REVIEWS EDITORIAL DEALS

Serotta Lifetime warranty is worthless

28415 Views 48 Replies 28 Participants Last post by LegendTiForSale, Mar 6, 2012

jason8265

Discussion Starter · Jun 4, 2006

My cycling buddy used to be a big Serotta pusher and loved to talk up their bikes. One month ago his bike cracked in the brazed on front derail bracket and broke. No big deal right, Serotta has a lifetime warranty. The plan was to have a local bike builder remove the bracket and go to a clamp on until we talked to the local dealer who ensured him that Serotta would back up the failure. He took pics and emailed to Serotta who stated they needed to see the bike to really evaluate. The bike gets boxed up and sent to them. Two weeks go by and we have to call them. They stated that yes it is a defect and they confirmed it with their evaluation. They are willing to cover 40% of the bill. What??? In the same breath they admit a defect and then state that the owner must shell out hundreds of dollars for a repair. No way, ship the bike back. One week goes by and no bike so the LBS calls. Serotta is waiting for a $125 check for warranty evaluation. You have to be kidding. Finally the LBS manager gets this waived but he does owe $50 in shipping. I have dealt with Specialized two times on warranty and this is unbelieviable. They definatly lost several customers on this one.

21 - 40 of 49 Posts

ahhchon

· #21 · Jul 21, 2007

wow,

i have recently been looking into a custom serotta tri bike but this seriously changes things. the bike will rust here and there, esp when riding in the rain after 8 years. you can easily make this customer happy by fixing this problem. it'll cost you 1/4 of what you charge him, maybe even less.

i remember when my m400 had an issue, i didn't even have to ship it out. the lbs evaled it, contacted cannondale and the issue was fixed without any shipping needed.

i was debating between the serotta and the six13 slice but i'm going to stick with the cannon

B2

· #22 · Jul 22, 2007

$125 for Warranty Evaluation?

djg said:
Are we really confident that we've learned particular facts about Serotta's warranty service from this post? Is that how a company that's been around for decades "lost all credibility"?

You make a good point here seeing that we are hearing the details 2nd hand and from disgruntled customer at that. Although, Serotta has responded and did not refute the claim that they were charging $125 for a warranty evaluation (plus shipping). Based on this I will say that if these facts are accurate Serotta has lost all credibility in my book. If these facts are incorrect I hope Serotta would respond set them straight.

B2
Serotta Bike Owner

djg21

· #23 · Jun 9, 2008 (Edited)

delete

delete

dekindy

· #24 · Jul 24, 2008

I recently had a warranty claim with Serotta. The ds dropout cracked. Serotta fixed it in less than 3 weeks and overnighted it to the LBS so that I could have my bike back in time for RAIN.

sevencycle

· #25 · Sep 8, 2008

Serotta said:
Serotta offers a Lifetime warranty on Serotta Products. See site for details http://www.serotta.com/pages/warranty.html

Listed in the warranty section:

Exceptions To Coverage
Serotta does not warrant against: malfunctions or failures that result from abuse, exposure to the elements (rust), normal wear and tear, neglect, improper assembly, use of parts not consistent with intended use, accident, stunt riding, jumping, commercial use, or failure to follow instructions or warnings.

The Original post had a frame issue with a front Braze-on. When it arrive at Serotta, the Braze-on had rusted through. We offered the discount to fix the frame even though we do not warranty rust.

Thank You

If the "Serotta is waiting for a $125 check for warranty evaluation" is true that is a cheeseball charge. High end bikes should have high end customer service. If true try SEVEN Cycles.

sevencycle

· #26 · Sep 8, 2008

I have no ties with Seven. I ride a Scott. I have had in past a few Seven bikes and had very very good customer service (no penny pinching fee's).

peyo

· #27 · Sep 13, 2008

I'm not sure if this post did much to tarnish Serotta's reputation. However, I am in the market to buy a bike and Serotta was on my list. After clicking into this sub-forum and seeing this thread on the very top, it doesn't do anything to reassure me about getting a Serotta.

DaveT

· #28 · Sep 13, 2008

peyo said:
I'm not sure if this post did much to tarnish Serotta's reputation. However, I am in the market to buy a bike and Serotta was on my list. After clicking into this sub-forum and seeing this thread on the very top, it doesn't do anything to reassure me about getting a Serotta.

So we've heard from one supposed "customer" of Serotta, with no other communication from him and you're going to discount Serotta for that? Serotta makes around 3,000 bikes a year and has been in business for over 30 years. One would think that if Serotta's rep, bikes or customer service were crap, you would certainly hear a lot more howls from customers. I've owned my fair share of Serottas and have enjoyed nothing but good customer service from them. There are many posts regarding great customer service on the Serotta forum ( www.serotta.com/forum )

Just because someone thinks they got the short end of the stick doesn't make it true.

dekindy

· #29 · Sep 16, 2008

peyo said:
I'm not sure if this post did much to tarnish Serotta's reputation. However, I am in the market to buy a bike and Serotta was on my list. After clicking into this sub-forum and seeing this thread on the very top, it doesn't do anything to reassure me about getting a Serotta.

