Hats off to OldPotatoe and rant about PBK

[madsciencenow]

If you don't have much time on your hands the short version of this post is that OldPotatoe is a wonderful human being and beware of buying from ProBikeKit to save a few bucks!

The longer more instructive version of this story starts back in early March when I ordered a pair of bora one 50s from PBK. Of course they took weeks to arrive but I didn't mind because the weather in N. IL at that time sucked and I was mostly relegated to the trainer or best case scenario riding outdoors with training wheels. The wheels arrived on the day before I was scheduled to travel to TN to spend a few days riding the Natchez Trace with some cycling friends who assemble once a year from the various areas around the Midwest where we've been scattered too. On the third day of our trip, I installed the boras and set-up the brake pads on my Moots RSL. We rode about 70 miles and I noticed a vibration/pulsation from the rear wheel upon braking (in thinking back I don't think I was as aware of the problem as I should have been because it's all straight line riding with very little braking). I figured I needed to make an adjustment to the set-up and when I got home from the trip I ended up taking the wheels off my Moots and putting them on my C60 which is the reason I had originally purchased them. Again, I noticed the problem on braking so I rechecked the brake set-up and went for another ride. Same problem all over again. The wheels seemed true and there was nothing visual on the rear wheel where the issue seemed to be coming from that would indicate a problem so I thought well, maybe it's the bike even though this seemed unlikely given that I had noticed it the first time on the Moots. I then switched the wheels back to my Moots and same problem. I adjusted the brakes one last time and went for a ride and same problem and the pulsation was so bad it pulled the brake pad holder loose from the bike (if you are wondering if I used the campy pads the answer is yes).

At this point I knew I had problem so I started looking into how to warranty the wheels. The easiest thing to do from reading Campy's web page was to reach out to a Campy Pro Shop. There is one about 45-50 minutes from my house so I emailed them and they said to bring the wheel in. I figured it would be best to leave the wheel on the bike so I dragged my Moots into the shop on a Saturday morning and they took a look and couldn't see any problem. However, upon riding the bike around the parking lot the owner immediately experienced the same thing I had noticed. He indicated that upon spinning the wheels and holding his fingers near the brake track he thought he could detect the issue too but I don't know if he would have concluded this if he hadn't taken the ride first. He asked where I got the wheels and I indicated PBK and he said he didn't want to deal with the warranty issue because he would lose his shirt. I wasn't a fan of his response but I respect his time so I took my wheel and bike and emailed PBK about the issue.

I could explain what happened next but I think it's just easier to upload the thread from the conversation with them that has been ongoing for well over a month. Please keep in mind that I've now owned the wheels for over two months and PBK has done nothing as you can see from the attached thread with them. I will say in advance of you reading this that the exchange with their customer service team didn't always bring out the best in me.

Last Friday (May 3) I was particularly frustrated and wondering what to do next. It was at this time I recalled that OldPotatoe used to own a shop and that he is big fan of Campy. I sent him a PM here on the forum and in less than an hour (I think it was actually minutes) he replied with some helpful contacts at Campy. I reached out to Campy and mentioned Peter and they promptly returned my call and indicated that any bike shop could give them a call and get the return authorization. On Monday, I went to visit my LBS and the owner gave Campy a call, got the return authorization and my wheels are either back with Campy in CA for warranty or on their way there. I don't know what the final outcome will be but I want to give major props to Old Spud for his help!!!! I'd still be going in circles with the Jack a**es from PBK if left to my own resources.

Eventually, I guess I will let PBK know that Campy took care of the problem but I'm curious to see if they are ever going to do anything. Needless to say I won't be buying anything again from PBK, regardless of if it saves $$$ or not. Lesson learned! I think this is also a powerful example of the need for LBSs and a great reason to patronize yours when possible.

[mktng]

Im currently going through some warranty issues on some park tools items. So not as serious as yours. But I feel your pain.

Cant say i'll never buy from them again, but i'll definitely look to source items out locally first before going to PBK.

Despite some issues. I've definitely had more good transactions with them than bad.

[tuscanyswe]

Im currently going through some warranty issues on some park tools items. So not as serious as yours. But I feel your pain.

