VT to CA

So I bought a Deda Supercarbon RS seatpost.

I'm a usually broke racer, and although I get a lot of stuff free or discounted, 32.4 special order seatposts don't fall under that category. And this thing was expensive. Damn expensive.

Anyway, I get the seatpost, and soon discover that no matter how hard your crank down the "toothless" clamp, it will slip if you place ANY weight towards the rear of your saddle while riding. This results in your saddle pointing up. (By the way, I'm 150lbs, no clydesdale)

Basically, the seatpost is unrideable. The stance of the store here (my sponsor store is back east) is that it is a design flaw. As such, and also being a special order which they don't stock, they told me to hit up Deda, which is reasonable... nothing is broken on the post, it's just built wrong.

So I call up the person Deda lists as the distributor, or rep, for Southern CA. I won't name any names here, but all his info is at the Dede Elementi site, he's the last guy listed.

He was rude. He continually told me to go back to the store, although I had told him the store's position several times. He said there was nothing he could do. He refused to identify himself as the local rep. He refused to give me a phone number to contact Deda directly. When I asked him again if he was the rep, he hung up on me. I called back, amazed at this, figuring it must have been my cell phone dropping. Nope. He hung up again immediately. I should mention that throughout this, I was polite but firm, despite his rudeness and refusal to do anything.

Maybe the guy was having a bad day, I don't know. I do know that this is unbelievable behavior from a rep- I've spoken to many others from various companies about issues with equipment over the years, they've always been cool.

I don't know how Deda will handle the issue once I actually get in contact with them. They should know how their local rep treats customers issues- you can count on me telling them.

Just thought I'd let people here know- I'm sure your local Deda rep is a great guy... as I said, most reps I know are really cool guys. But if you're in SoCal and thinking about a piece of Deda equipment... just be warned. If you run into an issue that the store can't or won't handle, or you buy from an internet vendor... you're on your own.

nitropowered

Can't you call the shop you bought it from and have them call the distributor they purchased it from?

One option (after you get this resolved) is getting a seatpost shim and using a 31.6 or 27.2 post. Campy also makes a Record SP in 32.4

shnapper

Heck with fill the whole hollow post section up with dog crap, fill the shipping box with dog crap and ship it off to the guy that hung up on you. Put note inside that says thanks for for selling me a malfunctioning piece of dog crap and add that he's a dog crap rep and to shove the post straight up his dog crap ace and rotate it......

Sorry in a bad mood right now.........

Rocke

Frankly it still is the LBS responsibility to handle product issues if they sell them. Obviously they know the rep, they had to order it from him. Putting you in the middle is not right. (Believe it or not, I am having a similar situation with Dr’s. and Specialists!) I would not consider doing business with a group that did not have a return policy on all of its products that prove defective. (Even sale bins) The customer should be able to buy with confidence in the retailer. It would be different if you didn’t like the fragrance or the color; defective or broken should be a no brainer.

If you paid the LBS they should handle the return IMO, even if it is special order. That is called service, it is why we support them, they should support you. I cannot imagine my LBS not working for and with me on anything. I have seen them honor unreasonable requests by a customer that embarrassed me; they simply said, “cost of doing business.” I admired their Grace.

I would be careful cranking on the Carbon too hard by the way. (It might ignite!)

BikeWise1

Well, as a shop owner, first I would've tried to talk you out of a carbon post and into a Thomson Masterpiece, BUT, had you insisted on the Deda, I would've gotten it. Had you had a problem, I would've dealt with it as though it were a stocked product: called the place I got it from and made it right.

Pawning it off because it is a special order is lame.

That said, the Deda guy should have politely requested the shop's name, called them and offered to help take care of the situation.

Now, since it didn't go that way, would your sponsor shop help you with this issue? I would if you were on my team....

VT to CA

Nitropowered- thanks for the advice... but it's not the post slipping in the frame. It's the clamp that holds the saddle. The Deda Supercarbon RS has a "toothless clamp" system, similar to the Thomsons... except the Deda doesn't hold. The clamp slips and the saddle rotates upwards.

Shnapper- Nothing to be sorry about, I might just do that...

Rocke- I agree it's the shop's responsibility from a costumer service point of view, but legally they can just tell me to go to the manufacturer, obnoxious as that may be. Right or wrong, the ball fell at the Deda rep's feet, and his response was reprehensible. (dig the pun)

BikeWise1- But Deda stuff is so sexy! Yeah, the RS was a dud, but I've had Blacksticks, and that's a tremendous post... I'm a big fan of good carbon posts, although I do appreciate the Thomsons and have used them... even got a little deal with another team once upon a time...

Thomson doesn't do a 32.4 Masterpiece, or I'd be all over that. In the larger sizes, the Thomsons are usually lighter than anything carbon, and since the diameter is so big, you don't get a lot of cush from carbon anyway...

I called my sponsor shop about the issue, they're going to handle it. Meanwhile I have my choice of waiting for a Deda Blackstick, them shipping me an FSA K-Force Light right away, or going for a Thomson Elite Setback, shipped right away... those were the only two 32.4's they had in stock...

sogood

So what's the difference b/n Supercarbon and Supercarbon RS models?

That anchor problem has also been mentioned with Ritchey WCS seatposts. One potential solution is to take the clamp apart and roughen the alloy surface a bit with some coarse wet and dry.

operator

32.4 AL seatpost = $10.

Thread over.

Thanks for the heads up on deda reps, not buying anything that says their name on it again.

oilman_15106

Had a Deda bottom bracket that went bad after 140 miles. Got it via internet seller(not scambay) but they did not respond to my emails about the problem. Got Deda email address off web and after I sent a message about the problem I got superior replacement service from the retailer.

shakeNbake

No reason why you can't get a replacement. Especially for such a high-end product.

