Trek warranty blows, now what?

Sep 16, 14 16:04

Post #1 of 37 (6726 views)

So i raced IMLou a few weeks ago. When i took my bike to the LBS the week before the race to have a once over, they noticed that my frame was bent right around the deraileur hanger and it was preventing the deraileur from shifting crisply and lining up correctly with the cogs......sweet. So the LBS did what they could to adjust the deraileir to work as best as it could for the race and thank god i made it through the race without and real mechanical issues.

The mechanic at the LBS recommended that i let them file a warranty claim on the bike once i got back from Lou to see what they could do for me. I ride a 2011 SC 2.5 and because the 2.5 isnt made anymore, everything was up in the air about what they could do for me. After a few weeks of waiting, i finally heard back from the LBS today, and i was rather pissed off.

The mechanic relayed that Trek was not going to warranty my frame, but i was not given any real reason for their decision. The bike was never crashed, nor was there any paint damage to the frame where the bend was indicating a crash, etc. I was told that they were going to offer me 20% off of a new purchase...what a joke. Up to this point, i had planned to ride trek all my life as i thought their bikes/ customer service was supposed to be superior but i have decided that i will be boycotting their products.

Does anyone out there know of anything i can do now that they have essentially told me to screw myself? I was planning to purchase a new bike in the next year, but want to ride through the fall and winter until that happens.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:07

Post #2 of 37 (6710 views)

Perhaps you can try bringing the bike to a TREK Concept store if you have one near you. Otherwise I know there's a TREK Speed Concept owner's thread here. Maybe you can have it addressed with Carl and see if there is anything he can do as well.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:24

Post #3 of 37 (6663 views)

Some additional detail re the "bend" with perhaps images may well help folks here comment on the validity of a warranty claim relative to their experiences with numerous manufacturers..

IF for instance all / most manufacturers would respond the same way for some logical and justifiable reason then you may feel a lot less pissed off about it..

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:28

Post #4 of 37 (6646 views)

Was the LBS that filed the claim the same one you bought the bike from?

What I would do first is demand that the LBS (assuming it is the LBS you bought the bike from) call Trek again and go to bat for you. Demand a full explanation as to why you are not eligible for a warranty replacement and that the frame was indeed not damaged in a crash or of user fault. They owe that to you as the LBS...if they aren't going to do that for you, then what's the point of buying from a LBS? They have skin in the game too as they don't want to have unhappy customers leaving their store. Why would I buy another bike from a LBS if they aren't even going to get a reasonable explanation from the manufacturer?

And if that fails, you always have the last ditch effort of calling Trek yourself and expressing your displeasure. I always think this is the last option though as you are likely better off having the LBS speak on your behalf. A manufacturer is likely more afraid of a LBS completely dropping their product line due to poor service than one customer refusing to buy their bike again.

Not saying any of this will work, but it's what I would do.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:38

Post #5 of 37 (6621 views)

Derailleur hangers don't just bend themselves. Whether or not that part of the frame is as well designed as it could be, I don't know. But in my mind, even if you don't know you did it, at some point you must have knocked the derailleur causing the bend.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Jason N] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:46

Post #6 of 37 (6593 views)

Great points Jason. And to answer your question, yes the LBS is the same shop that i purchased the bike. To explain further, this shop has been nothing but problematic for me in the past as they have charged me for services that i did not request/ without asking me/etc. I do not expect the shop to stand up for me because they have a rather shitty reputation for milking money out of their customers for services and products ( i have heard this from many other customers i know). I will be picking my bike up tomorrow and will be asking them to contact Trek once again to have them send me specifically a reason for their decision. I will also be expressing to them that i will be switching LBS and no longer supporting Trek, should they not decide to help me.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 16:49

Post #7 of 37 (6582 views)

I agree that derailleur hangers don't bend themselves, but that doesn't mean that you know how it got bent. (Shifted chain into the spokes? Bike fell over or got banged by something? Something happened while transporting the bike?) This might not be how you'd prefer to deal with it, but since the frame's aluminum it can be welded and is easier to fix than carbon fiber. A good frame builder, or even just a really skilled welder with an understanding of how that part of the bike needs to work, should be able to repair it. It'd damage the paint, but it could be repainted.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:01

Post #8 of 37 (6548 views)

I think you are over reacting....did they really say "go screw yourself"

Think about it for a min......is it really a defect that the hanger is bent? Dosn't sound like it to me.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:09

Post #9 of 37 (6527 views)

Thank god I realised their survice suck. Concept store...
Ended up with a Scott.

big cookies.

http://RoadID.com/...te/4HC4V-TAFQ9XPJDTX

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Beachboy] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:10

Post #10 of 37 (6524 views)

To clarify, the hanger AND the frame were bent in that area. The hanger was replaced but this did not fix the issue as the frame was still bent.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Beachboy] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:12

Post #11 of 37 (6518 views)

So as the original owner (you have to be original owner to be covered under Trek warranty) you waited 3 years to file a claim? If this happened recently and others have said, hangers just don't bend themselves. So what caused it to bend? I doubt it was workmanship after 3 years of you riding it already (assuming you are original owner). Just my .02

Formerly TriBrad02

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:21

Post #12 of 37 (6494 views)

What do you think the defect with the frame is? If the frame was not bent before (during training) and then before ImLOU it is now bent... something bent the frame. Frames and hangers don't bend themselves. With the evidence you provided, if I was Trek, would not warranty the frame. End user damage.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:35

Post #13 of 37 (6453 views)

Still sound like "YOU" bent it......how is that covered under any warranty? Think about it....

