Whats my rights warranty issue

[Spanner Monkey]

Hi all,
I have a new Cube Stereo 160 just 1.5 weeks old and after a long ride I keep noticing a tiny oil weep on my rear shock around the red o ring. Its only very small but it has been happening since the first ride. I am now over 130 miles on the new bike and its still happening. I contacted the shop where I purchased the bike and they said they would send my shock to RockShox for repairs under warranty. I am not happy to have a brand new bike off the road for two weeks so I asked for a replacement new shock on an exchange basis. They have not replied to my last email but I think I am within my rights to demand a new shock as the original was defective from new, can anyone confirm this or how is the best way to get this resolved?

 

[electricbogaloo]

Could be just oil from the positive chamber which is normal to a degree especially if it's a new shock. You don't want to run it completely dry.

 

[Philly G]

I think it is the retailer or manufacturer's right under warranty to repair or replace. Also second electricbogaloo that a certain amount of oil is normal.
Of course it's annoying to have your bike out of action for a time. Similar thing has happened to me with my Rail, my front brake was defective and had to be warrantied. Bike shop have sent it away to Shimano, they expect it to take 10 days. Luckily I had a spare brake I could fit myself, otherwise I wouldn't be able to ride either

 

[Cubesrule]

the shock doesn’t seem to be losing any air but after ten miles or so I can see a ring of oil sitting on top of the sag o ring, I have several friends using the same shock but they never get any oil seepage and claim that they never have done. This is the first full suspension bike I’ve owned so rear shocks are new to me, however I googled it and I saw that a little oil is put in the air chamber at build just for lubrication rather than damping, if that oil is leaking at about 1 drop ish every 10 miles it’s not gonna be long before the lubricating oil is all gone.
the shock is a rockshox deluxe select on a cube stereo hybrid 160, Im interested to hear what other people are seeing on similar bikes.
if it wasn’t brand new I’d open it up myself but on a brand new bike I want the shop to take care of this without losing two weeks of riding.

 

[Cubesrule]

I got an update from the shop today saying they would see what they could do regarding a replacement shock but it didnt sound like they were too hopeful of a new replacement.

 

[Cubesrule]

Just noticed my username has changed mid thread, no idea how but I have two logins after forgetting I had the first I did another and it’s swapped over by itself.

 

[steve_sordy]

Every shock I have had has leaked slightly for a while before it stopped. Sometimes this happened after a service too.

The first time, like you, I was concerned that the shock would lose all of its oil and be damaged. I was repeatedly reassured that this "slight seepage" was normal. I was reluctant to accept this, but settled for having registered my concern and then waited for it all to go wrong. It never did.

 

[Jay355]

Hi Cubesrule.

I have the select + on my Haibike and I too get a small amount of oil gathering around the sag ring, bikes done 838 miles and I am going to mention on my next service, 1000miles.
I’m fairly sure I’v two years of warranty on the components and 5yrs on the frame so adopted the attitude of ride and enjoy it and it will either fix or fail.

 

[Neverbeentomoab]

It sounds normal to me. I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[electricbogaloo]

If you do an air chamber service its normal that oil is sitting there. If its too much it could be a faulty seal (which is unlikely for a new shock) or too much oil filled in while it was assembled. But like I said: better too much oil than too little.

 

[KeithR]

I think it is the retailer or manufacturer's right under warranty to repair or replace.

We're entitled to a full refund for goods which are of "unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described" within 30 days of purchase, after which time the nature of the response is down to the retailer - he can repair, replace or refund.

Faulty product? How to get a refund, repair or replacement - Which?

If something you’ve bought is faulty, our advice can help you get a refund, repair or replacement.

www.which.co.uk

But I agree that this doesn't sound like a fault - the Fox Float FPS on my new Levo SL is doing the same thing, and it's not the first shock I've had, to do this.

 

[IanVersion2]

I'm always a bit confused as to why people jump to what their "rights" are. In my experience, you're far better off setting out what you think is a reasonable level of service in these cases, and you need to consider that position from all perspectives.

Take your example, your suggestion is for this shop to give you a new for used replacement of a part which you're not even 100% sure is faulty.

So the best outcome for them in this scenario is that Rockshox send a brand new in a box shock as a replacement for yours. They then come out of this even (well, less the hassle and any shipping costs).

The likely scenario is that Rockshox overhaul the shock (or report no fault found) and return it to them. Now this shop has traded a new shock for a factory refurbished one (plus the hassle and any shipping).

Worst case, Rockshox insist the shock has been mistreated in some way and charge for the repair. Now this shop is out of pocket the cost of repair, they have a refurbished shock in place of a new one, plus the hassle and any shipping.

I get that you're frustrated thinking that something you've spent a lot of money on might have a fault, but you're far better off working with the shop than building a case against them. If you get to the point you're relying on what your "rights" are, I get the feeling you'll be way more unhappy than you are now!

Anyway, if it needs it I hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction.

 

[Spanner Monkey]

Ive only emailed the shop and sent them a photo so they can see for themselves how much it leaks, I ignored it at first assuming it was assembly grease but it’s definitely oil. It was more a case of letting them know about it while the bike is still brand new, I just wasn’t very impressed when their first response was to send it off for two weeks and have the bike off the road. Id rather ride it and see if it gets any worse than lose it for two weeks. You wouldn’t accept this if it was a new car or motorcycle.
I looked at the service procedure to change the seal and its a doddle plus requires no special tools either if it gets worse Ill just ask them for a service kit and change it myself.
hopefully as many of you say it not actually a problem and can be ignored.

 

[Jamze]

That's fairly standard. Most bike shops don't have the funds to have replacement parts sat ready to swap out. One exception is Berkshire Cycles and their motors, but there's a specific issue there they decided to address.

The rear shock on my last bike failed in the first six months, and it was sent off to be looked at. A refurbed upgraded shock was sent back and fitted. All fine by me.

 

[Lee Dove]

If you DO NOT get oil for the first few rides then the shock has not been assembled properly. I open mine up , clean and add oil every few weeks to keep it running super smooth. It also flushes dirt away from the seal increasing seal life.