Cracked Condor Fratello steel frame - Excellent response from Condor

[Crankarm]

My 2ps worth is that it is only really fair to post on such a matter when you have given the retailer/manufacturer/supplier of the goods sufficient time to inspect your item(s) and remedy the problem if the item is faulty. To do otherwise by posting on a public forum is not really acting in good faith IMHO.

Whilst Condor appear to be resolving the issue to your satisfaction with little fuss which is great, reading through the initial pages of your thread this was not the impression that was given about Condor. In my dealings with them I have always found them to be most sensitive of the quality of their products and ensuring their customers are satisfied with their bikes, so all the prior talk of litigation should this not have been the case was rather pointless and potentially damaging. Ok you had a big problem with the frame of the bike you purchased from them, but they are replacing it for you. How many bike shops/manufacturers would do that and so quickly? Perhaps you should start singing their praises?

But that's just my 2ps worth.

Btw I like the look of their Heritage touring bike featured in one of the bike mags.

I also like my old Condor Barrachi 853 road bike, steel frame and a joy to ride.

 

[Tynan]

I was only thinking out loud and it was always qualified in my opinion, throughout there was no dissing of them and as soon as I'd managed to get there I posted at once as to how well they'd dealt with me, it was never a Condor hate thread

and the the frame did crack due to a manufacturing fault after all

imho, forums are about threads like this, a story coming to a hopefully happy ending, I'd say Condor are coming out this very well indeed as they deserved to, and if for any reason they hadn't, that would have been fair to post about too

I am singing their praises

 

[Tynan]

Another call from the senior chap in the workshop

I really should change the rear rim, can't afford that at the mo I said, i really should change the cables, can't afford that I said, we had quite a good laugh about what was dangerous, really wanted doing and what just needed watching closely

They agreed to strike out the £25 labour charge so that got put back into new cables, and as a generous gesture of being nice they're going to do my disgraceful bar tape, purely on cosmetic reasons i think

I even offered to sign a release saying I had insisted on riding the bike in the state it would be in, I got a friendly but firm lecture on keeping the rims and brake pads clean (and another about changing the chain regular/at all)

Which I will, I can't be having wheels rebuilt every six months (they might even only be four odd months old)

Bad news for MacB, there turned out to be no Orange frames after all so it's going to be Plum

And they'd been reading this thread in the workshop so I had to make slightly sheepish apologetic noises about me flapping and moaning early on and of course scuttle back here to say what a very friendly and reputable and professional outfit they've come across as at all times

And it'll be ready on Friday after all so I do get to have a pre DD rest after all!

Hurray for Condor!

 

[joggingbob]

All in all that is great news Tynan, well done and hats off to Condor! I understand the anguish early on and your thought process, it is unfortunately more common to hear of no goodwill being offered by retailers and suppiers that to take a negative stance from the off is deemed more realistic. I look forward to the post first ride report of the nearly new Fratello (and the photos).



Ref my logic on an original warranty not to be extended beyond it's initial period - maybe it is too much fair play on my part but it still seems reasonable, with the proviso that the company, (and I am not referring to Condor here but a generalisation), acts promptly and professionally and that the owner does not lose much time in the use of the goods / service. Of course some companies may offer further shoddy or defective goods and many other possibilities but that was not the intent of my viewpoint.

 

[Tynan]

agreed on all points and thanks for explaining my early rather lively stance, at least this thread will stand as a record of Condor dealing very well indeed with a problem with a frame outside of warranty without so much as a quibble

(will that do?)

new frame, new headset, new crank set (apparently cheaper than a big chainring alone), new cables, and incidentally very new tyres (I did that)

Sadly the what I thought of as nearly new rims that are in fact very ready to be replaced rims

All in all though a good week's events

Dunwich Dynamo, bring it on!

 

[potsy]

Always thought you were a bit of a 'Plum'

 

[BentMikey]

Salmon koolstop pads for longer rim life, IMO.

 

[swee'pea99]

Plum. And it was all going so well...

 

[MacB]

I'm shocked, I'd rather pay for an entire new bike than get a free 'plum' frame, thankfully it's Tynan, so he has no friends to lose

 

[Tynan]

!

I only saw the two colours in their basement under rather harsh light but the Condor orange was rather light for my tastes while plum was rather satisfyingly rich, I'm fine with it, II only went Orange to stop the shrill bleating

I suspect keeping the bike clean will be the thing to make the rims last longer, I do ride quick and spend an awful lot of time braking hard at the endless red lights

 

[DavieB]

Just read through this, if I had got home seen a crack like that in the frame id probably have went straight to work and welded it

. I would have presumed I would get no where with customer service. Now id be more patient and speak to the dealer....

 

[Steve Austin]

PLUM!!!

 

[Tynan]

wtf is wrong with you lot and plum, how about a purple/blue colour?

thinking about this today, it's seemed like a long time but I only had the crack declared ghastly on Saturday, emailed Condor at the weekend, got invited to bring it in at 8.53am on Monday morning, took it in at 11am on Tuesday and was as good as told 'new frame, no fee' almost at once, got the offical nod on Wed, a call from their techs same day listing all the work they wanted to do, a second call today to check I understood what should be done that I had said no to, bike promised ready for me tomorrow

pretty bloody rapid service init

very happy and happy with purple/blue too, wait and see what it looks like in daylight I suppose

 

[MacB]

that's a shame, I was just getting on terms with 'plum' and thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't 'purple/blue' instead.........................

 

[Tynan]

pah, I'll bring a sharp stick with me to Hackney next week to keep back people ooing and aahing at the lustre and depths of that beautiful colour