I have put out there to try and find more cases like this, havent had much feedback yet.
Didn’t realize how old this thread was.
Let me preface this by saying:
I am not defending Specialized, but I would consider the following.
We only have two documented cases of broken mounts. I am not saying that there are not more out there, but if there are only two documented cases and Specialized has sold tens of thousands of these bikes; that doesn’t exactly make it an obvious design flaw.
I have never seen this issue occur in the hundred or so Levos I sold between 2017 and 2018. But if it does occur, I want to take care of my customer and see what I can do to prevent it from happening again.
A couple of things I can think of as to why a warranty replacement wasn’t issued.
Again I am not defending Specialized.
It’s a 2017 model year bike, the battery has a two year warranty. Is it possible, based on the purchase date of the Levo in question, that warranty had expired when this damage occurred?
Did you buy the bike used?
Another possibility. When you said Specialized refused to warranty the battery, did you talk to them directly or did your shop tell you they refused to warranty the battery?
Because if the shop told you that and the battery was technically still under warranty, there is the distinct possibility, the shop didn’t start a warranty claim in the first place or straight up didn’t want to.
I hate to say this about my fellow bike shops around the world, but half them are run half assed. Shops are not fond of providing free warranty service and maybe they just said fuck it.
Did you try another dealer and experience the same result?
When you brought it into the shop for inspection, what was your demeanor? Where you confrontational? Did you come in with an attitude? Where you demanding?
I am not saying you don’t have the right to act or feel that way, there is an issue with the battery and batteries are expensive, but when someone comes at me in my shop in the ways I described, I am not going to be as accommodating as I would normally be.
First and foremost, most shops want to resolve the issue. Believe it or not we are on your side, well most shops anyway.
Speaking for myself, when stuff like this happens I want the issue resolved quickly and at no cost to the customer.
That would be a perfect resolution for everybody, well everybody except the manufacturer. But ultimately, a warranty is not my call. It the manufacturer’s call. And when the customer acts like I am the one who personally made their motor die or their frame crack, it can be pretty disheartening.
Again I am not defending Specialized or the shop.
If you were my customer and I sent in a warranty claim that was refused, I now have to find another resolution. One that is fair to the customer and reasonable to my shop.
So that resolution wouldn’t be me taking a brand new battery out of the box and handing it to you.
I have a stack of dead batteries and I would switch the cases. That would be fair and reasonable.
But I would also go over every inch of that bike to see if flex is indeed the reason or if there is another direct cause.
