Ordered a MTB from Sportschalet.com and got it yesterday, but defect in some of the parts? A DILEMMA HERE?

Question

OK, so I've ordered a new bicycle and I got it just yesterday. I had NO IDEA how to put it together, so I went to a Sports Chalet retail store and left it there to get it assembled (they said it would take several days).

Today, I just got a call from them saying that the DERAILEUR of the bike was BENT! They got a master mechanic to look at it, but they called me again and told me the mechanic guy needed another guy to see it. And that "another guy" is going to visit my bike tomorrow. The guy also said it looked pretty bad right now...

But becuase most of it's assembled, I have to pay them a fee of $45 anyways. But to return the bicycle to Sportscharlet.com for a refund, it means that the parts have to be SEPERATED again, and then I probably have to pay another $45 to get it SEPERATED AGAIN! That means I lost $90. And if I ordered a new deraileur instead of returning, it means that I have to pay $60 (average price of deraileur) !

God, WHAT CAN I DO? Should I sue them or something?

Answer 1

If the derailleur is broken, then that means it was defective. Chances are the entire bike could be defective.

You can always contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) about the situation.

Last I checked, if they built it, then they should be responsible for separating it. Its not your fault that they shipped you a bike with a broken derailleur. HAHAHA, I mean, are they gonna accuse you of breaking a part to make them look bad? Your the one that is being inconvenienced of your time and energy.

Sport Chalet makes hella $$ from the remedial stuff they sell (ie:your bike). So if they are charging you to separate it, then that means that they will probably sell another sucker your defective bike.

If your reading all this, then you can build a case to tell the manager that you are entitled to full money back and no hassles.

Plus, there so-called "master mechanic" is somebody who does not even hold a degree of completion from a certified bicycle technician program. If he/she did, they would not be working in a g*y-A55 place like sport chalet anyway. You wanna know who there other guy is? Its the store manager. That's who it is. And all those fees came out of his mouth. And tell that guy that on yahoo locals that the store is gonna get a bad review!!! You will share everything that has happened to you!!

The bottom line is that the ENTIRE BIKE is defective and it probably wont last after a rain storm. The fastest solution is to make your case, cause a scene, and protest your claim to them. Then give in and bite the $90 bullet. Get your money back (whatever is left of it) and save up with more buying power to get a bike from an independent bike shop with actual bike enthusiasts. They live and breath bikes. And visit yahoo locals under Sports Chalet ;). Remember, its the principle that matters.

Answer 2

Yea sue them b*****d's. or just dont pay anyting and let them sue you and in court, counter-sue them. =)

i know i would. bunch of a*****e's  

Answer 3

well basically i would choose between doing two things:

the first is to suck it up and buy a new derailleur, but NOT from them. buy one yourself, some don't cost $60, like the one i listed down below is 20. the "master mechanic" is not a master if he cant even diagnose a derailleur, which is sad. take your bike to a bike shop please, not a store!!!! second choice would be to blame them for it and refuse to pay and hope they won't be a*holes, then sue them hahaha jk

Answer 4

Threatening legal action is not the way to go.

Although rare, it is possible that the derailleur was bent especially if the box showed damage or was crushed.

WAIT A MINUTE... you mean that a Sports Chalet STORE won't honor a sportschalet.com purchase?! This is a complete farce. Talk to the manager and move up the ladder. You'll get satisfaction.

If the box did show damage you should have contacted the shipping company immediately to file a claim. This is probably even noted on the box the bike came in. In this case it is your problem, not theirs BUT they should have called you as soon as they saw it... which should have been as soon as it was taken out of the box.

That being said, it seems the Sports Chalet is taking you for a ride. Rather than talking with the "mechanics", go directly to the store manager. CALMLY explain your issue and ask him for a resolution. If the store manager is unwilling to take care of it then ask for the phone number of the district or regional manager or the corporate office and explain to THEM what happened.

If you use these steps, you'll get satisfaction. Going up the chain of command is the most effective route. Bottom line is that they can't prove that they didn't cause the problem, or that there even IS a problem.

By the way, a good mechanic can build a bike out of a box in about 30 minutes.