Replica Factor Ostro VAM

[BeR]

I have not messaged the seller yet, only raised a dispute on AE.
As of now I have not received a reply.

Send to the seller a message through Aliexpress or WhatsApp.

[BIFO17]

Yes, sellers don't appreciate having disputes through AE. It's better to contact them directly to deal with them.

[insanetree]

Send to the seller a message through Aliexpress or WhatsApp.

I have messaged them via AE and WhatsApp, but their WA account has not been online since October.
RK and First Class are the same seller.

[BeR]

I have messaged them via AE and WhatsApp, but their WA account has not been online since October.
RK and First Class are the same seller.

They sell the same products but They are not the same sellers and They don't share the same WA number.

For your information, the WA account of RK was active today.

[insanetree]

They sell the same products but They are not the same sellers and They don't share the same WA number.

For your information, the WA account of RK was active today.

Can you privately send me RKs WA contact?

[BeR]

Can you privately send me RKs WA contact?

I sent you a private message.

[offspring_fan]

This sucks, but also is a real puzzle.

I'm not an engineer and haven't worked in a bike shop, but I have snapped my share of frames. Two on the chainstays and one round the bottom bracket. But never in the middle of the seattube.

It's not a high stress area. It is hard to see what could have caused it apart from seat post impact unless the carbon was badly laid up and disasterously thin in that particular spot. Which is not impossible, because there's that frame in the TanTan thread that arrived with a hole in the chainstay... 

[insanetree]

This sucks, but also is a real puzzle.

I'm not an engineer and haven't worked in a bike shop, but I have snapped my share of frames. Two on the chainstays and one round the bottom bracket. But never in the middle of the seattube.

It's not a high stress area. It is hard to see what could have caused it apart from seat post impact unless the carbon was badly laid up and disasterously thin in that particular spot. Which is not impossible, because there's that frame in the TanTan thread that arrived with a hole in the chainstay... 

Actually, the mid-section of the seat tube is a highly dynamic area under significant stress.

While it might seem 'low stress' at a glance, the seatpost acts as a long lever arm. This lever generates a substantial bending moment that must be absorbed by the seat tube. As shown in my sketch (and demonstrated in the Peak Torque video linked below), the clamped seatpost (green) creates localized pressure points in the seat tube.



https://youtu.be/zeANjsn14vA?si=BM7N1g9v03-sVvc_&t=149

Technical breakdown of the forces (red):

• Torque Generation: The rider's weight (F_g) creates a torque that forces the lower end of the seatpost against the front internal wall of the tube.
• Geometric Stress Raiser: The crack occurred exactly where the cross-section changes and the geometry shifts significantly.
• Concave Notch Effect: The frame features a sharp concave cutout for rear wheel clearance. This design creates a massive notch effect, concentrating stresses in the exact area where the seat tube transitions.
• Cyclic Fatigue: Even with 17,5 cm of insertion, the tube is subjected to cyclic flexing.

If the carbon layup is inconsistent or thin in this transition zone, as evidenced by the internal artifacts I found (fiber breakout and poor consolidation), the laminate will eventually fail under these standard bending loads. It's not about 'impact'; it's about fatigue at a structural bottleneck caused by a combination of geometry and manufacturing quality.
I have also attached additional internal photos. While some sections show a decent finish, the laminate consistency is highly variable, with several areas showing poor consolidation and 'shoddy' workmanship.

[Champirs]

My ostro vam 2 oceanic

Hi friends

[offspring_fan]

Actually, the mid-section of the seat tube is a highly dynamic area under significant stress.

While it might seem 'low stress' at a glance, the seatpost acts as a long lever arm. This lever generates a substantial bending moment that must be absorbed by the seat tube. As shown in my sketch (and demonstrated in the Peak Torque video linked below), the clamped seatpost (green) creates localized pressure points in the seat tube.



https://youtu.be/zeANjsn14vA?si=BM7N1g9v03-sVvc_&t=149

Technical breakdown of the forces (red):

• Torque Generation: The rider's weight (F_g) creates a torque that forces the lower end of the seatpost against the front internal wall of the tube.
• Geometric Stress Raiser: The crack occurred exactly where the cross-section changes and the geometry shifts significantly.
• Concave Notch Effect: The frame features a sharp concave cutout for rear wheel clearance. This design creates a massive notch effect, concentrating stresses in the exact area where the seat tube transitions.
• Cyclic Fatigue: Even with 17,5 cm of insertion, the tube is subjected to cyclic flexing.

If the carbon layup is inconsistent or thin in this transition zone, as evidenced by the internal artifacts I found (fiber breakout and poor consolidation), the laminate will eventually fail under these standard bending loads. It's not about 'impact'; it's about fatigue at a structural bottleneck caused by a combination of geometry and manufacturing quality.
I have also attached additional internal photos. While some sections show a decent finish, the laminate consistency is highly variable, with several areas showing poor consolidation and 'shoddy' workmanship.

