# SRAM warranty direct to customer?



## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

So it seems like SRAM's warranty is two years from their website. 

I bought a bike from an online retailer which was equipped with SRAM shifters, but at least I know the rear shifter is not working properly.. (plastic shavings inside). The retailer just gave me a number to call SRAM's dealer services department. But it is after hours and I havn't gotten a hold of them yet.

I heard SRAM doesn't work with customers directly? are they not flexible about this?

So is there anyway to get the damn shifter repaired?


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## Special Eyes (Feb 2, 2011)

Why don't you wait until tomorrow after you have talked with them and then give the report.


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## Daren (Jul 25, 2008)

I went through the same thing. They would not deal with me directly. I went to a LBS, and they dealt with it. I'd suggest you try that.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Plastic shavings inside SRAM shifters is normal...for some strange reason I don't pretend to understand. They generally don't affect anything and are not indicative of a problem. If that's the only issue with the shifters, just blow them out if it bothers you.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

Daren said:


> I went through the same thing. They would not deal with me directly. I went to a LBS, and they dealt with it. I'd suggest you try that.


This.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

PoorCyclist said:


> The retailer just gave me a number to call SRAM's dealer services department.


Some online retailers do the warranty thing for you, so perhaps you could ask them to reconsider and take care of the problem for you. Not too long ago I had an online frame issue. I had a new frame sitting on my front porch _before_ I even got around to packing up the defective frame for return shipment.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

Daren said:


> I went through the same thing. They would not deal with me directly. I went to a LBS, and they dealt with it. I'd suggest you try that.


You went to a LBS that you didn't buy the gear from?
I wouldn't mind paying them a bit of convenience fee to send it in.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

SRAM doesn't deal directly with customers...just shops.

Given that you purchased the bike on-line it might be a bit more difficult to warranty the shifter but shouldn't be. You can send the shifter back to the dealer you purchased the bike from and let them deal with the warranty, but this will take a fairly long time, or at least add another week or two to the process.

Your other option is if you have a shop you have done a lot of business with in the past, take the shifter to them and have them warranty it for you. Chances are all they will charge you is the shipping cost to send it back to SRAM, SRAM will cover the cost of returning it back to the shop.

I had a similar situation to you in that I purchased a bike on-line through a team sponsor...so it wasn't a local purchase. However, a shop that I had purchased bikes and other small parts from in the past was more than willing to take care of the warranty as long as I paid $10.00 for shipping. 

All in all...it took about 1.5 weeks from the time I took the shifter to the shop and the time they received the new one back.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

Please don't bother SRAM's dealer service line. That's for dealers, and they won't be able to use it if every other call is from a consumer that has to be told "This is a dealer line".

Your online retailer is responsible for warranty service. No one else.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Kontact said:


> Please don't bother SRAM's dealer service line. That's for dealers, and they won't be able to use it if every other call is from a consumer that has to be told "This is a dealer line".
> 
> Your online retailer is responsible for warranty service. No one else.


Sounds like sending the customer to the dealer line was the dealer's idea.

If the shifter is actually not working correctly, you can take it to a shop. If you want the shop to give you the service of executing the warranty on your behalf the you'd do well to offer (insist?) on paying the shop for their service as they aren't obligated to provide service for products that they didn't sell.

This is the unfortunate gamble of buying on-line.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Also, if you bought from someone like PBK or Wiggle who are out of country...well you are hosed unless you can convince either the online retailer to take the part back, or convince a LBS to do the service for you.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

davidka said:


> Sounds like sending the customer to the dealer line was the dealer's idea.
> 
> If the shifter is actually not working correctly, you can take it to a shop. If you want the shop to give you the service of executing the warranty on your behalf the you'd do well to offer (insist?) on paying the shop for their service as they aren't obligated to provide service for products that they didn't sell.
> 
> This is the unfortunate gamble of buying on-line.


How many shops are going to help warranty an online purchase? It depends how many service dollars are involved: Given all of Poorcyclist's posts, it doesn't sound like he ever pays for labor, so shops in his area have no motivation to do the Etailer's job.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

So is there actually something wrong with the shifters or is it just the presence plastic shaving?


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## marathon marke (Nov 14, 2011)

Kontact said:


> How many shops are going to help warranty an online purchase? It depends how many service dollars are involved: Given all of Poorcyclist's posts, it doesn't sound like he ever pays for labor, so shops in his area have no motivation to do the Etailer's job.


We've had a few customer's come in with on-line purchased Sram shifters in need of warranty work. I've personally done it for them and charged nothing for the service. In the end, I think most (not all) people have been appreciative and do _real_ business with us. The way I look at it, it brings them in the shop two times. First, to drop it off, and again to pick it up. It provides an opportunity to start a relationship that will helpfully grow.


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## savagemann (Dec 17, 2011)

PoorCyclist said:


> So it seems like SRAM's warranty is two years from their website.
> 
> I bought a bike from an online retailer which was equipped with SRAM shifters, but at least I know the rear shifter is not working properly.. (plastic shavings inside). The retailer just gave me a number to call SRAM's dealer services department. But it is after hours and I havn't gotten a hold of them yet.
> 
> ...


So did u end up calling them?


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

I did call the line and it says it is for dealer only.

