£7k E-MTB delivered with cosmetic damage

[Tim G]

Hi All,

I may be being pedantic but having researched and bought a Orbea Wild FS M-Team in Graphite Grey/Black during lock down, it arrived a week ago with some cosmetic damage to the paint work on steerer tube and top tube. The first was missing lacquer and paint at the front, under the Orbea logo running along the bottom edge (for a our 2.5 cm) of the steerer tube. The other was a chip or rub mark through the lacquer and paint through to the white base coat on the top tube. Both quite visible and catch your eye.

I'm quite particular and noticed and took photos of these imperfections when I was unpacking the bike. I immediately contacted the bike shop (with the accompanying photos) who quickly responded by saying, they were sorry but this would likely have occurred during shipment from Orbea and that they have previously highlighted these issues to Orbea, who have since improved their shipping packaging to prevent this. There was no offer of a discount or a way to rectify the damage as it was more of a 'not surprised and that's how it is' response.

As I mentioned above, I'm quite particular so at times I have to reel that tenancy in and be more realistic but having spent £7,000 on a new bike is it really too much to expect it to be "perfect" on day one?

Your opinions on the above welcome.

Tim

 

[Rusty]

Me, I would send it back. If Orbea can't wrap their bikes to stop damage then I would buy something else.
Hell, I would expect a brand new $999 bike to be unmarked (unless or course it was a more expensive one marked down due to cosmetic damage).

 

[Doomanic]

is it really too much to expect it to be "perfect" on day one?

No. That's perfectly reasonable.

Reject it. The shop don't appear to have interest in keeping a customer happy so they shouldn't be too upset to lose a customer altogether.

BBC One - Watchdog - Distance Selling Regulations

 

[TheRealPoMo]

OK so we've had 2 responses from respected members saying "reject" and "send it back".
I suppose if you can afford 7000 GBP for a pushbike you may be able to afford the legals to pursue this. A bit out of my league, but my lowly 5k AUD was bruised after 20 minutes - I don't really see an issue with cosmetics - but I'm Australian.
I do understand your "perfect" expectations and I empathise.
My Audi had a big red bow on it when I picked it up.
An hour later it was worth 20% less.
A week later it had stone chips.
Still kicks ass.

 

[iXi]

Yeah what he said. It kills me when my new shit isn't spot on but in reality it'll be trashed after your first ride down the trails. My bike looks like shit now. There is so much paint missing from stone chips but it's still a hoot to ride.

 

[Zimmerframe]

OK so we've had 2 responses from respected members saying "reject" and "send it back".

I thought one of them was from @Doomanic ??

My Audi had a big red bow on it when I picked it up.

Audi - going the extra mile to hide delivery imperfections with a giant bow !

You probably will scratch it and mark it. But you've paid a not unsubstantial amount of money for an item. You expect a new item to arrive in new condition - ie unblemished. It's for you to scratch it.

Sounds like they've not been interested in your concerns. It might be that you'd be happy to touch it up if they at least acknowledged it and compensated in some way, either with a partial refund or some additional items.

I guess you can propose returning it and hopefully that will kick them into action. It might be that they're just so busy at the moment that they don't care as they think they can sell it as is, to someone else, or so busy that their standards are slipping momentarily or you caught them at a bad time.

 

[conman]

I'd just try and get them to send you some paint to touch it up.

 

[steve_sordy]

I feel your pain! To have lusted after the bike, having so carefully selected exactly that one and then waited for the soooooo long delivery...... To then see it emerge blemished aarrgghh!!

But the other respondents are correct. No matter what you do to protect your bike (and mine has several meters of helicopter tape on it, they will still pick up scratches and chips wherever the tape is absent. Hell, I've even got heel rub that wore through the tape on the chainstay on one muddy ride!!

But still, it has been damaged in transit and that is the responsibility of the company that you bought the bike from. After all, if the bike had looked like that in the bike shop you would not have bought it would you? It would have been marked as "shop soiled" or "cosmetic damage" and at a reduced price! So it is well worth persisting with the bike shop. I'm assuming it was them to who you paid the money. Why was it delivered directly to you instead of to the shop? If it had gone to the shop, they would not dare try to pass off the damage as nothing to do with them. But if you paid Orbea directly and expect the local bike shop that just happens to stock Orbea, to fix it, then you are on shakier ground because you have no contract with them.

 

[Gary]

it arrived a week ago

A WEEK ago?
WTF mate?

And you've not ridden it?