Cant say i'll never buy from them again, but i'll definitely look to source items out locally first before going to PBK.

Despite some issues. I've definitely had more good transactions with them than bad.

Haha one would certainly hope so lol. Its funny to what poor standards we hold shops and sellers and think is "okay" sometimes.

To the op. Glad that your wheels are now likely beeing fixed and props to Peter as usual for being generally helpful as always.

[kevinvc]

Your restraint over the course of the email chain is pretty impressive. I don't know if I would have stayed that polite for so long.

I wish I had seen this before I ordered a set of tires from them last week. Hopefully I don't have similar problems. My only inconvenience so far is that they gave me a 2 week window for delivery and don't have a tracking number.

[93KgBike]

^ exactly ditto for me... tires & tape.

I am so long past expecting 1:1 correlation between theory and measurement in commerce.

At least OP didn't end up in arbattrition.

[hokoman]

I didn't read the attachment, but do you think your CC company would have helped in this situation?

[madsciencenow]

Your restraint over the course of the email chain is pretty impressive. I don't know if I would have stayed that polite for so long.

I wish I had seen this before I ordered a set of tires from them last week. Hopefully I don't have similar problems. My only inconvenience so far is that they gave me a 2 week window for delivery and don't have a tracking number.

for what it's worth and to try to be fair, I've ordered plenty of tires from PBK and never had a problem, which was why I took the chance on the wheels to begin with.

[pdmtong]

Campag will warranty wheels from EU sellers.

Beware though: Campag will NOT warranty wheels acquired through Planet Cyclery. Campag NA told me this directly about Planet.

[madsciencenow]

Campag will warranty wheels from EU sellers.



Beware though: Campag will NOT warranty wheels acquired through Planet Cyclery. Campag NA told me this directly about Planet.



Great to know and did they say why? I can guess but if they said specifically it’s good to know.

This makes me think we need a thread about online retailers who can and cannot be trusted.


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[pdmtong]

Great to know and did they say why? I can guess but if they said specifically it’s good to know. This makes me think we need a thread about online retailers who can and cannot be trusted.
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The implication was that PC was getting their Campag grey although the Campag person never actually said that. The only campag stuff I have ordered from PC is a chain and some Chorus brakes. these are low dollar items. but even those - no warranty from campag NA.

i asked about the shamal mille I bought from Starbike (germany), no issue warranty those.

And, hats off to Spud for his many contributions to our forum community,

[velotrack]

i read through that whole email chain and really cannot believe your patience. i would have in about 1/4 of that time.

hope you get a resolution and i'm sorry you had to go through that.

[Seramount]

PBK used to be a good place to shop.

but, then they decided to suck...haven't used them in years.

[beeatnik]

i read through that whole email chain and really cannot believe your patience. i would have in about 1/4 of that time.

hope you get a resolution and i'm sorry you had to go through that.

The $1000 you save over retail can buy some patience.

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/campagnolo-bora-one-50-wheelset-clincher?skidn=CPG004B-DARLAB-CAMFRE&ti=UExQIENhdDpSb2FkIEJpa2UgV2hlZWxzOjE6MzpjY0NhdDE wMDA2OA==

https://www.probikekit.com/bicycle-wheels/campagnolo-bora-one-50-clincher-wheelset-2018/11479746.html

[Peter P.]

"Tell us how we did today..." !

That was funny!

I'd almost swear "David" was a computerized response system.

Thanks to oldpotatoe for cutting through the red tape.

[Tony]

"Tell us how we did today..." !

That was funny!

I'd almost swear "David" was a computerized response system.

Thanks to oldpotatoe for cutting through the red tape.

This man is always helpful!

[madsciencenow]

Computerized system is something I wondered about as well.

Ultimately, if you can’t, or have no intention of actually providing customer service it seems to me that providing any response at all is worse than nothing.


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[d_douglas]

Lesson learned! I think this is also a powerful example of the need for LBSs and a great reason to patronize yours when possible.

I have experienced this lesson as well. There is nothing like a good mechanic to sort out a problem properly, even at the cost of a few extra bucks.

Yes, I would still buy simple hard goods online, but it is hard to argue with a pro mechanic (like OP)

[OperaLover]

The OldPotatoe has serious gravitas! Nice!