Give me all the bikes on your list. I bet I can find a claim on every one that will shake your confidence enough not to buy the bike. And it won't take me very long either. Then where will you be.

I have experienced Serotta's warranty and service and I can say unequivocally that they did not even question my claim and did a miraculaous job to turn my frame around quickly and ship it overnight at no charge. And I would have not faulted them for not being able to come through in such a short time frame.

Lance#8in09

· #30 · Nov 26, 2008

Serottas are an image bike. Wildly overpriced, they are. $9k for a custom carbon frame from a maker whose history is mostly steel and ti??? And their ti prices are silly given what other really good buiklders charge. Only nutjobs and egomaniacs buy those bikes.

filtersweep

· #31 · Nov 26, 2008

Image bike? Then you can stick to bikesdirect.com--- I'll happily ride my image bike, thank you very much.

I don't ride a Serotta, but a similarly marketed "image bike." Like many of the posters here (who are seven or eight years on theirs)--- these bikes offer lasting satisfaction. I would rather pay a few thousand extra for a bike I can ride for a decade without lusting after something newer and shinier.

Lance#8in09 said:
Serottas are an image bike. Wildly overpriced, they are. $9k for a custom carbon frame from a maker whose history is mostly steel and ti??? And their ti prices are silly given what other really good buiklders charge. Only nutjobs and egomaniacs buy those bikes.

kaze

· #32 · Nov 29, 2008

From my own experience, Serotta stands behind their product and then some. I was the original owner of a titanium Legend which cracked right above the BB weld after 10 years of ownership/riding. I followed Serotta's warranty claim process and they replaced the frame with a custom built 2008 Legend SE... no questions and no hassles. And, I was given the same customization options (geometry, stays, TT slope, paint) given to a paying customer.

NealH

· #33 · Nov 29, 2008

As is the case with any article that comes with a lifetime warranty, you're paying for it. That's one reason Serotta bikes are so high priced - they have the warranty repairs/replacements figured in. Personally, I think a company that offers a lifetime warranty should offer it regardless of who owns the bike. There are a few that do this, like Calfee, although one has to pay a $250 inspection fee when purchased second hand in order to maintain this warranty.

socalcm

· #34 · Dec 2, 2008

Serotta's "wildly overpriced"? Compared to what? Obviously you have never ridden one. The ti Heritage bike is about the best value in cycling.

I have worked in bike shops for many years and have seen just about every bike there is. I walked the aisles of Interbike this year looking at pretty much every road bike available -- dozens of cookie-cutter carbon sourced from China frames aka platforms. Yukkk. I've seen too many crashed carbon bikes -- snapped into pieces. These things don't bend. And if you crash it, you are supposed to replace it even if it looks okay. And the ride is sooo generic. Talk about overpriced -- they probably cost a tiny fraction of what they charge to produce. But the companies that market them have to buy a lot of advertising to convince people to buy them.

Other reputable ti frames are within a few hundred dollars, but Serotta just does it better. Cheaper ti frames are just that, cheap. I've been to the Serotta factory many times and know what goes into the design and production. Of all the bikes being sold -- Serottas are the furthest from overpriced.

Image bike? If you mean a terrific bike at a fair price, so be it.

See less See more

TWB8s

· #35 · Dec 22, 2008

As an owner of both a Serotta ('88 Phinney) and a Seven ('99 Axiom) I'll add to the fire. When I wanted a Ti version of my SLX tubed Serotta I thought it would be painless to have it duplicated by the original. At the time they easily $2000 more than a Seven and about $1000 more than a Merlin and we're talking just the frame and fork! While I love the way the Phinney rides, I didn't think the performance was based on the decal on the downtube. I was right. 9 years later I ride the Seven 100:1 versus the Phinney. Yup, 3 or 4 days a year is all the Phinney gets for road time.

Don't misunderstand me, neither brand will lose or win a race for any rider. Neither brand will get a rider thought the miles easier either. It's like arguing Ferrari vs Porsche. In the end it all comes down to what you want to pay and the brand's customer service.

See less See more

king kong

· #36 · Mar 31, 2009 (Edited)

edit.

king kong

· #37 · Mar 31, 2009 (Edited)

edit.

king kong

· #38 · Mar 31, 2009 (Edited)

edit.

king kong

· #39 · Mar 31, 2009 (Edited)

edit.

Ardor

· #40 · Mar 31, 2009 (Edited)

delete. because it doesn't matter what we ride, it's as long as we do and like it or not we are all in this together.

21 - 40 of 49 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.