Nice case study. On the one hand, we have a customer who makes a purchase in exchange for a supposedly quality product. But clearly this is lacking. A fork is not an accessory, it is an integral part of the bike and in this sense, the buyer's request seems legitimate to me. What bothers me in this type of story is ultimately the company's defense angle. It starts with a philanthropic speech but the buyer may have eaten pasta for weeks, months to buy a nice frame. So yes, depending on the country, culture, etc., everyone will read this fact differently.