Giant Defy seat stay break and bit of a warranty hassle.

silverscoob

I have a Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 2015 model, last Thursday (20th October), went out to check the tyres before going out for a ride (was out the day before for a quick 20 miler). Noticed that the drive side seat stay looked odd. Closer inspection showed that it was fractured/cracked, could see the fibres. Took it straight to the shop I bought it from, Thatto Cyes, St.Helens. Heard back yesterday via the shop, from photos sent to them, Giant warranty dept said that the damage was due to a crash and/or impact damage. I have had neither a crash or impact whilst on the bike and it is always safely stored. So, really at a loss, that Giant are telling me that something happened to my bike, which was severe enough to write-off an 18 month old, £1300+ frame whilst not even registering with me whilst I was riding it?
They did say I could have a replacement frame but for a price I'd have to sort out with the shop but £500 was mentioned.
Also, priced up a a fix at a local carbon-repair specialist, £180. Anyone had a carbon frame fixed this way?

So, in general just wonder what experience any members on here have had with Giant or any other bits of advice welcome.
cheers

trailflow

Any photo's of the crack ?

Jomax

I just recently had my 2015 propel crack where the chain stays join the bottom bracket, there was a chip of paint out of it too , they said it was impact damage. I had to pay for a crash replacement. The dealer sent in the frame in with a letter from me , they stuck with their original decision on the original damage, however there was another crack on the seat tube, so they refunded my money. I have about 10,000 k on the frame.

Jomax

That being said, I was mad as hell at giant for not originally giving me warranty, they had the frame and found another crack that I didn't know about, and didn't need to tell me but they came thru.

silverscoob

trailflow wrote:

Any photo's of the crack ?

Sorry this is about the photo I took just as I noticed it and took it into the bike shop.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/scfp02guqt38xes/IMG_20161020_161226.jpg

Been trying to embed it but not working for some obvious reason, I can't fathom.

topgunsteve

I cracked the seat tube on my 2013 Defy after 2 months, emailed the bike shop some pictures and they said they'd get a replacement frame from Giant. I was just riding along, hit a small bump in the road and the ST flexed too much. No quibles with the frame swap, kudos to Pedalon for the swift turnaround.

RE.. frame repair, I've heard lots of good things about it. There's a guy in Norfolk, an ex-F1 engineer who is doing some highly rated repairs:

HQ Fibre Products
5 Norwich Road
Lingwood
Norwich
NR13 4BH
Norfolk
Tel: 01603 713972
Fax: 01603 713972

There's some great feedback on the time trialing forum:

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... try1586597

svetty

Does look like some form of impact has occurred. ? whilst you were in a cafe or something....

silverscoob

Svetty wrote:

Does look like some form of impact has occurred. ? whilst you were in a cafe or something....

Not been to any cafe for a while, was out on it just the day before, so not even sure as to when it happened. Been wracking my brain, trying to think of something, if I'd crashed or whatever wouldn't have gone back to the shop with it, as a warranty request.

fenix

Someone dropped something on it ? Fallen against a wall or something ? Anything in the garage that could have fallen against it - or has anyone else been in the garage ?

silverscoob

Fenix wrote:

Someone dropped something on it ? Fallen against a wall or something ? Anything in the garage that could have fallen against it - or has anyone else been in the garage ?

No, decent sized double garage, away from stuff and no one but me and the missus goes in there. So, pretty flummuxed. :?:

Anonymous

Been riding too much lately? Didn't compliment the missus on last night's supper? Didn't buy her that new pair of shoes? Slagged off the in-laws?

silverscoob

coriordan wrote:

Been riding too much lately? Didn't compliment the missus on last night's supper? Didn't buy her that new pair of shoes? Slagged off the in-laws?

Don't think she'd go as far as that, let my tyres down, perhaps but not cracking the frame.

Briggo

Do we keep going with the scenario searching?

At end of day that clearly looks like it's had some sort of impact damage it hasn't just cracked. You might not know how it occurred, doesn't mean it didn't.

silverscoob

Briggo wrote:

Do we keep going with the scenario searching?

At end of day that clearly looks like it's had some sort of impact damage it hasn't just cracked. You might not know how it occurred, doesn't mean it didn't.

Thanks for your input, granted my post queries the possible cause of the damage, seems that the general consensus is it has been impacted, without me being aware, right ok, I've got some third party insight. So, then if you'd like to move on to the other points I asked about. Experience with Giant's warranty department, also with regards to carbon frame repairs, can you add anything to these? If so, great, as that's what a forum is about, people without possible experience of an issue asking those who have for advice and generally up until your post, that was what I got.

mamba80

silverscoob wrote:

Briggo wrote:

Do we keep going with the scenario searching?

