Warning! My Experience with Winspace After-Sales

[Pswiss]

You need to understand the difference between a contractual warranty (what Winspace chooses to put in their terms) and a legal warranty (the minimum protection consumers have under the law, regardless of what a company prints).

A contractual warranty can limit coverage (like “3 years on frames, 2 years on wheels”), but a legal warranty covers situations where a product was not of “satisfactory quality,” “fit for purpose,” or “durable as reasonably expected.” Even outside the written warranty period, if a part fails prematurely in a way that shows a defect, the manufacturer can still be held responsible under legal warranty.

Now, are you seriously suggesting a seat post clamp is a “wear and tear” part?

Conclusion: It is well within the contractual warranty and even if it was not, it would fall under the legal warranty.

That’s like saying a stem or handlebar should be expected to fail after two years, which is absurd. Consumables are tires, brake pads, chains, not a structural clamp holding the seat post.

And as for me “still going on”.... I’m only replying to posts like yours 

Finally, regarding the legal action / compensation point,  it’s actually working out perfectly. By rushing to defend Winspace, with a lot of energy but not much argument, the loyalists are keeping this post alive and giving it more visibility. Even better.

[Dark17]

When my clamp broke on the past road bike that I had, I bought a new one. Much better quality than the one that came with the frame. No sending e-mails, no drama, no nothing. Sometimes, it's much better to move on with our lives than to complain with even the smallest things. BTW, did you tell your friends to buy wheelset from @serenadebikes so that he can send you seat clamp for free?

[Pswiss]

Good for you, but the difference is I’m not complaining about replacing a clamp. The issue is a brand refusing to acknowledge an obvious defect and calling it “normal.” That’s what people should know before buying.

And no, I don’t need freebies from anyone, I can buy my own parts. What I expect from a so-called premium brand is accountability, not denial.

[gribs]

I'd suggest you don't buy products direct from China if you expect anything more than goodwill based on their stated contractual warranty as you have very little way to enforce anything else. Even if they fail to honour that there's very little you can do. If you want the protection of your home countries laws then you need to pay the premium of buying there. This isn't defending Winspace at all as I'd not buy from them as I view them as overpriced for what they offer and I'd rather not pay for a significant marketing budget.

I'm interested to know how a broken seat post clamp is really dangerous? Back before dropper posts they were almost a consumable part on well used mountain bikes in the UK and all that happened when they eventually snapped would be that your seat would drop and you'd have a harder ride home.

[Pswiss]

Your point is entirely correct about Winspace and their behavior shows that while they want to position themselves as premium and keep raising prices, they’re not up to the standard.

As for the danger of a seat clamp failure: without the clamp, the seat post slide very freely in this frame and will slide down immediately. Maybe in your area the terrain is flat, but imagine this happening suddenly and catching you by surprise while descending a mountain pass at high speed as it is common in my area it can cause a very serious crash

[POTOOOOOOOO]

Maybe it’s an over sized seat tube, you should contact Winspace customer services and ask about a warranty claim 😂

[Takiyaki]

Good for you, but the difference is I’m not complaining about replacing a clamp. The issue is a brand refusing to acknowledge an obvious defect and calling it “normal.” That’s what people should know before buying.

And no, I don’t need freebies from anyone, I can buy my own parts. What I expect from a so-called premium brand is accountability, not denial.

They gave you a new seatpost clamp. What exactly more do you need to be satisfied?

[peraal]

This post is hilarious reading. 10/10 would watch the movie.

[Pswiss]

Maybe it’s an over sized seat tube, you should contact Winspace customer services and ask about a warranty claim 😂

It’s within reasonable tolerance but good try at deflecting. You’ll have to do better than that. 😂

[Pswiss]

They gave you a new seatpost clamp. What exactly more do you need to be satisfied?

Maybe you missed the fact that they only offered that after first trying to make me pay, and only once I raised the tone, which now has all the Winspace fanboys in uproar.

