Touring - How long to wait for BIKESDIRECT warrenty?

The front hub on my Windsor Tourist recently locked up after 7 months of commuting (better now than in the middle of PA). Is the wheel set really that crappy? I've never had this happen to me before, especially on a bike with less than 1000 miles on it.

Where do I go from here? I emailed the 'manufacturer' regarding the warranty but haven't received a response. Should I just invest in better wheel set?

The front hub on my Windsor Tourist recently locked up after 7 months of commuting (better now than in the middle of PA). Is the wheel set really that crappy? I've never had this happen to me before, especially on a bike with less than 1000 miles on it.

Where do I go from here? I emailed the 'manufacturer' regarding the warranty but haven't received a response. Should I just invest in better wheel set?
We rode three of them 4244 miles across the US carrying full camping gear and substantial miles around home, so no that isn't typical of the bike. What specifically is wrong with the hub? I have never dealt with Bikes Direct on a warranty issue so I can't say what to expect on that.

I'd keep on them for a warranty replacement and possibly see if you can pay a bit to get it upgraded to a nice wheel.

I don't know, but since this is a board, I'll add my .02 cents worth.

Well warrantees are only as good as how someone will honour them. First question is does the warrantee apply to your situation? Do they explicitly state that wheels are covered? (by the way, is it the hub, or has the axle broken? Reason I ask is because an axle might be a relatively quick repair) I'm not saying this is the case, but usually they only cover against a manufacturer's defect and if you, say, dropped the bike fully submerged into a puddle of grimy mud for an hour, I can see them balking and saying it wasn't a manufacturer's defect. However, from what you posted, it would seem that 7 months of use, even assuming a 1000 miles a month is not good enough, certainly from my perspective. Assuming your bike wasn't abused, let's hope BikesDirect will step up to the plate here -but the question would be how long will this take?

If you are willing to wait and possibly be aggravated by sending annoying emails asking when it will be resolved -or just do not have enough money to replace the hub or buy a new wheel, I'd say keep waiting, emailing, writing, calling and see this thing through to a conclusion. However, if you need your bike, really like riding, and can afford it, just go out and buy a new wheel or hub and have it laced it up -in the meantime you can always follow up with BikesDirect for a resolution. You might also have to ask yourself if the time you might need to put in to obtain a resolution is worth it as well -and who knows, maybe BikeDirect get back to you within 24 hours anyway. If you don't like your wheelset this of course could be the prime time to buy a new wheelset (especially as a wheelset usually isn't that much more than a single wheel.)

I'm sure somebody will post that had you bought from an LBS you wouldn't have this issue of replacement, but then again, I think BikesDirect offers alot for the money, and even with a new wheel I'd be guessing you'll still be ahead in the money game. Anyway good luck with whatever you do!

Since it appears that the BD touring bike is a rebadged Fuji touring bike, chances are it's the same wheels as well. I don't know who does the QC on them - could be Fuji, could be BD. In either event, you most likely got one bad part, so a warranty repair should be sufficient.

Unfortunately, spotty warranty service is a commonly discussed problem with BD. I believe the owner of BD is a member of the forums, so if the typical routes don't work, you could either PM him or start a thread in the Road Cycling forum.

where do you go from here?

Direct to your Local Bike Shop to see if they can repack your wheel or sell you a new one. Why, honestly, do you expect your wheel to be warrantied for 'locking up?' Was the bike assembled by a qualified bike mechanic where there readjusted the factory set on the cones? Have you ridden in any grimy conditions?

What hub is it? probably low quality, but even the crappiest, 20 dollar, bolt on front wheel will give a rider years of use if properly adjusted and regularily maintained.

Warranties are typically against 'defects in manufacture' and riding an improperly adjusted wheel or getting it manked up in winter riding is NOT a defect in manufacture.

my 2 cents

What hub is it? probably low quality, but even the crappiest, 20 dollar, bolt on front wheel will give a rider years of use if properly adjusted and regularily maintained.
The fact that the OP did not say specifically what was wrong makes it sound like he doesn't know. That leads me to guess that he probably didn't have a dealer prep it or he would be back asking them what was wrong.

Assuming that is correct it seems likely that he should have, because he probably doesn't have the skills to prep and maintain it himself. I only say that because if he did he would have been able to tell us what was wrong. There are a very limited number of things that can go wrong that will cause a hub to "lock up" and all of them should be very obvious upon disassembly.

One other possibility comes to mind and that is that he knows what is wrong and isn't telling the whole story for some other reason.

