# Pinnarello's Warranty a Joke?



## ColoColo (Jun 1, 2009)

*In today's "warranty for life" offerings from other manufacturers, don't you all think that Pinnarello should pump up their warranty as well? A trip to the LBS yesterday revealed a 3 year warranty only... Even the mechanic suggested me to go for the Fuji SST 3.0 (lifetime warranty). What do you guys think?*

I'm in the market for a new bike, and always liked the Italian offerings,


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## Ray_from_SA (Jun 15, 2005)

I think it depends on how long you normally keep a bike for. Most of the manufacturers offering a 'lifetime warranty' offer it at the condition that it's only valid while in possession of the original owner. If you're like me and seldom keep a bike longer than 2 years, having a bike with 'only' a 3 year warranty doesn't actually directly effect you.


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

what Ray said...who keeps a bike for more than 3yrs? we have the economy to help boost!


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## redmasi (Jul 14, 2010)

foofighter said:


> ...... we have the economy to help boost!


Yes indeed... And I'm _sure_ the Italians really appreciate the boost. :thumbsup:


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## kyrider (Apr 28, 2007)

ColoColo said:


> *In today's "warranty for life" offerings from other manufacturers, don't you all think that Pinnarello should pump up their warranty as well? A trip to the LBS yesterday revealed a 3 year warranty only... Even the mechanic suggested me to go for the Fuji SST 3.0 (lifetime warranty). What do you guys think?*
> 
> I'm in the market for a new bike, and always liked the Italian offerings,



I totally agree with you, Pinnarello should offer lifetime warranty to original owner. I have a Prince 2008 model and I got 2y warranty, had to use it once in the first year because the frame cracked. If I were to buy a new bike I would go with Specialized, Cervelo or Trek, just because of the warranty. I have to say the Prince is a super nice ride but like any carbon frame is prone to cracks.


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## NTA (Apr 4, 2010)

I totally agree with you !!!!:thumbsup:


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*lifetime warranties*

are completely out of hand.

I think it's just an escalation thing, in the bike industry.

For racing-level frames, carbon or alloy, 3 to 5 years should be the maximum length of a warranty atmo.

If a frame is going to fail because of a "defect in materials or workmanship," I'd suspect you'd know fairly quickly.

When you get a carbon frame past a few years old, who the heck knows how it failed? It's not like a steel frame when you can see, okay, this one pulled apart at a weld, versus, that one has a big crease in the frame where the damage started.

What is the expected life of a carbon fiber racing frame?


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## kyrider (Apr 28, 2007)

Argentius said:


> are completely out of hand.
> 
> I think it's just an escalation thing, in the bike industry.
> 
> ...



We are talking here about consumer level life expectancy. If I was a pro I could care less if the frame cracks because I would get a new one w/o problem. IMO, at a consumer level a frame is expected to last at least 4-5 years of daily use. And remember we can't put 4-500Watts every day for 4-5y so the stress is moderate.

If a manufacturer is confident in the quality of the product they can warrant the frame for it's lifetime. The manufacturing defects are easy to spot vs hits from crashing the bike or travel related damages. This is why I believe a well built carbon frame should last a life time. It's also an advertising plus that shows confidence in the product. Just my 2 cents.


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## smartyiak (Sep 28, 2005)

*I owned ONE Pinarello.*

I know that when I was told that I was the proud owner of a beautiful piece of wall art after my 4yr old aluminum Pinarello cracked, I didn't buy another one. They didn't even have a discount for crash replacement.

I then bought a Cervelo. When a weld on the Soloist cracked, 4yrs and appx 12,000 miles later, Cervelo sent me a brand new frame (and fork). When it comes time to upgrade or by a tri bike, Cervelo will be at the top of my list.

Also, I've probably told 100 or more people about my warranty experience (with both companies)...if even a few of those folks remember that and buy a Cervelo b/c of it...wasn't it totally worth the $$$ of one aluminum frame to them?

-Smarty


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## ColoColo (Jun 1, 2009)

Well, Pinnarellos to me are like smartyiak said: "a work of art", the kind that you'll buy a frame and hang it on the wall type or art. What I don't want is to hang a cracked carbon frame just because I can't use it anymore... 

I mean, c'mon stand by your brand for once, will ya?! (I'm talking to Pinnarello).


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## mango1 (Jul 22, 2010)

ColoColo said:


> *"... always liked the Italian offerings...."*


*

Magnifico! Progettista biciclete classico....Cino Cinelli, Ernesto Colnago, Ugo De Rosa (2-year warranties). *


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## redmasi (Jul 14, 2010)

A "Lifetime Warranty" is a sales gimmick to increase sales. If a company's 'bean counters' determine that it is not a money-making gimmick, management will void the warranty. Here's but one example when ABG (litespeed) bought out Merlin Metalworks. *Simply stated:* Merlin owners who thought they had a Lifetime Warranty on their frame were SOL and at ABG's mercy... they got whatever ABG's "bean counters" felt was a reasonable repair charges or discount on a new frame. 

