care like we do. They'll go to nearest bike shop and take advice from the salesperson.
I think very few people will be bothered about this.
Saying that, great to see they've done the right thing for WYSIWYG...that should have been the case immediately.
We’ve got the power!
Great news for OP and a happy ending for us lot.👍🏻
Update: I have spoken to Ian, they are going to as he said reevaluate the CS procedure as this shouldnt have got to this point, it IS policy to want the full bike to evaluate, the cost should not be passed on to the consumer. I am awaiting contact from the warranty department themselves, not the CS team regarding my reopened claim.
Common sense seems to have prevailed.
Great news. Now when you get your warranty replacement, sell it and buy from a brand that doesn't treat their customers poorly.
Good outcome, but a second-hand Giant frame will definitely have no warranty...
They apparently do a second-hand warranty if it has been registered with Giant...
Do you have to take your frame to Giant to get it built up?
Turns out getting lots of the bike industry to all answer questions at the same time is harder that you’d think
they need time to collude
Great news wysiwig, can't believe it took so long for them to get it sorted! Have owned 7 Giants over the years (still own 2) but I'll now think twice about sticking with the brand in future... Good result, but not a good way to have got there!
Hold on everyone ... is it actually sorted? Unless I've missed something, all that has been agreed is that they will accept the bike/frame in to evaluate, for a possible warranty claim?
If I’ve read it correctly, wysiwyg gets the frame reconsidered for warranty, which was the original sticking point. Whether that leads to their frame being repaired or replaced, we have all yet to learn.
I added this info to the Emtb forum and got this reply from one of the other members
US law specifically prohibits manufacturers from voiding warranties for allowing third party work, or for causes unrelated to the issue. If you take your car to have a third party shop install custom headlights, and the engine fails, the manufacturer can't "void the warranty." If you change out your derailleur and the head tube snaps, that would not be a legal reason to deny a warranty claim. This was passed many decades ago because of that very problem, where someone would try to force people to use their brand dealers. It's even illegal here to claim that it does void the warranty.
There is also a "warranty of merchantability" where it is assumed that you get a guarantee that the product does what it clearly should do, even without a written warranty. It's an implied warranty. You can't be sold a light bulb that won't light up unless you buy the light unlocking software module.
The only way around this in the US is if the service/part is provided FREE. For example if Giant said, "you must obtain an inspection at six months at a Giant dealer, which will be provided at no cost," then that would be legal. I had that experience with a generator, and that was fine. The initial service/inspection was part of the price, and if I didn't have it done, no warranty. Fair.
Copy and paste info:
<h4>"Tie-In Sales" Provisions</h4>
Generally, tie-in sales provisions aren’t allowed. These are provisions that state <i>or imply</i> that a consumer must buy or use an item or service from a particular company to keep their warranty coverage. Here are some examples of prohibited tie-in sales provisions.“To keep your new Plenum Brand Vacuum Cleaner warranty in effect, you must use genuine Plenum Brand Filter Bags. Failure to have scheduled maintenance performed, at your expense, by the Great American Maintenance Company, Inc., voids this warranty.”
“This limited warranty shall not apply if the warranty seal has been broken, removed, erased, defaced, altered, or is otherwise illegible,” where a device cannot be repaired without such effects.
However, a warrantor can require a consumer to use select items or services if they’re provided free of charge under the warranty or the warrantor receiver a waiver from the FTC. To get a waiver, you must prove to the FTC’s satisfaction that your product won’t work properly without a specified item or service. Contact the warranty staff of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection for information on how to apply for a waiver.
In addition, it is permissible to disclaim warranty coverage for defects or damage caused by the use of parts or service you didn’t provide. Here is an example of a permissible provision in that circumstance:
Necessary maintenance or repairs on your AudioMundo Stereo System can be performed by any company. Damage caused to the AudioMundo Stereo System by you or any non-authorized third party, however, may void this warranty.
Seem right and fair, and under US law I can well believe it. Consumer laws are pretty strict there. Only seems in this country do we get shafted by lack thereof.
Yeah, don't count your chickens just yet, personally think Ian should hand deliver a new upgraded bike out of his own money cos he's clearly paid way too much.
The bike shop that tried to charge for everything and failed to advise properly seem to have got away unscathed.
Time to name and shame?
The bike shop that tried to charge for everything and failed to advise properly seem to have got away unscathed.
yep, a lot of bike shops seem to try to dodge their contractual obligations of being a dealer for brand XYZ by either flat out refusing to look at products from brand XYZ bought elsewhere despite brand XYZ having a global/europe/uk wide warranty, making it clear they really dont want to be doing this, or by making it so difficult that the customer goes elsewhere (eg sure we can look at that for you but we're really busy right now, come back in 6 months, or sure we can look at that but we'll have to charge you labour for it etc)
Cannondale had a worldwide fork recall on one of their models a couple of years ago. I booked mine into my local dealer whom I did not buy the bike from to have the swap done (work to be completed by dealer only). I went to pick it up and the nice chap asked my how I'd like to pay... Errrm well bill Cannondale, your their dealer and it's their recall was my reply.
They do try it on sometimes and you have to argue your case as per this entire thread.
dyna-ti
I added this info to the Emtb forum and got this reply from one of the other members
I didn't want to distract from the thread but eBikes are a whole other issue ... or are they what's driving the warranty dodging ??
Warranty denied because "you used a 3rd party app to read your battery condition" or "warranty denied because you put grease on the bearings that were failing" etc.
I had already concluded from many threads on the Emtb forum that I wouldn't be buying a Giant ebike, this thread just added their analogues to the list
analogues
I ride an analogue bike ? Cool !!