Hopefully he will post back with some more details.

failure to check low-end factory wheels for proper hub adjustment and lubrication, then riding them for a thousand miles in a winter, could be contributing factors to the OP's dilemma.

Hard to tell without further information.

The fact that the OP did not say specifically what was wrong makes it sound like he doesn't know. That leads me to guess that he probably didn't have a dealer prep it or he would be back asking them what was wrong.

Assuming that is correct it seems likely that he should have, because he probably doesn't have the skills to prep and maintain it himself. I only say that because if he did he would have been able to tell us what was wrong. There are a very limited number of things that can go wrong that will cause a hub to "lock up" and all of them should be very obvious upon disassembly.

One other possibility comes to mind and that is that he knows what is wrong and isn't telling the whole story for some other reason.

Hopefully he will post back with some more details.

Thanks for all the responses.

The hub 'locked up', I mean it stopped spinning freely. It spins, but not without force. This happened about a week ago, when I made a short trip to the drug store. Halfway there, I felt like I was all of sudden dragging something. I have been away from home since then, and haven't had a chance to inspect the wheel. And I won't be home again till this weekend.

I have been riding and working on bikes my entire life. I've repacked, replaced, adjusted, BB's, wheel bearings, replaced axles, etc etc and have ridden thousands and thousands of miles on those repairs commuting, mountain biking, short touring, and lots of other biking in all kinds of conditions, but have never had this happen. I'm not an expert but I know how to build and maintain a bike. Sorry for not making my mechanical prowess apparent in the opening post.

The bike does see rain, but no more than any of my other bikes, and this bike doesn't see nearly the same abuse.

By posting, I was just trying to gauge people's experience with this bike and the warranty. But I promise, as soon as I get home and have time, I'll have this hub disassembled for everyone.

Thanks for the last two posters for coming across as complete dicks, I think there's a LBS thats hiring, you'd fit right in.

Thanks for the last two posters for coming across as complete dicks, I think there's a LBS thats hiring, you'd fit right in.
You are welcome. :)

You emailed the manufacturer about the warranty without even looking at what was wrong. Then you posted on a public forum about it, still without checking to see what is wrong. Do you think that either of those actions are appropriate?

It would seem like checking what was wrong would be the first step.

1. Email.
2. Phone call.
3. First class letter requesting warranty and demonstrating that warranty applies and is in place.
4. Registered letter
5. Letter from your attorney
6. File suit in accord with whatever agreement you have with supplier
7. Get default judgment
8. Sell default judgment for X cents on the dollar

That seems the typical pattern that works. I've never gotten past 6 - things generally get resolved by then.

You are welcome. :)

You emailed the manufacturer about the warranty without even looking at what was wrong. Then you posted on a public forum about it, still without checking to see what is wrong. Do you think that either of those actions are appropriate?

It would seem like checking what was wrong would be the first step.

Well, I took into consideration BIKESDIRECT reputation with dealing with warranty claims. That reputation on BF is lackluster, at best. Search BF.

Then I figure, I won't even have time to touch the bike for another week, the sooner I get things ironed out, the better. Maybe, if the wheels aren't worth investing in, I'll get a set of new hubs. The wheels, along with the BB, the headset, the cassette, and a few other small items on most of these bikes are of questionable quality, and anyone who owns a BD bike knows this. Just search BF, I know MIKE and the shills do.

So I have a problem, with a wheel, thats of known questionable quality, and I'm under a bit of a time constraint.

I email about the warranty, and don't receive anything back, as expected. Even if I did get a response, I would have then made sure to inspect the wheel further, so I don't waste both our time and money shipping the wheel back and waiting for another one.

But, since I've never encountered a wheel doing this, it didn't seem unreasonable to think that a BIKESDIRECT hub would be such a piece of off-brand chinese garbage that doesn't last even a fraction of the time other cheap hubs I've owned lasted. Maybe, I thought, I'll buy a new set of good quality wheels in the mean time, while I try to make a claim on the warranty and keep them as spares.

yadda yadda yadda...

I come to BF.net and ask the advice of the knowledgeable people here: forget about these wheels and buy a new set or try to make good on the warranty?

Sorry to offend dear (paid?) shill.

did you adjust and grease the hubs when you took it out of the box? And any servicing thru the winter, any adjustments or repacks? any adjustment to the cones after the initial settling in period?

I would do both. Pursue warranty and get better wheels.

Well, I took into consideration BIKESDIRECT reputation with dealing with warranty claims. That reputation on BF is lackluster, at best. Search BF.

