I have a Klein Quantum frame that is cracked and unrideable. Trek own Klein, and Trek Australia have refused to help me. One of the reasons I originally bought the bike was the 20yr warranty they offered.
I bought it in 1991 my last year of Uni, and only started being organised with my receipts and things the following year when I was working. So I do not have the original receipt. My building society can’t give me a printout of transactions from that year either. The bike shop have changed computer systems munerous times and also can’t give me a printout.
Can they really refuse to honour the Warranty because I do not have the original receipt?
They refused to accept any number of stat decs from people (including the salesman at the bike shop) to say that I am the original owner.
Anyone have any suggestions or similar experience?
Good luck with this. I must say I have had good luck with this sort of situation myself. I bought a 2003 Klein Q Carbon Team in February of '03 when I was living in Oregon. Now I’m in Southern California.
About two months ago my LBS, where I did NOT buy the bike, was checking my bike out and noticed a hairline fracture in the bottom bracket. It was so tiny that I’d never noticed it, and we all debated afterwards whether it was a crack in the paint or actually in the frame. The wise old Jeff decided it was definitely a crack in the frame. I was really bummed, as the frameset goes for about $1,200-1,300 and I’m not exactly rich. They could tell I had this look on my face that was saying “You F-in bastards are just pointing this out to sell me a new bike!” That’s when Jeff says “Joe, you know Klein has a lifetime warranty on their frames right?” Holy heaven.
They explained that a Klein rep would need to come check out my bike and if it was indeed cracked then my LBS would strip the components, the Klein rep would take the bike and I’d have a new bike in about 2-4 weeks. I told them flat out, and I don’t usually cuss in public, “There’s no F-in way I’m not riding for two weeks.” You see I’m in the middle of the best five month stretch of training I’ve ever had, and I was ready to buy a new frame and then have it refunded if it turned out my existing frame was cracked.
My LBS told Klein the situation and Klein took the word of Jeff and just flat out sent me a new frame, even painting the '04 model my '03 color that I really love. Total down time ended up being one day, which was bearable. Now, the difference here is that my bike is an '03 obviously, yours is a '91. However, 20 years is 20 years and we aren’t in 2011. I think you just need to talk to the right people, who know how to talk to the right people at Klein. I wish I could help you out, but again I’m in California. If you can get me a job in Australia that pays enough to make rent and eat food, you can have my bike
Unfortunately I think it is a bit different here in Australia, with importers, sole-distributers, dealers etc… I actually know someone who was working in a bike shop, and bought a Trek frame from the shop while he was working there, which broke 6 months later. He had lost his docket and he wasn’t able to even get warranty despite everyone in the shop being able to back him up.
I am going to attempt to write one last letter to Trek Australia, and threaten to take it further (office of fair trading or such), and then take it further if nothing happens.
I bought a new Trek 2300 in 1991. In 2000 I found the seat post clamp had cracked. I had moved to another state by then. The LBS sent the bike back to Trek and they repalced the frame , no questions asked. I never showed a reciept or anything.
I’ve been in and around the bike business for 15 years. Trek is one of the best companies I’ve ever seen with respect to warranties. I can’t recall when Trek made the purchase of Klein, and you are correct that things work a little differently outside of the states.
The original sales receipt is not an uncommon request, but this is definately a case where having a good relationship with your LBS is worth it’s weight in gold! At the very least you should be able to get some sort of allowance toward a new frame. Given the bikes age, and your lack of paperwork, that would be a good solution.
Unfortunatley they have peed me off, and I have since refused buy another Trek or Klein. Which is a shame as I loved the Klein and had convinced another friend to buy a Klein as well at the time.
I will atleast get a negligible amount of revenge out of it and cling to that, even if I never manage to get the warranty accepted.