Personally I wouldn't care about tiny cosmatic paint damage like that either. As at the end of the day it's a mountainbike, it's meant to be ridden. not polished and looked at and it's going to get odd paint scratches, chips and wear anyway. All my bikes have far worse cosmetic damage. You'd have a heart attack if you saw the state a brand new DH bike ended up in after it's first race weekend back in the cattle truck UK uplift days. (bikes stacked against each other in a lorry being driven up fire roads so bouncing about and rubbing the shit out of each other for half an hour up each uplift - often 8+ times each day)
I haven't ever paid full RRP for a bike. But even if I had bought a bike at trade I would be asking for something in compensation from the manufacturer/distributor for cosmetic damage.
When contacted about the damage, Orbea will almost certainly offer your dealer something in compensation. Be aware, that It may not be very much though, (I've spoken to other manufacturers about similar damage and been offered as little as a race top/hoody in compensation) But as a dealer I'd probably be offering something more for you on top of this. whatever offered would be out of the shops pocket despite it not being the shops fault so if offered a voucher, credit or parts accept that the shop is taking the hit in way of apology.
The problem here is that it's the courier who is at fault. and claiming damages from a courier can be a nightmare to deal with, and for something small like this may not even be worth the fight/time/effort or amount of compensation a courier is likely to offer.
Did Orbea send the bike direct to you or did the bike shop arrange the courier?
and did you pay for shipping?

I'd try to speak to the shop owner/manager. Explain your disappointment (be realistic though) Keep calm and be pleasant. If you really don't want the bike with these small paint imperfections AND HAVEN'T RIDDEN IT by all means arrange with them to have it collected and sent back. you're perfectly within your rights to do so. Don't do as Zimz advised and try to propose returning it unless you really mean it. As your bluff may be called and you'll end up with no bike for quite some time.
Bike deliveries UK wide are slower with international delivery even worse and stock is down across the board right now.
It's actually a pretty stressful time for retail staff/managers/owners. And you may well not have had the usual high level of customer service you'd have got in less stressful times.

TBF I'd probably have already ridden it a few hundred miles by now and it'd have personallised paintwork

 

[TheRealPoMo]

I thought one of them was from @Doomanic ??


Audi - going the extra mile to hide delivery imperfections with a giant bow !

.

Awww, is this about the Volkswagen Audi Gruppe MPG dodgyness ? Yawn - All manufacturers been coding ECUs to pass emission standards for years. The Germans just do it so efficiently and arrogantly. I love my Audi. If it gets 3% less MPG, who cares...still goes around corners faster than a Monaro VSX than in a straight line. (that's a Pontiac to you Yank's I believe).
Sorry car stuff in a eMTB thread.

 

[R120]

I have a roadie friend who was in the same situation with a Colnago - somehow he managed to wangle the cost of a full respray off them, and went straight down to Fat Creations and got a custom job done. No idea how he pulled that one off!

Its annoying but like others have said once you have ridden it you will forget about it. I would go down the route of some sort of compensation/voucher etc from the manufacturer, as unless they can ship you a perfect one quickly, and take yours back, you are likely to be without a bike for a while.

 

[Tim G]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your reply.

I totally agree with you and not looking to kick up a fuss, instead check in with others here for a reality check.

You'll be pleased to hear that I have indeed ridden it (lots) and it's fantastic. But like with anything like this, it can niggle, even if at a very low level especially given the cost.

It's a disease, being pedantic, so usually have my new bijes wrapped with InvisiFrame but XL isn't available right now.

I guess what niggles is the 'laissez faire' response from the bike shop. A token recognition would go a long way and subdued any lingering niggle.

Thanks again.

Tim

 

[R120]

Do Orbea do a range extender? I think they do - in which case my angle would be for a hefty discount on that or a spare battery.

 

[Gary]

to you Yank's I believe

 

[p3eps]

Here’s my 2p...

I bought a Trek Rail 9.9 from Evans (boo... hiss... crooks - but they were the only ones that offered 15% discount, when my other LBS were offering 5%!)

Collected in store, they wrapped it all up for me transporting it home, and helped me into the car with it.
First thing I did was Invisiframe. Whilst doing the battery cover, I noticed a couple of little chips. I took photos, and sent them to Evans. They apologised, and agreed to replace it.
The Invisiframe was applied for a couple of hours a night, over 3 nights - and on the 3rd night, I discovered some flaws in the carbon on the frame and that the TREK decals had been badly cut and were all jagged. Again - photos to Evans, and they offered to replace the entire bike. They advised I could ride it in the mean time whilst they got another one in.
They said they wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of a new Invisiframe kit - but offered me a £100 in store voucher instead as compensation.