Then I figure, I won't even have time to touch the bike for another week, the sooner I get things ironed out, the better. Maybe, if the wheels aren't worth investing in, I'll get a set of new hubs. The wheels, along with the BB, the headset, the cassette, and a few other small items on most of these bikes are of questionable quality, and anyone who owns a BD bike knows this. Just search BF, I know MIKE and the shills do.

So I have a problem, with a wheel, thats of known questionable quality, and I'm under a bit of a time constraint.

I email about the warranty, and don't receive anything back, as expected. Even if I did get a response, I would have then made sure to inspect the wheel further, so I don't waste both our time and money shipping the wheel back and waiting for another one.

But, since I've never encountered a wheel doing this, it didn't seem unreasonable to think that a BIKESDIRECT hub would be such a piece of off-brand chinese garbage that doesn't last even a fraction of the time other cheap hubs I've owned lasted. Maybe, I thought, I'll buy a new set of good quality wheels in the mean time, while I try to make a claim on the warranty and keep them as spares.

yadda yadda yadda...

I come to BF.net and ask the advice of the knowledgeable people here: forget about these wheels and buy a new set or try to make good on the warranty?

Sorry to offend dear (paid?) shill.
I have heard of one instance of a prematurely failed BB on a Windsor Tourist, but have not heard of any such failures for the hubs. The hubs look to be identical to the ones on the Fuji Touring and I have heard of no problems there either. Please do let us know what the problem is.

The level of venom you are spouting seems a bit much, especially since you haven't even determined the nature of the problem yet.

Even if this were a bike from a shop, I'm not sure you could make a case for it being a warranty issue. Seven months of riding is a lot and stuff wears out. I've put this down as normal wear and tear. Quite likely the cones are pitted and need replacement. Replace the bearings while you are at it. It's a simple enough repair and probably not worth the hassle of returning the wheel in the first place. It may even be something as simple as the cone tightening because it wasn't locked against the outer nut properly.

Spend $10 to fix it or spend $200 in time effort and loss of bike while you get it warrantied...your choice.

I have heard of one instance of a prematurely failed BB on a Windsor Tourist, but have not heard of any such failures for the hubs. The hubs look to be identical to the ones on the Fuji Touring and I have heard of no problems there either. Please do let us know what the problem is.

The level of venom you are spouting seems a bit much, especially since you haven't even determined the nature of the problem yet.

Way to antagonize. Sounds familiar.

I'm the guy who had the BB fail prematurely on a Windsor Tourist. I didn't even bother contacting bikesdirect about it, since a new BB was $29.99 (slightly overpriced at my LBS) and I didn't think it was worth it for the hassle. The BB failed after 600 km of fair weather riding, but it appears I may have just been unlucky with that part. Others have had things last much longer.

The front and rear derailleurs, crankset, and brifters are all name brand (Shimano and Truvativ) on the Windsor Tourist. Everything else is no-name Taiwanese or Chinese OEM suppliers. The hubs are Joytech brand I believe. The bottom bracket and headset are Chin Haur brand. Stock pedals are Wellgo brand. Stem and handlebars are made by Zoom I believe.

I guess I agree with what cyccommute said, you may just be on your own here as it could be considered normal wear and tear, or bikesdirect could say you didn't have a professional adjust it, it was improperly maintained, etc. I wouldn't hold my breath for bikesdirect to send you out a new wheel or hub.

I think you make a trade for cost vs. customer service when buying from bikesdirect. From what I have heard from others, they don't respond to e-mails with problems too often, and they do not give you a telephone number for contact. Pretty much you are own your own from day one.

If you really want to pursue it, search for bikesdirect.com on the bbb.org web site. You will probably find an address and telephone number there. The last time I checked, they had a poor rating at the Better Business Bureau due to not responding to customer complaints.

I currently have a little over 500 miles on my Windsor Tourist and have commuted on it for only about 6 or 7 weeks. Other than the BB failure, I have been happy with my purchase, but reading about your experience makes me think I should be setting aside the gas money I'm saving for a new set of wheels.

Even if this were a bike from a shop, I'm not sure you could make a case for it being a warranty issue. Seven months of riding is a lot and stuff wears out. I've put this down as normal wear and tear. Quite likely the cones are pitted and need replacement. Replace the bearings while you are at it. It's a simple enough repair and probably not worth the hassle of returning the wheel in the first place. It may even be something as simple as the cone tightening because it wasn't locked against the outer nut properly.

Spend $10 to fix it or spend $200 in time effort and loss of bike while you get it warrantied...your choice.

