My story about buying Cube Frame from Bike-Discount.de

tim-tom

Cube + Bike-discount + year 2016-2017
Here is a fail story of quality, brands, warranties and lost expectations for everybody to be aware.

When we talk about popular brands VS china suppliers, usually we choose paying more to have less pain later. But that doesn’t work with some brands. Hereinafter you’ll se why I’m so pessimistic.
I've bought my Cube Elite Super HPC carbon frame from Bike-discount.de early 2016.

01.02.2016 - my Cube Elite Super HPC carbon frame arrived (WOW 09731 K L 0814 M EN 114766)

13.04.2017 - after a year of riding once I washed my bike and found that sad picture https://goo.gl/photos/ueyM4FddyFTYyaWu6 the long creaking chink appeared from under the dust


13.04.2017 (same day) - a request was send to Bike-discount customer service then one more request next day

… days of ignorance

19.04.2017 - one more request

… days of ignorance

26.04.2017 (after 13 days and 3 requests) - they finally answered.
Their answer:

"Guten Tag Serhiy Tymoshenko, this looks like something scratched on the frametube. This is not painting or production fault. I will send you mail on to CUBE, but i guess it will be refused.”

I was shocked, you know, if they would have say something like "f@#k off”, that would be not that shocking to hear.

26.04.2017 - My answer:

"Hi! It is definitely not a scratch. It is crack, both sides of the crack have relative movement. Frame was never been to accidents. This part of frame is unreachable for some impact. I hope you warranty statement is not an catch for losers. “

26.04.2017 - Their answer:

"Please choose the most inexpensive but trackable service possible to return the products (no express or payable upon delivery service).
Afterwards please send us the receipt along with your order number and your banking information (IBAN) with email. We will refund the return postage.

Please download the necessary return form on http://www.bike-discount.de. You can find this in your customer summary by selecting “Return item”.
Please also attach a copy of the invoice.
Returns can be treated only if the product is sent back in clean condition. Otherwise we may have to clean dirty items or return them to you unprocessed, at your cost.
Average processing times at the manufacturer are about 2-3 weeks.
During the season this may take longer, unfortunately we have no influence on this.
…
etc
...
For any other questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Johannes Axer”

03.06.2017 - I was able to disassemble found the cheapest postage service and sent frame

10.07.2017 - Package arrived to FRANKFURT

… a month passed ( all this month I was reminding Bike-discount customer service about the parcel is waiting for pickup )

11.08.2017 - Package was picked up - https://photos.app.goo.gl/7OQIsvRU141wNfHk1

15.08.2017 - My request:

"Hi, as i can see this parcel was just waiting for receiving a month! Whole month, I do not get what is wrong here… https://www.screencast.com/t/kq2SynOBVCN
why so long?"

15.08.2017 - Their answer:

"Dear Mr. Serhiy Tymoshenko,
We have opened a service case for the article Elite Super HPC Race 29 Rahmen carbon´n´green.
We received your article and we will transfer it immediately to the manufacturer for further processing. Generally, processing will take about 2-3 weeks."

29.08.2017 - Their answer:

"Dear Mr. Serhiy Tymoshenko,
Hereby we would like to inform you about the status of your service case no. 0000030662.
Because of the high work load at the manufacturer/supplier, your case could not be processed yet.
Of course we will try to speed up your case and will contact the manufacturer/supplier again.
We ask for your patience and understanding.
As soon as we have new information we will contact you immediately.”

13.09.2017 - They just repeated the same text

26.09.2017 - They answered on Russian, whereas I addressed them in English

“Уважаемый Serhiy Tymoshenko,
Проверка качества рамы Elite SHPC RACE 29 2016 21 показала что заводский брак отсутствует. После детального рассмотрения рамы мы пришли к возможной версии что как мы полагаем и привело к данному браку в материале. Это не правильное прикрепления к нижней трубе при транспортировке велосипеда... проверка так же показала и на нижней трубе блестящию и удлиненную царапину( на фото в отмеченной области) ! котороя образовалась на основе возможного зажима.. (нижния труба покрыта матовой лакировкой)!
best regards
Tobias Bohlmann”

Which meant that they have found wore signs at the TOP TUBE and at their point that caused failure of the DOWN TUBE.

26.09.2017 - I argued next:

“Good afternoon!
This was a time to wait...
But I did not expect such a resolution. Cosmetic abrasion of the top frame coating is due to the bicycle storage at home on the ICE TOOLZ P633 mount purchased at bike-discount.de (photo attached). It was slightly moving in the V-shaped hooks and the painting wear off a bit.
This frame was never clamped in a vice after buying at bike discount, since I assembled it myself at home just on the floor, was also never transported by car in clamps only on a train in a case and I was carrying it myself, so there is NO option of inaccurate treatment with other variant is not possible even theoretically if we take into account the shape of the cross section of the upper tube, which has ribs projecting in the horizontal direction. Such a crack can be specially obtained only if a vertical force is applied along the lower part of the tube, but even specifically this task is non-trivial. I think you just do not want to recognize design fault"

Here is the photo of the mount https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sm80xG50i0I4HMmV2
Here is the the photo of their arguments about how chink appeared https://photos.app.goo.gl/1NLCdx67xvbksnp12

Bake rack, i've used -

Their arguments -
… days of ignorance

09.10.2017 - I’ve re-sent my previous letter

10.10.2017 - They’ve answered:

“Dear Serhiy Tymoshenko,
The text we have written to you is the original from the manufacturer, the frame has been tested by Cube with all devices!
I think the manufacturer knows what he is talking about, you can send the frame again back to us and we forward this again to the manufacturer.
I cant do more for you if the manufacturer confirms thats not a guarantee.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Tobias Bohlmann"

10.10.2017 - I’ve exploded then:

“It looks like everyone whant's to make joke of me. What devices you talking about. I’m a mechanical engineer, and working with frames of different materials. Carbon frames are handmade, somebody put less material on my frame and/or put a carbon fiber sheet with failure or without overlap and that shitty frame i got from you then. What devices could prove/refute problem with cheap Chinese manufacturing? Don’t think i’m a stupid dumb. You just need to say, that cube has no warranty at all. 3 years, 5 years - that s a lie.
I’m pissed off...
First you ignored my letters, than tried to ensure me that i broke my frame. Then i send you a frame and it was pending in the post office for a month and you weren’t very interested in processing it. Then this pending with cube. And finally this come-off from cube and you. Nobody would care for my rights. Cycling season is ruined + i’m feeling like a piece of shit after this customer experience
...
"

Conclusions?
I don't know, what to say. My advice - don't trust warranty from Cube

FishFish

If you paid by credit card then you have a case of several liability against the credit card issuer under the Consumer Credit Act. You have said that you are a mechanical engineer and that you test frames. Hopefully it is true.

cougie

Interesting first post. And getting abusive with your replies probably won't help you.

The Rookie

Your argument is with the retailer who you paid, not the manufacturer who you didn’t.