Respected bike shop is trying to stiff me.

PB Forum :: Scams & Stolen Bikes
Respected bike shop is trying to stiff me.
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Posted: Apr 4, 2019 at 15:38 Quote
Technically not a scam but I am being cheated so don't know if it belongs here:
Shop boxed my bike badly with exposed cassette on exposed stanchion, now saying the damage to stanchion is not their fault it could have been from before. we wont do anything for you goodbye.

Dispute is between me and a respected shop. Damage is to the fork stanchion caused by a rear wheel being placed over the stanchion inside the bike box, cassette facing onto the stanchion with NO protection in between whatsoever.
\
bought a bike from opposite side of the country which seller listed as local pickup only.
I asked someone in that part of the country to pick the bike up pay for it and drop it off. The seller proclaimed the bike to be with unmarked undamaged stanchions on the 2016 Fox 34 Performance FIT4 fork, the person collecting the bike confirmed this and paid the seller and then dropped the bike off to a local bike shop I had pre-arranged with to box it up to be couriered.

I received the bike and saw immediately the stanchion has been scratched badly from where the cassette on the rear rear wheel had been rubbing on the fork stanchions, as the stanchion was uncovered in the box and the rear wheel with cassette uncovered placed side by side.

I emailed the shop immediately within thirty minutes of receiving the package and noticing the damage. I supplied all the photos I had taken of packaging materials and relative positions and damage. I was eventually contacted by their staff and over the phone they apologised for their error and accepted blame and offered to find a solution to fix the problem.

The next day I call up to find out how we are proceeding and I receive an email form higher up in the company saying as Im half way around the country and bought the bike unseen I cant prove the scratches weren’t there before, their staff aren’t to blame for packing it with exposed cassette on top of a stanchion. My tough luck goodbye!

HAVE THEY REALLY FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD SOMEONE PICK UP THE BIKE FROM THE SELLER AND CONFIRM THE SELLERS DESCRIPTION WAS ACCURATE AND THEN DROP IT OFF TO THEM. He isn’t very bike savvy so all he knew to check for was no marks and scratches on stanchions and no cracks dents.

I have tried to be reasonable and explain how the packaging was wrong on so many levels with pictures and asked them to come to a reasonable arrangement. But the higher up manager is still refusing to enter into the conversation and admit liability ever since he did a swithcheroo from the staff who called me originally, he tried to tell me that his staff did not accept liability and did not apologise for the damage and did not reassure me they would take care of this and get me riding again asap.

Am I really unable to expect redress from the shop? The real question is, as I can actually provide a witness to the condition of the fork who physically handed it over to them in the undamaged state and physically paid them for the boxing, should I pursue the legal route and take this matter to the courts? I've initiated discussion with legal professionals but it feels like this is taking the matter way too far over a fork!

How would be best/ethical way to move forward with this in your opinions guys? I don't want to be an a*seh*le about this but I feel I'm being treated really badly by the shop

Please advise

Posted: Apr 4, 2019 at 15:44 Quote
How did you pay for the bike..? If you paid via paypal using the goods and services, you can file a claim. Stating the item was damaged.

Posted: Apr 4, 2019 at 16:35 Quote
Hammer48 wrote:
How did you pay for the bike..? If you paid via paypal using the goods and services, you can file a claim. Stating the item was damaged.

Thanks for taking the time to read all that, haha


a) The bike was paid for in cash by the person who picked it up. I have no dispute with the seller.
b) The seller stands by his description and attests to the stanchions being damage free.
c) The collector, whom I also have no dispute with as he was my agent, paid the seller on confirming his description they were damage free and that the bike wasn't held together with Pritt stick and then gave the bike to the shop I had arranged to box the bike up and is prepared to confront the shop and provide a signed affidavit and provide personal testimony, with him being the person who physically handed the bike over to the shop and made the payment in person on my behalf for them to box it up, should I wish to take the matter to court.

So basically everyone is saying the bike was undamaged in their possession. But the shop who packed it badly are saying they didn't cause that damage.

go figure

Posted: Apr 4, 2019 at 16:49 Quote
Pictures for those who are intrigued


The damage to the stanchion:
https://ibb.co/nQkDsqW


This is how it came packed in the box with the rear wheel next to the bare stanchion with cassette resting against the stanchion
https://ibb.co/nkSmv2d


This shows the indentation of the bare cassette on the foam of the down tube, and if we follow that imprinted curve of the cassette where do the rest of the teeth lie, that's right, on top of the exposed stanchion
https://ibb.co/1T7NpMc

O+
Posted: Apr 13, 2019 at 8:25 Quote
Remind them you have a witness to condition prior to shipping. Let them know you'll contact lawyers if necessary. Let them know you'll blast them on social media, pinkbike, yelp, etc. Cross your fingers and hope for the best? ????

Sorry it happened! Good luck!

Posted: Apr 15, 2019 at 16:42 Quote
Ya I'd be fn pissed they would pay for that shit and then all my troubles and then wouldn't settle until that manager was relived of duties.

Just hearing your story pisses me off.

What bike shop is it? Do they have a Facebook?

Posted: Apr 15, 2019 at 17:05 Quote
Thanks for taking the time to read and post guys. Don't want to name any names. I've sought advice in other forums as well and there is ongoing communication between me and the shop. Watch this space!