True. Thanks for the advice, I'll probably do this for now and look into a getting some nice wheels built up for when I do some longer distance touring. I adjusted the hubs when I got the bike and was on the verge of overhauling them before I do anymore short touring rides around the NE. The front wheel actually wasn't used as much as the rear; a while ago I tore a hole in the side of the tire on the way home from work but needed to get to the store later that night so I threw on a wheel with a tire on it already, and ended leaving it on most of the winter.

I'm the guy who had the BB fail prematurely on a Windsor Tourist. I didn't even bother contacting bikesdirect about it, since a new BB was $29.99 (slightly overpriced at my LBS) and I didn't think it was worth it for the hassle. The BB failed after 600 km of fair weather riding, but it appears I may have just been unlucky with that part. Others have had things last much longer.

The front and rear derailleurs, crankset, and brifters are all name brand (Shimano and Truvativ) on the Windsor Tourist. Everything else is no-name Taiwanese or Chinese OEM suppliers. The hubs are Joytech brand I believe. The bottom bracket and headset are Chin Haur brand. Stock pedals are Wellgo brand. Stem and handlebars are made by Zoom I believe.

I guess I agree with what cyccommute said, you may just be on your own here as it could be considered normal wear and tear, or bikesdirect could say you didn't have a professional adjust it, it was improperly maintained, etc. I wouldn't hold my breath for bikesdirect to send you out a new wheel or hub.

I think you make a trade for cost vs. customer service when buying from bikesdirect. From what I have heard from others, they don't respond to e-mails with problems too often, and they do not give you a telephone number for contact. Pretty much you are own your own from day one.

If you really want to pursue it, search for bikesdirect.com on the bbb.org web site. You will probably find an address and telephone number there. The last time I checked, they had a poor rating at the Better Business Bureau due to not responding to customer complaints.

I currently have a little over 500 miles on my Windsor Tourist and have commuted on it for only about 6 or 7 weeks. Other than the BB failure, I have been happy with my purchase, but reading about your experience makes me think I should be setting aside the gas money I'm saving for a new set of wheels.

I probably won't pursue it. I really don't buy stuff because of a particular product's warranty unless I know they really do back the product (like snap on or craftsmen tools).

Joytech hubs do fail. I have had a grand total of two replaced by my LBS when they failed in the first few weeks of riding. Both happened to be on Giant mtb's that were near the bottom of the model line up. Both were front hubs. If I was in your situation I would just get a new wheel and get on with it. Warranties are written to protect the manufacturer NOT the consumer.

Aaron:)

There's nothing wrong with this approach -just keep in mind the time spent and the payment made to a lawyer may well cost more than just going out and buying a replacement wheel and hub in the first place!



1. Email.
2. Phone call.
3. First class letter requesting warranty and demonstrating that warranty applies and is in place.
4. Registered letter
5. Letter from your attorney
6. File suit in accord with whatever agreement you have with supplier
7. Get default judgment
8. Sell default judgment for X cents on the dollar

That seems the typical pattern that works. I've never gotten past 6 - things generally get resolved by then.

Just my opinion, but having been on these forums quite a time (many years, my name is not my original) I find staephj to be pretty upfront. That doesn't meant to say I agree with everything he/she posts (I think that must surely apply to 100% of us anyway!), but I do think staephj has some integrity there -I don't think she/he's a shill by any means. He is, however, a happy customer and is happy to pass on his thoughts about his bike and his BikesDirect experience. I think before you mention someone might be a shill, checkout their posts first -if it is inferred you are a shill, I can understand someone getting a little testy.

Back to your question and assuming you just want to ride and have the funds:

1. disassemble the hub. If it looks ok, clean, lube, repack, try again. If you think you need new bearings or an axle, buy some and install.
2. if not, go out and buy a hub, assuming you can lace it up yourself and can use the original spokes (assuming here the cost of hub and spokes is so close to a built up wheel, then you might as well buy the new wheel)
3. if you can't build a hub, price up the difference between buying a built up wheel with hub versus getting an LBS to do a build with your original rim (assuming you think the original rim is something worth keeping and the new wheel rim is decent).
4. if in 3. you decide to buy a new built up wheel, look at the costs involved in just getting a complete wheelset, particularly if you don't care for the original rims and hubs.
5. if you wish, pursue a warrantee claim with BikesDirect. Be prepared to spend time and possibly money to resolve the issue -as previously noted -your choice!




I come to BF.net and ask the advice of the knowledgeable people here: forget about these wheels and buy a new set or try to make good on the warranty?

Sorry to offend dear (paid?) shill.

