Specialized (and other makes) warranty advice

Hi all
Got a problem with a 6 month old Specialized Camber - do I have to take it back to the shop I brought it from or can I take it to any Specialized shop for warranty repairs?
Story is I wanted a Camber in Large but my local shop (Specialized Chelmsford) didn't have that size so I ended up buying it from Cycle Surgery in Romford. Specialized Chelmsford have said it needs new rear suspension bearings as it has a knocking sound but despite saying they would do warranty (even taking copies of receipts etc, making me do 2 trips up there with the bike and leaving me without a working bike for what will now be some considerable time) they now say I have to take it back to cycle surgery. I do not want to take it back to Cycle Surgery as they are useless and from experience don't know one end of a bike from the other.
Any suggestions?? I thought a Specialized shop would be the best place to go to but for some reason they can't/won't do it? Are they telling me porkies? Should I contact Specialized UK?
Got a problem with a 6 month old Specialized Camber - do I have to take it back to the shop I brought it from or can I take it to any Specialized shop for warranty repairs?
Story is I wanted a Camber in Large but my local shop (Specialized Chelmsford) didn't have that size so I ended up buying it from Cycle Surgery in Romford. Specialized Chelmsford have said it needs new rear suspension bearings as it has a knocking sound but despite saying they would do warranty (even taking copies of receipts etc, making me do 2 trips up there with the bike and leaving me without a working bike for what will now be some considerable time) they now say I have to take it back to cycle surgery. I do not want to take it back to Cycle Surgery as they are useless and from experience don't know one end of a bike from the other.
Any suggestions?? I thought a Specialized shop would be the best place to go to but for some reason they can't/won't do it? Are they telling me porkies? Should I contact Specialized UK?
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Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
1) charging you for the work
2) telling you to go back to the shop you bought it from
What Spesh have done on occasion is reimbursed a shop for their time, so the Chelmsford store do the work, then claim back the cost from Spesh UK, but no idea if they'd still entertain that.
The reason the Chelmsford store would do warranty work is that they are a Sspecualized shop, my bike is Specialized. They don't do it for free, they claim the cost back from Specialized surely?? It's the same with a car, you can take it to any same make dealer as the warranty is with the manufacturer and not the individual dealer....hence why it's called a manufacturers warranty and the cost is covered by the manufacturer.
Same as if my frame snapped, it wouldn't be the shop footing the bill it would be the manufacturer?
So? Do you think they get a share of everything Specialized sell? If you bought a jar of sauce from Tesco and it was off would you expect to get a refund from Sainsbury's? They're both retailers for the same product after all...
Specialized will charge for warranty goods, then reimburse upon return of the broken part - that's not specific to one store, however they generally won't include labour charges, and that's where you've come a cropper in this specific instance. A shop effectively loses out most of the time when they have to do warranty work.
Your contract is with the retailer. They're not franchised like car dealerships, so comparisons to that industry are irrelevant.
Do you know this for sure or is it just a guess as this is different from a lot of other industries. If the manufacturer is at fault for a defect then they are liable for the repairs including the labour usually, albeit at a reduced rate from retail labour costs. Like you say why should the shop lose out for selling a companies product??
Sauce.....bikes.....bit of different there fella, for starters you don't really need a mechanical warranty for a jar of sauce. In any instance, buy Heinz from anywhere and you can still send it back to Heinz for a replacement if it's not up to standard.
Think the best thing to do is to contact Specialized direct and speak to them, just after decent service for my bike which I am not confident I'll get from the original shop :-(
I'd just let Cycle Surgery do it and if it's not satisfactory then take it up with Specliazed UK from there. They're a great company to deal with in my experience (Specialized that is, I've only ordered little things from Cycle Surgery).
NukeProof Mega FR 2012
Cube NuRoad 2018
Previous:
2015 Genesis CdF 10, 2014 Cube Hyde Race, 2012 NS Traffic, 2007 Specialized SX Trail, 2005 Specialized Demo 8
viewtopic.php?f=40074&t=12877456
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
I know. I spent 10 years working for a big Spesh dealer, and I'm friends with several of their employees.
