Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Mountain Biking
Reload this Page >

This is why I'm a hardass customer..

Notices
Mountain Biking Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Check out this forum to discuss the latest tips, tricks, gear and equipment in the world of mountain biking.

This is why I'm a hardass customer..

Old 03-08-10, 02:46 PM
  #1  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
This is why I'm a hardass customer..

Easton Flatboy Pedals, cost around $100 about 3 years ago give or take.
The bearings get shot around year 3
Bring it to the LBS, who tells me it isn't worth his time to contact easton about replacement bearings.
Here, buy these $50 pieces of crap from me, he says. Yeaah, cya man.

I call Easton and wait 2 weeks for some guy to get off vacation, of course they don't return the call.
I call and he's still gone, so I get pissed & refuse to get off the line til this gets solved, which it did.

I sent back my old, unwarrantied, beaten to hell pedals, and because I was persistent, now I am getting a brand new pair....for free.
Despite the time and effort, it was worth it. Love these pedals.

So I post this saying, whenever you think you may have lost a battle with customer service, bite down and give em hell.
Works almost every time and you'll probably get your way if you kill em with kindness and bust their balls @ the same time.

Last edited by Covalent Jello; 03-08-10 at 02:53 PM.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-08-10, 02:55 PM
  #2  
dminor 
Moar cowbell
 
dminor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The 509
Posts: 12,481

Bikes: Bike list is not a resume. Nobody cares.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
Here's to persistence. Good job.
__________________
Originally Posted by Mark Twain
"Don't argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."
dminor is offline  
Old 03-08-10, 03:08 PM
  #3  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
mm indeed. and thanks.
Hard ass, pain in the ass... The latter is probably more precise.
I think Easton's Customer service has a good rep as well, which probably helped. I didn't have to argue much with them.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-08-10, 08:00 PM
  #4  
cryptid01
one less horse
 
cryptid01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: The Hinterlands
Posts: 5,601
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
What made you feel okay about suggesting a manufacturer should replace or repair your 3 year old, bearings shot, "beaten to hell" pedals? Never mind getting all puffed up and proud about ultimately badgering them into it?

What you effectively did was drive up costs for everyone else. yay
cryptid01 is offline  
Old 03-08-10, 10:36 PM
  #5  
DX-MAN
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Now you know the cost of Wal-Mart being in business -- EVERYBODY does blanket returns at one time or another, just to salvage their rep for one d-bag.
(My W-M example -- saw a BMX-poser bike come back in 4 pieces; the store took the return. The thing was a year-and-a-half old.)

I love 661 just because of this, from a tag attached to the shoes I bought from them:

"... but don't put on your best face, bring your worn-out shoes back to the shop, and say, 'This happened on the first ride, give me new for free.' If you wear 'em out, BUY NEW."
DX-MAN is offline  
Old 03-08-10, 11:34 PM
  #6  
dminor 
Moar cowbell
 
dminor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: The 509
Posts: 12,481

Bikes: Bike list is not a resume. Nobody cares.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 29 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts
To be fair, OP was trying to rebuild them but nobody, from his LBS to, eventually, the maker wanted to help. He just got high enough up the food chain to someone willing to help. Hey, we all know that initial CS is often handled by the bottom-of-the-totem-pole groms at a company. That higher-up's choice at that point I guess to assuage his frustration with a new set over replacement bearings - - which would have been dandy, right CJ? . . .right?
__________________
Originally Posted by Mark Twain
"Don't argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

Last edited by dminor; 03-09-10 at 12:13 AM.
dminor is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 06:48 AM
  #7  
cryptid01
one less horse
 
cryptid01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: The Hinterlands
Posts: 5,601
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by dminor
To be fair, OP was trying to rebuild them but nobody, from his LBS to, eventually, the maker wanted to help. He just got high enough up the food chain to someone willing to help. Hey, we all know that initial CS is often handled by the bottom-of-the-totem-pole groms at a company. That higher-up's choice at that point I guess to assuage his frustration with a new set over replacement bearings - - which would have been dandy, right CJ? . . .right?
objection

leading the witness
cryptid01 is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 08:12 AM
  #8  
mtnbiker66
Old School Rad
 
mtnbiker66's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The old Mountains
Posts: 8,206

Bikes: Blur LT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cryptid01
objection

leading the witness
Over ruled!!!!!!!


I always wanted to do that.

