Last year (Feb 2011) I bought an ex-demo bike from a shop which is no longer trading. I since discovered that there is a problem with the frame. The bike has gone to the manufacturer and they agree that there is a problem, however claim that it is now outwith the warranty period as it was originally “owned” by a previous shop (i.e. Shop A -> Shop B -> Me) for demo purposes.

The manufacturer states on their website a two year warranty on the frame “…from the purchase date of the original owner.” I think I’m the original owner of the bike, but do shops count as owners if the frame is purchased for demo, rather than normal stock?

I’ve had a brief look around t’internet but couldn’t find anything relevant – I’m sure I’ll get a range of views on here 😉 Thanks.

You might be stuffed here. I’ve heard similar tales with the Cycle2Work scheme and bikes acquired through Halfords.

I’d be surprised if there’s any binding precedent. Arguable that as soon as the bike is being ridden, the warranty starts, which would mean you are ****ed.

Of course you want to argue the other way.

What happens with manufacturers warranty on ex demo cars?

Kit – http://www.orangebikes.co.uk/support/warranty/

Nothing in here stipulates who the first owner is or should be for the warranty to work.
If they are claiming the shop is the 1st owner then that is a bit flaky. In effect they are saying that the customer would not get any warranty OR perhaps the remainder of the term of warranty at point of retail sale.

Taken to the letter:
“This warranty applies only to a bicycle purchased from a retailer authorised by Orange Mountain Bikes Limited.”
then the trader has no effect on the warranty status of the product. No stipulation about warranty applying to the trade account.

TBC looks right to me on the wording.

I don’t think you get any warranty with an ex demonstrator frame . Who knows what could have happened to it before you bought it .

All bikes are sold to the shop and then to you. Period.
what they are trying to say is that they sell the bike direct to the customer via a agent (bike shop) but in this case the agent was also the customer.
Which is not the case.
And its a known problem. Are you dealing with the importer or the bike makers?
I know of a shop with a failed seat stay on a demo bike, there are no seat stays to be had as the bike is now a year+ old. the importers haven’t been able to get one. So the bike is sat there doing nothing.
Now if that was a customers bike, they would have a new frame by now or their money back.
the shop has brought and paid for it, but the importers aren’t going to give them a frame in any hurry.

I bought an Orange Patriot 7+ ex-demo some years ago from a shop, they made it clear that it was Ex-demo that Orange would not offer years warranty however the shop would. A few months later it developed some problems, the shop denied the claim of a years warranty saying they offer 30 days only. After some arguing they agreed to sort the issue as long as I didn’t return with anything else. It still hasn’t and I’ve owned it for about 7 years now, not even any metal fatigue that you get on Welsh trail centres.

I’d ask them what it will cost to fix – they should do you a deal.

Are you dealing with the importer or the bike makers?

They are a UK manufacturer, so it’s direct.

thebikechain confirmed my suspicion, that shops are not the first owners of their stock, otherwise everything they sell is effectively 2nd hand. Will see what response I get, anyway!

cyclistm – Member
What happens with manufacturers warranty on ex demo cars?

Sold as used cars, with remainder of warranty intact (from registration date.)

So its the Big O then.

well, they can fix it, its down to whether you get some sort of deal out of them.

There surely has to be some difference between a “demo” bike that has been up and down the streets a few times and one which has been loaned out at a trail centre and thoroughly ragged? I’d have thought that the price difference when buying would take account of the fact that the manufacturers warranty was diminished/negated.

As per TBC’s post, the letter of the warranty is two years as the original owner, purchased from an authorised dealer. Nothing to do with what the dealer has done with it prior to sale (that I can see). If there is a reduced warranty for ex-demo bikes, they should state that clearly prior to the owner making the claim, no?

I’ve had 2 ex demo bikes repaired under warranty. I was told that the waranty started from when I bought it.

You are not the original owner, from what you say legally you have no warranty. You should ask for a “goodwill” repair/replacement/contribution.

WRT cars the warranties are generally transferable, that’s in the language of the warranty. Just like the “original owner only” is in the bike warranty.

You are not the original owner

He is. He bought it from a retailer. The retailer does not constitute a ‘stage’ of the purchase chain for the warranty purpose.

If he had bought it second hand from another rider then he wouldn’t be the 1st owner.

I should add that in the original (and only, so far) email from the manufacturer, they straight up offered a crash-replacement deal.

Did you fill in a warranty registration card or do it online?

From the Orange warranty TCs
The warranty excludes bicycles used for competition, speed or time trials, hire, reward or rental.

Are demo bikes rented out?

Ultimately, the supplying dealer or the administrators are responsible

I think this is a serious grey area, especially as the shop has closed down. The bike is effectively used and most suppliers would just wash their hands off it.

This seems like a good compromise:

I should add that in the original (and only, so far) email from the manufacturer, they straight up offered a crash-replacement deal.

Are demo bikes rented out?

Sounds like an ex demo Orange from the Hub? if so, Yes, they rented out their Demo bikes.

Surely the crux of this, is the relationship between shop A, shop B and Orange. If orange didn’t sanction the sale from A to B, then they have no obligation.

Response back from Orange (for ’twas them) – replacement frame, my choice of colour.

Thanks to Ben at Orange for sorting that out 🙂

If it was the Hub then it strikes me GW is right?

Anyway well done, result!

I bought an ex demo 2012 stumpy from Pearce cycles, it came with a full manufactures warranty.

My understanding is that if it is a demo bike purchased from an authorised dealer, the warranty starts as full from when you buy it.
If the manufacturer won’t uphold that, then it’s bad on their part.

Oops just seen end result, good on orange.

Result.
Enjoy 😀

Right, a bit of an update on this one. Orange offered me a replacement frame gratis and my choice of colour, although not the updated model (not bothered about that). They disputed that it was covered under warranty but acknowledged that the wording on their website was not clear that it didn’t cover demo bikes and that it would be updated.

It took 3 weeks for the frame to come back, having been told that it would take 2 weeks and [because I’d sent them the entire bike, as requested] it came back without my headset or seatclamp – they’d been replaced with other, cheaper makes! My seatclamp did arrive the post a couple of days later, but I’m still waiting on the headset after I asked them for it (and got no reply to my email).

I’ve also asked them on 3 separate occasions what warranty I will get with the replacement but have yet to get any sort of reply.

So warranty replacement frame = good; no reply on replacement warranty, and keeping my stuff = bad (so far).

Warranty on replacement parts normally only runs as long as the unexpired time on the initial warranty. If they won’t tell you what this is, you might have a problem!! Still, come Feb 2013, it won’t matter 🙂

That’s pretty bloody good work by orange IMHO. You have a new frame for the price of a demo. I wouldn’t be moaning about a headset!

Yeah, I’m not expecting to get one, but would be nice if they bothered to actually tell me…

What happens feb 2013?

In Feb 2013, it’ll be two years since Kit bought the bike and that is when the original warranty would have expired in any case.

I have only looked at ex-demo’s from Santa Cruz but I think they came with a specified duration of warrantey which seems fair.

Well done for winning out on this one – generally known faults get fixed in the end.

In the end it’s probably not the question to ask when looking at a bargain but it’s worth getting a written confirmation from the shop and then registering it online.

Wow well done Orange. IMO theyve gone above and beyond there.

a good result i’d say. now get out and enjoy yourself 🙂