Need info about buying a bike from the US..

[ccaddy]

A friend seems dead set on buying a new bike from the U.S.
Not knowing which make/model at this time , other then the
cost differance (if any ) , I was wondering if there would be any
issues with Can/U.S. warranties .

Has anyone here bought a bike that was available in Can. , from
the U.S. and can share their experiences ?

Thanks .

[kirbster1966]

Dont expect the warranty to be intact if bought online and cross border. It will likely be up to the manufacturer and whether or not the place you bought it from is an authorized dealer for that brand. But i would not count on it being honoured.

[ccaddy]

The only issue for warranty would be for a frame failure as everything else would
be components from other manufacturers .

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Yeah - but that is the major benefit of a warranty! And not just frame failure but a component on the frame may also be updated. I had an early production run with a swingarm that had a sleight change in future productions that helped improve/eliminate shifting interference with the front derailuer. If it was under warranty then the swingarm would be replaced no problem but now I am looking at purchasing a new swingarm, or trying to find a cheaper fix, which I haven't found yet.

[pinkheadedbug]

I've bought one complete bike and two frames from the US. You may get hassle if you buy a big brand like GF or Specialized that has dealer support over here but if you are buying more specialized (small S) stuff like Niner or Commencal they don't seem to care.

[Ricksom]

Yup, bought 3 bikes, one road, one mountain full sussy, one cyclocross. All good experiences. Haven't tested warranty, but I suspect you would have to do a lot of kissing to get defects handled in Canada under warranty (you have to be willing to take the warranty risk for a lower price). Boutique brands not available in Canada would be better received at your LBS for service, like pinkheadedbug remarked.

[nogearshere]

trek is a trek is a trek.
so long as you are the first owner and the shop is not black (or grey) listed by the manufacturer, you will have access to warranty.

the only difficulty may come in the form of localized support (or LBS).
in the event of a warranty concern, you should contact the manufacturer (or even the shop you purchased from) to discuss the situation.
i don't think it's fair to ask the dealer (here) to do that.
that said, you may eventually be directed to the LBS by the manufacturer and the dealer may not be pleased, but expect the warranty to be handled, begrudgingly or not.

just be prepared to do the legwork and any assembly/disassembly that may be associated with or pay the shop to do it...but i'd assume most think that's fair anyway.

[SSteve F]

trek is a trek is a trek.
so long as you are the first owner and the shop is not black (or grey) listed by the manufacturer, you will have access to warranty.

I don't think that is true for every manufacturer. Some have both Canadian and US divisions that operate independently.

I just tried to return a coffee maker that was bought in the US (was a gift) to the Canadian service centre, only to be told that they don't honour US warranties...

I would definitely check with the manufacturer, before I bought.

[nogearshere]

I don't think that is true for every manufacturer. Some have both Canadian and US divisions that operate independently.

to clarify.
in the event of an issue i suggested you contact the shop you bought from or the manufacturer.
should add, if they operate two divisions, contact the one in the country you purchased it from as a start.

a famous web personality once had an issue with a camera he purchased while in Canada for the TransRockies...it died...he was handled by the CDN division for warranty...relatively hassle free although he did have to pay the difference in shipping the camera back to the US or send it to me for forwarding (with a box of awesome).

[jrastories]

support your LBS or at least the Canadian dealers. You can get much more convenience, initial and after sales service from your LBS. And they will probably bend over backwards to get you warranty coverage. Not to mention all the benefits of supporting your local economy.

[Sullycanpara]

I bought a set of wheels from Jenson in the U.S. and when I had the rear freewheel exploded on the trail one day, Mavic Canada told me sorry about my luck, but I needed to go thru Mavic USA to get any warranty work done. Shipped back to Jenson, who handled things perfectly for me... but shipping got pretty darn expensive.

If they are dead set to buy from the U.S. just check with the manufacturer if they have a Canadian branch, and if you can get it fixed in Canada, because many companies won't. I deal with warranties and the electronics industry all the time, and I know for a fact when you buy things here in Canada it is a CANADIAN warranty that you get.

Cheers!

Tim

[ccaddy]

Thanks for all the input .
Friend bought the bike from Can.