2. if not, go out and buy a hub, assuming you can lace it up yourself and can use the original spokes (assuming here the cost of hub and spokes is so close to a built up wheel, then you might as well buy the new wheel)

Just one note here; for this to work properly, the new and old hub must have similar flange diameter and offset from center for both left and right flanges. If this is not the case, the spokes may be too short or long to work properly with the new hub (although differences of a 1 (or 2) mm in spoke length may not be important). See spoke length calculators listed on Sheldon's site for more measurement specifics:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

I beleve these hubs are sealed cartridge bearings.

1) Investigate further. (What part actually failed ?)
2) Take pictures
3) Post to Bicycle Mechanics.

Joytech hubs do fail. I have had a grand total of two replaced by my LBS when they failed in the first few weeks of riding. Both happened to be on Giant mtb's that were near the bottom of the model line up. Both were front hubs. If I was in your situation I would just get a new wheel and get on with it. Warranties are written to protect the manufacturer NOT the consumer.

Aaron:)

What was the specific failure mode?

regardless, all boxed bikes sold in the USA are required to be assembled by a 'qualified' bike mechanic. Consumer Product Safety Commision requires this, and is on every bike container and bike owners' manual I've ever seen.

Unless he's working as a bike mechanic or holds certification from BTI, he's NOT QUALIFIED, legally, to assemble the bike.

Since the OP assembled his bike at home, his claims of warranty issues are likely null-and-void because he violated on of the prime tenents on bike warranties in the USA- the other being 'original owner with receipt'

blow either of those two caveats, any warranty claims on bikes are pretty much readily and legally deniable by the manufacturer.

people come in with second owner bikes all the time, looking for that 'lifetime frame warranty.' :roflmao:

regardless, all boxed bikes sold in the USA are required to be assembled by a 'qualified' bike mechanic. Consumer Product Safety Commision requires this, and is on every bike container and bike owners' manual I've ever seen.

Unless he's working as a bike mechanic or holds certification from BTI, he's NOT QUALIFIED, legally, to assemble the bike.

Since the OP assembled his bike at home, his claims of warranty issues are likely null-and-void because he violated on of the prime tenents on bike warranties in the USA- the other being 'original owner with receipt'

blow either of those two caveats, any warranty claims on bikes are pretty much readily and legally deniable by the manufacturer.

people come in with second owner bikes all the time, looking for that 'lifetime frame warranty.' :roflmao:
If this is true, then I'm sure the vast majority bikesdirect.com customers have no warranty at all. Also, bikesdirect actually sells a DVD for showing people how to assemble their own bikes. They sure don't make it clear that doing so would invalidate a warranty.

The business model of bikesdirect definitely fills a niche and has potential. Given the wide customer base of the internet, they can sell high end or specialty bikes (like touring ones) that local shops typically don't carry. However, the customer service and communication is lacking. If what you said is true, then they definitely should make it more clear the specific terms of the warranty, specifically stating that warranty is void if not assembled by a professional bike mechanic.

It makes sense to have a bike mechanic go over it the first time. In my case, I was learning by doing and didn't even purchase the assembly video sold by bikesdirect. I learned, but made some dumb mistakes along the way. If I were bikesdirect, I'd be concerned about the liability if something it not assembled properly at the factory (or by the customer) that causes a crash.

this 'qualified assembly' CPSC requirement and how unqualified assembly voids warranty is on EVERY mass manufacture boxed bike sold in the USA.

You may want to see if you can get a response from Bikes Direct first. I've been trying for the past week to reach them about a part that failed with less than 200 miles on it. They seem to have gone dead.

What was the specific failure mode?

One the axle broke the other was making a heavy clicking noise, the interior cup was not seated and would not seat. Probably a tolerance issue. The broken axle was at about the 90 day mark on a daily rider. The other was around the 6 week mark on a week end rider.

Aaron:)

One the axle broke the other was making a heavy clicking noise, the interior cup was not seated and would not seat. Probably a tolerance issue. The broken axle was at about the 90 day mark on a daily rider. The other was around the 6 week mark on a week end rider.

Aaron:)
OK thanks.

The warranty provided by BikesDirect under the twenty or thirty names it uses (CycleSpectrum, Windsor, Motobecane, etc.) is essentially worthless. They are based in Houston, Texas, and the Houston Better Business Bureau has drawers full of unresolved complaints against them.

They sell lots of bikes to students in the University of Houston and Rice University. When a brake caliper or seatpost breaks on a two month old bike, Cycle Spectrum says "No parts are available...the bike is beyond repair...we can sell you a new bike". The owners then take the defective bikes to a REAL bike shop and dig into their own pocket to pay for the repair.

