#!markdown
I used to think that I would never buy anything complex on line such as a fork
or frame due to warranty considerations. I always figured it would be better
to able to explain to a bike shop employee exactly what was wrong and why I
should have it repaired or replaced. I thought it would be too easy for a
person on the end of a computer screen to ignore me. But I was always
disappointed that a distributor or manufacturer made me pay shipping to have a
faulty thing repaired.
I recall working at West Point Cycles in the 80's and a basement full of bent
Stumpjumpers. The shop warranted many of those and because that shop sold many
containers of those bikes, they were able to do that and Specialized honored
the warranty. I think initially they were reluctant to warrant a frame that
had forks bent forward with a failed head tube as if it had been jumped. I
think the shop pointed out that we had sold more of their bikes than any other
shop in North America and that they were mountain bikes after all and then
they relented. I wonder why today's shops don't dictate that to distributors
more. I got a fork with loose bushings once and a number of creaking crowns I
think I had to pay shipping to and from for all those. Once for sure the shop
simply replaced the fork from stock because it was a new bike.
If on line sales mean better service, which I have some difficulty with
accepting, then that sort of sales will do well. It is hard to escape better
on line pricing. I do think it is the future though like it or not.
March 2, 2016, 12:17 p.m. - Andy Eunson
#!markdown I used to think that I would never buy anything complex on line such as a fork or frame due to warranty considerations. I always figured it would be better to able to explain to a bike shop employee exactly what was wrong and why I should have it repaired or replaced. I thought it would be too easy for a person on the end of a computer screen to ignore me. But I was always disappointed that a distributor or manufacturer made me pay shipping to have a faulty thing repaired. I recall working at West Point Cycles in the 80's and a basement full of bent Stumpjumpers. The shop warranted many of those and because that shop sold many containers of those bikes, they were able to do that and Specialized honored the warranty. I think initially they were reluctant to warrant a frame that had forks bent forward with a failed head tube as if it had been jumped. I think the shop pointed out that we had sold more of their bikes than any other shop in North America and that they were mountain bikes after all and then they relented. I wonder why today's shops don't dictate that to distributors more. I got a fork with loose bushings once and a number of creaking crowns I think I had to pay shipping to and from for all those. Once for sure the shop simply replaced the fork from stock because it was a new bike. If on line sales mean better service, which I have some difficulty with accepting, then that sort of sales will do well. It is hard to escape better on line pricing. I do think it is the future though like it or not.