I ended up swapping the bike for a Levo SL... however that was my story. I was surprised how helpful they were. I half expected to be told that I should have checked the bike better in the shop - as I could have done the damage at home myself.

Yes, the bike will be covered in minor marks and scratches after a few weeks riding, but you shouldn’t be receiving it like that.

Personally I’d be contacting them and telling them you intend to return it. It will probably force them into making you some sort of compensation offer, as I can’t imagine they’ll want to deal with returning the bike.

 

[Tim G]

I feel your pain! To have lusted after the bike, having so carefully selected exactly that one and then waited for the soooooo long delivery...... To then see it emerge blemished aarrgghh!!

But the other respondents are correct. No matter what you do to protect your bike (and mine has several meters of helicopter tape on it, they will still pick up scratches and chips wherever the tape is absent. Hell, I've even got heel rub that wore through the tape on the chainstay on one muddy ride!!

But still, it has been damaged in transit and that is the responsibility of the company that you bought the bike from. After all, if the bike had looked like that in the bike shop you would not have bought it would you? It would have been marked as "shop soiled" or "cosmetic damage" and at a reduced price! So it is well worth persisting with the bike shop. I'm assuming it was them to who you paid the money. Why was it delivered directly to you instead of to the shop? If it had gone to the shop, they would not dare try to pass off the damage as nothing to do with them. But if you paid Orbea directly and expect the local bike shop that just happens to stock Orbea, to fix it, then you are on shakier ground because you have no contract with them.

It was bought from a bike shop.

Tim

 

[TheRealPoMo]

I got nuthin'

 

[Gary]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your reply.

I totally agree with you and not looking to kick up a fuss, instead check in with others here for a reality check.

You'll be pleased to hear that I have indeed ridden it (lots) and it's fantastic. But like with anything like this, it can niggle, even if at a very low level especially given the cost.

It's a disease, being pedantic, so usually have my new bijes wrapped with InvisiFrame but XL isn't available right now.

I guess what niggles is the 'laissez faire' response from the bike shop. A token recognition would go a long way and subdued any lingering niggle.

Thanks again.

Tim

Yeah. man. No worries. I get you massively on your disappointment with the non plus response. Just bear in mind what I said about it being a stressful time if you do try contacting the shop again. Hopefully you'll get a more emphatic reply if you speak to the right person (at the right time).

 

[TheRealPoMo]

...except - that's a Stetson hat I believe. I'm on my 3rd Akubra

 

[Tim G]

Yeah. man. No worries. I get you massively on your disappointment with the non plus response. Just bear in mind what I said about it being a stressful time if you do try contacting the shop again. Hopefully you'll get a more emphatic reply if you speak to the right person (at the right time).

Agreed, and thanks.

(BTW this is my first foray into E-MTB and it's fantastic!)

 

[EebStrider]

When spending £7k on a bike, it needs to arrive PERFECT.

Reject the bike, fuck them with their don’t care attitude. If you scratch it or chip it yourself, which you will, that’s down to you, but to receive a bike that costs the same as a car, with imperfections, is 100% unacceptable.

There are too many bike shops offering shit service at the moment, and relying on people just accepting it, due to the implications of the lockdown.

 

[klevtik]

Orbea sending new front triangle after I showed them this pic. And Im already received front brake from them, it had some scratches too. So I'm fine with them.

 

[High Rock Ruti]

Hi All,

I may be being pedantic but having researched and bought a Orbea Wild FS M-Team in Graphite Grey/Black during lock down, it arrived a week ago with some cosmetic damage to the paint work on steerer tube and top tube. The first was missing lacquer and paint at the front, under the Orbea logo running along the bottom edge (for a our 2.5 cm) of the steerer tube. The other was a chip or rub mark through the lacquer and paint through to the white base coat on the top tube. Both quite visible and catch your eye.

I'm quite particular and noticed and took photos of these imperfections when I was unpacking the bike. I immediately contacted the bike shop (with the accompanying photos) who quickly responded by saying, they were sorry but this would likely have occurred during shipment from Orbea and that they have previously highlighted these issues to Orbea, who have since improved their shipping packaging to prevent this. There was no offer of a discount or a way to rectify the damage as it was more of a 'not surprised and that's how it is' response.

