Giant Defy Frame broken - Warranty No Good
MarkoC
Posts: 3
Hi,
Anyone else out there have issues with Giant Defy broken frames and flawed warranties? Apologies in advance for the long text...
Bought a Giant defy 3 last year in Ireland after hearing it was the best buy, great build and a manufacturer that stands by their products. 16 months in and the frame cracked between crossbar and seat post.I am average build and 5ft8in so wasn’t a seatpost height issue, rather a defective build or design. That’s on top of bottom bracket failing after 12months, broken spoke, and pedals fell apart after 1 month… they say you pay for what you get, but surely €850 should get you more than that.
Anyway, brought back to LBS 7 weeks ago and still waiting for the bike to be returned to me. Thankfully they gave a loan of a bike until it was repaired as I commute circa 35km a day, but getting very frustrated at Giant Ireland and UK.
Apparently, after delivering the wrong replacement frame size, Giant have now replaced, or “upgraded” the frame to that from a Defy 0 or Defy 1 – I can’t see any difference myself in their specifications for the Defy 3 and the Defy 0 (only the “aluminium steerer”). The problem with this is that the Defy 0 frame needs a press fit bottom bracket and hollowtech II chainset, whereas my original one was a square taper (which I had just replaced a few weeks prior to the frame cracking). I have seen the correspondence between the LBS and Giant UK and Giant UK don’t seem to care. Giant UK response: “The compatibility issue of the new frame being a bb86 fitment not a threaded one is part of the upgrade of those frames, we will not cover the replacement of that of to this frame as the warranty is on the frame not its components, these details are detailed in the warranty manual. I am sorry to inform you of this...” Thanks a lot Giant, you’re sound...
So now I am left with a bike with no chain set or bottom bracket which will be an extra inconvenience (and unnecessary) expense for me… and a spare working chain set that doesn't fit the bike. LBS trying to help (they no longer have an account with Giant) but surely Giant need to have the balls and look after their end-users..? If it was a Defy 0 Composite that broke would I get the same attitude?
Anyone else have issue with Giants somewhat flawed warranty??? Interested to know how other bike manufacturers look after their users? How did they look after you, if at all?
Thanks
Anyone else out there have issues with Giant Defy broken frames and flawed warranties? Apologies in advance for the long text...
Bought a Giant defy 3 last year in Ireland after hearing it was the best buy, great build and a manufacturer that stands by their products. 16 months in and the frame cracked between crossbar and seat post.I am average build and 5ft8in so wasn’t a seatpost height issue, rather a defective build or design. That’s on top of bottom bracket failing after 12months, broken spoke, and pedals fell apart after 1 month… they say you pay for what you get, but surely €850 should get you more than that.
Anyway, brought back to LBS 7 weeks ago and still waiting for the bike to be returned to me. Thankfully they gave a loan of a bike until it was repaired as I commute circa 35km a day, but getting very frustrated at Giant Ireland and UK.
Apparently, after delivering the wrong replacement frame size, Giant have now replaced, or “upgraded” the frame to that from a Defy 0 or Defy 1 – I can’t see any difference myself in their specifications for the Defy 3 and the Defy 0 (only the “aluminium steerer”). The problem with this is that the Defy 0 frame needs a press fit bottom bracket and hollowtech II chainset, whereas my original one was a square taper (which I had just replaced a few weeks prior to the frame cracking). I have seen the correspondence between the LBS and Giant UK and Giant UK don’t seem to care. Giant UK response: “The compatibility issue of the new frame being a bb86 fitment not a threaded one is part of the upgrade of those frames, we will not cover the replacement of that of to this frame as the warranty is on the frame not its components, these details are detailed in the warranty manual. I am sorry to inform you of this...” Thanks a lot Giant, you’re sound...
So now I am left with a bike with no chain set or bottom bracket which will be an extra inconvenience (and unnecessary) expense for me… and a spare working chain set that doesn't fit the bike. LBS trying to help (they no longer have an account with Giant) but surely Giant need to have the balls and look after their end-users..? If it was a Defy 0 Composite that broke would I get the same attitude?
