I really don’t see anything in what the OP has posted to lead to leaping to the conclusion that he is attempting anything dishonest.

Obviously the right thing to do is to return the frame, I don’t think anyone is disputing that.

Agree to disagree I suppose. Not going to argue hypotheticals anymore, the OP hasn’t even posted for a week and we’re still making assumptions and fighting about it.

Troll, or poor form to broadcast two frames for the price of one. Either way, meh.

What would the position be if you were to write to them informing them of the situation, and letting them know that the frame was available for collection by arrangement, but that if it wasn’t collected by [some reasonable length of time, say 10 days] then you would be treating it as a gift & retaining?

[/quote]I really don’t see anything in what the OP has posted to lead to leaping to the conclusion that he is attempting anything dishonest.

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/ 🙄

Stuey01 – let’s agree to disagree..and save our time for polishing bikes and riding 🙂

personally i’d keep/punt it..

Theft LOL…armchair lawyers!

As for morals, I’d be contacting them.

Johnny Panic – imo, no different.

I think that’s a lazy, tiptoeing way to respond to receiving an extra frame sent in obvious error…hoping that they won’t respond.

Bottom line is – if you had paid for 3 frames and only received 2, you would make sure you got the 3rd one!
That’s for me the crux of the matter – be as active in returning when you know a mistake has been made, as you would be in making sure you have got what you paid for (3 frames not 2!).

What is strange for me how do You pay £400 for an aluminium frame. Malt is lower spec than Lobsters. Nothing wrong with Kinesis aluminium etc, it’s probably light but still £400 is pretty steep. I had a look on the Merlin website and Malt 1 or 2 can be had for £100-140 and only the Malt 4 is £399 so it maybe is a BOGOF without stating it is BOGOF. It costs as much as Kinesis Maxlight XC Pro and almost twice as much as a normal Kinesis Maxlight. Maybe Merlin felt bad for charging that much and put the next one as a thank You 😉

I got two Dakine bags once and the seller only realised when I told him I got the same bag two days later. I’ve sent it back but asked them to cover the return postage. If it was a genuine mistake than the only right thing is to let them know.

but miserable buggers in the shop. Unhelpful, clock watching nobody’s who treat every customer as an inconvenience.

they are absolutely fine with me every time I go in have you tried chatting to them. never had an issue at all often get a cheeky discount and they all cycle so do know thier stuff
the mechanics who did npt fix your bike do not work in the shop so perhaps they did not like being shouted at for someone else lazyiness – the repairs are not super fast as they build so many bikes and that takes priority.

I think the OP is BS BTW

Theft LOL…armchair lawyers!

As for morals, I’d be contacting them.

cynic-al – armchair lawyers ?

…in my case at least, just a normal person who’s annoyed at the OP and his apparent lack of willingness to rectify a clear mistake, and trying to explain why I think somebody should act in a certain way – is that not what a public forum is about?

As for morals..I’d make sure they got their frame back.

Merlin are cheap for online but miserable buggers in the shop. Unhelpful, clock watching nobody’s who treat every customer as an inconvenience.

+1 and that one with ginger hair is one happy troll. I try not to go into the shop unless it’s something I can take off the shelf and pay for it within 10mins and without uttering a word to anyone.

A lot of nonsense on this thread if you ask me..Either that or the world is a different place outside my circle of friends.

It’s a company that’s made a pigs ear of it and will be down couple of quid, they(merlin) should learn their lesson next time and not to be so stupid, if they even know about it. All this keek about morals is lunacy if you ask me, i’d bet despite what people say on here that if it happened to them a majority would keep it.

It’s a bit like the people on here who reckon they’ve never run a red light. Aye right!

Great shop until anything actually goes wrong.

I’ve had two bikes from them – the first was great, but unfortunately got stolen.
I replaced it with the same model (with a slightly updated frame) and rapidly discovered a problem.

Took the bike back five or six times, (70 mile round trip each time) and kept being fobbed off, not believed and made to feel that the problem was my fault.

Eventually the problem was partially resolved, but I wish I’d been more assertive and demanded a refund, or at least an exchange.
Frankly, I just gave up because I couldn’t be bothered arguing with them or putting up with their attitude any more.

The pity of it is that without the issues, the bike would be perfect for me and was superb value.

My partner has bought a bike from them as well – between us we’ve spent over £3000.00 with them over the past five years, but I don’t think I’d buy another bike from them.

So Rusty – what was the problem with the frame / bike (if you dont mind me asking)?

Slipping seat post, no matter how hard the QR was tightened.

First time I returned the bike they checked the bike over, said all was well and returned the bike to me.
It kept slipping.

Second time I returned the bike, they roughed up the inside of the seat tube with some wet & dry and returned the bike to me.
It kept slipping.