That's irrelevant, would you take it back to Sainsbury's? That's what you're doing...
I appreciate the point you are making though, it would be great if I could just take it back to the shop and get a brand new bike (like your jar of sauce example) but I can't and I don't trust the people I brought the bike from to be capable of doing the repair.
You can ask your dealer nicely, they may charge you the labour if they can't get Spesh to reimburse them. We did that fairly often.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
This Limited Warranty is made on new Specialized bicycles or framesets purchased from an authorised Specialized dealer. In order to exercise your rights under this limited warranty, the bicycle or frameset must be presented to an authorised Specialized dealer, together with a proof of purchase. Should this bicycle, frameset or any part be determined by Specialized to be covered by this warranty, it will be repaired or replaced, at Specialized’s sole option, which will be conclusive and binding.
http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/warranty
Chelmsford ship is a Specialized Concept Store so I'm pretty sure is an "authorised" dealer!
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
Clearly states any dealer with proof of purchase.
Will ring Specialized for a definite answer.
Have a google, the wording is fairly similar to a few other major brands I had a quick look at. "take it to an authorised X dealer, with proof of purchase"
Doesn't state it has to be the original place, I mean what happens if the place shuts down. The manufacturer doesn't want to have to deal with claims directly so they leave it like that to say you can take it anywhere.
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
I'm reading it, still reads any authorised dealer??
Dealers may not like doing it as they probably don't make much on the job but they want to be an authorised dealer then that's part if being an authorised dealer??
I feel like I'm being fobbed off as originally they were very clear that they would be able to do the repair but now they have found out what the problem is they have done a U turn and say they won't despite making me take my bike there twice, taking copies of receipts so they were fully aware the bike was purchased somewhere else and knowing that I want my bike back for a trip to Wales in a couple if weeks :-(
I'm looking at the link too & it does appear that it says any authorised dealer.
Perhaps an email to them just to confirm that under your warranty you can go to any authorised dealer & in you email advise that you are currently unhappy with the retail store where you purchased the bike from doing the work.
Cost very little time and they do have good customer service hopefully you'll get a quick response.
Plus you could always give your preferred store a call to ask them (politely) why they feel this should now go back to the retailer you purchased from. As this could help you if you need to go back to the manufacturer at a later date.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
Maybe. I don't know, hence I'm trying to find an answer. Fault is a knocking noise when the rear suspension is compressed, 6 months old and approx 6 rides (I don't get a lot of time to rider unfortunately, plus I live in Essex so use my road bike or hard tail most of the time)
Shop have said a set if new bearings required, they can do it for £270. Would you be happy having to spend £270 on a bike that's done less than 100km?
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
I have, still don't know what you are on about?
You're not the only one, I think this may be a case of 'I'm wrong but I'll argue that I'm not' syndrome.
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
Que?
Nope, still none the wiser :?
Spoke to the shop today and they informed me as long as I have proof of purchase any dealer can carry out warranty repairs irrespective of whether they supplied the bike or not. They are investigating why I was informed otherwise. Hopefully will be sorted next week
Your rights under the SOGA are somewhat different, and anything above this is in addition. All warranties are in addition to any rights. You may not even get one from some retailers.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
I'd still just take it to Cycle Surgery, unless you have any solid proof of their mechanical incompetence?
NukeProof Mega FR 2012
Cube NuRoad 2018
Previous:
2015 Genesis CdF 10, 2014 Cube Hyde Race, 2012 NS Traffic, 2007 Specialized SX Trail, 2005 Specialized Demo 8
NukeProof Mega FR 2012
Cube NuRoad 2018
Previous:
2015 Genesis CdF 10, 2014 Cube Hyde Race, 2012 NS Traffic, 2007 Specialized SX Trail, 2005 Specialized Demo 8