Posted: Jun 11, 2019 at 9:51 Quote
cama4actual wrote:
This happened to me in 2017; I bought a bike from a shop in Toronto - when it came there was a gouge several inches long on the bottom tube. I needed the assistance of Bianchi ITALY before I had resolution.

Just horrible.

Sorry to hear that man, How deep were the gouges and how did you get everything resolved in the end, did the shop in Toronto sort you out completely?

With my situation the Edinburgh shop eventually agreed to give me a sum of money as a goodwill gesture. Which was calculated to cover the cost of a repair through a company here in Plymouth near me.

Posted: Jun 11, 2019 at 9:53 Quote
Turns out the problem was going to be the repairer (RSF) holding the non-current model CSU in stock to make the repair, we're still waiting for the item to be in his inventory to this day, lol

So I decided to try and source the CSU myself from elsewhere (a chap on here actually) so when I asked the shop to transfer me the money they had agreed to so I could purchase it myself and give to the repairer to replace my stanchion, the shop decided they would now give me LESS than we had already originally agreed to.

I don't care what people say about buying stuff that's pre-owned or expected condition of used items, there is still the concept of sticking to your word and honouring your word.

This shop have squirmed and wriggled and lied from day one. But its finally over and I'm glad to be done with it. I don't know what goes on behind closed doors, maybe they were always sympathetic and sorry for the situation but have to tow the company line and couldn't say anything for legal reasons, in which case at least thank you for the goodwill gesture and best of luck for the future but I'm so glad to see the back of them though and all my friends in Edinburgh I will be telling them who it was.

Posted: Jul 2, 2019 at 7:44 Quote
Bro I can't believe you're crying and whining about that small ass lil scratch on yet forks. Talking about can't wait to get this fixed so that you can get riding again?? Are you serious. It's you and people like you that insurance rates and deductables are so expensive . You're telling me that that small surface scratch kept you from being able to ride?? And hammer48 he wouldn't have been able to file a dispute w PayPal over the transportation of the bike since it was actually a local pick up. . . Unless of course then that the courier intermediary who picked up the bike was licensed and bonded and actually a business not just a random. Sounds like the shop didn't care for the bloke and I can clearly see why. It appears the burden of the damage is on you my dude for picking such a shitty shop and not telling them how exactly you would have like to have it wrapped.

Posted: Jul 2, 2019 at 7:54 Quote
Dirtjunky666 wrote:
Bro I can't believe you're crying and whining about that small ass lil scratch on yet forks. Talking about can't wait to get this fixed so that you can get riding again?? Are you serious. It's you and people like you that insurance rates and deductables are so expensive . You're telling me that that small surface scratch kept you from being able to ride?? And hammer48 he wouldn't have been able to file a dispute w PayPal over the transportation of the bike since it was actually a local pick up. . . Unless of course then that the courier intermediary who picked up the bike was licensed and bonded and actually a business not just a random. Sounds like the shop didn't care for the bloke and I can clearly see why. It appears the burden of the damage is on you my dude for picking such a shitty shop and not telling them how exactly you would have like to have it wrapped.
Ya just a scratch..
"It appears the burden of the damage is on you my dude for picking such a shitty shop "
And someone's off their meds..

Posted: Jul 6, 2019 at 11:50 Quote
reverend27 wrote:
Dirtjunky666 wrote:
Bro I can't believe you're crying and whining about that small ass lil scratch on yet forks. Talking about can't wait to get this fixed so that you can get riding again?? Are you serious. It's you and people like you that insurance rates and deductables are so expensive . You're telling me that that small surface scratch kept you from being able to ride?? And hammer48 he wouldn't have been able to file a dispute w PayPal over the transportation of the bike since it was actually a local pick up. . . Unless of course then that the courier intermediary who picked up the bike was licensed and bonded and actually a business not just a random. Sounds like the shop didn't care for the bloke and I can clearly see why. It appears the burden of the damage is on you my dude for picking such a shitty shop and not telling them how exactly you would have like to have it wrapped.
Ya just a scratch..
"It appears the burden of the damage is on you my dude for picking such a shitty shop "
And someone's off their meds..

Apathy & complacency have infected enormous amounts of people these days...

Posted: Jul 6, 2019 at 13:49 Quote
@Dirtjunky666
I get where you're coming from, and no it didn't actually stop me from using the bike.
However never having owned anything high end (for me) like this bike before and having no idea how much of an impact it was going to have, especially as every single listed ad on pinkbike always seems to CLEARLY STATE WITH PRIDE 'NO STCRATCHES ON STANCHIONS'
An uninformed newbie to such equipment, like me, would obviously be worried and not know the full extent of the damage and whether it has any long term impacts. So yes I can see why someone would cry about it. But all it takes is someone a bit more experienced and knowledgeable to explain what the deal is as many here and other places have done so that inexperienced people like me learn.

Thanks to everyone here and on singletracks for your advice. I understand now it doesnt have any impact on performance and is not worth the cost and effort to switch out the stanchion.

Still doesn't change the fact that if I am a bike shop and my whole business is bikes, selling and maintaining them and I also accept money to pack bikes as a service. I should know how to pack a bike without having to take instructiona from some numpty.

Posted: Jul 6, 2019 at 14:38 Quote
Dude, that sucks, you were in the right, glad it's somewhat ok now.

O+
Posted: Jul 12, 2019 at 7:33 Quote
always take pictures

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