Just had my second ride out on my new Bandit was putting it away noticed paint flaking off the rear swingarm hope Transition cover it spoke to surf-sales said it should be no problem , finger crossed. Anyone with similiar issue would be good to hear from you.

Umm, it’s a manufacturing defect and you’ve been promised a repair/replacement? Seems like good service to me.
I doubt they’ll thank you for putting it on the interweb.

Happened to my mate’s stumpy but on the top tube and out of warranty.

Happened to my 2010 Stumpjumper FSR. Small flecks of paint/lacquer coming off all over the place. It started in a couple of locations & gradually spread.

Took it back to my lbs, there were no 2010 alu frames left in stock so they said I could have the carbon version complete with Brain shock for an extra £50 or wait a few months for the 2011 frame. Decided on the carbon option & picked it up about a week later.

Hopefully you’ll have similar good service.

I’ve been seriously considering getting a Bandit frame for next year. I’ll be watching how this turns out.

Hora to the thread !!!!!!

Apparently its due to the bare frame not being prepped or finished(?) correctly ready to be sprayed. My Turner did this and they replaced the whole bike asap.

It’ll only get worse and I imagine the front triangle could also be affected.

Just got this reply from Transition and I’m slightly bemused to say the least

“said they weren’t willing to do anything and that it was just unfortunate…. that although not ideal paint doesn’t affect performance of the frame.”

Then after much arguing from the LBS they said they would replace chainstay and give me a £30 voucher despite the main frame looking like shit and like its 2-3 yr old very dull and lacklustre, and the possibility of future paint problems.

Any solicitors out there 😥

Is that email from Transition or the folk that sold you it? It’s beyond crass.

Warranty rests with the retailer. Go get them!

druidh that was what Transition replied to the dealer that I bought the frame from

This is where we miss TJ’s legal brain.

And what had Surf Sales to say about it?

Anyways – your quarrel lies with the shop.

The Sale of Goods Act lays down several conditions that all goods sold by a trader must meet.
The goods must be:
* as described
* of satisfactory quality
* fit for purpose
As described refers to any advert or verbal description made by the trader.
Satisfactory quality covers minor and cosmetic defects as well as substantial problems. It also means that products must last a reasonable time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/features/consumer-law-sale-of-goods

So, by Transitions logic, if I bought a new car and the paint fell of, then that would be fine as it still drove ok?

Bullshites.

google keywords: transition mountain bikes mtb bandit customer service paint fail

Cheers druidh, and thats what I said Jamie that if paint did not matter why bother painting it in the first place!!

druidh – Member
And what had Surf Sales to say about it?

We’d normally assist the dealer with a goodwill gesture, wether Transition or any of our other suppliers declined to help or not, there’s a guy employed full time, called Ken, who will sort it.

The procedure will be photo’s, purchase evidence that it is UK sourced and a return no issued to the dealer if, the dealer feels it is a warrantable fault. That’s the way it works, the dealer acts as a ‘claims adjuster’ and stands between us and what can on the odd occasion be a claim that is not justified.

This is a new one, we’ve not had a flaking paint claim yet, so we’ll want to know about it.

It hasn’t reached my desk yet, which normally it would if the supplier was refusing, but not to worry, we generally do the right thing.

Very poor and surprising from a supposedly professional outfit – shame as I was lusting after one too, may think twice now

wrecker – Member
Umm, it’s a manufacturing defect and you’ve been promised a repair/replacement? Seems like good service to me.
I doubt they’ll thank you for putting it on the interweb.

Plus this, this slows things down, clearly when we’re already committed to helping we certainly don’t react well to what we regard as blackmail, only when we’ve refused to help should you try to stir up unrest amongst the STW hive.

fudge9202 – Member
Just had my second ride out on my new Bandit was putting it away noticed paint flaking off the rear swingarm hope Transition cover it spoke to surf-sales said it should be no problem , finger crossed. Anyone with similiar issue would be good to hear from you.

So let me ask direct, if we said we’ll sort it why then talk to Transition?

igrf…are you the agent / importer then…?

OP, at least it looks as if it could get sorted…

takisawa2 – Member

igrf…are you the agent / importer then…?

I am off down the co-op for some garibaldis. 😀

So playing devils advocate here – the swingarm has been agreed to be replaced, but not the whole frame? But the frame is looking dull / may have the same problem in the future? And I may have misinterpreted the above and there are three sides to every story etc etc…

For me (having had a series of ball aches with totally different brands in the past) I’d say they’re being reasonable on the fault that you’ve reported. However I totally understand that any such fault kind of pisses you off (I had 3 snapped Andorran swing arms in 6 months and that actually hurt). So I guess what I’m saying that that even a cosmetic fault tarnishes the whole expensive-new-machine-shiny-warm-glow but if they’re fixing the main fault then to me that’s fair. Not ideal – but fair.

However – if a fault later develops on the main frame paint then by all means get on trumpet and shout LOUD!

#Edit – however you both need to STFU on here and get on to each other / Ken and the LBS. IMHO.

takisawa2 – Member
igrf…are you the agent / importer then…?

