Personally I think it is reasonable not to refund original shipping. If you went to a store, bought something, unboxed it and after finding some defects, took it back to the store for a refund, would you get your car's running costs refunded as well? What you do when ordering something online is take part in the "gamble" of whether you will be completely happy. The shipping cost is never part of the refund deal. It is your risk.
If they (Origami) blow it they have to refund price of the bike & shipping. Buyer has already added costs and hassle to ship it back.
The rusting parts - you have my sympathy, but I also point out that rust always happens, it is just a question of time. It would seem those bikes sat in storage for perhaps a longer time than usual, in a moister place than usual. They are built in China so my guess is that is where they are stored as well. China is a bad place to store anything at all. So that little bracket and the screws etc will rust, period. They just started showing that rust a little earlier than what you wanted and that is a bit unfortunate. But yes, even real top of th line componentry often have plated steel fasteners which will rust after a while. The only way to prevent that is to use stainless fasteners, and that is true premium.
What? He's buying a NEW bike. It's absolutely not the buyer's problem if "rust always happens...", if "....those bikes sat in storage for perhaps a longer time than usual...", if "...China is a bad place to store anything....".
So if anybody gets a new bike with a dented or broken frame or whatever else it's normal because - let's see - "...it's only a matter of time until meteorites will fall down from the sky and hit the airplane, ship or truck transporting the goods..." or whatever other ludicrous reason.
As for premium parts, perhaps your expectation that top of the line parts are installed on an entry-level bike are unrealistic. It is a pity that stainless spokes aren't used though. That is surprising. Plated steel spokes are used on the bottom dweller bikes only.
In this life one needs to make adjustments to ones expectations. Or you will always end up disappointed.
You're kidding, right? It's not the buyers problem if Origami displays shiny new bikes on their webiste and then ships rusted items. Period. The buyer's buying a NEW bike.
Originally Posted by
badmother
Also, again and again I am baffeled as to what peopel expect to get for almost no money at all. Are YOU able to have (fair quality) bikes made in China, transport them to the west, have a person (who is payed a salary he can feed his family from) tune the bike up and then send it to you?
"If it sounds too good to be true it probably is". If you really need a bike and have no money get a second hand one and learn how to repair it OR exchange favours with a friend who can. We buy stuff we do not need and expect it for free. We have no respect for the limited resources on earth and no respect for other peopels life or health.
Huh..?? Origami bikes are about the same price as comparable Dahon entry level bikes.
Originally Posted by
badmother
We have just seen a chlotes factory collapse in Bangladesh, more than one thousand dead. Shoe factory collapsed, plenty peopel died. Two fires in chlotes factorys just the latest few days, peopel die. Three suicides in the Foxconn factory in China in three weeks (selling components to apple among others). Do you read the news at all? Where do you think all the cheap stuff comes from??
What has this to do with rusty components on a NEW bike?