Anyone else have issue with Giants somewhat flawed warranty??? Interested to know how other bike manufacturers look after their users? How did they look after you, if at all?
Thanks
0
Comments
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Pretty good service from your shop though - lending you the bike. Lets have a bit of love for that LBS to counter the crap service from Giant ?
Sounds a bit rough to me - but I'd probably just get on with it. How much will it cost you for a new BB and chainset ?
You can sell the old one to go towards it.
BB's and chainsets wear out anyway.0 -
STOP! The warranty is a bit of a red herring. Under the 1979 Sale of Goods Act the retailer is responsible for selling you something that is fit for purpose and of saleable quality. In this case the bike wasn't of suffeicient quality because it failed within a time period that is not 'reasonable'. Your bike shop has the responsibility to replace the bike (realistically with a warranty frome from Giant and a new BB and chainset from themselves) to return you to the position you were when you handed over your money. This is exactly what Kudo bikes did when my wife's frame cracked and the replacement carbon frame needed a new BB and chainset.
The 'upgrade' is the issue here. The upgrade means that some of the components no longer fit. Giant can therefore either not upgrade tyour frame or upgrade it and pass the rest of the responsibility to your bike shop.
It's still your decision, but if you know what your legal rights are you know who you should be kicking to get what you want.0 -
Thanks for the sound advice.
LBS have agreed to fund the replacement parts and have them on order so fair play to them - a small bike shop taking the hit rather than the large company that could absorb the costs without even thinking about it... I find it odd that a retailer takes on the additional costs (instead of the manufacturer) for the replacement works because of a defect.
Still, bad form from Giant... I can only assume that it suited them to provide the different frame rather than replace like for like0 -
They are still producing the 3, 4 and 5 models with a threaded BB shell. You needed to reject the upgraded frame and insist that you want a replacement frame with a threaded BB. Good luck with that though. I think BB's are a consumable part and not covered under the warranty.
As they have already sent the replacement frame it's is probably going to be quicker for you to just use it.
As Sleeper Cell says, your contract was with the shop, so they should be standing the cost of the press fit BB and HTII crankset. You could come to some a compromise, you by the BB they pay for the new Crankset.
Tough on the bike shop, however it's for them to argue it with Giant to reimburse costs, or stand the loss to keep your future custom.0 -
Sleeper Cell wrote:STOP! The warranty is a bit of a red herring. Under the 1979 Sale of Goods Act the retailer is responsible for selling you something that is fit for purpose and of saleable quality. In this case the bike wasn't of suffeicient quality because it failed within a time period that is not 'reasonable'. Your bike shop has the responsibility to replace the bike (realistically with a warranty frome from Giant and a new BB and chainset from themselves) to return you to the position you were when you handed over your money. This is exactly what Kudo bikes did when my wife's frame cracked and the replacement carbon frame needed a new BB and chainset.
The 'upgrade' is the issue here. The upgrade means that some of the components no longer fit. Giant can therefore either not upgrade tyour frame or upgrade it and pass the rest of the responsibility to your bike shop.
It's still your decision, but if you know what your legal rights are you know who you should be kicking to get what you want.
So the 1979 Sale of Goods Act covers him for purchases in Ireland? Really?0 -
No, but the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980 (mirror legislation does using the same terms) does. See here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/co ... eland.htmldarkhairedlord wrote:Sleeper Cell wrote:STOP!......know who you should be kicking to get what you want.
So the 1979 Sale of Goods Act covers him for purchases in Ireland? Really?
There you go, you've learned something today, so not a total waste.0 -
Looking at the Giant website the 0 uses a different grade of aluminium - presumably this means the frame is a bit lighter so would be considered an upgrade rather than just having a different model numbers or paint job.0
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Omar Little wrote:Looking at the Giant website the 0 uses a different grade of aluminium - presumably this means the frame is a bit lighter so would be considered an upgrade rather than just having a different model numbers or paint job.
Correct, If the OP is talking about the 2014 frame, the Defy 0 and 1 models use the ALUXX SL frame (double butted) and pressfit BB86, same fork as on this Defy 3 though but.0
