Bontrager XXX Seat Post - fake?

ic.

Hi all
Any thoughts on this welcome.

I bought one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BONTRAGER ... 6rk%3D1%26

from the same seller.

I paid £42.50. Which I did on a spur of the moment without really looking into it too much.

Seat post arrived today, but I have a nagging feeling it's a fake. I have no proor whatsoever. I've never seen a real one or a fake one before. It's just a nagging feeling, as I say.

My obvious option is to contact the seller and request a refund, which I am willing to.

First though, I thought I'd ask what your gut feeling would be. Given the price, the fact the guy is selling loads of them, there was no box - just bubble wrap in a jiffy bag etc.

What I don't want to do is suffer a failure. I'm not a lightweight, far from it, so am concerned if I risk it I may end up having an off becuase of it.

I think I've talked myself into sending it back, but what do you think???

Tom Dean

Why should the seller give you a refund?

ic.

Tom Dean wrote:

Why should the seller give you a refund?

You're right, he doesn't have to. I'm yet to contact him about it. If he refuses, so be it I guess.

Karlos69

Have a look at an authentic one in a bike shop.
Or ask them to have a look at yours if they will.

navrig

Distance selling regs allow you to return without question, afaik, as long as you do so within a set period of time.

It's all in here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000 ... tents/made

extrusion

I did the same a couple of weeks ago. Bought an FSA K-Force carbon seatpost without looking properly (I was about to drive home when it was ending so just stuck in my highest bid). It looks the biz except a) it doesn't have the normal carbon weave (twill?) that the piccies online I see have, and the clamp is massively rubbish with only bolt. I emailed him and asked him if he knew it was a fake (FSA have never sold that seatpost with one bolt clamp), he said he suspected it, he bought it off ebay, but as it was strong and light kept it.

So I'm doing the same, for 41 quids I can't be bothered trying to send it back, plus it's so tight in my bike when i pulled it out it was all scratched and a sticker had been torn off. So far it's okay, but like you I worried about the rigidity of it, and the seat keeps slipping in the clamp.

Oh for a only few pounds more I could have got a USE alien seatpost ...

buckmulligan

Navrig wrote:

Distance selling regs allow you to return without question, afaik, as long as you do so within a set period of time.

It's all in here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000 ... tents/made

Distance selling regs don't apply to auction-style purchases. If it's a Buy-It-Now purchase, distance selling regs do indeed apply and you can send it back within 7 days for a full refund (INCLUDING POSTAGE!) no questions asked. However, if you won it by bidding on an auction listing, you're going to have to convince the seller that it's a fake, but at least you can start a PayPal claim with your evidence if they refuse to negotiate.

badly_dubbed

Identical to my cheap Chinese seat post that I bought for £13

Bozman

I've seen quite a few newish Ebay sellers selling multiple pieces..... FSA k-force seat posts, 3T ergosum team bars etc, all of these are available for a few quid from China and the more you buy the cheaper you get them.
I've got a feeling that there's a few boxes coming over from China and they're being sold on as the real thing on Ebay. Surprised?.......no.

ic.

Thanks for the input guys. I've contacted the seller and he's happy to refund so it's on it's way back now.

Monty Dog

FWIW the Bontranger is a generic Chinese-made seatpost with 'expensive' stickers

tonye_n

It is definitely fake.
I bought a similar item from this chap to replace my ageing Bonty seatpost of a similar model.
However his listing does say 'returns accepted', and I got a refund of my costs including return postage.

I sent him an email through eBay requesting a refund, and he offered no arguments whatsoever...
I think it is probably not fake, but is from 'quality control reject' batch from the original factory which manufactures the real stuff.
We see that all the time. As such, if something seems very cheap compared to rrp I would only buy if the listing says 'returns accepted'.

I left him feedback saying precisely that the item seemed from a dodgy batch, but refund was swift.
You should have read his feedback before buying :roll:

Check out his feedback of 17th August. There is a neutral feedback saying
Quote: "Item was defective in design. But refund was processed without any issues."

"Dear caddygolf11,
Hi, I wish to return this item as it appears to be defective in design. As designed, the wall thickness of the inner wall of the shaft should be thicker at the front and rear of the post where it takes the bulk of the forward and backward flex.
I have compared it with an old seatpost that this was to replace, and this one. In your post, the wall thickness is mis-aligned, such that it most of the thickness is to the side, and the load bearing portion is very thin. It is my opinion that this will be unsafe to use, and I wish to return. Your listing says "returns accepted". I have compared it to the.....-
t_etim"