I just bought a Trek FX 7.3 yesterday from a local bike shop here in Maine. I was told it was a 2010 model, I even had the sales rep check to make sure it was. She flipped the bike over wrote down the serial number and went to verify it, she returned and said it was a 2010 bike?
After getting the bike home I emailed Trek the serial number. Today I check my email and Trek states that it is a 2009 model, built on the 099 day of 2009? I called Trek and talked to the rep who emailed me to make sure, and he said its a2009?
The list price for the 2009 and 2010 is 639.00, they sold me the bike for 579.00. This is why I was concerned in the first place.
What should I do?

Ride it. No big deal with bikes.

You probably got a better bike as no price increase could have meant a lowering of spec on the 2010 bike.

I am in the motor trade and it is not unusual for a vehicle to have been made two years before it is sold. As long as it has the warranty- and you like the bike- then no problems.

If it was misrepresented as a 2010 model, on the bill of sale, it was fraud!

If the 2010 is a better bike, I'd demand it be rectified.

The Bill of Sale states 2010,

What does the title say? Oh wait, there is no title for a bicycle. It doesn't matter what year it was made, as almost every bicycle has no appreciable value other then its usage.

Go out and ride it. Your bill of sale is nothing more then a glorified receipt.

is there a problem with the bike?


but the shop really shouldn't have erred with that detail. if this is upsetting you so much, you could go talk to the manager, let them know you didn't like the misrepresentation and ask for some type of service compensation or etc, but how do you like the bike?

You got a discount on last-year's model. There's nothing wrong with that had you known that's what was happening.

I'd personally be inclined to return it and never shop at that LBS again, though, simply because they (apparently deliberately) misrepresented the model year.

Don't sweat it, unless there's some huge difference between the 2009 and 2010 model specs, which there likely isn't. Enjoy the ride, dude, cuz whether it's a 2009 or 2010 model it's worth the same anyway once you roll it out of the shop.

I'd go back to the LBS, talk to the manager/owner personally, and let him/her know what you found out. What the manager/owner's reaction/treatment after telling them of the error would determine if I would continue dealing with the LBS or not. This could be the case of a bad or inexperienced sales rep, and something that the owner or management should be made aware of. If a business is going to sell something, it should at least have staff members competent enough to know what their selling.

Regarding any large purchase such as a bike, I would agree and attempt to follow through with the advice from dynodonn. The bike, I imagine great and not worth returning, but you need to find out of it was just an honest misunderstanding of the rep or what.

When you bought the bike you had the opportunity to look it over, possibly ride it, and compare it to other bikes in it's price range. I assume at that point you were happy with the bike or you wouldn't have bought it.

So how well do you like the bike now? If you have discovered you hate it you have a perfectly good excuse to use for returning it.

Assuming you bought the bike to ride and enjoy, however, is the model year number going to affect that? It's the same bike that you were happy with when you bought it.

The only differences I can see between the 2009 model and the 2010 model from the Trek website is the front derailleur and saddle. The 2009 model has a Shimano C102 front derailleur. The 2010 model has a Shimano M191. A quick look on the internet shows the C102 cost more. In this case the 2009 model is the better deal at the same price. The 2009 model has a Bontrager Nebula saddle. The 2010 model has a Bontrager H1 saddle. I could not find a quick reference on the price difference between the two saddles.

Sounds like a good bike at a decent price. My personal feeling is it isn't worth the aggravation involved in fighting over this small point. It most likely was an honest mistake anyway, give them the benefit of the doubt.

Allen

The saddles are OEM junk, as most OEM saddles tend to be a throw away piece to sell you something else.

The year model is really irrelevant, as you don't have a tax liability. Bikes are not cars and are not taxed, registered, nor insured like cars.

Forget about it and go enjoy riding your new bike!

The frame and components are basically the same, the colour is probably the only that really changed between model years, but the frame color was very obvious when you bought it. There would be no functional difference between the '09 and '10 bikes, apparently even people who sell them cannot easily tell the difference.

You were lied to in order to make a sale. Yeah, it was a small matter, but the fact is they were willing to lie to you.

I wouldn't shop at that bike shop any more. You really can't trust them anymore.

Here's the reply from the LBS owner to my email : (names changed to protect the innocent lol)

Hi Hiker ,

I'm sorry this happened . It looks like an honest mistake on John's part. Apparently the 2010 is a carryover from 2009, in that it is an identical bike, unchanged from the previous year. Pretty rare, but occasionally Trek will do that.

Even the bikes listed on Trek's dealer website as 2010's have an SKU ending in 9, which indicates a 2009 model...

See below..

SKU: 1327010229 UPC: 745889619607 Year: 2010 Model: 7.3 FX Color: Metallic Black Size: 20 in Show all: 7.3 FX



At any rate, please understand that John would not have deliberately misled you. Just let me know what I can do to rectify the situation.

If you feel more comfortable knowing you have a 2010 model, even if it is the same bike, I can order one for you..

Even the bikes listed on Trek's dealer website as 2010's have an SKU ending in 9, which indicates a 2009 model...

I'm at the shop until 5 today, if you want to give me a call...

Best,

Trek has been steadily downgrading their bikes, in general, so a 2008 is superior to a 2009, to a 2010.
In the 2.3 series, in 2010, they eliminated the carbon stays (because it rode like a $2000 MORE expensive bike)
and made if full 105 instead of using a Botranger crankset. Not an improvement to most.
Most people think the 2009 is the best 2.3 ever. And they are on sale NOW.

Sounds to me like an honest mistake. Dealer is willing to swap bikes for you, but I wouldn't trouble with it. Not a big deal.