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Pantelones] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 17:38

Post #14 of 37 (6445 views)

agreed. if every bike manufacturer warrantied 3 yr old bikes with bent frames, they'd all likely be out of business.

hmm ... I want new bike, I think I'll bend the frame and submit a warranty claim.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [TriBrad02] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 18:23

Post #15 of 37 (6351 views)

The frame was not bent three years ago, i never said this. I simply took the bike to the shop to get a quick tune up the week before the race and it was discovered. I had taken the bike to the LBS roughly three weeks before that date to have all the cables replaced and there was no notification to me that anything was out of the norm with the shifting of the bike or the frame/hanger. I was not under the impression that there was a limited time window of when Trek would warranty a frame , as i have talked with Carl (Trek rep on ST) who told me that people had warrantied TTX frames in the past and had received Speed Concept frames in return , as Trek does not make the TTX line anymore. Thank you to those who did not initially attack me for my thread. The rest of you act like i was taking a hammer to the frame in an attempt to get a brand new bike , when this is simply not the case.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 18:27

Post #16 of 37 (6330 views)

Dude. I have a close friend that bought everything Trek and Bontrager. He had several thousands of dollars in bikes and accessories. He had an issue and never could get Trek to talk to him. He sent them a photo of his bike room and told them that he actually pays for his stuff, as opposed to being sponsored, and they didn't care. Forget Trek! They have certainly forgotten us.

Shawn

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:08

Post #17 of 37 (6246 views)

Your bike is made of aluminum, not glass, so if it got bent slightly it can also be straightened again, by someone that is familiar and competent with the process. Does it have a replaceable derailleur hanger? If so, the first order of business is to replace it and see if that fixes your problem. If that doesn't do it, then your LBS or mechanic can use a derailleur hanger straightener to apply some force to the area to see if (a) the dropout can be straightened using the hanger as an intermediary or (b) the hanger can be bent to compensate for the bend in the dropout area.

If those don't work then the next alternative would be to use a pair of fork alignment tools (http://www.parktool.com/...ment-gauge-set-ffg-2) to determine how the rear dropouts are bent, and straighten it up. If the bend is slight enough that it was only noticed now (and only the bike shop noticed, not you) then there is no way that the bend or the straightening by a competent mechanic would impact the future strength or durability of that area of the frame.

None of this stuff requires Trek to do anything out of the ordinary because they are not responsible for the situation in any way. As others have noted, your frame getting bent in the derailleur area is not automatically a warranty or crash-replacement issue. Derailleurs are in a vulnerable spot on the bike and there are many ways that they, the hanger, or the dropout on that side can be damaged due to impact or load on the derailleur.

Less is more.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:09

Post #18 of 37 (6246 views)

sure, it sucks to find out you have damage to your frame. Who knows how it happened -- bike fell over, der got knocked putting it in the car, whatever. Maybe it even happened at the shop where you had it worked on. But you can't reasonably expect that the manufacturer should warranty something like that, when there is no defect.

I would be happy if they offered me the standard crash replacement, take the new (likely upgraded) frame, and be done with it.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [BrianB] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:24

Post #19 of 37 (6206 views)

Who said anything about a new (likely new) frame? i certainly did no such thing. If this were the case i would not have brought it up on ST.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Big Endian] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:30

Post #20 of 37 (6187 views)

A "derailleur hanger straightener"? For the FD? What's that?

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:34

Post #21 of 37 (6179 views)

you got the standard crash replacement offer -- 20% off a new frame/bike. They shouldn't be expected to offer anything more than that for something that is not a manufacturer's defect

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [goodboyr] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 19:37

Post #22 of 37 (6173 views)

The problem in question is with the rear derailleur, according to my interpretation of the OP. This is the tool:
http://www.parktool.com/product/derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge-dag-2

If you get caught out on the trail/road with a bent derailleur, and you're faced with a long push home or doing an emergency attempt to fix it, then first make sure your rear QR is really tight and then stick the Allen key that fits (you carry those, right?) into the derailleur mounting screw and pull on the other end of your bike tool to straighten the hanger out. When you get home, order a new derailleur hanger.

Less is more.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [Big Endian] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 20:10

Post #23 of 37 (6115 views)

Lol. Me stupid. Sorry. I misread the first post and it went downhill from there.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 20:18

Post #24 of 37 (6103 views)

Did the lower chainstay of the frame bend? or just the derailleur hanger? Derailleur hangers can bend when knocked around but if the lower chainstay leading up to the rear derailleur is bent then that must've required some serious force on an aluminum frame.

Re: Trek warranty blows, now what? [kawessel2] [ In reply to ]

Sep 16, 14 21:16

Post #25 of 37 (6038 views)

I'm not attacking you, just your logic. A bent frame that isn't from manufacturing is almost certainly from use, which is not covered by warranty from almost any bike company.

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