_American Bicycle Group purchased Merlin Metalworks in 2000. With immediate effect, ABG will no longer adhere to this policy. ABG will offer an upgrade opportunity for pre-2000 Merlin warranty claims at a discount.

*Simply stated*, if your pre-2000 Merlin frame has a manufacturer’s defect, we will offer to put the customer on a new Merlin frame at a discount. We will also offer as a service, to repair the pre-ABG Merlin frame for a charge, plus shipping costs. Please contact your local distributor/retailer for further information on terms and conditions. Merlin will continue to honor to the fullest extent the limited lifetime warranties for ABG-manufactured Merlin frames._


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

I'm glad that you -believe- that a well built carbon frame should last a lifetime.

The second sentence you have here confuses me. It is not consistent with my industry experience, though I am not an engineer. 

How can you tell if a head tube or chainstay has cracked due to a defect in materials or workmanship, as opposed to due to misuse or impact?

I am aware that some advanced scanners can more readily tell the difference, but the method I have seen that is effective, involves cutting the tube section in question in half and sending it to a lab.




kyrider said:


> If a manufacturer is confident in the quality of the product they can warrant the frame for it's lifetime. *The manufacturing defects are easy to spot vs hits from crashing the bike or travel related damages*. This is why I believe a well built carbon frame should last a life time. It's also an advertising plus that shows confidence in the product. Just my 2 cents.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

When a company goes out of business, the company that buys their name often does not purchase the liabilities of that company. 

In that case, your complaint is probably more with the way that limited liability and the bankruptcy system work...




redmasi said:


> A "Lifetime Warranty" is a sales gimmick to increase sales. If a company's 'bean counters' determine that it is not a money-making gimmick, management will void the warranty. Here's but one example when ABG (litespeed) bought out Merlin Metalworks. *Simply stated:* Merlin owners who thought they had a Lifetime Warranty on their frame were SOL:
> 
> 
> _American Bicycle Group purchased Merlin Metalworks in 2000. With immediate effect, ABG will no longer adhere to this policy. ABG will offer an upgrade opportunity for pre-2000 Merlin warranty claims at a discount.
> ...


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## koyaanisqatsi (Aug 5, 2009)

Well ColoColo. It depends on your financial situation. The Pinarello warranty is only 1 year unless they have very recently changed it. Colnago's is the same. I wouldn't let the short warranty period stop me if a Pinarello is what I wanted. But stay on the good roads and avoid crashes...yeah, the obvious things to do. In fact, I recently bought a 2010 Dogma 60.1--too soon to say much about it. I'm fortunate that I'm in a position that, if the frame fails and isn't covered under warranty, I can buy another frame from some manufacturer w/o a problem and move the components over. If a Fuji or Cervelo or Specialized is acceptable to you, go with one of those and don't worry about a Pinarello. I'd recommend a custom-built Lynskey, though.

The main thing to keep in mind i that "life is short" and you may not have another shot at a Pinarello. Then again, you may.


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## CaliBuddha (Jan 3, 2007)

If you have a Litespeed or Merlin and the break comes from a defect in welding or something like that then it will be fixed for free. Sure they will offer you an upgrade but why not? If the frame breaks b/c of you running into a car or something then, no, it won't be fixed for free...

I'm not sure what you're getting at. The Lifetime Warranty replaces frames that are/ were defective from the factory.


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## koyaanisqatsi (Aug 5, 2009)

*Pinarello Factory Warranty Extendable to 3 years*



CaliBuddha said:


> If you have a Litespeed or Merlin and the break comes from a defect in welding or something like that then it will be fixed for free. Sure they will offer you an upgrade but why not? If the frame breaks b/c of you running into a car or something then, no, it won't be fixed for free...
> 
> I'm not sure what you're getting at. The Lifetime Warranty replaces frames that are/ were defective from the factory.


The point is that, beyond the 2 years warranty period (extendable to 3 years at the Pinarello Web site), Pinarello will not replace the frame regardless of whether the frame was defective from the factory. As I recall, his LBS will back the frame for three years(?). Frames do not always fail within the warranty period, even if the frame is defective from the factory. And even if the frame does fail within that warranty period, it is sometimes not possible to show that the frame was at fault. Moreover, with a two year warranty period, the manufacturer does not show much confidence in the frame.


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## CaliBuddha (Jan 3, 2007)

koyaanisqatsi said:


> The point is that, beyond the 2 years warranty period (extendable to 3 years at the Pinarello Web site), Pinarello will not replace the frame regardless of whether the frame was defective from the factory. As I recall, his LBS will back the frame for three years(?). Frames do not always fail within the warranty period, even if the frame is defective from the factory. And even if the frame does fail within that warranty period, it is sometimes not possible to show that the frame was at fault. Moreover, with a two year warranty period, the manufacturer does not show much confidence in the frame.


I was talking to the guy that was talking about ABG.


