Focus Bikes warranty problems!

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UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

Hello everyone,

Well as it topic says i'm having problems with Focus Bikes with waranty frame replacement. My Focus Izalco have a small fissure under the seatpost clamp, so my local bike shop send pictures and they said the ftame will be replaced, everything ok till here! The frame arrived and its a Focus Cayo, frame build to max comfort on long rides, so i called to the Portuguese dealer and he said its normal because the new Izalco is was way better than the one i have. Would you guys accept this? I didnt because i bought a fast/rigide frame not a comfort one. Any opinions?
All the best

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

You didn't say how old your bike is.

Regardless, the response to send a lower end frame is unacceptable. Many companies keep a reserve of frames for warrantee purposes but at some point they are must hand over the latest design to affected customers. Yes, the customer does end up getting more for their money but it is the only course of action a company can take. If the company has a problem doing this maybe they should make more of an effort to product free of such flaws. Giving out lower end product will always have a lasting negative impact, lead to bad PR on the internet, etc. etc.

You should also double check that the dealer is not scamming you. Keeping the replacement for themselves and giving you something less from their inventory. Insist on the same frame or money back.
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UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

My Izalco is from 2013 and the Cayo that arrived for the replace is from 2015, and the most similar to mine! The thing is you buy a Specialized Tarmac 2013 and you get a Roubaix 2015? Both frame are good but to diferents objectives, like Izalco and Cayo... In 2013 i was in the store to buy a bike and i didnt choose the Cayo (same price, same group) because is not my kind of riding... is this even legaly correct?

Krull

by Krull

hi john,
my advice: if you come along with the slightly different geometry of the cayo 2015 (headtube little longer, max 1 cm), i would recommend to keep it: the cayo 2015 is shure better frameset as the izalco 2013, significantly lighter, similar stiffness, and, in my opinion, better looking.
your dealer is right, you can not at all compare the new izalco max with the izalco 2013, its a much more-expensively produced frameset!
regards,

UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

Hi krull,

I do understand all that, it might be better that mine. But i personally dont like the frame and thats why back then i didnt buy it, i dont like comfy frames cause the headtube is to big and the slopping, no. Its not my fault they dont have anymore the Izalco Pro. Do i have to accept a different model?

Krull

by Krull

i dont know, if you have to accept a different model.
but consider: focus is labelling the cayo 2015 as some kind of "granfondo"-model, nevertheless, it has a quite demanding race-geometry, the comfort-label seems to me a pure marketing-strategy.
different thing, if you dont like it aesthetically, but, as said, i regrettably dont know, if you have to accept it as replacement or not, sorry!

AJS914
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by AJS914

Read the warranty. They are required to do what they agreed to do in the warranty.

jeffy
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by jeffy

tweet focus direct (in public view), for clarification.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

UncleJohn wrote:Hello everyone,

Well as it topic says i'm having problems with Focus Bikes with waranty frame replacement. My Focus Izalco have a small fissure under the seatpost clamp, so my local bike shop send pictures and they said the ftame will be replaced, everything ok till here! The frame arrived and its a Focus Cayo, frame build to max comfort on long rides, so i called to the Portuguese dealer and he said its normal because the new Izalco is was way better than the one i have. Would you guys accept this? I didnt because i bought a fast/rigide frame not a comfort one. Any opinions?
All the best


This is a good question!

It's not always so easy to get a warranty to work, but if you really don't want this frame, perhaps you could both go half way?

What if you ask your dealer if you can pay the extra for the Izalco frame?

Perhaps not what you wanted, but in this case you still get the latest from Focus and i guess it would work for both of you?
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UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

Krull, if they say that the Cayo is more comfy than the Izalco just for marketing strategy, they are liars! Markething is a way to promote something into the market not to lie about the product. I will try read the warranty and hit the tweet cause this is really nice story to write, i will take my time!
Wheelsonfire, if they would be fair since the beggining that would be a good option but not at this point.

UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

I was thinking about buy a CX bike from them but good this happend before that, i will problably sell the frame i will get, the Izalco or Cayo, and buy a Cannondale SuperSix, i dont deal with this kind of people.

mattr
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by mattr

AJS914 wrote:Read the warranty. They are required to do what they agreed to do in the warranty.
I'd read the local equivalent of the sale of goods act (it is fairly uniform across Europe) that will take priority over what is in the warranty documentation.

You may even have something on a government website explaining your rights with regards to this. I know they do in the UK.

UncleJohn
Posts: 124
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:22 pm

by UncleJohn

The thing is the Cayo 2015 is superior of my Izalco 2013, both internal cables and similar price, Cayo frameset is about 300g grams leighter than mine but i hate the sloping and the big head tube and as you can see in their web site they are in 2 different categories of cycling, and the Cayo in the Performance/comfort wich is not my kind of riding so in my opinion worst than my Izalco! I called to the dealer in portugal yesterday and he said me the same as Krull, there is no big diference between the frames it was all about marketing. This is really sad story in my opinion, people that are into cycling arguing about something like this, two different models mean two different bikes and thats all!

Krull

by Krull

hi,
i think, the concept of the cayo is quite logical: the sloping requires a longer seatpost, which is more flexible=more comfortable as short one. the geometry is a bit more comfy as the izalco max, but still race-geometry (compare the geometry sheets)
so i would not call them liar, the frame has the appropriate features, but still keeps raceable.
comfort is en vogue at the moment, so they are underlining correlating purpose.
but that does not help you, because you dont like the cayo-frame, so i woul insist on getting something else, or sell it.
Last edited by Krull on Tue Oct 27, 2015 1:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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DanW
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by DanW

Your expectation is very reasonable. I'd expect the same model too. The Tarmac/ Roubaix example is a good one regardless of whether or not the manufacturer claims are marketing BS. You bought an izalco and you would like an izalco. Very fair.

Have you contacted Focus directly?

The problem with warranties are that they are dependent on your shop or distributor much of the time. It sounds a little like the distributor is the issue. Contact Focus in a clear and reasoned way and go from there. Certainly don't launch in to a Twitter tirade before they've had a chance to respond :)

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