[cgolvin]

Peter is a great guy and has been an invaluable resource to me, I can't thank him enough.

PBK tangent: I've had a couple of bad experiences with them, one of which was amusing. I suspect that because they did a poor job of packing a few items and some rough handling during shipping, the box came open and the postal service attempted to restore it a la Humpty Dumpty. I ended up short one tire and two tubes (PBK made it right evenutally), but the package contained some small handmade wooden gnomes with country flags glued to them and some cookie molds. The gnomes now feature regularly in our kitchen during the holidays. Alas, I don't have a photo of them, but maybe in December I'll remember…

[vincenz]

Interesting, I’ve purchased a bunch of stuff from them over the years and haven’t had issues. Luck of the draw I guess. Hope you get it sorted.

I’m curious what the issue could be if you can’t see or feel it in the stand. Seems strange. Did you try different brake pads just to troubleshoot?

[jamesdak]

I've ordered a lot from them over the years and except for slow shipment all's been good but once. I did have one set of wheels "get lost" in customs for around 3 months. They finally arrived in a totally trashed box. I took a ton of pictures and sent them to PBK. They refunded my money within a day and told me to either trash or keep the wheels but not to bother returning them. So I really can't complain in my case.

I'll also give a big thumbs up to Pete. He helped me resolve a problem with an old Campagnolo DT shifter after recieving lots of other helpful, but bad, advice from others.

[uno-speedo]

Avoid them.

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.probikekit.co.uk

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.probikekit.com

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/probikekit.co.nz

https://www.resellerratings.com/store/ProBikeKit

https://www.reviews.co.uk/company-reviews/store/probikekit

[oldpotatoe]

Campag will warranty wheels from EU sellers.

Beware though: Campag will NOT warranty wheels acquired through Planet Cyclery. Campag NA told me this directly about Planet.

That depends..They check the wee barcode/tracking numbers and that 'may' result in a warranty, may not. True about PlanetCyclery..that place is scary(and local to me).

[madsciencenow]

Interesting, I’ve purchased a bunch of stuff from them over the years and haven’t had issues. Luck of the draw I guess. Hope you get it sorted.

I’m curious what the issue could be if you can’t see or feel it in the stand. Seems strange. Did you try different brake pads just to troubleshoot?



I only had the one set of pads but my LBS had another set in another customers bike that happened to be in the stand and it was the same problem. It’s almost like there is a thicker or thinner spot in the rim. The brake track has the new AC3 textured track and to my eye it looks flawless. All this said I’m interested to hear what Campy finds as well.


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[Hindmost]

...PBK tangent: I've had a couple of bad experiences with them, one of which was amusing. I suspect that because they did a poor job of packing…

A couple of years back I ordered four tubular tires from pbk. For whatever reason the shipments were split into two of two tires each. One shipment arrived in a box large enough for two wheelsets.

[OtayBW]

That depends..They check the wee barcode/tracking numbers and that 'may' result in a warranty, may not. True about PlanetCyclery..that place is scary(and local to me).
OP: just curious - I understand that Campy NA may not honor the warranty from them, but why 'scary'? Thx.

[pdmtong]

That depends..They check the wee barcode/tracking numbers and that 'may' result in a warranty, may not. True about PlanetCyclery..that place is scary(and local to me).

Got it. Should have written that as "Campag NA will warranty most EU sellers" and not as "EU sellers" implying all EU sellers.

as you note, there may/will be one or two exceptions. I was asking in the context of Starbike, and the reply was EU sellers, but clearly it's not a blanket given the distribution shennigans

[oldpotatoe]

OP: just curious - I understand that Campy NA may not honor the warranty from them, but why 'scary'? Thx.

PC are the bottom feeders of the bike stuff industry. They care about selling, regardless of what it is or where they get it. Their bottom line is their bottom line, not the customer. Plus they just hired a guy who, if you’d like to PM me, is the biggest reason to stay away. If they hired this guy, they have no ethics at all.

[axel23]

Reference my thread on the failure of my Deda bars...

