Originally Posted by
Nachoman
One window at a local bike store had a big sign that said "SALE - GOING OUT OF BUSUNESS".
In the window, on the other side of the door, another big sign said "FREE LIFETIME TUNEUPS".
The 'Free Lifetime Tuneups' pitch was a thorn in my side. We tried to explain that the 'tuneups' they were offering for free were not the same full-service packages shops were charging $40-150 for, but were simple adjustments, mostly not needing tools, and that we can show you haw to do the adjustment yourself. My boss made the point that, if they really were offering 'lifetime free tuneups' then we could go there and buy 10 new cheap bikes and run them out of business by requesting hundreds of 'free tuneups' a week.
Then the shop that was closest to us who was offering free tuneups went out of business, and dozens of people came in complaining that they weren't getting the free tuneups they were promised. Most of them were just a little annoyed, but a few we had to explain that not all bike shops are part of a chain, and whatever deal you had with Shop X is not transferable to us, an unrelated company, just because the products we sell are roughly the same shape.