Bad news on my Specialized!
 

Hi,
I bought a Specialized Roubaix in June. Road about 800 miles in the limited time I have. I dropped it off at my LBS as they offer a "90 day tune" with purchase. My bike guy calls and says there is a crack in the frame! I had no idea! Apparently it's on the seat post and "looks like it got hit by something, there is a chip in the paint and you can almost push your finger through it!" I haven't so much as dropped my bike, let alone been in an accident and if it is not under my ass it is locked in my garage, so it couldn't have been vandalized! I know my bike guy believes me and he says he will do his best to have Specialized send me a new frame. Anyone have any experience with this and/or Specialized? I'm really upset about this as you can tell? He said the worst case scenario is they well offer a "crash replacement discount" of 20% off but that is unacceptable-this is a new bike I did not damage!! Thoughts?

Pivotal factor aside from having a solid bike shop support your effort is...you need to be the original owner with proof of purchase aka a sales receipt.
If this is met, you should be good.
Let us know how it goes.

Let the process play out first.

Also read the Specialized warranty and see what the exclusions are. If nothing in the written warranty excludes impacts, then they can't add that rule after the sale. Also if there is specific language saying "does not cover impacts" they have to prove it WAS an impact to deny the warranty.

If the LBS guy is the one telling Specialized that the bike was hit, ask what qualifications they have to make that determination.

I'd also go look at the bike RIGHT NOW and have them show you the damage. See if you think it happened after you dropped it off.

It's going to come down to what the warranty review comes up with. IME Specialized, unlike some others, is really good about warranty for original owners. We had a few cases that were questionable and were fixed at the shop where I worked.

That sucks. Good luck. I would also wonder about where the damage occurred as already suggested.

Dont mean to bad mouth your lbs...
 

Its a tough business to be in.

But we always told customers we believed them even if we didn't. Its good customer service.

You need to take control of the situation.

I assume the damage is on the seat tube and not the seat post? If seattube, is it at the clamp and possibly from overtightening the bolt?
Could be a run o'the mill CF asplosion which should be covered by warranty.

I recall you posted about this bike before? It's a Roubaix Expert Di2 you got? That's a $5000 bike so I hope the LBS and Spez treat you properly, please keep us updated.

Pics?
I've been fortunate on first owner warrantees, a) SRAM replaced brifters - twice; b) Cervelo replaced cracked frame (returned to me cracked by flbs! ...tall fmech no doubt adjusted cockpit for a test ride - lbs "required" to do the mech on SRAM brifter warrantee lead to a new frame, thaaanks a lot!); c) Giant replaced cracked frame.
Good luck, hope end up with a new frame. Lbs will likely want ~$100 to swap alla parts for you. I'm my own wrench, excepting case b above, which (if there's a) next time won't fhappen.

NewSpeak?
 

I like this idea of adding an "f" before every word to add an adjective. Kind of like newspeak with attitude.

My flbs, couldn't fix my fshimano STI because the fcable was not in fstock.

Hahahahaha! :roflmao2:

Thanks guys! So! Specialized will send me a new frame! That's the great news! One minor glitch-they no longer have the carbon grey/red that I liked. Out of stock and not making more. I don't like the white myself so I have the option of having the Expert mechanical frame sent and putting in my Di2. I can get the Chameleon/purple or the basically all red. Is this a big deal? I actually had the thought: "Gee, now everyone will think I have the mechanical! LOL! I'm really undecided between the two-maybe get the white? I'm being nuts I know but this still feels a tiny bit disappointing if that makes sense because I can't have exactly the bike I bought but even if I got my rider on my insurance to cover it, or forked over 5K in cash-they are out of the "old" grey/red color! Thank you so much for your help and your patience with this neurotic bike nut! :)

Still confused about the original issue... was it your seat post or seat tube that had the failure? A seat post can just be swapped out for a new one (unless the Roubaix has an ISP, but I don't think that's the case), but the tube would be something requiring a new frame or a repair. Did they offer you any explanation as to what may have happened?

Tube, I believe. I will have to see it. This LBS guy is pretty expert and I trust him. I did not notice any structural damage and only a minor scratch here or there and I had just cleaned the bike a few weeks ago! I KNOW this had to have been a manufacturing glitch. No other explanation could be possible short of somebody breaking into my house and vandalizing it! Must be why they are sending me a new frame! I can't imaging their doing it if they thought I'd damaged it via accident etc. and was lying. The bike looks pristine! Now, what color? :)

Get the colour you like. I would go for Purple.

I would go for the Camel Toe Purple myself. :thumb:

To address your concerns about others not recognizing your bike as di2-
1- get over it. There are about 1453 things more important to even the best among us.
- the number of cyclists who recognize if a andom specialzed bike is di2 or not are very few.
- anyone who cares will easily see your bike is di2 and not mechanical. So relax there.
- anyone who gives a damn what you ride/spend on cycling is not someone I want to be around. The fact that they care what another cyclist rides is a tough reality ton accept.

I'd be annoyed as well
 

Can you ask for your money back since they can't replace the product that failed.

Well, they actually could replace it, just not the same color. They apparently won't get any more in as they are clearing things out for the 2019's. I thought the red looked about as nice or better than what I had so I just went with it so I can be riding again next week. I don't THINK I would've won that one and it looks the 2019's come in red or black basically so mine will look like a '19! LOL! I don't know, maybe I should've. :)

I wonder if Longbowsafari's pretty successful resolution was because he purchased through LBS and not internet based company. Does anyone have any similar stories with internet bike company's, like Allied, Canyon or other companies?

Not always positive results
 

I'm glad it worked out for @longbowsarafi but its not always the case. There are plenty of negative examples of warranty claims on this forum even when a reputable LBS is involved.

That to me is a major reason why I am leery of purcashing expensive framsets. My CAAD12 is about as an expensive a frameset as I'll buy.