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## ColoColo (Jun 1, 2009)

I guess that's the price you pay for going top end... Thanks for the input!





koyaanisqatsi said:


> Well ColoColo. It depends on your financial situation. The Pinarello warranty is only 1 year unless they have very recently changed it. Colnago's is the same. I wouldn't let the short warranty period stop me if a Pinarello is what I wanted. But stay on the good roads and avoid crashes...yeah, the obvious things to do. In fact, I recently bought a 2010 Dogma 60.1--too soon to say much about it. I'm fortunate that I'm in a position that, if the frame fails and isn't covered under warranty, I can buy another frame from some manufacturer w/o a problem and move the components over. If a Fuji or Cervelo or Specialized is acceptable to you, go with one of those and don't worry about a Pinarello. I'd recommend a custom-built Lynskey, though.
> 
> The main thing to keep in mind i that "life is short" and you may not have another shot at a Pinarello. Then again, you may.


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## koyaanisqatsi (Aug 5, 2009)

You probably summed it up.

I was wrong in the post to which to responded. The Pinarello warranty is for 2 years, but can be extended to 3 years when you register at the Pinarello web site.



ColoColo said:


> I guess that's the price you pay for going top end... Thanks for the input!


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

I used to handle the determination of all US warranty claims for a well-known Italian boutique builder and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of claims that were attributable to a manufacturing defect that were not discovered within the first two years. In each case, I was able to convince the manufacturer to cover the replacement, this even though the warranties were expired. There were however numerous claims where the customer was convinced that a warranty covered any damage, no matter how it was caused, and expected a free replacement, even though it was obvious to me and any other person with even the least amount of frame-building experience that there were contributing factors that were likely the instigators of the damage. At times, I still pushed these claims through when a good dealer/customer was involved; other times I simply restated the published warranty policy. 

As for the builder demonstrating more or less confidence in their product by offering a longer or shorter warranty, I feel that this is a total non-issue. Nomanufacturer that I know offers an unconditional lifetime warranty, they are all limited lifetime warranty and in the most cases the limited lifetime warranty ends up being no more than a 2-3 year warranty. In my eyes, it is solely a marketing ploy and demonstration of just how little money is actually "invested" in the mass-produced industrial frames.


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

ColoColo said:


> *In today's "warranty for life" offerings from other manufacturers, don't you all think that Pinnarello should pump up their warranty as well? A trip to the LBS yesterday revealed a 3 year warranty only... Even the mechanic suggested me to go for the Fuji SST 3.0 (lifetime warranty). What do you guys think?*
> 
> I'm in the market for a new bike, and always liked the Italian offerings,



Then you should read the Fuji warranty and enlighten your mechanic.

Based on the wording of their warranty vs. most other manufacturers a lifetime warranty is a guarantee on the lifetime of the product rather than the lifetime of the consumer. 

BIG difference


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## ColoColo (Jun 1, 2009)

Is that any different from the other manufacturers...? same difference I'd say.



ewitz said:


> Then you should read the Fuji warranty and enlighten your mechanic.
> 
> Based on the wording of their warranty vs. most other manufacturers a lifetime warranty is a guarantee on the lifetime of the product rather than the lifetime of the consumer.
> 
> BIG difference


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

ex. '■Frames for the lifetime of the original owner '

is not the same as the lifetime of the product


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## jaysc (Apr 23, 2010)

ColoColo said:


> Is that any different from the other manufacturers...? same difference I'd say.


Yes, it is quite different.

From Cannondale's website:

CANNONDALE LIMITED WARRANTY:

The specific warranty covering your Cannondale bicycle is governed by the law of the state or country in which it was purchased, and applies only to bicycles purchased from Authorized Cannondale Retailers.

FRAMES: (frame, fork structure, swing arm): Cannondale frames (except frames for Freeride, and Dirt Jumping bikes, see below) are warranted by Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, 16 Trowbridge Drive, Bethel, CT 06801 *against manufacturing defects in materials and/or workmanship for the lifetime of the original owner.*


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## Rocket_Noise (Apr 1, 2009)

*A heavenly ride??*



jaysc said:


> Yes, it is quite different.
> 
> From Cannondale's website:
> 
> ...


How many people really care about their bike frame warranty when they are six feet under?


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## jaysc (Apr 23, 2010)

Rocket_Noise said:


> How many people really care about their bike frame warranty when they are six feet under?


Exactly! You've almost made my point. Cannondale's (and others') warranty will last until you no longer need it.


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## koyaanisqatsi (Aug 5, 2009)

*Hard to find fault!*



Rocket_Noise said:


> How many people really care about their bike frame warranty when they are six feet under?


Hard to find fault to a warranty that lasts to the end original owner's life. In the old days, many manufacturers did warranty their bikes "for life." And they stood behind those warranties.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

In the UK our consumer protection law means that the sales' contract is between buyer and seller. The manufacturer does not come into it. Any purchase must work without fault for 6 years. Therefore, all Pinarello owners have, effectively, a 6 year warranty.


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