Have your wheel checked by a REAL bike shop. Some wheel problems can be fixed fairly easily. If the rim is of decent quality, a good bike shop could also put in a better quality hub. Also, Nashbar has "sales" on pairs of wheels that are often very cheap...cheaper than what local bike shops would pay for the rims and hubs alone.

You may want to see if you can get a response from Bikes Direct first. I've been trying for the past week to reach them about a part that failed with less than 200 miles on it. They seem to have gone dead.

Cycle Spectrum
5950 C FM 1960 West
Houston, TX 77069
281-583-5466

Cycle Spectrum
5950 C FM 1960 West
Houston, TX 77069
281-583-5466

Thanks I think I'll give them a call tomorrow. The part that failed on my bike was a Rock Shox Dart 3 fork. I took it to the shop today and they estimated a $70 repair on an item that cost $190 new. The fork has a 2 year warranty from SRAM but now that I look for it, I can't find that Bikes Direct ever gave me a receipt. Caveat emptor and all that.

This thread is a little confusing; in that some mis-info is posted about warranty.
Of course, there are the typical lies by haters and competitors that pop up in posts; everyone expects those.


First, matter that confuses me is that the OP has had an e-mail response from us. But from time to time, e-mails can be stopped by servers or spam filters. This is why we post 5 e-mail addresses. Every e-mail sent in gets answered.

Then there is confusion about warranty. Every bike we sell has a warranty. Defects are covered under the warranties as stated. In addition, eventhough labor is not covered under any bike warranty, we almost never charge labor {many LBS do charge labor on warranty claims**.

Warranty claims are rare in the high grade bike biz, actual defects are super rare. So we have no problem professionally handling the few we get. In addition, in most respects our warranty is handed better than most LBS. Difference with bikesdirect is: customer needs to send in the bike or part. Often this is as cheap or cheaper than driving to a dealer.

Once we get the item; we make the defect claim determination, fix or replace the item, and send it back. Really very simple. Anyone with a warranty claim should e-mail us at our normal address for quick professional service; if you do not hear back in 24 hours {not counting weekends**; check your spam filter and also e-mail bd4alternative@yahoo.com

I know it burns up some LBS, some workers at bike shops, and one ex-employee who was fired that our business keeps increasing at a rate that is so high we find it hard to get enough bikes {bikesdirect sales have more than doubled every year for the past five years**. But after awhile of reading the silly unfounded attacts; intelligent members see what is going on with the sour apples.

This thread is a little confusing; in that some mis-info is posted about warranty.
Of course, there are the typical lies by haters and competitors that pop up in posts; everyone expects those.


First, matter that confuses me is that the OP has had an e-mail response from us. But from time to time, e-mails can be stopped by servers or spam filters. This is why we post 5 e-mail addresses. Every e-mail sent in gets answered.

Then there is confusion about warranty. Every bike we sell has a warranty. Defects are covered under the warranties as stated. In addition, eventhough labor is not covered under any bike warranty, we almost never charge labor {many LBS do charge labor on warranty claims**.

Warranty claims are rare in the high grade bike biz, actual defects are super rare. So we have no problem professionally handling the few we get. In addition, in most respects our warranty is handed better than most LBS. Difference with bikesdirect is: customer needs to send in the bike or part. Often this is as cheap or cheaper than driving to a dealer.

Once we get the item; we make the defect claim determination, fix or replace the item, and send it back. Really very simple. Anyone with a warranty claim should e-mail us at our normal address for quick professional service; if you do not hear back in 24 hours {not counting weekends**; check your spam filter and also e-mail bd4alternative@yahoo.com

I know it burns up some LBS, some workers at bike shops, and one ex-employee who was fired that our business keeps increasing at a rate that is so high we find it hard to get enough bikes {bikesdirect sales have more than doubled every year for the past five years**. But after awhile of reading the silly unfounded attacts; intelligent members see what is going on with the sour apples.
It is nice of bikesdirect.com to reply. I'm actually not a hater or disgruntled former employee. I'm a real customer, and generally satisfied. I know that you cannot control what people post on forums (I have seen several about lack of response of bikesdirect to "problem" e-mails). However, bikesdirect.com has a poor rating with the better business bureau from not responding to customer complaints. When a customer goes through the effort of filing a complaint with the BBB, the company could at least make a good faith effort to resolve it and keep a good rating. It would put a lot of customers at ease.

In my case, I didn't even bother trying to get a warranty replacement for my faulty bottom bracket on my Windsor Tourist because I was assuming that I would get a slow or no response and didn't want the hassle for something I could fix myself for $30.