PBK initially said they had sent the bars to Deda and Deda wouldn't accept the warranty claim. With help from the Forum, someone contacted Deda UK and discovered they had NOT received any bars for inspection.

I pressed PBK and they now say (contradicting their earlier email) that they have sent the bars to Deda.

So, when buying from PBK... caveat emptor.

[colker]

Reference my thread on the failure of my Deda bars...

PBK initially said they had sent the bars to Deda and Deda wouldn't accept the warranty claim. With help from the Forum, someone contacted Deda UK and discovered they had NOT received any bars for inspection.

I pressed PBK and they now say (contradicting their earlier email) that they have sent the bars to Deda.

So, when buying from PBK... caveat emptor.

Flat out liars are never cool; especially when it comes to doing business.

[Hellgate]

I don't doubt you guys, however, I've purchased a number of items from PBK with no issues at all. 3 Campy wheelsets, cassettes, chains, tires, etc.

I like PC as I can typically find Campy bits that others don't stuck. When my Record rear derailleur was broken by the TSA a couple of weeks ago, I had a replacement from PC in 3 days.

[pbarry]

People aren't questioning order fulfillment, rather the ability to file a warranty claim if Campy items are purchased from them. :)

[Peter B]

Like Kickstarter, the trick is to risk what you are willing to lose.
Tires, consumables--no worries.
Groupset--you decide.
Several $k for a wheelset...?

[pbarry]

They might have a backdoor channel to a European distribitor/source. I bought a Magura suspension fork from them a few years ago--price was 35% below U.S. wholesale.

[Hellgate]

People aren't questioning order fulfillment, rather the ability to file a warranty claim if Campy items are purchased from them. :)Fair enough. I've never had to file a claim. That being said, it widely know that with gray market items you're on your own.

[oldpotatoe]

Fair enough. I've never had to file a claim. That being said, it widely know that with gray market items you're on your own.

Judging from info from inside the industry and from this forum and others, it isn't 'widely known'. Some knucklehead on a MO website says, 'full factory warranty', and customers believe it. Even if it's complete BS..

[OtayBW]

PC are the bottom feeders of the bike stuff industry. They care about selling, regardless of what it is or where they get it. Their bottom line is their bottom line, not the customer. Plus they just hired a guy who, if you’d like to PM me, is the biggest reason to stay away. If they hired this guy, they have no ethics at all.
Interesting point. I have done (limited) business with PC before, but I will certainly rethink this based on your observations. Thanks!

[likebikes]

i don't get this thread at all. isn't it already well known that campag USA won't warranty stuff bought abroad/through the euro discounter channels?

[echappist]

i don't get this thread at all. isn't it already well known that campag USA won't warranty stuff bought abroad/through the euro discounter channels?

it's all a bit of cake-ism

the OP purchased something overseas, via a grey market route. For that, he's able to arbitrage the prices and get ~$1k worth in savings. In return, he would normally have to go through the original merchant should something arise

the following is a bit telling:



He asked where I got the wheels and I indicated PBK and he said he didn't want to deal with the warranty issue because he would lose his shirt. I wasn't a fan of his response but I respect his time so I took my wheel and bike and emailed PBK about the issue.




PBK's response aside, one has to be rather entitled to feel that the shop owner owes him more than what the shop owner had already provided

------------------------------------------------------------------

that said, my own feeling is that PBK is giving him the royal run-around b/c they most likely violated some sort of commercial terms by selling across the Pond. Note that one cannot buy Sram, Shimano, and Garmin products (amongst numerous brands) from PBK and have them shipped to the U.S. How Campy isn't on that list is a bit of mystery.

[unterhausen]

It took a lot of pressure to get Shimano to care. I doubt Campagnolo is going to care, ever. Their market penetration in the U.S. would probably be hurt significantly if they did. I'm sure making the Euro vendors agree to stop selling to the U.S. is not going to hurt Shimano at all, and they might get better dealer support if they ever get their act together here.

[Hellgate]

Judging from info from inside the industry and from this forum and others, it isn't 'widely known'. Some knucklehead on a MO website says, 'full factory warranty', and customers believe it. Even if it's complete BS..Well...I can't help people who don't know. For cars, motorcycles, electronics, bicycle bits, and stuff...most people know if the price is too good to be true it probably is.

