Following on from the Turner thread (not that that’s a cosmetic issue), and my own recent experience with CRC, do you care if a new item is chipped/scratched/etc when you receive it?

Since parts end up with cosmetic marks in use, do you care, as long as it’s not structural or functional damage?

Or do you complain to the supplier and get a replacement/partial refund?

Never really had the issue but would probably return if I had the time. Especially if it looked like it had been removed from something else first.

Full refund or exchange I reckon. When I pay good money for something I want it in 100% perfect condition…it’s for me to put the scuffs on it, not the retailer 😉

+1

it’s for me to put the scuffs on it, not the retailer

This. Bit of compo depending on level of damage or back it goes

I leave it to other people to buy new things tbh 🙂

When I do, I expect them to be right- anyone who’s seen my bikes knows I’ve nothing against hammered parts, but only if they’ve been honestly hammered.

When I bought my Giant Trance they wanted to order in a new one as the one they had in the shop had a tiny chip out of the decal on the top tube. I pointed out that it was going to get a lot more chips soon and they (reluctantly) let me take it away. But I knew what I was buying (and had already got a decent discount). Not sure I’d be so pleased if a mail order item turned up scratched.

It’s always the danger of buying from companies that may supply you with OEM stuff.

I had an Ultegra mech turn-up from CRC with a little nick out of the underside, but it’s to be expected if the bloody thing is packaged only in a plastic bag rolling around in a box with other metal objects (I mean, what would it take just to squirt some of those Wotsits-type stuff in there). Had it been anywhere else other than an out-of-sight location I probably would’ve returned it. Four years later the thing looks like it’s done a few rounds of Robot Wars so it matters not now…

if i wanted a scratched item i would buy second hand. i would contact sellerto make my intentions of sending back know and see it they could do anything to try and make it all better. if i needed the part i would probs just use it anyway. but still contact the seller

Not that companies should supply sub standard goods, but everyone expects to take advantage of distance selling, and increased rights to return etc – this is fair enough but all these returned goods have to be sold again often with damaged packaging, maybe scuffs etc, which the retailer can’t do anything about.

People on here happy returning things for all kinds of reasons, there was a guy I saw the other day who had ordered a set of forks, then ordered another set the same cos the price was lower a couple of days later and returned the originals. Technically – you can buy bike parts boxed retail online, fit them, scratch them a bit finding they don’t fit, then return them without the original box and packaging and get a full refund, then what does the retailer do with what’s left?

So maybe an occasional item with a bit of a minor flaw or missing its box is the price to pay for the ability to buy a couple of bits and return whatever doesn’t fit/look good etc – swings and roundabouts and all that? If I bought bike parts online that were only cosmetically flawed (within reason) it wouldn’t bother me, they’re just going to get bashed up anyway.

Consider this your first and last warning Mr Davies.Sensible reasoned talk like that will not be tolerated on here.I’ll put it down to the late hour and we’ll say no more about it.

If I was buying a brand new car or piece of furniture etc then yes I want it perfect because I can reasonably expect to keep it in that condition for a decent length of time. On bike stuff it wouldn’t really bother me as long as its only minor and functionality is not affected.

It’s a very good point… What indeed happens to all the stuff ‘we’ send back to CRC after fitting it and realising it’s not right LOL.

I think because of this we need to be a little more tollerant.

…my own recent experience with CRC, do you care if a new item is chipped/scratched/etc when you receive it?

Don’t buy OEM stuff from the likes of CRC/Merlin then, simple.

Buy from your LBS guys.

meh, largely unconcerned, time vs bothered. I usually chip stuff looking at it anyway.

Buy from your LBS guys.

And pay over the odds? Not likely.

But to answer the OP’s question – if it’s supposed to be brand new and not OEM, reject it. It should be perfect.

The manufacturer wouldn’t supply it to the wholesaler/supplier like that unless they had very slack QC procedures, so why should you accept it?

In principle I’d say if I’m paying new prices for something then I expect it to be brand new which means no damage. In practice whether I’d do something about it depends on a combination of what/where the damage was, how likely I’d be to do something similar in the first few rides, and the hassle involved in getting it changed.

halfords gave me some tools and a saddle bag (my choice) because the seatpost was marked where it had been up & down a couple of times on a new bike. this was cyccle to work and on top of the 10% gift voucher.