Originally Posted by
RichinPeoria
Look you people need to understand something here. There was nothing wrong with that derailleur. Campgnolo makes the best parts in the world and it was perfect when it left Italy. It was either damaged in shipping or damaged during installation.
Yep, because like my wife, everything Italian is flawless from the moment it is made
Originally Posted by
MUZE
Comparing the return/replacement policies of Home Depot to a supplier of bicycle parts is like comparing apples and oranges. The size of a major retailer allows it to place a great deal of pressure on a manufacturer regarding replacements. I'm sure there are numerous things that Home Depot takes back and the manufacturer replaces/credits them for that are not defective but damaged by the customer (not obviously so) because of the sheer volume that H/D purchases from a manufacturer.
Lick had a policy in place and the customer was satisfied with the transaction, that is what counts. Many times defective components have to be inspected by the manufacturer prior to the warranty decision, it might not be the retailers decision.
This is how it works at every retailer I have ever had to return an item to, from mom & pop music stores to Costco, including multiple bike shops. Yes, Home Depot took a loss on many products, but that has nothing to do with the case in this thread. An item that breaks before it is used is so obviously defective it's not an issue... at least not for the consumer. I don't have any opinions on Lick Bike as I have yet to purchase from them (although this thread makes me want to consider them for spokes soon), but I can tell you with certainty that if I buy an item from any store and discover it is defective
before I use it, I expect a straight exchange or the retailer will find a chargeback in their future. Furthermore, unless their return policy says otherwise in writing, it is legally expected. It's nothing against the retailer, it's just what should be expected. One thing to note, however, is that my way would still take a little longer than the OP's as I would expect to have to mail the part back before they send out a replacement (although more trusting retailers don't require that even). That's fair to me, but as I said before, I'll be damned if I have to pay for an off-the-shelf product 4-6 weeks before I ever get to use it.
Edit: For the record, I'd wager a bet that if the OP had insisted on a straight exchange, they would have accomodated him. He didn't expect it, so they didn't offer it. That's smart business.