Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Merry Old England
Posts: 772
Bikes: Muddyfox Evolve 200, Bicycles4u Paris Explorer, Raleigh Twenty Stowaway, Bickerton California, Saracen Xile, Kona Hoss Deluxe, Vertigo Carnaby, Exodus Havoc, Kona Lanai, Revolution Cuillin Sport, Dawes Kingpin, Bickerton, NSU & Elswick Cosmopolitan
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I had a quick look at the thread and I would agree with the original purchaser and complaint that the rust/corrosion was not acceptable and the supplier's response in not offering a full refund in the first instance was poor. I don't think it's that uncommon though. I was reading another thread on a different forum where a older stock model on clearance had come with some rust on minor parts and they too had to be pushed before collecting the bike and fully refunding. People simply don't expect to get a new bike with corrosion. I think there was also a thread on this site about a Tern model sold in Europe that had some corrosion and the buyer was unhappy about but didn't return it but felt the bike had lower quality components than he expected. My own experience of importing goods from China and inspecting them for a large company would say that when you get a container full of product some of the product at the bottom of the container in its cardboard box may get water in it and damp and that damp works away at the metal for perhaps 2-4 weeks in the container while in transit. Some may be protected by a plastic wrap but if the plastic wrap has been scuffed or broken water gets in. So it is no surprise to see most product is fine but 1 or 2 have suffered from water ingress. The supplier assumes they are all good and 99% of them are but a few might have already started to corrode. Supplier is surprised one bike is so heavily corroded when all bikes he has seen were fine without corrosion and suspects foul-play and maybe the end customer is not being honest or has left the bike out in the rain.
As someone who has worked in customer service it is my experience a small percentage of people are completely unreasonable, are never fair and operate at the fringe of acceptable behaviour.
I would add this forum posting to my overall view of Origami bikes for sure but it wouldn't cancel out a potential purchase of an Origami bike if that bike was the best spec and price for me and most people were very happy with that bike.