Just bought my girl a bike for her birthday. The model we ordered wasn't in the shop so we ordered it, the shop got it in and built it up. We went in and I paid for it and took it home. The components are great, it is a high quality bike but she hates the flowery decals and design and wants either a respray or different frame. The flowery design was not obvious on the pictures on the net and in the brochure.
I spoke to the shop and their response was they didn't want to exchange the bike or refund "it's not like a pair of shoes..".
What should I do? If I get it repainted will that affect the warranty? Should the shop give me a refund or exchange at least?
The bike has not been ridden it is still in showroom condition. I also bought myself a bike - same cost slightly different model - at the same time from the same shop. Advice?

Was this the bike?


Sorry I couldn't resist

I don't have a good answer, but that is what I would expect the girl, and the shop to do.
Does your girl know the extent of the problem trying to exchange the bike? That may sway her a little bit.

The only thing I can think of is... If there is another bike in the shop that your girl would be happy with, the shop may trade you instead of just a straight refund. What brand and exact model is this bike ? Can you post a link? Repainting a new bike is not a very good idea. You have to take everything off the bike,
probably pay more than you think, and the finished job may be less durable than a factory finish.

The problem is that she needs an extra small frame and the shop does not stock any extra small frames in the shop. They have to be ordered in.

Hmm...did you ask the shop the question about painting and the warranty. Are they decals you can peal off or can you cover them with sort of other design? Know anybody with an artistic knack who can add on to the flowers to make them look more "mature?"

Beyond those suggestions, I can only say kids will be kids and they'll be fussy about simple things because that's something we all go through.

Oh, one more somewhat sneaky and tough to pull off suggestion: convince her that it's cool to ride a flowery bike. Remember the scene in Billy Madison where Adam Sandler convinces all the other kids it's cool to pee your pants so the kid who actually did wouldn't be so embarrassed?

Are you talking about a girlfriend or daughter when you say "my girl." If it's your daughter, then she rides what daddy gets her. If it's your girl friend, then dump her fast. If she acts this inmature then you can expect married life to be miserable. Take it from a married guy, they don't get any better after the say "I do."

Personally, I think it's very selfish to do that after you spent good money on her. Good luck.

Tim

Just take the thing apart and send the frame out for a powdercoat job (or ask your LBS to do it for you), it should only cost you a couple of bills, tops. Either make your GF pay for it herself, or front her the cash and take in out in 'trade'. Write it off as your welcome to the mad, mad, mad, mad, made world of dealing with women.

You're a doofus for not consulting her beforehand. Sorry, but you don't get someone something so personal without letting them in on the deal.

..unless it's trashy lingerie. After all, you buy that for you. Just make sure you buy it two sizes too small so you can inflate your lady's ego

And evidently you jump to conclusions

Does your inflatable doll have an ego?

A repaint job is a fairly costly alternative. If you're willing to even consider spending that much money on it, you have a lot of negotiating power. Tell the bike shop that you're willing to pay a premium for the bike that your girlfriend thinks she wants.

Also, don't think of the money lost as a total waste. Consider it tuition in the school of learning to get along with women. Maybe getting along with bike shops too for that matter.

The LBS should reorder the frame. They might not want to, but they should. They would be well within their rights to charge you a restocking fee (or a rebuild fee or something), but they should make this right for you.

Of course it's not a pair of shoes. You put more miles on a bike than you do a pair of shoes. And granted it's just paint, but sheesh. Some of us here go to great lengths to make sure our bikes look perfect.

+1

Sounds like a spoiled brat either way.

I'd do nothing. She'll eventually ride it.

If it is your girlfriend and not your daughter, given the bike shop's position I'd just wait awhile. Maybe the color will grow on her. Next year's present can be a repaint!

i'm VERY particular about my bike.... and color plays a very important part of it.... if i ordered a bike that didn't look like it had flowers on either the net or in the brochure... you bet your butt i'd be taking it back (well... i'd have never paid for it/picked it up!)

i almost didn't buy my ruby pro becuase it wasn't a matte black bike.... but "I" made the decision and i love the color now!

the bike shop should make this right....

by the way... what WAS the bike... link? pic?