As I mentioned above, I'm quite particular so at times I have to reel that tenancy in and be more realistic but having spent £7,000 on a new bike is it really too much to expect it to be "perfect" on day one?

Your opinions on the above welcome.

Tim
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View attachment 30667

High Rock Ruti

2016 pivot shuttle came with derailleur attached and spun tearing into the carbon fiber rear triangle, they offered and new rear, I asked for a new bike they said yes.
2019 levo S works came with a deep scratch, Specialized offered $1350 I countered $2000 (almost in jest) they said YES?

I've given up try to protect my project one Rail 9.8 with gorgeous custom paint, riding tough technical sections I drop the bike on rocks all the time ouch!

 

[latefordinner]

That's a fecking shame , I would also be well annoyed ! No great suggestions but just keep bugging them for a good will gesture. ?

 

[OldGoatMTB]

it sucks to get a new bike with damage, but when you decided to go ride it then you basically decided to accept the bike as is. Maybe Orbea will give you something but the bike is yours. Ride it and love it.

 

[Cheekychops1111]

Hi All,

I may be being pedantic but having researched and bought a Orbea Wild FS M-Team in Graphite Grey/Black during lock down, it arrived a week ago with some cosmetic damage to the paint work on steerer tube and top tube. The first was missing lacquer and paint at the front, under the Orbea logo running along the bottom edge (for a our 2.5 cm) of the steerer tube. The other was a chip or rub mark through the lacquer and paint through to the white base coat on the top tube. Both quite visible and catch your eye.

I'm quite particular and noticed and took photos of these imperfections when I was unpacking the bike. I immediately contacted the bike shop (with the accompanying photos) who quickly responded by saying, they were sorry but this would likely have occurred during shipment from Orbea and that they have previously highlighted these issues to Orbea, who have since improved their shipping packaging to prevent this. There was no offer of a discount or a way to rectify the damage as it was more of a 'not surprised and that's how it is' response.

As I mentioned above, I'm quite particular so at times I have to reel that tenancy in and be more realistic but having spent £7,000 on a new bike is it really too much to expect it to be "perfect" on day one?

Your opinions on the above welcome.

Tim
View attachment 30666
View attachment 30667

It really is up to you, but it is an indication of the customer service from the bike shop, if they aren't too bothered about this then imagine how difficult it will be to pop a claim in against the warranty on motor or any other mechanicals - I would send it back, if they didn't accept then persue on CC insurance as the bike is not as described - at the very least they should be offering you a discount.

 

[Cheekychops1111]

When spending £7k on a bike, it needs to arrive PERFECT.

Reject the bike, fuck them with their don’t care attitude. If you scratch it or chip it yourself, which you will, that’s down to you, but to receive a bike that costs the same as a car, with imperfections, is 100% unacceptable.

There are too many bike shops offering shit service at the moment, and relying on people just accepting it, due to the implications of the lockdown.

Fully agree, lockdown is an excuse that is given out readily by bike shops at the moment, in the same breath they also say how busy they are and business is booming, customer service is only customer service when your bike goes wrong and they are happy and polite in dealing then rectifying your complaint. The shop will always smile and you and tell you how wonderful you are, that is until they have your £7k and then your in plums....

 

[latefordinner]

I think we should all bombard the shop with emails in support of the purchaser, if legit complaint ! and suggest not using said shop if not resolved to satisfaction.
Whos a good organiser ?

 

[thebarber]

Bit ott if you ask me.
Give them a chance to sort it out first then it's down to the op to progress further.
He's asking if he's being unreasonable which I don't think he is.
Regardless of the amount of money paid the goods weren't as described.
Email the shop and Orbea and keep us posted.

 

[Tim G]

Bit ott if you ask me.
Give them a chance to sort it out first then it's down to the op to progress further.
He's asking if he's being unreasonable which I don't think he is.
Regardless of the amount of money paid the goods weren't as described.
Email the shop and Orbea and keep us posted.

Hi,

Thanks.

As mentioned I usually InvisiFrame my bikes (just for peace of mind) but ideally would like to lessen the starkness of the chips/rubs on the frame before I do.

To that end, I approached Orbea to see if I could get a paint code so I could source some paint locally to DIY the chips before I InvisiFrame and wrap the frame. Orbea pointed me back to the Bike Shop I bought it from saying that they carry paint sticks for all 'standard' Orbea paint (mine is Graphite grey). I emailed the bike shop yesterday morning asking if they would be kind enough to send one out to me (hopefully FOC) and am currently waiting for a response...