I should sick the OP on Diadora. I picked up a pair of Chilies that proceded to co,e apart after about 10 rides. I never heard back from them.
__________________
Like a circus monkey on a stolen Harley......
mtnbiker66 is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 11:22 AM
  #9  
junkyard
Fourth Degree Legend
 
junkyard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: American Gardens Building
Posts: 3,826

Bikes: 2005 Kona Cinder Cone & 2010 Cannondale SuperSix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Customer service truly is worthless these days.
junkyard is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 12:10 PM
  #10  
ed 
.
 
ed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: The Summit of Lee
Posts: 10,939

Bikes: Hecklah

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I have to admit...Crank Brother's has rebuilt both of my Candy's no questions asked for free. I just paid my own shippin cost to them. Their CS IMO is pretty good.

First one had a broken spindle...second had a bent spindle. They replaced the spindles, bearings, cages...and even the little plates with the logo. The only thing left orig was the delrin'ish housing.
ed is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 01:01 PM
  #11  
m4ximusprim3
Senior Member
 
m4ximusprim3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Posts: 381

Bikes: 2010 CAAD9-4

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I see the problem- you bought something from easton. They made it about 2 years, 11 months more than I would have expected.
m4ximusprim3 is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 01:16 PM
  #12  
mystolenbikes
Senior Member
 
mystolenbikes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 622

Bikes: Specialized Hardrock

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by mtnbiker66
Over ruled!!!!!!!


I always wanted to do that.

I should sick the OP on Diadora. I picked up a pair of Chilies that proceded to co,e apart after about 10 rides. I never heard back from them.
You should've kept calling them. falling a part after 10 rides is different then falling a part after 3 years of abuse.
mystolenbikes is offline  
Old 03-09-10, 02:28 PM
  #13  
mcoine
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: southern oregon
Posts: 2,631
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Those bearings are available at any bearing supplier. You don't have to wait 2 weeks to get a set of bearings.
mcoine is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 05:22 PM
  #14  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
double post
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 05:24 PM
  #15  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cryptid01
What made you feel okay about suggesting a manufacturer should replace or repair your 3 year old, bearings shot, "beaten to hell" pedals? Never mind getting all puffed up and proud about ultimately badgering them into it?

What you effectively did was drive up costs for everyone else. yay
They offered, actually, for wasting almost or what feels like 3 months of my bike time on backup pedals, I accepted
That in addition to bearings failing 2x in 3 years (on only one pedal)
Raising the price for everyone else, that's exaggerated, meh, I'll mail you your extra 3 pennies if you want

I guess they should have had someone ready to take my credit card info so I could buy a simple bearing replacement kit, but they didn't, made me wait 2 weeks, and then planned on making me wait more. Bad enough I have to wait for the new pedals to be shipped in a couple weeks seeing as they're on backorder. I have no remorse for the company, when it comes this far I generally never do anyways.

And yes, I'm proud! I hope someone else will do the same and not bend over to customer service.
Like I said, this is just why I am a pain in the ass customer, because it pays off.
I want other ppl to do the same. When people suck at doing biz they should know, I would want the same.
What I really did was make Easton a better company. But only because I told them where they went wrong & got their attention, really.

Last edited by Covalent Jello; 03-12-10 at 06:39 PM.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 05:27 PM
  #16  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
double post frenzy

Last edited by Covalent Jello; 03-12-10 at 05:34 PM.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 05:29 PM
  #17  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by mcoine
Those bearings are available at any bearing supplier. You don't have to wait 2 weeks to get a set of bearings.
Yeah, all I really called Easton for was either a replacement kit (easier than getting it from some 3rd party, to me) or just some specs so I'd know which ones to get.

Neither were available so Easton lost out..I woulda taken new bearings though and called it a day..!

Last edited by Covalent Jello; 03-12-10 at 06:06 PM.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 09:11 PM
  #18  
DX-MAN
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,788
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Not trying to prolong a flame war, but you do sound like my riding bud at work; he has an '03 Epic, is lusting for the '10 Stumpy FSR Elite, and while in the LBS for a fork rebuild, asked the staff if SpecialEd still had lifetime warranty on their frames... his intent is to get a NEW frame by bashing the sh** out of the old one while racing again this year.

