[Eokboy]

His narrative from Facebook:

I bought a Cannondale CAAD9 5 at the Erik's Rosedale branch, mostly because they have a nice place to test the bike. Several hours after buying the bike, the dérailleur feels needed to be adjusted. No biggy; I sent it to them for free adjustments twice since they did a lousy job the first time(again, no biggy).
However, the current incident kinda got on my nerves. Recently i discovered that the saddle that they sold my bike with is not the same as in the catalog of cannondale or the erik's. Today, I went to the bike shop, and asked one of the staff there why my bike saddle is different from the one in the catalog. He told me that he had never seen the saddle at Erik's, nor do they carry that kind, and implied that I purposely changed it myself and wanted to exchange it for a better one. I felt offended by his comment, and I went with him to where they store their bikes. I showed to him the saddle that he had supposedly never seen. All of CAAD9 there are equipped with the saddle featured in the catalog and all CAA8 (cheaper version of CAAD9) are equipped with the saddle I got.
Then he said he couldn't change the saddle because I have ridden the bike and the saddle looked worn (I did one long ride to Stillwater and couple of short rides to the Greenway). Then, I told him I was disappointed and felt cheated that Erik's didn't give the right component for the bike. He then talked to his colleague/boss. He then returned to me and told me, "if you feel unsatisfied with how the saddle feel, I can change to another saddle lying on the floor of the shop". I told him, this is not about how the saddle feel, this is about dishonesty. Then I told him "If that is the case, Can I return this bike? it is just two weeks old, and I am eligible to return it.". He then returned to his boss, and returned to me with the saddle that I should have gotten.
My butt never felt so good! Not so much because of the better saddle, but because I had fought for my rights and won. I wonder if they changed the saddle when they kept my bike for one whole day for a so called final touch up? I dunno, but I hope Erik's learn their lesson, and they should know that dishonesty kills business.

He got the Prologo saddle in the end. To my knowledge, he has yet to complain about this to the LBS owner. Being foreign students from a country of unscrupulous traders, we are not sure how far we should take this matter up to.

 

[fazzman]

I would have let them keep that prologo. Junked mine after the first ride. San marco regal FTW

 

[skaruda_23]

Which saddle did they give him originally?

 

[Eokboy]

Which saddle did they give him originally?

The saddle from a CAAD 8, I think its a cannondale saddle

 

[been200mph]

It makes no difference where you're from! If they screwed your friend over then they needed to make it right.

 

[BadBoyNY]

Cannondale does not always supply the saddle that is pictured in the catalog. They often change components due to availability. Pictures in the catalog are often taken months previously.

 

[raptor3x]

Who cares? They're both throwaway saddles.

 

[Tin Sloth]

Cannondale does not always supply the saddle that is pictured in the catalog. They often change components due to availability. Pictures in the catalog are often taken months previously.

Absolutely correct. It even states in the catalog that parts spec is subject to change. Shops often change saddles out on new bikes, especially if it happens to be a particularly uncomfortable saddle...like the prologo that comes on those bikes. The whole nose section bulges right into the taint/prostate area. Why fight for a saddle that's going to cause impotence?

 

[mikagsd]

"I had fought for my rights & won".....that's hilarious when talking about a bicycle saddle for crying out loud.

Thank God my "rights" concerning bicycle saddles are safe and I now have case law to protect me from my LBS.

 

[easyridernyc]

i gotta say you're wrong there mik. who hasnt been in situations like this, either for a lot more or a lot less? there's always a scumbag out there looking to make a quick buck, to take advantage of anunsuspecting consumer-- this jerk just happened to get caught. whether it was a dollar or a thousand dollars,

it was a matter of principle, op had a point.

if anyone was being petty and trifling, it was the shop clerk who tried to pull a fast one, the little pryck, not the customer who already paid for the service. op had every right to bytch. and more. should never have had to ask, a second, third, or fourth time for what he already paid for in the first place.

 

[mikagsd]

easyridernyc.....the reason this is hilarious as other folks on the thread here have mentioned that in the catalog, As noted by Tin Sloth, the catalog states parts are subject to change. In fact, I'll go one step further than Tin Sloth and copy & paste the exact language for you since everyone is out to screw everyone and lie & cheat & steal.

Straight from Cannondale's website, the 2010 CAAD 9 5, right under the specs tab:

SPECIFICATION CHANGES & UPDATES
We do our best to ensure web content accurately reflects exact product spec. However, as changes occur, there may be brief delays in site updates. We reserve the right to make spec changes to improve products without prior notification, which may cause short-term differences in the information listed on the web.

I know I know.....truth is so freakin' hard to deal with isn't it??

 

[T K]

easyridernyc.....the reason this is hilarious as other folks on the thread here have mentioned that in the catalog, As noted by Tin Sloth, the catalog states parts are subject to change. In fact, I'll go one step further than Tin Sloth and copy & paste the exact language for you since everyone is out to screw everyone and lie & cheat & steal.

Straight from Cannondale's website, the 2010 CAAD 9 5, right under the specs tab:

SPECIFICATION CHANGES & UPDATES
We do our best to ensure web content accurately reflects exact product spec. However, as changes occur, there may be brief delays in site updates. We reserve the right to make spec changes to improve products without prior notification, which may cause short-term differences in the information listed on the web.

I know I know.....truth is so freakin' hard to deal with isn't it??

But, if indeed it was the shop that changed the saddle and not Cannondale, none of that matters. Does it?

 

[Argentius]

Well, either way.

He bought a bike on the floor, at an agreed-to-price.

Just because some bikes from the factory have a certain part, doesn't mean they ALL do, and shops frequently upgrade (or, down-grade or side-grade) bikes on the floor to suit the market, make a special practice, etc.

It's not even something sneaky, like perhaps stripping a D/A cassette and chain for a 105 one, which I've seen -- the saddle is an obvious, out-in-the-open item.

Without knowing any more details, it sounds like the shop tossed some grease at a squeaky wheel to make it go away, rather than righting a "wrong."

But, if indeed it was the shop that changed the saddle and not Cannondale, none of that matters. Does it?

 

[T K]

We' re all just speculating here. But why did every other bike in the shop have the better saddle? My first thought was maybe they had a bunch of those horrible ponza saddles lying around, like most shops do, and someone there wanted the Pro Logo so they switched it out hoping he would not notice the diff.
Either way, what Cannondale does and what the shop does are seperate issues.