[lidation]

I guess if you are in the shoes of Winspace, how do they know you have NEVER exceeded 5 N-m in the past 2 YEARS of usage?  They can't take the words of any customer for granted can they? It's a freakin' $5 seat clamp. There are many ways a clamp failed, overtightening it is one big possibility. Defective is another. But after 2 years, and it's $5. Com'on.

[Pswiss]

Maybe you did not read my post, I informed them from the start it was always tightened with a torque wrench. And if you’d looked at the photos (that I provided with them in the first place), you’d notice the clear crystalline fracture with no plastic deformation, clear  metallurgical failure, not overtightening.

And in fact, if they had any doubts, and any real interest in improving quality and ensuring customer safety, they would have asked me to send the part for metallurgical testing.

And your own reasoning applies to Winspace: it’s a $5 part, come on. All the more reason they could have acknowledged the defect instead of denying it and trying to make pay for a new one.

Out of curiosity, since you seem to think it’s normal for a seat post clamp to fail in less than 2 years (in fact 1.5 years in this case) and seen the possible consequence if it fails during a ride (including risk of injury), what’s your recommendation? Replace it every year? Every 6 months? Should we do the same with all aluminium parts, stems and wheel axles too?

[lidation]

Out of curiosity, since you seem to think it’s normal for a seat post clamp to fail in less than 2 years (in fact 1.5 years in this case) and seen the possible consequence if it fails during a ride (including risk of injury), what’s your recommendation? Replace it every year? Every 6 months? Should we do the same with all aluminium parts, stems and wheel axles too?

Don't be so riled up. What I meant was from the perspective of Winspace, they were facing a customer who used the bike for 2 years and who may or may not have abused the clamp. 

[Uhhwhut]

This post is hilarious reading. 10/10 would watch the movie.

I second this...

OP, I'm making my first post just to point out how ridiculous this whole thing is. I agree with you that it is a bummer that something fairly simple, like a post collar was botched. Where I think this gets ridiculous is that you seemingly think that the moral high ground is worth the time, emotion, shipping logistics, making this post, among other things. Not to mention you probably initially purchased the frame with a "budget" in mind, albeit Winspace may be a premium brand in the east(china) it is still a budget brand in the west...

The collar from Winspace broke, after 2 years, even if you swear that you always use a torque wrench, no higher than 5nm, is the wrench calibrated? Do you think a collar on a mid range Specialized hybrid or $4500 Trek road bike (not ISM design) doesn't fail under similar conditions?  I'm guessing the collar was fatigued, bummer indeed but so is your attitude. Go buy something that's CNC'd from Wolftooth, Hope, i9 whatever from an LBS, they must have some hideous anodized collar for you. Please tell them this heartfelt tale of how you were wronged too by the way, I'm sure they will have a ton of sympathy. Maybe they'll give you one for free to get you to leave quicker.

Snide comments aside, as someone who spent 10+ years at a bikeshop and is now at a manufacturer, you seem like the sort of customer most folks come to dread. The validation you seem to be seeking here, is almost as insane as you demanding a company in China ships you a new seatpost collar.

[Pswiss]

The wrench is a professional Gedore, calibrated, next argument?

If you had actually read the post and looked at the pictures, you’d see this is a clear metallurgical failure, not overtightening. The real issue isn’t the clamp itself but Winspace denying the defect. If they had any interest in improving quality or customer safety, they would have asked me to send in the part for inspection. The fact that this didn’t even occur to them, and apparently doesn’t occur to you either, despite your industry experience, says a lot.

And about your “if you swear” comment, thanks for insinuating I’m a liar. Apart from being disrespectful, that’s not an argument.

As for other brands, if a collar fails spontaneously there too, that’s not an excuse or justification. A defect is a defect

“validation” ....you’ve missed the point entirely. I’m not looking for sympathy; I’m making people aware of how Winspace behaves. And thanks to your contribution, you’re keeping this post alive and visible.

Your line  “where I think this gets ridiculous is that you think the moral high ground is worth the time, emotion, shipping logistics, making this post" is especially ironic... considering you just wrote an entire essay about it and the post you are quoting