Frame guarantee question

The frame on my Gary Fisher cheapo mountain style bike broke even
though I never rode it off road. I probably put on thirty thousand
miles over almost five years. The bike shop is in the process of
taking care of the free replacement even though I have to pay to have
parts changed which ten years ago I would have done myself, but as I
get older I do not have the patience for such things. My question is
that the bike shop person said that the seat post on my old frame may
be a different size than on the new frame. If it is I would have to
pay for a new seat "stem." I think Gary Fisher should pay for it since
they changed sizes not me. If a part is worn out then I would agree to
pay for it, but if they standardize sizes to save on inventory costs,
why should their savings come from me.

Tom

Quit crying- youre getting a fresh ride for little $$$ after getting
your $$$ worth from the first frame. If the shop wants to rip you on
a seatpost get one mail order for under $20!!!!!


On Jun 26, 4:53*pm, "tomba...@city-net.com" <tomba...@city-net.com>
wrote:
> The frame on my Gary Fisher cheapo mountain style bike broke even
> though I never rode it off road. I probably put on thirty thousand
> miles over almost five years. The bike shop is in the process of
> taking care of the free replacement even though I have to pay to have
> parts changed which ten years ago I would have done myself, but as I
> get older I do not have the patience for such things. My question is
> that the bike shop person said that the seat post on my old frame may
> be a different size than on the new frame. If it is I would have to
> pay for a new seat "stem." I think Gary Fisher should pay for it since
> they changed sizes not me. If a part is worn out then I would agree to
> pay for it, but if they standardize sizes to save on inventory costs,
> why should their savings come from me.
>
> Tom

* tombates@city-net.com <tombates@city-net.com>:
> The frame on my Gary Fisher cheapo mountain style bike broke even
> though I never rode it off road. I probably put on thirty thousand
> miles over almost five years. The bike shop is in the process of
> taking care of the free replacement even though I have to pay to have
> parts changed which ten years ago I would have done myself, but as I
> get older I do not have the patience for such things. My question is
> that the bike shop person said that the seat post on my old frame may
> be a different size than on the new frame. If it is I would have to
> pay for a new seat "stem." I think Gary Fisher should pay for it since
> they changed sizes not me. If a part is worn out then I would agree to
> pay for it, but if they standardize sizes to save on inventory costs,
> why should their savings come from me.
>
> Tom

Tom,

I just went through something similar with my Cannondale. My frame was
no longer being made so they offered me a very similar frame. I also
had them install new brakes, chain and cables. I figured, why not, they
are going to have it torn apart anyways. Now is the time. They charged
me $35 to move all the existing parts over. After it was all said and
done. I feel like my bike is brand new again.

So, maybe getting a new sized piece of tubing for $20 or so, ain't to
bad...?

--
Chris

<tombates@city-net.com> wrote in message
news:b99fb102-9f18-43c3-ad36-57729e7748cf@z66g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
| The frame on my Gary Fisher cheapo mountain style bike broke even
| though I never rode it off road. I probably put on thirty thousand
| miles over almost five years. The bike shop is in the process of
| taking care of the free replacement even though I have to pay to have
| parts changed which ten years ago I would have done myself, but as I
| get older I do not have the patience for such things. My question is
| that the bike shop person said that the seat post on my old frame may
| be a different size than on the new frame. If it is I would have to
| pay for a new seat "stem." I think Gary Fisher should pay for it since
| they changed sizes not me. If a part is worn out then I would agree to
| pay for it, but if they standardize sizes to save on inventory costs,
| why should their savings come from me.
|
| Tom

If your frame is 30,000 miles and 5 years old, and the only thing you're
being charged for is a seatpost, you're probably doing pretty darned good.
In general cables & housings will require replacement. For what it's worth,
the bike shop gets no labor compensation for a warranty frame exchange on a
bike that's more than a year old, and the amount that they do offer (for
newer frames) is so small that it's hardly worth the shop processing the
paperwork. Something like $15 I think, for a job that might take a couple
hours.

In any event, while it's in the shop, I'd have them replace the handlebar &
stem as well. 30k miles is well beyond what I would consider a reasonable
lifespan for those parts, particularly considering what happens if they
fail. And the seatpost? Might not be such a bad thing that they replaced
that as well.

Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that sold
you the bike?

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

I've moved so I cannot.But if you purchased a car with a guarantee all
the dealers would be available to service it.

Tom
> Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that sold
> you the bike?
>
> --Mike-- * * Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

<tombates@city-net.com> wrote in message
news:63f1f5ac-50c8-4277-9113-9119abd841a7@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

Tom
> Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that sold
> you the bike?
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

>>I've moved so I cannot.But if you purchased a car with a guarantee all
>>the dealers would be available to service it.

Bikes are not cars. Car dealerships actually make money performing warranty
repairs. Bike shops do not. That can account for a significant difference in
how a "warranty" situation might be treated between the shop that sold a
bike and someone else.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Another reason why mail order makes sense. An authorized dealer
should take care of customers

On Jun 28, 12:44*am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <mik...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> <tomba...@city-net.com> wrote in message
>
> news:63f1f5ac-50c8-4277-9113-9119abd841a7@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> Tom
>
> > Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that sold
> > you the bike?
>
> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
> >>I've moved so I cannot.But if you purchased a car with a guarantee all
> >>the dealers would be available to service it.
>
> Bikes are not cars. Car dealerships actually make money performing warranty
> repairs. Bike shops do not. That can account for a significant differencein
> how a "warranty" situation might be treated between the shop that sold a
> bike and someone else.
>
> --Mike-- * * Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com

> > Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that
> > sold
> > you the bike?
>
> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
> >>I've moved so I cannot.But if you purchased a car with a guarantee all
> >>the dealers would be available to service it.
>
> Bikes are not cars. Car dealerships actually make money performing
> warranty
> repairs. Bike shops do not. That can account for a significant difference
> in
> how a "warranty" situation might be treated between the shop that sold a
> bike and someone else.

>>Another reason why mail order makes sense. An authorized dealer
>>should take care of customers

I'm not seeing the logic here. An authorized dealer *will* take care of
customers, but only to the extent of the warranty. How is this in any way
shape or form different from mail-order? Is a mail-order bike company going
to fly a mechanic out to change the parts over for you?

If the bike had been brought back to the place of purchase, the service
rendered might well have been above & beyond what is required by the
warranty. That was the point I apparently didn't make very well. A good
local bike shop maintains a sense of ownership in a product long after it's
been sold.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


<bigjimpack@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4267d646-1f81-4f14-b724-528d64ceb4b6@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
Another reason why mail order makes sense. An authorized dealer
should take care of customers

On Jun 28, 12:44 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <mik...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> <tomba...@city-net.com> wrote in message
>
> news:63f1f5ac-50c8-4277-9113-9119abd841a7@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
>
> Tom
>
> > Out of curiosity, are you having the work done by the same shop that
> > sold
> > you the bike?
>
> > --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com
> >>I've moved so I cannot.But if you purchased a car with a guarantee all
> >>the dealers would be available to service it.
>
> Bikes are not cars. Car dealerships actually make money performing
> warranty
> repairs. Bike shops do not. That can account for a significant difference
> in
> how a "warranty" situation might be treated between the shop that sold a
> bike and someone else.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReactionBicycles.com