Gray market is what it is.

[robertbb]

I've bought a heap of Campy stuff from PBK: several wheelsets, numerous groupset parts... consumables... never an issue. On one occasion a Chorus cassette had some weird plating residue on the bigger cogs (not sure how that got past Campy's own QC). I sent PBK a pic, they acknowledged the problem, and sent me another cassette and told me to do as I pleased with the old one.

Plus non-Campy stuff: the usual tyres, tubes, even clothes. No probs.

A few times I've just had a change of mind, got an RMA# via their chat system... sent item back and received refund with a few days of delivery no worries. Always received orders within a week or 10 days... and tracking number provided. Always very well boxed.

That said, I am in Australia and perhaps their service to here is better?

Sorry about your issue. I know it's a pain and you've remained impressively calm. Glad it looks like it will be resolved.

[madsciencenow]

For those of you who believe the wheels are grey market I'm curious about one point. I was able to register the wheels through Certilogo with the QR code on the wheels. Would I be able to do this with grey market wheels (I don't know the answer to this and am asking)?

I'm not sure what the tone of the entitlement comment above was (not sure if it was generally speaking or insinuating that I felt this way) but that's exactly why I didn't push the issue with the shop that didn't want to help with the warranty. I didn't/don't feel entitled to take advantage of him or his shop for wheels I didn't purchase from him.

One more point, I take responsibility for the fact that I'm in this mess. However, I feel like maybe something regarding Campy's actual customer service has been lost since the start of the thread. Campy customer service through PBK is crap, assuming I actually believe PBK ever contacted them. Campy customer service when I reached out to them directly and my LBS reached out to them has been nothing short of unbelievable and fantastic. I'll stand by this comment even if Campy comes back to me and says they won't warranty the wheel because it's grey market. If I bought a grey market wheel that's on me, not Campy. However, I'm really hoping I didn't and the Certilogo thing is legit. If it's not, then I guess I'm confused on what Certilogo is good for.

I had an issue with a shifter once that I bought from Competitive Cyclist. I reached out to CC and they had a new shifter out to me and in my hands in two days, no questions asked. I didn't expect two days from PBK but I thought there might be some response. Clearly, I was wrong.

[oldpotatoe]

It took a lot of pressure to get Shimano to care. I doubt Campagnolo is going to care, ever. Their market penetration in the U.S. would probably be hurt significantly if they did. I'm sure making the Euro vendors agree to stop selling to the U.S. is not going to hurt Shimano at all, and they might get better dealer support if they ever get their act together here.
Campy customer service through PBK is crap, assuming I actually believe PBK ever contacted them. Campy customer service when I reached out to them directly and my LBS reached out to them has [B]been nothing short of unbelievable and fantastic

shimano and Campagnolo DO care about their distribution channels or else this wouldn't be a frequent issue and topic here and on other forums/blogs/websites. BUT, selling in the geographical area that a retailer is located is the 'next step' in trying to control distribution..expect to see more of it, but expect to see grey/black/seconds/blems as 'firsts' to continue also.

[unterhausen]

shimano and Campagnolo DO care about their distribution channels or else this wouldn't be a frequent issue and topic here and on other forums/blogs/websites. BUT, selling in the geographical area that a retailer is located is the 'next step' in trying to control distribution..expect to see more of it, but expect to see grey/black/seconds/blems as 'firsts' to continue also.Certainly, Shimano has finally shown that they understand this is an issue for dealers. I hope Campagnolo follows suit and also tries to lower prices that dealers have to charge. They have been selling to MO dealers for a lot less than brick and mortar retailers, so we know they have some room for that.

At least in the case of the wheels that the OP bought, Campagnolo should know where they came from. Are they going to do anything about that? And with parts like these, shouldn't seconds be destroyed and not get a warranty label?