Having some recent experience with buying a bicycle for the wife based on color, I understand your pain. At least you don't have to get her multiple bikes-one for form and one for function.

If the bike shop misrepresented the color or misrepresented the presence of the decals then it was false advertising and expect them to take care of it. If your woman was overly excited about the "pretty bike," then buyer beware-paint the bike.

How hard is she going to ride it? Is it really going to matter if the frame warranty is voided?
As far as paying for paint, if you both picked it out she should have some part in the paint payment.

Good luck-you'll need it.

Alright here is the under $20 option. Get some custom text bike decals. They are ~$8 each. Just apply overtop the little flowers with the girl's favorite saying or her name, and bam! flowers are gone. You could also get flames or aliens or carbon fiber, or whatever she likes better than flowers.

https://www.decalkits.com/decals.php?catId=9

Wow, what a ****ty attitude. Yeah, a bike is like a pair of shoes.

The bike store around here encourages you to return the bike if it doesnt feel like it fits you after a week or so of riding. I was actually able to exchange one bike after a month (still in showroom condition, careful riding). The most important thing about a bike is how it feels to you and how it fits you, and sometimes you wont know that until hours of riding the bike.

Sucks that your bike shop doesnt feel the same way, Dont know what to tell you, maybe try and trade it on craigslist or something =/

The fact is that men can be equally hard to get along with, if in different ways. Ask any woman.

Decals? Peel them off.

Obviously you don't understand smileys. Hello welcome to teh intarweb. Enjoy your stay.



Let's see, I can rise to the bait, troll. Pick one and here's your answer:

1. No, she's Shirley Schmidthoe
2. Why use a doll when I have your sister?
3. I'm dating Rebecca Romajin, you idiot. Go ahead, prove me wrong!

Not so easy in many cases.

I'd say the buyers have some responsibility - i'd have been at the shop the day the bike came in & looked it over.

Man I know how you feel.....

Bottom line, ask her what will make her happy......I can't knock the girl for wanting a girly looking bike.

When my girl was picking a bike it was very hard on me at first...to her it was a pair of shoes.....she looked and looked and finally she glanced at one of my cycling mags and BAM!! it was there....she had found her bike.....now for the componets...lol man old man....it was not easy....now she is looking for a TT bike. I don't push her and she figures it out.....

smart man!

Yeah and I'll bet most of these guys would do the same if their special order bike arrived with a flowery design.

They did pick the color out together. The problem was that when it came in it didn't look like the brochure/web photo. He said the decals were not evident in the photo.

The bike shop should help you out. If they can’t exchange the frame then they should help get it repainted. If nothing else, they need to work on their customer satisfaction skills. They could have done a better job of explaining things. Saying, No without a reason is not acceptable. The shop needed to explain why they can’t exchange the frame. Then, the shop needed to find a solution that is acceptable to both of you.

If the shop isn’t willing to help then pay for the repaint out of pocket. First, I would try to explain to the owner, in a non-threatening way, that you are not satisfied. Tell him the color wasn’t what you saw. Explain that they should have showed you the frame before they assembled it. That way you could have rejected the color before the bike went together.

The shop is correct in saying that once the bike is assembled then the frame becomes used. NIB is just that, new in box. Once you prep the frame and hang on the parts it’s used.

As a last resort, you could reverse the credit card charge. That is if you paid by credit card. Tell the owner you are not satisfied and you are going to give back both bikes and reverse the credit card charge unless they help you find a mutually acceptable solution. Being a former business owner, we know that the business owner always looses in credit card disputes. The bank will actually pull the funds from the shop’s account before they are notified. If the amount is in the thousands, then he might incur some insufficient funds problems.

Remember, be calm but stand your ground. Both the shop and you are partially to blame. The solution should be mutual. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Tim