Edit: I just looked up the Deda website, if we are talking the same dealer here (the one with the name of two continents), I'm kinda surprised.

I've never dealt directly with them, but I've heard good things about them. I live in LA

Matt888

Here in Australia we have the ACCC (Australian competition and consumer commission) you must have an equivelent in the states. They are basically a corporate watchdog that will get companies for crap like this. They work in conjunction with the department of fair trading which the government equivelent.
Over here the retailer would have to take that product off your hands there is no question. You absolutally can not sell something that doesn't work as advertised, you just can't!
Go back to the store and tell them you will take this as far as you can if they don't replace it. It's not for you to deal with reps and company people over a product you purchased at a store. It doesn't matter that they ordered it and it's not on their shleves usually, they sold it to you and it does not work, they have to replace it!
Over here, if you mention the ACCC to a retailer they will do anything within reason to make your experience a pleasant one. It's the last thing any business needs is to be investigated for unfair trading, the word of mouth alone ca naffect your bottom line.
Find out who your fair trading commission is and right them a letter.

kleng

I've got a Deda RS super carbon seat post as well, I initially had that clamp issue., but I spun the top clamp around and even the bottom one, I tried different combinations until I got the right contact patch for the clamp angle I wanted. Its never slipped since. You can a try putting in a piece of card in the spot where its not contacting the top of the post properly.

kleng

The Supercarbon RS has a carbon clamp, the supercarbon has an alloy clamp

VT to CA

Thanks, I'll try that- maybe I can make this work yet... I really love the post besides the slipping issues...

Couldn't help noticing you have the carbon clamped version. This is what I thought I'd be getting, but the new RS's have superlight alloy clamps now... you can distinguish it from the regular Supercarbon only because the RS clamp is andonized black where the regular version is silver...

The Deda website even still says "carbon fiber clamp" but the new picture they have up is the black alloy clamp version...

Any idea why they switched over to alloy clamps? I was a little disappointed, initially, but it weighs the same as the carbon clamped version, so whatever...

kleng

Just contact Deda in Italy directly, I've done this with Met and Fizik (sent e-mails to their director of sales) and each time the Australian distributor has personally contacted me and arranged for a replacement to be sent out. I used the lines about "how they couldn't expect any longterm brand loyalty from customers with poorly performing products" and that I had purchased a lot of their products in the past. etc these sort comments always agitates sales managers, and the company owners often see these e-mails comming through. Good luck

fogrider

wow. I just can't believe you guys are putting your butts on a carbon post...let alone a carbon clamp! once that bike its the ground that post is toast. the thomson post is the way to go. if you can't get the size, use a shim. thomson post are light and bulletproof.

kleng

I can't understand why the RS would now have an alloy clamp, the carbon clamp was one of the selling features, my carbon clamp has contact points without any clear coat on it, maybe that is why it doesn't slip.

Does your post have the RS lettering on the back of the post, are you sure you have a "RS", everywhere I check states a carbon clamp, but maybe these are all the old model.



These 3 on-line stores are describing the super carbon RS as having the carbon clamp.
https://www.bikebitsuk.com/deda-super...c979b02d23c0b0
https://www.chicagolandbicycle.com/seatpost.htm
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/detail...e=DEDASPIN0550

this one shows the carbon clamp.
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...2&category=894

VT to CA

Probably older stock. Here's the link to the components page on the Deda Elementi site. Click on supercarbon RS in the "Special" section.

They claim carbon, but as you can see from the new photo (click on it for detail) it's andonized black alloy... and if you click on the regular supercarbon, the alloy clamp is silver. I know it's the RS, because the weight matches up. The regular supercarbon is quite a bit heavier... plus, it says RS on the back, but in white, not in red, and the font is smaller.

maybe they were having durability issues? The fact that you have to tighten it down so hard can't be good for carbon...

https://www.dedaelementi.com/cat_racing.asp

EDIT: just checked the websites you listed- they have the same picture of the black alloy, except for Universal... weird.

kleng

That photo of the RS could have a carbon clamp, it could be the angle that makes it look like alloy, Ive noticed this in other pictures where you can't see the weave, also the supercarbon clamp could also be at the angle making it look silver. Do you have any other reference for the rs having an alloy clamp or is it just the photos. I can't see how the on-line stores could describe a carbon clamp and yet ship an alloy one, its too fundamental a mistake. Maybe we should e-mail Deda italy directly to make sure on the specifications of the post you got.

VT to CA

Well if it's not an RS, what is it? It says RS, but not in red like yours, just small print, after "supercarbon"... it has a black alloy clamp. Regular supercarbons are silver alloy... And then there's the weight...

kleng

I've e-mailed Deda Italy asking the question, I'm just interested in finding out.

VT to CA

So did I... if I have something other than an RS, I'm going to be pissed... I paid for an RS.

Johnny_Monkey

I don't think the ACCC deals with this sort of thing. It's more likely to be your state's Office of Fair Trading.

The ACCC, IIRC, makes rulings on company takeovers and mergers.


However, I think the LBS should have sorted this out.

jemoryl

It may be a bit late for this, but did you pay the shop with a credit card? If the shop won't take the thing back, then have the CC company put a disputed charge hold on it. The thing is defective and they should take it back, special order or no. Nothing wrong with the Thomson Elite, providing it offers enough setback.

kleng

This is the official Deda Site, check out the seat post link
https://www.dedacciai.com/home_eng.html