And this is why I'm not an engineer . Thanks for explaining. And I hope you get a satisfactory resolution from the seller!

[insanetree]

And this is why I'm not an engineer . Thanks for explaining. And I hope you get a satisfactory resolution from the seller!

Haha, no worries! It’s definitely a rabbit hole once you start looking at stress distributions and carbon layups.

I really appreciate the support. Hopefully, the seller or the AliExpress team will see the technical evidence for what it is, a clear manufacturing defect rather than a user error.
I’ll keep the thread updated as soon as I get a response regarding the refund.

[brembilla]

Hey guys who purchased from Yoho and Tom. Did your Black Inc bars come with the computer mount as well? Just received my frameset and everything seems to be in order except for that. Thanks.

[insanetree]

UPDATE: broken RK Ultra Frame

I just received a very concerning response from the seller regarding the frame failure.
Instead of addressing the technical evidence in my report, the seller is now trying to deflect all legal and structural responsibility.

Here is a summary of what was said:

• Third-Party Sourcing: The seller admitted that the frame was not manufactured by them but was sourced from 'First-Class-Carbon'.
• 'Proxy' Selling: They claimed they were only 'helping' to sell the frame on behalf of 'First-Class-Carbon'.
• Zero Quality Control: The seller explicitly stated: 'I have no idea about the quality of your transaction framework'.
• Vanishing Partners: Apparently, the original source/store has shut down and 'vanished with the money'.

My Take:
This is a massive red flag for anyone buying from this store. They are essentially operating as a middleman without performing any quality control or taking responsibility for the products sold under their name.
When I confronted them with the fact that they are my sole contractual partner under AliExpress policy, they merely offered to sell me a new frame at 'cost price'. I have obviously declined this, as I cannot trust a seller who admits they don't know the quality of what they are shipping.

I have now further escalated this to AliExpress Support, including the screenshots where the seller admits to these practices. I will keep you guys posted on how the mediation team handles this 'proxy-selling' admission.

[insanetree]

UPDATE 2: broken RK Ultra Frame

Quick update on the communication with the seller – it’s getting absurd. After I sent over my full Technical Failure Analysis Report, the seller’s narrative completely shifted, exposing some major inconsistencies:

• The 'Vanishing' Factory vs. 'Direct' Warranty: Initially, the seller claimed he was just a middleman for a shop that 'vanished' and that he had no idea about the quality. Now, suddenly, he is offering a 'factory warranty' and claims he is in direct contact with the production line to resolve the issue. You can’t be a clueless middleman and a factory-backed dealer at the same time.
• Deflecting Structural Issues as 'Optics': The seller tried to claim that the partially poor internal finishing I documented (fuzzy fibers, poor consolidation) doesn't affect functionality and is 'normal' for this price range. As a Mechanical Engineer, I find this argument dangerous. We aren't talking about paint chips; we are talking about delamination and manufacturing artifacts in a primary structural zone that lead to the exact type of fatigue failure I experienced.
• The 'Slipping Seatpost' Myth: He also tried to blame me, claiming the seatpost must have slipped and damaged the frame. I’ve already debunked this with high-res photos showing zero witness marks on the post and a consistent 17.5 cm insertion depth.
• The 'Compromise' Offer: He is now offering a replacement frame at 'cost price' or a new frame under warranty, but only after initially saying he doesn't know the quality.

My Stance: I have declined the replacement. I’ve lost all confidence in this specific product and the seller’s transparency. I am pushing for a full refund through AliExpress mediation, using his own contradictory messages as evidence that he is evading contractual responsibility for a safety-critical defect.

I'll keep you posted once the AliExpress dispute team weighs in on the technical report.

Short and 'not so sweet' update:

The seller has officially shut down any further negotiation. His latest response to my demand for a full refund was simply:

„Sorry, we can't meet that request.“

It seems we have reached a complete dead end in direct communication. After he tried to deflect responsibility to a third party, blamed me for a 'slipping seatpost' (which I debunked), and offered a 'cost-price' replacement, he is now flat-out refusing to acknowledge the manufacturing defect and my request for a refund.
I am now 100% dependent on the AliExpress mediation team's decision. I’ve uploaded all the evidence. At this point, it’s a waiting game to see if the AE mediators prioritize technical facts and safety-critical evidence over a seller’s empty excuses. I’ll keep you all posted on the final verdict. Thanks for all the support so far!"

[offspring_fan]

Good luck. Having experienced Aliexpress' mediation I fear you might be disappointed.

(I once received a frame in which the manufacturer had forgotten to add one of the cable holes in the downtube. I think I got $50 back in the end).