Problem with Planet X Nanolight frame.

[petedavisk73]

Advice please. I am (and was the proud) an owner of a Planet X Nanolight which I bought as a frame and built the bike up myself last year. I bought it through Bike Science in Bristol who I really respect. The frame has cracked now on the top top tube just uner the saddle nose area, the crack appeared during a ride. I found It after hearing an audible creaking sound started about half way round a 40 mile ride and we stopped and inspected the bike and found the crack which we believe was the source of the sound. I had Bike Science look at it and a carbon engineer before BS said they would send it back to PX. There view was that the crack was caused by a thin weak section on the frames top tube, it was this weakness that caused the crack to appear under climbing load (I am 95 KG).
I can also assure you the frame has never been dropped or anything dropped on it since I have owned it. I only use it sunday best, where the bike leaves my garage from its rack, ridden cleaned and put back on its rack.

I initally recieved a standard email saying their mechanic looked at and said it was impact damage and couldnt do anything! I replied on email and spoke to returns saying the above and they said they would look at it again. Then I spoke to the mamager in Returns Barry? who said he could no longer deal with me. I had to go through Bike Science who sold me the bike (but they no longer deal with Plamnet X) to get a resolution. They now wont respond to them.

Very very poor service and I am caught in the middle with no bike for almost a month! Any advice welcome.I appreciate that under consumer law I now have to deal with BS but the issue is not with them but Px and there warrantee/ returns dept.

 

[Rob3rt]

Quick question, when you say rack, what do you mean?

 

[petedavisk73]

Hi Rob. I have a rack to store my bike that sits under the saddle and suspends it up off the floor. It doesnt clamp or damage the bike in any way. I bult the bike from a frame and know how to mount it on a bike stand and always use the seat post to hold it. I have definatly not damaged this frame.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

You bought the frame from a shop. Your contract is with the shop NOT with Planet X the shop has the problem with PlanetX's warranty dept not you. Read up on your rights under the sale of goods act here

"When you buy goods it means you've entered into a contract with the seller of these goods.
This means that under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 goods must be:

• as described,
• of satisfactory quality, and
• fit for purpose – this means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller"

A frame that fails in a short period of time (barring accidental damage) fails the fit for purpose test. Write the shop a nice letter asking them how they intend to compensate you. You'll be needing an expert report and probably have to go down the small claims route if they don't do the decent thing and get you a replacement frame or at least part fund a replacement.

This sort of nonsense is rife in the bike trade lbs's fobbing off folk off with an it's not us guv it's the manufacturer bs. Pathetic.

 

[400bhp]

Any advice welcome.I appreciate that under consumer law I now have to deal with BS but the issue is not with them but Px and there warrantee/ returns dept.

The issue is with the seller - end of. They shouldn't be fobbing you off with "it's not our fault". This kind of stuff annoys me.

I'd get a bit tougher with the seller. Not threatening but you want this matter resolved within [insert timeframe].

I can see small claims coming on (if you're willing to push it that far).

 

[400bhp]

You bought the frame from a shop. Your contract is with the shop NOT with Planet X the shop has the problem with PlanetX's warranty dept not you. Read up on your rights under the sale of goods act here

"When you buy goods it means you've entered into a contract with the seller of these goods.
This means that under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 goods must be:

• as described,
• of satisfactory quality, and
• fit for purpose – this means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller"

A frame that fails in less than a year (barring accidental damage) fails the fit for purpose test. Write the shop a nice letter asking them how they intend to compensate you. You'll be needing an expert report and probably have to go down the small claims route if they don't do the decent thing and get you a replacement frame or at least part fund a replacement.

This sort of nonsense is rife in the bike trade lbs's fobbing off folk off with an it's not us guv it's the manufacturer bs. Pathetic.

Got in there before me.

 

[Herzog]

Agreed, BS to sort this out, not you. Good luck and don't accept and BS from BS.

 

[e-rider]

would planet-x be able to sell their frames so cheap if they took them back every time they snapped?

What annoys me in situations like this, is that their mechanic looked at it and states "impact damage" end of! Did he see the impact occur? What makes this guy all-knowing? I've had this shoot before where some mechanic has said 'misuse' even though I'd done absolutely nothing wrong - drives me insane and apart from small claims court not much you can do if they wont change their mind.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The issue is with the seller - end of. They shouldn't be fobbing you off with "it's not our fault". This kind of stuff annoys me.

I'd get a bit tougher with the seller. Not threatening but you want this matter resolved within [insert timeframe].

I can see small claims coming on (if you're willing to push it that far).

Makes me flippin' apoplectic. There's a shop in town that has fobbed a girl friend off with this bollox, "not us luv, you've abused it, blah blah see how my shoulders slope scuse me I've customers to serve, etc, etc.." Odd thing is it was a Spesh frame, they are a Spesh dealer, and Spesh generally do a no questions asked replacement for the original owner but the shop clearly just couldn't be bothered. We wrotre and got nowhere so we dobbed them in to Spesh and the importers in writing, she got told to take the bike to another dealer who provided her with new better frame and the shop she bought from got a good talking to. And I'm not welcome in there any more.

 

[petedavisk73]

Thanks for the quick response to this guys. I have spoken to BS many times and they want to do all they can and have said they will sort the problem and I trust they will. The issue is that PX wont tell them what they will do? Initially PX thoght I had bought it directly from them and were talking like they were going to either replace the frame or me pay the differance to upgrade to a better frame. But once they found out I had bought from a retailer and one they dont deal with anymore I was dropped like a stone.

 

[400bhp]

Sorry, but you're not listening.

 

[Rob3rt]

LBS refunds you or replaces the frame.

LBS then takes action against PX.

 

[Globalti]

Stop worrying about Planet X, your issue is with the retailer as everyone else has written above. This is where the value of supporting a bike shop becomes apparent. If the shop seem to be dragging their heels, be serious and business-like about it; make an appointment to go in and have a meeting with the manager, don't keep ringing them up and leaving messages with different people.

A career in export sales has taught me that when there's an issue, a face-to-face meeting will almost always bring about agreement and resolution.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

BS can fix it in a trice. If they want to.

They can ring Planet X credit card in hand and order you a new frame.
They can ask you for £100 quid or whatever you negotiate and do the same.
They can refund you a proportion of what you paid them for it. Or al of it.
They can get you a different frame from another manufacturer.
et cetera.

Any and all of which involve them taking a hit and then arguing it out with their supplier. Such is business.

The question you need to answer for yourself is "Why won't they do any of that?" and then you might not be so warmly disposed to them.