In spring 2008 I bought a road racing bike with carbon frame. The frame fulfilled all my requirements regarding stability and riding fun. On the occasion of a service in September 2012 my dealer found a haircrack in the seat tube out of the blue. The road racing bike was in an excellent state, fully serviced and accident-free. According to the certificate of guarantee, the frame was guaranteed against breakage for five years, i.e. until spring 2013. After a lot of discussion the manufacturer replaced the frame by a new model. They refused, however, to prolong or restart the warranty period for the new frame. This reply disappointed me. Is the manufacturer only stingy or do they even infringe legal requirements?
Reply by Dirk Zedler, TOUR technology expert and bicycle expert
The five-year guarantee given by the manufacturer is a voluntary promise of quality. Your entitlement to a non-defective product from the manufacturer extends by three years beyond the statutory entitlements from your dealer. With the subsequent delivery the company has delivered on their promise. Your warranty period ends in spring 2013. If you will face any further problems with your new frame to that time, you can get in touch with the manufacturer. There is, however, no manufacturer offering a warranty extension by more years due to the replacement delivery. Such a "never ending” replacement delivery would most probably infringe competition law.