This thread is a little confusing; in that some mis-info is posted about warranty.
Of course, there are the typical lies by haters and competitors that pop up in posts; everyone expects those.


First, matter that confuses me is that the OP has had an e-mail response from us. But from time to time, e-mails can be stopped by servers or spam filters. This is why we post 5 e-mail addresses. Every e-mail sent in gets answered.

Then there is confusion about warranty. Every bike we sell has a warranty. Defects are covered under the warranties as stated. In addition, eventhough labor is not covered under any bike warranty, we almost never charge labor {many LBS do charge labor on warranty claims**.

Warranty claims are rare in the high grade bike biz, actual defects are super rare. So we have no problem professionally handling the few we get. In addition, in most respects our warranty is handed better than most LBS. Difference with bikesdirect is: customer needs to send in the bike or part. Often this is as cheap or cheaper than driving to a dealer.

Once we get the item; we make the defect claim determination, fix or replace the item, and send it back. Really very simple. Anyone with a warranty claim should e-mail us at our normal address for quick professional service; if you do not hear back in 24 hours {not counting weekends**; check your spam filter and also e-mail bd4alternative@yahoo.com

I know it burns up some LBS, some workers at bike shops, and one ex-employee who was fired that our business keeps increasing at a rate that is so high we find it hard to get enough bikes {bikesdirect sales have more than doubled every year for the past five years**. But after awhile of reading the silly unfounded attacts; intelligent members see what is going on with the sour apples.

If your business is doing that good and you are that concerned about customer satisfaction Why not just post your phone number like every other legitimate internet retailer ? I don't have a dog in this fight, but when I see complaints about customer service about the same business over and over on many cycling related forums and email lists I would probably hesitate to do business with you.

It is nice of bikesdirect.com to reply. I'm actually not a hater or disgruntled former employee. I'm a real customer, and generally satisfied. I know that you cannot control what people post on forums (I have seen several about lack of response of bikesdirect to "problem" e-mails). However, bikesdirect.com has a poor rating with the better business bureau from not responding to customer complaints. When a customer goes through the effort of filing a complaint with the BBB, the company could at least make a good faith effort to resolve it and keep a good rating. It would put a lot of customers at ease.

In my case, I didn't even bother trying to get a warranty replacement for my faulty bottom bracket on my Windsor Tourist because I was assuming that I would get a slow or no response and didn't want the hassle for something I could fix myself for $30.


Thank you
I am glad you are happy with your purchase

On BBB, I have posted several times why I do not even respond to BBB requests
In summary, I do not think the BBB system is a good way to evaluate a company; unlike the ebay feeback system; which actually gives the buyer a true look at seller performance

The BBB system is in no way weighted by sales volume and the BBB takes direct payments from companies. This system is not up with the times. And thus very few buyers use it.

If your business is doing that good and you are that concerned about customer satisfaction Why not just post your phone number like every other legitimate internet retailer ? I don't have a dog in this fight, but when I see complaints about customer service about the same business over and over on many cycling related forums and email lists I would probably hesitate to do business with you.


This is an interesting question that I have answered on this and other forums many many times

Bottom line is; most our customers are happy with e-mail AND they do not want to pay an extra 7% for their bike to cover phone conversations. Anyone who has read my posts knows lanuage is not my strong suit But I am real good with nunbers. Phones and extra staff to man them would make a $1200 bike go to $1300 or so -- ost customers prefer to use e-mail and keep the $100 in their pocket.

Can not please everyone; so e go for what most buyers prefer


Mike

hey bikes direct guy,

glad to see you purport you willingly deal with customer complaints in a timely manner despite posts to the contrary.

admirable too, that you honor warranties counterindicated by the Consumer Product Safety Commision's legal requirements on boxed bikes sold in the usa. highly noble of you.

what do those boxed bikes you ship out say about unqualified assembly?

I imagine you are still allowed to offer your own warranty coverage, but it sounds like - judging by recurrent complaints about your business- that you do not provide much in the way of after sales support.


would you send a carbon fiber seatpost back to a vendor for warranty to cover your bottom line after john q public crushes it during assembly? or crashed a bike that had an improperly installed stem?

do you eat the cost there, deny the warranty, or send them back to the manufacturers?