The third time I returned the bike I was informed that the wrong size seatpost collar had been fitted and a new Hope one would be sent out to me and would solve the problem.
I received and fitted the collar.
It kept slipping.

I returned the bike again, to be told by the salesman who sold me the bike that it wasn’t the kind of bike that needed a QR seat release and I should use a bolt up collar!
I insisted it wasn’t right, that I wanted to use a QR, it was still slipping on long rides and asked them to test it properly.

It was tested (by one of the owners, I think) who tried it on a short ride and even bent the saddle rails dropping off a kerb whilst trying to replicate the problem.
I explained that the post only slipped over the course of long rides, but he didn’t seem very interested in what I had to say and blamed the fact that I ran the saddle too far back on the post. They replaced the saddle and sent me on my way.

I took the bike away again, tried it again, and the post still slipped.
I had the internal diameter of the seat tube measured by my LBS, who told me it was ‘right on the limit’ for the size of post specified by Merlin. The post itself was measured and found to be within tolerance.

I returned the bike again.
This time, they offered to replace the Race Face Deus seat post with a Thomson.
I accepted this and took the bike away again.

Frankly, I’d had enough by this time – I tried the bike again and although the problem was a little better, the post still slipped on long rides.
I just couldn’t face taking it back again and having to deal with their attitude. They seemed to blame me for the fact that the post kept slipping and gave the impression that there was nothing else they were willing to do to resolve the issue.

I should have just returned the bike and demanded a refund or a replacement frame but by this time, I’d had enough.

The post still slips.

I’ve tried everything; fitting the the seat post collar the back to front, various levels of QR tension, carbon paste on the seat post, the seat in various different positions, etc, etc.

As I say, I love the ride and fit of the bike, but due to the problems experienced I wouldn’t rush back.

Oh, and on both bikes I’ve bought, the damping adjuster on the fork leg has clouted the down tube on full rotation. It was resolved both times by the fitting of a headset with a higher stack height, but at the inconvenience to me of a 70 mile round trip each time.

In hindsight, with all the money I’ve spent on fuel, I should have just bought a Cotic Soul in the first place instead of trying to save a few quid with Merlin.

Sorry for the length of the post, but you did ask! 🙂

Edited – changed my mind, I’ll buy something else instead.

I asked the question on another forum out of curiousity, non bike related forum…

I explained the situation then asked:

Would you send the spare frame back?

Result so far..

11 – yes, it’s the proper thing to do.

36 – mwhhhaaaa, get it punted!

Much more inline with what i’d expect from the general public!

Much more inline with what i’d expect from the general public!

An immoral bunch, on the whole…

I can beat that – I got THREE Malt frames in my box!

An immoral bunch, on the whole…

I suppose that entirely depends on your definition of morality and whether you believe this covers it. i don’t personally.

So, an update….Merlin got in touch with Wilts’ and are arranging to collect the frame. They’ve offered him a good deal on some brakes by way of thanks for him letting them know about their mistake.

Now serving humble pie, get it whilst it’s hot.

and that one with ginger hair is one happy troll

Perhaps if you knew his name – they knwo mine as well – he would be friendly with you?
He is sound not sure what your problem is tbh
he is also a proper cyclist as well roadie and MTB

Thanks to Fuzzy for pointing out my thread had caused some heated debate and variety of views (both on and off this forum). I am not sure of the exact legal situation myself, altho my sister works in trading standards so could check if I wanted but out of interest I think I should tell you what I actually did.

Of course I phoned Merlin, about 20 minutes after opening the box and checking to make sure they hadn’t charged me for two frames. There was no manager available so I had said I would ring back to find out what sort of deal they would do me for being honest and sending the frame back.
We finally got in touch last week, the mistake was down to a ‘warehouse shipping error’ and the offer was ‘choose something off the website and we will do you a deal on it’ which sounded fair enough to me. Which I narrowed down to a set of Nobby Nics or a set of Hayes Stroker Ryde (I still had the orignal Magura Julies on the ‘old’ Merlin & before anyone knocks them too much they did 3 weeks in the Himalays – and have the Hayes on my Anthem). Merlin offered to do the Nics at £30 for the pair or the brake kit at £75.
I would have given you the next dilema – which one do I go for – but as FuzzyFelt has already told you the answer (I did try for both of course), if anyone gets a set of Hayes brakes they hadn’t ordered in the post this week, they’re mine!

Sounds like you came out of it alright in the end Wilts, and integrety intact still.

A man opens his pay packet one day and finds it is £10 over. He says nothing.
He opens his pay packet the following week and finds it is £10 under. He goes to complain to his boss.
“You didn’t say anything last week whe you were overpaid” was the reposnse.
“I let the first error go. This is two mistakes in a row now!”