[Djphelan01]

I have an issue with my Rockshock fork and it is covered under the warrantee. The LBS said I have to pay for labor. A couple of years ago I had an issue with my Bluto fork that was covered and the LBS
(different LBS) said there were no charges. Does SRAM normally cover the labor? Was the last LBS just really good, or is the current one just trying to make some extra money?

 

[Nubster]

I've never paid a penny for any warranty issue whether it was bike related, car related, or any other item.

 

[Millennial29erGuy]

No it does not

 

[*OneSpeed*]

Sram will cover labor for SOME warranties. It's not a yes or no question, depends.

Frequently the shops are poorly compensated if at all. Some even charge a warranty processing fee to help cover the cost of their time.

 

[mack_turtle]

What is the specific labor being done, and by whom? If the shop has to remove your fork, ship it to SRAM for service, then reinstall it, the shop has to pay someone for the time spent doing that and SRAM is not going to cover it. Remove the fork yourself and drop off / pick up from the shop.

 

[Lone Rager]

AFAIK, no. I don't know of any component manufacturer that does. The LBS here (not SRAM, Shimano, RF, etc.) will cover the associated labor for a period of one year if you bought the complete bike from them. Otherwise no. It's their choice and policy. They are not obligated to do that. It's the same if you get a new frame under warranty.

 

[Jayem]

In most other industries, yes. In Europe, yes, by law. In the US in the bike industry, when a shop is involved, it's hit and miss, but if it's not something you bought there, it's usually no, even if they carry/sell that product line.

 

[d365]

most bike stuff warranties don't include associated labor, or return shipping costs. It's the shops discretion as to whether to pass along these expenses to you.

 

[Fleas]

I had a brand new 120mm RockShox Bluto purchased online and it would not ride at 120mm. It kept getting air in the lower air chamber, so the ride height kept lowering. After a few weeks of fiddling I just had a LBS (SRAM retailer) rebuild it. It cost me $50 and it worked. Since it came with a new bike, trying to pursue the online source for warranty work was impossible. They did not stock that fork by itself. Wayyyy too much back-and-forth blah blah blah blah... It wasn't worth my time or giving up my riding time.

-F

 

[cjsb]

If the shop does quality work, it can be worth it to pay for the labor.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

 

[almazing]

No. Generally, shops will charge install/removal labor fees if they have to install/remove parts on your bike. If you want to save a bit of money, remove the part yourself and bring it to the shop. However, if you bought the bike or part from that shop and you have a good relationship with them, they may decide to waive those labor fees completely. Depends on the shop. But expect to pay for labor just to be safe.

 

[TheDwayyo]

In most other industries, yes. In Europe, yes, by law. In the US in the bike industry, when a shop is involved, it's hit and miss, but if it's not something you bought there, it's usually no, even if they carry/sell that product line.

The question was not does the shop cover warranty labor, it was does SRAM cover warranty labor. Except perhaps in some very rare cases (that I haven't heard of in working at a shop for four years) they do not.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

The question was not does the shop cover warranty labor, it was does SRAM cover warranty labor. Except perhaps in some very rare cases (that I haven't heard of in working at a shop for four years) they do not.

More specifically "warranty" labor is not covered but "recall" labor is. Even though they don't recognize the DB5 brake lever issue as a "recall" it's a "known problem" and they send out free replacements and compensate the shop for labor with chains and cassettes.

 

[bingemtbr]

No. The LBS will make the call on charging for labor unless the bike/part is brand spanking new and the issue/failure occurred almost immediately.

 

[TheDwayyo]

No. The LBS will make the call on charging for labor unless the bike/part is brand spanking new and the issue/failure occurred almost immediately.

Even then it's their call. If the manufacturer, who is to blame for a manufacturer defect, is not going to pay for labor why should they lose money?

That's what people never seem to get - if the shop processes the warranty, goes back and forth a little with the manufacturer, removes the part from the bike, ships it out, receives it back in after the work, reinstalls it, calls you to say it's done, stores it until you pick up, then rings you out and chats with you for a bit about the repair that's a hell of a lot of labor for a transaction that will bring exactly $0 into the register.

Of course giving that labor to you for free might make you a more loyal customer which is in their best interest, but I think most shop owners have to live with the reality that you can't pay rent with 'customer loyalty' and the average shopper is only loyal until they find a better deal.

 

[Lone Rager]

^^^ yes. There's time and effort in contacting/emailing the manufacturer, boxing and sending the old part back (you pay shipping) (or providing evidence of destruction), receiving and shelving the new part, contacting customer.... The shop gets squat for this. The shops I deal with do this all for free.

 

[Tom Howard]

if its the shop you bought it from, then yeah, i probably would expect them (the shop) to, as the margin they make on selling you the product as a bit of money built in for exactly that. if it isn't the shop you bought it from, then WTF would they?

wouldn't expect SRAM to pay back any labour cost either, as the shop should have made that at point of sale