OP, at least it looks as if it could get sorted…

Yes and yes it will and probably already would have, I only dropped in because those idiot football supporters raised a statue to Alex Ferguson, I put up a silly post and druidh pointed out I wasn’t doing my job so couldn’t erect a statue to myself…
Ken will already be on this, but his job will now be a tad more complicated if Transition have indicated they’re not happy to warranty flakey paint, they wont be fully conversant with what a touchy bunch of consumers Brits are, that’s our job to negotiate, not the dealer or the consumer, the warranty chain follows the legal chain.
The consumer has a contract with the dealer, the dealer has a contract with us, and us with the Supplier, there are times when we are forced to act without supplier support in which case, we’d swap the frame, use the knaff one as a demo or refurb it and sell it through other channels whatever, but we do and have always had an excellent warranty record with our dealers so you are in good hands we’ll support this brand even if they don’t, that’s our job.

The responsibility issue is a funny one.

I got a Kona frame from a well known shop, said frame creased due to a combination of my biffer weight and the wafer thin tubing. Clearly not fit for purpose. Kona would not even inspect the frame even when repeatedly asked to.

I decided not to shaft the shop. Kona don’t honour their warranty.

Kona are a brand I now will never touch again, completely uninterested to the point of being rude. I have used the shop since

IGRF are you seriously saying that you feel the op is blackmailing you by posting up his issue with his frame? Take that to the cop shop fella.. he’ll get banged up for years.

‘Touchy bunch of consumers Brits are’

Your posts wind me up no end, you have written whateveryone wants to hear but interlaced that with insults and petty BS.

more tea anyone…

Just to clarify things the dealer that I purchased the frame from was told via email and relayed this to me. I immediately rang them to see if I was reading the email right as I was in disbelief, they said they could not believe the remark and stated that other brands with whom they had issues with paint defects replaced them without question namely Santa Cruz.

“said they weren’t willing to do anything and that it was just unfortunate…. that although not ideal paint doesn’t affect performance of the frame.”
but after arguing and saying that was not good enough because they deal with other brands and have never had this type of off the cuff remark by a bike manufacturer that prides itself on being rider owned and rider focused that states on their website:

“Transition Bikes is fully committed to keeping you riding and we will do anything we can to keep a Transition Bike underneath you.”

“REMEMBER, WE’RE PULLING FOR YOU – WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”

I fear this might not apply to me.

What a nuisance having to comply with consumer law must be for you igrf.

UK customers a more fussy bunch than our Colonial cousins in Transitions home market? Surely not.

Always has the impression that Transition were a brand that properly cared about this sort of stuff. Like their bikes and would have considered them when time comes to get a new bike.

I’ve got the coffee and pastries out for this one.

+1 with what theocb said. I love my Turner and when reading things like this I love it even more…..

Transition a top bunch, glad i own one and will continue for years to come so on that – tea and ginger nuts for me.

I don’t understand – why is everyone jumping in and not giving the distributor a chance to sort it out?

I think people are just expressing an interest in the case and its outcome. Most of us at some point will spend what we consider a large sum of money on a new bike and want confidence that if any issues do arise then they will be dealt with fairly.

There seems to be a worrying trend with warranty claims. I notice Yeti have cut back from 5 to 2 years on their warranty. It suggests to me that they are getting a lot of warranty claims in the 2 to 5 year period and are looking to cut costs / reduce liability. Would make me think twice about spending a couple of grand on one of their frames.

Your posts wind me up no end, you have written whateveryone wants to hear but interlaced that with insults and petty BS.

Not how I read igrf’s posts at all, thought he seemed pretty reasonable.

Well, firstly I don’t see how the shop can say “not our problem” – they sold it so under the Sale of Goods Act it’s their responsibility. How they then sort it out with the distributor, and how the distributor sorts it out with the manufacturer is up to them. Equally, it’s the shop’s responsibility to assess whether this really is a fault, or whether the paint is falling off because it was cleaned with T-Cut*

So my practical advice as a shop owner is go back to the shop, and impress upon them that it’s their responsibility to sort out, they can’t pass the buck. They should also pass it back to the distributor and let them deal with it, not get in touch with the manufacturer directly – the manufacturer won’t have a clue who they are, most likely.

*not saying that’s happened here, just giving an example – dealers are the first stage in assessing whether faults are manufacturing faults or user error.

IGRF are you seriously saying that you feel the op is blackmailing you by posting up his issue with his frame? Take that to the cop shop fella.. he’ll get banged up for years.

WFT are you on about? Did you even read igrf’s post?

As I read it, the shop and the importer are both on the owners side and are trying to get the frame sorted. Good service from them – poor from transition

I’m glad the op bought it the the STW collective, It may be unfortunate for you igrf but for me its very informative information. You must be one of those idiot importer types 😉

It’s informative that distributors are there to sort out problems, but it makes their life harder if customers go direct to the manufacturer then complain online?

Sounds like the shop went to the manufacturer rather than the OP, bit strange.

I don’t understand – why is everyone jumping in and not giving the distributor a chance to sort it out?

Because this is STW!

Everyone loves an opportunity to get their knickers in a twist. Only knowing a faction of the facts, wild accusations & assumptions are made & then pitchforks are out, based on said ‘facts’.