Thank you
I am glad you are happy with your purchase

On BBB, I have posted several times why I do not even respond to BBB requests
In summary, I do not think the BBB system is a good way to evaluate a company; unlike the ebay feeback system; which actually gives the buyer a true look at seller performance

The BBB system is in no way weighted by sales volume and the BBB takes direct payments from companies. This system is not up with the times. And thus very few buyers use it.
Well, call me old fashioned, but I check the BBB on most companies I deal with. E-bay feedback is a response to a sale only. As in, "wow, I ordered it today and it was shipped 5 minutes later! Yippee!!". It does not reflect customer service or warranty issues, which is where you have an apparent problem with your company. In my case, bikesdirect shipped the next day, so I would have given positive feedback on ebay. Service after the sale is the issue.

Given the unresolved complaints with the BBB and pattern of posts on forums from customers having problem settling warranty issues. I think what I said earlier in this thread is true. A customer makes a trade off choice between price and customer service when dealing with bikesdirect and should expect to be on their own after the purchase.

I think what I said earlier in this thread is true. A customer makes a trade off choice between price and customer service when dealing with bikesdirect and should expect to be on their own after the purchase.


Thanks
and of course you are free to belive as you wish

but he truth is we give very good backup; better than any shop I know of

example: we are selling backup and replacement parts at cost all the time
Customer bends their frt heel; needs a new one; we sell it to them at cost
Customer wants to upgrade fork after 2 years; we get them one at cost
Cusomer wants a bargin bike with shop wear for wife; we try to find hem one
Customer chrases frame; wants to go from AL to CF; or HT to FS; we get them a deal, many times under cost

the list goes on and on

Plus anything stated in a warranty we gladly do; and almost always throw in labor and transit back [neither covered in warranty]

I really after having bike shops for 30 years; know of no LBS that does these things
There are losts of great LBS - but few will see a customer that got his Front Ritchey WCS wheel stolen a new one at below normal dealer cost; we can and do -- all the time

This is just part of the reason our business is growing way faster than we can get more bikes

mike

Thank you
I am glad you are happy with your purchase

On BBB, I have posted several times why I do not even respond to BBB requests
In summary, I do not think the BBB system is a good way to evaluate a company; unlike the ebay feeback system; which actually gives the buyer a true look at seller performance

The BBB system is in no way weighted by sales volume and the BBB takes direct payments from companies. This system is not up with the times. And thus very few buyers use it.

I am not a fan of BBB but if you make an attempt to address the complaints lodged it would work in your favor. As far as ebay feedback system..PULEEZE!:innocent:

Aaron:)

WOW. that bikes direct fella's business plan.

for all the bikes he's selling, he cannot have a phone line, but will send you replacement bike parts AT COST or even a LOSS even if the customer has mucked things up. WOW. incredulous.

Thanks
and of course you are free to belive as you wish

but he truth is we give very good backup; better than any shop I know of

example: we are selling backup and replacement parts at cost all the time
Customer bends their frt heel; needs a new one; we sell it to them at cost
Customer wants to upgrade fork after 2 years; we get them one at cost
Cusomer wants a bargin bike with shop wear for wife; we try to find hem one
Customer chrases frame; wants to go from AL to CF; or HT to FS; we get them a deal, many times under cost

the list goes on and on

Plus anything stated in a warranty we gladly do; and almost always throw in labor and transit back [neither covered in warranty]

I really after having bike shops for 30 years; know of no LBS that does these things
There are losts of great LBS - but few will see a customer that got his Front Ritchey WCS wheel stolen a new one at below normal dealer cost; we can and do -- all the time

This is just part of the reason our business is growing way faster than we can get more bikes

mike

It seems your version and others versions are quite different. I don't know who to believe, but in this thread alone are two different people claiming that they can't get in touch with bikesdirect for a warranty issue. One person who posted earlier thought bikesdirect.com had gone dead because of no reply after one week of repeated attempts. In any event, it is not my business, so I am done posting on this thread.

It seems your version and others versions are quite different. I don't know who to believe, but in this thread alone are two different people claiming that they can't get in touch with bikesdirect for a warranty issue. One person who posted earlier thought bikesdirect.com had gone dead because of no reply after one week of repeated attempts. In any event, it is not my business, so I am done posting on this thread.

After sending 3 emails over a weeks time, I finally got a response from BD. As previously noted I've already taken the bike to the shop and now just want BD to provide me with a copy of receipt from the original bike purchase so I can possibly pursue the warranty from SRAM.

If the fork had been OK I would only have minor problems with the bike. The saddle, seatpost, and peddles are junk but I was expecting that. The seatpost collar was not quick release which surprised me. It is a fair bike but in retrospect I wish I had a brick and mortar shop to hold my hand through the rough parts.

I could send the fork back to BD but I'm tired of all these emails and who knows when I'd get the fork back and even then I'd probably have to take it to the shop to have them install it.