[Davist]

It's not up to the consumer to worry about manufacturer's policies, if I buy new stuff though their channel they should warrant it. Shimano seems to be enforcing their geographical policies now, which is fine. I thought the REAL issue with the PBK, Wiggle, et al channel was that they were passing though OEM bike manufacturer pricing by having their own bike lines and over-ordering thereby undercutting the "normal" shop/reseller channel pricing. (which isn't REALLY solved by geographic pricing)

[oldpotatoe]

Certainly, Shimano has finally shown that they understand this is an issue for dealers. I hope Campagnolo follows suit and also tries to lower prices that dealers have to charge. They have been selling to MO dealers for a lot less than brick and mortar retailers, so we know they have some room for that.

At least in the case of the wheels that the OP bought, Campagnolo should know where they came from. Are they going to do anything about that? And with parts like these, shouldn't seconds be destroyed and not get a warranty label?

Most of these online MO retailers are owned or controlled by distributors, who also own retailer outfits..so they get the same margin regardless if they sell to a bike shop or a consumer. That's how a consumer can buy some widget for the same $ as the bike shop pays. 'THEY', meaning Campagnolo, doesn't sell anything to any 'brick and mortar bike shop', they sell to distributors.
There are a few in the US, like planet cyclery.

If they have an accurate barcode sticker, they CAN trace it's path to PBK. IF it has the sticker, it may not...

Do seconds/blems go out the 'back door'? Yup, with this and just about every other manufacturer has this issue. Should they not? Of course but they do.

[zmalwo]

From my point of view the problem resides in your first local dealer who blew you off. If they are an authorized dealer they should honor your warranty no matter what. That's the reason why that dealer can charge MSRP for the Campy stuff he's carrying but he just blew you off because you aren't a regular there. What a ****ty person IMO, you should absolutely report that shop to Campagnolo and have their "authorized dealer" status removed. Second, the problem was that the defect wasn't photograph-able so PBK had no way of knowing the problem. it was hard on their end too. I would say that this is a rare complicated problem that both ends have hard time dealing with. I think it would have helped even if you took a picture of the rear wheel without showing the defect together with your explanation. When I contacted them about my Scirocco C17 having cartridge bearings even tho they were advertised as cup and cone bearing wheels, they offered to return& refund rightaway but I end up keeping them since it wasn't a feature critical enough to cost them international shipping, all the co2 emission from shipping a huge wheel box to the other side of the world and my time. besides it wasn't even their fault because Campy was the one false advertised their wheels and PBK basically just copy and pasted what was on Campy's official site. Also what angered me the most was that I took my time pointed out all the typos and mistranslated stuff on Campy official site but they haven't changed them months after. all and all I blame the bike shop who blew you off even tho it was their responsibility to take in anyone's Campy stuff since they are a dealer.

[redir]

Geesh! man! They really were giving you the run around. That's like a perfect case study in how NOT to do customer service.

[madsciencenow]

From my point of view the problem resides in your first local dealer who blew you off. If they are an authorized dealer they should honor your warranty no matter what. That's the reason why that dealer can charge MSRP for the Campy stuff he's carrying but he just blew you off because you aren't a regular there. What a ****ty person IMO, you should absolutely report that shop to Campagnolo and have their "authorized dealer" status removed. Second, the problem was that the defect wasn't photograph-able so PBK had no way of knowing the problem. it was hard on their end too. I would say that this is a rare complicated problem that both ends have hard time dealing with. I think it would have helped even if you took a picture of the rear wheel without showing the defect together with your explanation. When I contacted them about my Scirocco C17 having cartridge bearings even tho they were advertised as cup and cone bearing wheels, they offered to return& refund rightaway but I end up keeping them since it wasn't a feature critical enough to cost them international shipping, all the co2 emission from shipping a huge wheel box to the other side of the world and my time. besides it wasn't even their fault because Campy was the one false advertised their wheels and PBK basically just copy and pasted what was on Campy's official site. Also what angered me the most was that I took my time pointed out all the typos and mistranslated stuff on Campy official site but they haven't changed them months after. all and all I blame the bike shop who blew you off even tho it was their responsibility to take in anyone's Campy stuff since they are a dealer.

I did think about this and if I had it to do over again I would have offered to reimburse him for his time. I think this was his biggest objection. I was actually just happy that he was willing to take a look and spend a few minutes with me verifying the problem. Was I disappointed, yes, but again it's his shop and he's got a business to run and I know it isn't easy keeping the lights on in a LBS these days so I'll cut him some slack. If I was a regular there I would have felt a bit more entitled but given it was the first time I ever entered his shop I see his perspective.