Yes there is a problem with the shifting.. the tension and indexing is inconsistent.

I don't think it is normal to have plastic bits keep coming off the parts.

I am going to send these pics to my e-tailer and ask them to warranty it for me properly.


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## bobski (Aug 12, 2005)

marathon marke said:


> We've had a few customer's come in with on-line purchased Sram shifters in need of warranty work. I've personally done it for them and charged nothing for the service. In the end, I think most (not all) people have been appreciative and do _real_ business with us. The way I look at it, it brings them in the shop two times. First, to drop it off, and again to pick it up. It provides an opportunity to start a relationship that will helpfully grow.


You, sir, are doing it right.

My LBS handled my SRAM warranty even though I purchased it at another shop (too far away). They've reaffirmed my loyalty.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

it looks like I got through to the right person this time,
they gave me an address to send it in!!

there was some confusion from some of the staff that the warranty was 1 year that's why I was getting the run around.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

PoorCyclist said:


> ...I don't think it is normal to have plastic bits keep coming off the parts...


Maybe, but I've seen that in many SRAM shifters, most recently my new Red shifters, and others have reported the same. Problems with tension and indexing are far more often due to issues with cables and housings. If the ratchet mechanism in the shifter is working, it's very unlikely it will vary tension or indexing.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

looigi said:


> Maybe, but I've seen that in many SRAM shifters, most recently my new Red shifters, and others have reported the same. Problems with tension and indexing are far more often due to issues with cables and housings. If the ratchet mechanism in the shifter is working, it's very unlikely it will vary tension or indexing.


I've seen the shavings cause problems.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Kontact said:


> I've seen the shavings cause problems.


That's nice. So specifically what problems? What is the cause/source of the shaving? How are the problems resolved?


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

looigi said:


> That's nice. So specifically what problems? What is the cause/source of the shaving? How are the problems resolved?


Are you kidding?

Shifting poor and too much force required to shift, cables ruled out, warrantied shifter. 

Why would I take apart a shifter I'm going to send back to SRAM for replacement??? 

I don't think it is much of stretch to assume that a shifter that works poorly and the presence of body shavings in the mechanism is not a coincidence. SRAM shifters are pretty simple.

If anyone with shifters that have shavings wants to take them apart to discover the source of the problem and fix it, I would be interested in the results. But with SRAM's excellent warranty service, I'm not going to waste my time modifying something that may not be fixable when a new one is a phone call away. I really don't understand advocating for leaving one of these shifters alone - the shavings aren't normal and there is no reason to assume that they won't get worse over time.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Kontact said:


> Are you kidding?


Nope, and thanks for your explanations. I'm not advocating anything, just offering and gathering information. As I said, I've seen this in SRAM shifters and know of a number of other reports of this in forums and in the press and in none of these cases were there issues with performance, including Force and Red shifters here. BTW, no disassemble is required to see the shavings as you can easily inspect the mechanism by peeling forward the rubber hood, which exposes the pawls, ratchet, and cable drum, as shown in the OPs pic.


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## Kontact (Apr 1, 2011)

looigi said:


> Nope, and thanks for your explanations. I'm not advocating anything, just offering and gathering information. As I said, I've seen this in SRAM shifters and know of a number of other reports of this in forums and in the press and in none of these cases were there issues with performance, including Force and Red shifters here. BTW, no disassemble is required to see the shavings as you can easily inspect the mechanism by peeling forward the rubber hood, which exposes the pawls, ratchet, and cable drum, as shown in the OPs pic.


Of course you can see the shavings without disassembly. How else would I know they are there?

But you can't find where the metal mechanism is scraping the lever body unless you disassemble the lever. That scraping is the root cause of the problem, so if you ask what the "cause/source of the problem" is, you have to take the shifters apart to answer the question.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

looigi said:


> That's nice. So specifically what problems? What is the cause/source of the shaving? How are the problems resolved?


If there are plastic shavings in a shifter...that means part of the shifter is deteriorating at a fairly rapid pace. Something is wrong, and it's a not part of normal operation.

Basically...Plastic shavings = excessive/rapid wearing of the shifter.

I've had two SRAM Rival shifters go south on me with the shift paddle braking off. Both of the failures were preceded by plastic shavings in the shifter. 

SRAM has had issues with their lower level shifters...that has supposedly been fixed, but from what I've seen...isn't necessarily the case since one mine that went south was supposed to be of the "Fixed" batch.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Wookiebiker said:


> If there are plastic shavings in a shifter...that means part of the shifter is deteriorating at a fairly rapid pace. Something is wrong, and it's a not part of normal operation. Basically...Plastic shavings = excessive/rapid wearing of the shifter.
> 
> I've had two SRAM Rival shifters go south on me with the shift paddle braking off. Both of the failures were preceded by plastic shavings in the shifter.
> 
> SRAM has had issues with their lower level shifters...that has supposedly been fixed, but from what I've seen...isn't necessarily the case since one mine that went south was supposed to be of the "Fixed" batch.


Hey, thanks. That's good to know. I had heard of the paddle breaking off. With mine (2011 Force and Red) the shavings did not reappear being blown out, and since they still work well after a collective 8000 miles, I'm assuming they're good as is similar to what others have reported.


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