At end of day that clearly looks like it's had some sort of impact damage it hasn't just cracked. You might not know how it occurred, doesn't mean it didn't.

Thanks for your input, granted my post queries the possible cause of the damage, seems that the general consensus is it has been impacted, without me being aware, right ok, I've got some third party insight. So, then if you'd like to move on to the other points I asked about. Experience with Giant's warranty department, also with regards to carbon frame repairs, can you add anything to these? If so, great, as that's what a forum is about, people without possible experience of an issue asking those who have for advice and generally up until your post, that was what I got.

If your certain no impact occurred and i dont see how anyone here can tell that from one photo, then stick to your guns and push the LBS/Giant to replace, if you bought with a credit card, then you can claim against the shop with that too.

Frames are tough and a seat stay would nt break because someone lent their bike up against yours or you dropped a spanner on it.

Repairs can be excellent but will make any resale much lower, if thats a problem?

bendertherobot

I can't really contextualise that damage pic, any chance of some more pics? Is it outside edge? Inside? Underneath?

silverscoob

Photos taken by LBS which Giant used to assess.
Drive-side seat stay, about half way down. That lift crack/damage is sort of on the inside of the seat stay slightly to the front. So, Giant reckon it's been hit from the rear-side?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7trgbgu6js0ee50/SnipImage.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3xwwx1rgencyex/SnipImage%20%281%29.jpg

fenix

Dropping a heavy spanner on a stay like that could do damage.

If its on the inside of it - has anything got caught in the wheel and tw@tted it ? But you'd surely have heard about that.

bendertherobot

So, in that first pic, did you stick a towel on there and hit it with a rubber mallet? It does all seem rather odd for something to exhibit little or no damage on the impact side.

silverscoob

bendertherobot wrote:

So, in that first pic, did you stick a towel on there and hit it with a rubber mallet? It does all seem rather odd for something to exhibit little or no damage on the impact side.

Never heard of anyone doing that assume you have but no and that's exactly the dilemma. No offs nor crashes, as Giant don't seem to be going to budge, going to have to be a repair, think somewhere in the region of £200 to £250 inc strip-down I've been told.

Lookyhere

Have to say that if the LBS sent in that picture with the wording "impact damage causing..." and big red arrows pointing it out... then you had zero chance of getting a warranty claim.

if your genuine in that you dont know how it happened then you should do as manba said and claim from your credit card against the shop.

Briggo

silverscoob wrote:

If so, great, as that's what a forum is about, people without possible experience of an issue asking those who have for advice and generally up until your post, that was what I got.

No you didn't, you got and are continually getting wild guesses at the root cause. You don't know the answer so it's a pointless exercise.

End of day its happened, Giant warranty is pretty good as they've replaced various parts no quibbles on my Trance.

sloppyschleckonds

Can someone show the OP how to use the quote function.

TIA

sloppyschleckonds

silverscoob wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

So, in that first pic, did you stick a towel on there and hit it with a rubber mallet? It does all seem rather odd for something to exhibit little or no damage on the impact side.

Never heard of anyone doing that assume you have but no and that's exactly the dilemma. No offs nor crashes, as Giant don't seem to be going to budge, going to have to be a repair, think somewhere in the region of £200 to £250 inc strip-down I've been told.

Definitely impact damage, £100 for repair, £100 for strip/ rebuild sounds fair.

bendertherobot

silverscoob wrote:

Never heard of anyone doing that assume you have but no and that's exactly the dilemma. No offs nor crashes, as Giant don't seem to be going to budge, going to have to be a repair, think somewhere in the region of £200 to £250 inc strip-down I've been told.

No, that's rather my point. To exhibit not damage on the other side that somehow then blows the other side out is quite odd.

kingrollo

silverscoob wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

So, in that first pic, did you stick a towel on there and hit it with a rubber mallet? It does all seem rather odd for something to exhibit little or no damage on the impact side.

Never heard of anyone doing that assume you have but no and that's exactly the dilemma. No offs nor crashes, as Giant don't seem to be going to budge, going to have to be a repair, think somewhere in the region of £200 to £250 inc strip-down I've been told.

Write to the CEO of giant - and ask him to review your case personally.
I have had great success getting things resolved by doing this.
you can also tell them Ive crossed a giant propel off my next bike list.

silverscoob

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Can someone show the OP how to use the quote function.

TIA

FIFY

silverscoob

Briggo wrote:

No you didn't, you got and are continually getting wild guesses at the root cause. You don't know the answer so it's a pointless exercise.

End of day its happened, Giant warranty is pretty good as they've replaced various parts no quibbles on my Trance.

I've found a number of the posts of help in trying to decide on my course of action, if you reckon it's pointless exercise, don't take part.