How important is a warranty?

greasedscotsman

As the title says really. When your buying a new bike, how important is it to you. From reading this forum it seems that some manufacturers have a better warranty than others. Does this sway your choice of bike at all? Also I’ve seen a number of frames on sale which are not through proper dealers so seemingly don’t have any warranty cover. Would this matter to you if your getting a huge saving on the cost of the frame?

nferrar

I'd want at least a 1 year warranty if it's new and a some sort of crash replacement scheme is a bonus. I figure any manufacturing defect is likely to show up within the first year so I wouldn't really rate a 5 year warranty much more than a 1 year one, lifetime warranties are fairly meaningless IMO and only a couple of companies could really back them up.

It would have to be a pretty big saving (i.e. similar to second-hand light use pricing) for me to want to give up a 1 year warranty assuming the frame was £1000+

Gazzaputt

Very important to me. I want at least 5 years with a lifetime being better as this does show confidence from the manufacturer in their product.

This is why when buying 2nd hand I like to see a big discount.

sloppyschleckonds

Gazzaputt wrote:

Very important to me. I want at least 5 years with a lifetime being better as this does show confidence from the manufacturer in their product.

This is why when buying 2nd hand I like to see a big discount.

^
This

2nd prices are crazy considering the lack of warranty available

SteveR_100Milers

After a cracked frame in a 2 yr old TT bike, which was replaced FOC under warranty, very important indeed.

greasedscotsman

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

After a cracked frame in a 2 yr old TT bike, which was replaced FOC under warranty, very important indeed.

What frame was it?

Monty Dog

Warranties are a marketing gimmick and are typically an excuse for poor quality products - those that make the most of their warranties are often the worst for quality - Google Trek or Litespeed warranty issues if you need proof.
Incredibly there's people still out there that think that a warranty covers them for their own incompetence or accidents.
If you buy the right product, then chances are you won't need the warranty.

Chip \'oyler

Monty Dog wrote:

Warranties are a marketing gimmick and are typically an excuse for poor quality products - those that make the most of their warranties are often the worst for quality - Google Trek or Litespeed warranty issues if you need proof.
Incredibly there's people still out there that think that a warranty covers them for their own incompetence or accidents.
If you buy the right product, then chances are you won't need the warranty.

Are they? Viner frames come with a 5 year warranty and they're not a poor quality product. I think it's more a case of them putting their money where their mouth is. i.e they know they can offer a 5 year warranty because they know a very small percentage will come back.

Surely if a company makes a poor quality product they wouldn't offer a warranty because they'd end up out of pocket with that many frames going back?

It's a bit like saying car manufacturers warranties are a gimmick. We all know most cars are built to a good standard - but would we buy a brand new one without a warranty?

Pigtail

It's incredibly important if you need it - and pretty worthless if you don't!

What is your attitude to warranties in other areas? Do you buy new cars to get the warranty or second-hand ones to avoid the depreciation?

I'm not sure that bikes are much different to other consumer products.

I like warranties where they don't cost me anything. I buy most of my electronic goods from John Lewis, because they will price match and they give you a second year warranty free. I cannot recollect ever buying an extended warranty on anything.

Monty Dog

FWIW Viner don't make their top-end product, so probably just make it a contracted liability on their supplier - product breaks, supplier coughs-up.
Spend years setting up business in the US where everyone wants a warranty and yet the quality of some products was appalling - it's an insurance policy that pays and people believe that getting a free-placement when the [email protected] first one breaks is good service! Many European and Japanese mfrs focus on the getting the product right in the first place rather than covering their ar$e with a piece of paper.

nicklouse

Pigtail wrote:

I I buy most of my electronic goods from John Lewis, because they will price match and they give you a second year warranty free.

Err you automatically have a 2 year warranty on any product bought in the EU. they are not giving you anything extra.