Warranties are not to salvage your trashed parts; they are to cover a potential flaw in the manufacturing. NOTHING made by man last forever, so people need to quit abusing the lifetime warranty concept.
DX-MAN is offline  
Old 03-12-10, 09:32 PM
  #19  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by DX-MAN
Not trying to prolong a flame war, but you do sound like my riding bud at work; he has an '03 Epic, is lusting for the '10 Stumpy FSR Elite, and while in the LBS for a fork rebuild, asked the staff if SpecialEd still had lifetime warranty on their frames... his intent is to get a NEW frame by bashing the sh** out of the old one while racing again this year.

Warranties are not to salvage your trashed parts; they are to cover a potential flaw in the manufacturing. NOTHING made by man last forever, so people need to quit abusing the lifetime warranty concept.
I never went out with the intent to screw any warranty over, I knew it was over. I was going to pay the $20 for the replacement kit and be happy.
They couldn't do that, because someone was on vacation, and I had to wait, but got new pedals out of it.

So, I'm pretty happy considering they dicked me around for a while there.
Especially considering, had I not been pushy, this wouldn't have happened.
When I say pushy, I mean, doing what an average customer should do, but often may not.

Now, they have a pair of pedals that were used by a customer to look at. Even better for them.
The left one didn't break at all, it was the right one that broke two times. My right foot is dominant, I have a habit of that. =-0 Coincidence?

Last edited by Covalent Jello; 03-12-10 at 09:42 PM.
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-13-10, 03:19 AM
  #20  
stapfam
Time for a change.
 
stapfam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913

Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
Never paid that much for pedals and I started on Shimano SPD about 94 0r 5. Still have the original pair I bought and other than the springs not adjusting as tight as I like-They work fine- I just use them on a bike I don't ride often. At the cost of M520's- I doubt that I would rebuild them- just buy a new set but $100 pedals that need a $20 repair kit make sense.

Problems come about when suppliers and manufacturers don't put themselves out for Customet service. I have rarely had problems with getting replacement parts or rebuild kits but I just go to me LBS and they sort everything for me.

But I did have a problem with a lamp I bought about 4 years ago. The manufacturers came out with a Quick release bracket that was advertised on the Internet. Asked at the LBS and a week later the news was that the bracket is not yet in production- even though it had been put on the web page. It would be a couple of months before it was available.

6 weeks later and a small package came through the post. It was "Pre-Production" version of the bracket and "Could I test ride it and feedback info" The LBS had told the Lamp manufacturers my name and as I had registered with them when I bought the lamp- They had sent me a bracket FOC in the post. They got the Info and I got a free $25 bracket.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.


Spike Milligan
stapfam is offline  
Old 03-13-10, 06:36 AM
  #21  
cmdr
Don't call me sir
 
cmdr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Posts: 615

Bikes: 1954 Holdsworth 3 speed, 1969 Bob Jackson, 1988 Miyata Twelve Hundred (retired), 1989 Schwinn Paramount, 2004 Santa Cruz Blur Classic, 2012 Specialized P3, 2013 Specialized Roubaix Expert Disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
SRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM! Best Customer service EVER. Break something of theirs (truvativ, rockshox, avid, sram) they have a crash replacement program. Something breaks JRA, no hassle, it's on its way.
cmdr is offline  
Old 03-13-10, 07:43 AM
  #22  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
cool thanks for the info everyone
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-13-10, 10:07 AM
  #23  
nachomc
Senior Member
 
nachomc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 1,259

Bikes: Epic and Tarmac

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I probably would have just bought new pedals instead of deal with four weeks of bull ****. But that's just me.
nachomc is offline  
Old 03-13-10, 10:56 AM
  #24  
Covalent Jello
DEJA VU
Thread Starter
 
Covalent Jello's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 570
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I was tempted to but I'm stubborn and it's the principle of it all.
But mainly it's just that I've been managing to ski instead of bike in the meantime =P
Covalent Jello is offline  
Old 03-14-10, 04:23 PM
  #25  
7daysaweek
Ouch... my knees.
 
7daysaweek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 213
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Covalent Jello
When people suck at doing biz they should know,
Suck at doing business? They built pedals that lasted you 3 years... then you apparently enjoyed them enough that you wanted to keep them rather than going to a different brand but you aren't willing to pay the money for a new set to support a company that made a good product for you. You're just content to b*tch at them til you get your way and not reward them for making a product that did its job for you.

Not only that but now you get online and brag about it like you've won some contest against them. I love the way people think these days.
7daysaweek is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.