[peanutgallery]

Just because the LBS in question is an Official Campy Pro Store, doesn't mean they have to bend over when a consumer presents an issue with a product purchased from a shady, over-seas vender at a steep discount. The LBS did the correct thing

From my point of view the problem resides in your first local dealer who blew you off. If they are an authorized dealer they should honor your warranty no matter what. That's the reason why that dealer can charge MSRP for the Campy stuff he's carrying but he just blew you off because you aren't a regular there. What a ****ty person IMO, you should absolutely report that shop to Campagnolo and have their "authorized dealer" status removed. Second, the problem was that the defect wasn't photograph-able so PBK had no way of knowing the problem. it was hard on their end too. I would say that this is a rare complicated problem that both ends have hard time dealing with. I think it would have helped even if you took a picture of the rear wheel without showing the defect together with your explanation. When I contacted them about my Scirocco C17 having cartridge bearings even tho they were advertised as cup and cone bearing wheels, they offered to return& refund rightaway but I end up keeping them since it wasn't a feature critical enough to cost them international shipping, all the co2 emission from shipping a huge wheel box to the other side of the world and my time. besides it wasn't even their fault because Campy was the one false advertised their wheels and PBK basically just copy and pasted what was on Campy's official site. Also what angered me the most was that I took my time pointed out all the typos and mistranslated stuff on Campy official site but they haven't changed them months after. all and all I blame the bike shop who blew you off even tho it was their responsibility to take in anyone's Campy stuff since they are a dealer.

[oldpotatoe]

you should absolutely report that shop to Campagnolo and have their "authorized dealer" status removed

Except being an 'authorized dealer', means selling and servicing and warranty-ing 'authorized' gear..The bike shop did nothing wrong, IMHO.

When in the shop, a gent brought in a box of Campag 'stuff' to assemble on his frame..it was always, YOYO(You'reOnYourOwn), if something is wrong with it..when I knew it came for an 'unauthorized' reseller, like some US and Euro based resellers.

[RKW]

Man, I'd have handled this totally differently.

The chargeback would have been filed the moment they started saying "we haven't heard back" after 10 working days.

AMEX has no patience for this kind of shenanigans.

Personally, I've had nothing but good experience with PBK. Sure, their shipping time is awful, but for a large order of one off things, or a season's worth of tires, it's pretty convenient.

[echappist]

For those of you who believe the wheels are grey market I'm curious about one point. I was able to register the wheels through Certilogo with the QR code on the wheels. Would I be able to do this with grey market wheels (I don't know the answer to this and am asking)?


their system may not have been nuanced enough to handle it. While the majority of items bought in Europe and registered in North America would be considered grey market, if the system is crude, it can't tell the difference between that and someone who purchased item in the GB and brought it back to the U.S. As such, they probably err on the side of caution and allow grey market items through.


I'm not sure what the tone of the entitlement comment above was (not sure if it was generally speaking or insinuating that I felt this way) but that's exactly why I didn't push the issue with the shop that didn't want to help with the warranty. I didn't/don't feel entitled to take advantage of him or his shop for wheels I didn't purchase from him.


I was a bit harsh, and I apologize. When you said the dealer was concerned he'd lose his shirt, I thought you meant that he was concerned Campy would de-certify him for doing warranty service on grey market item, not that he'd be out for his time (which you seem to imply in a latter post)

[madsciencenow]

their system may not have been nuanced enough to handle it. While the majority of items bought in Europe and registered in North America would be considered grey market, if the system is crude, it can't tell the difference between that and someone who purchased item in the GB and brought it back to the U.S. As such, they probably err on the side of caution and allow grey market items through.

I do think they err on the side of caution. When I talked to Campy they made a comment about honoring their warranty regardless of where wheels came from (I think there are exceptions as mentioned already).


I was a bit harsh, and I apologize. When you said the dealer was concerned he'd lose his shirt, I thought you meant that he was concerned Campy would de-certify him for doing warranty service on grey market item, not that he'd be out for his time (which you seem to imply in a latter post)

No worries, we're are good.