http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Specialized recall en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:45:28 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100938 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:39:47 +0000 gowgowuk 100938@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks</p> <p>@tarmac jockey<br /> That's the person who offered me compensation in the original email, but also the person who never replied to my follow-up mails.<br /> But I always used <a href="mailto:CustomerServiceUK@specialized.com">CustomerServiceUK@specialized.com</a> as an address, I could try the personal address instead! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100911 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:50:13 +0000 Snowy 100911@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Follow-on from my post of 2 months ago, above.</p> <p>Sadly, at the end of last week the Boardman MTB's bottom bracket seized up completely. EBC took a quick look and confirmed it was shot - cranks probably not installed correctly when new (3 months). Halfords are aiming to have a new BB30 installed in the next day or so.</p> <p>Just to confirm that faults come in threes, the right shifter (SRAM X9) also failed and will also be replaced under warranty.</p> <p>Have to say Halfords have been great at keeping me updated. Fingers crossed this is the end of it though! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100889 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:30:44 +0000 tarmac jockey 100889@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Pocopiglet<br /> I wrote to specialized and received a mutually agreeable settlement for my Specialized Globe being off the road for an unreasonable period. The person I dealt with was Aeryn Parsons:<br /> Aeryn Parsons<br /> Specialized UK Customer Support<br /> CYTECH ACT Level 2 Cycle Technician<br /> <a href="mailto:Customer.Service@specialized.com">Customer.Service@specialized.com</a><br /> Tel+44 (0)20 8391 3529<br /> Fax+44 (0)20 8391 3523<br /> <a href="mailto:Aeryn.Parsons@specialized.com">Aeryn.Parsons@specialized.com</a>.<br /> Best wishes. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100860 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:48:46 +0000 Pocopiglet 100860@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You could maybe put a wee hint into another reminder letter &amp; e-mail, stating that unless a satisfactory answer is received within x days ( and you specify the time period) then you will consider writing to a good number of cycling magazines to ask if others have had the same experience, thus bringing their failings to the notice of an even wider audience.</p> <p>In fact, if you can get hold of the e-mail address of the CEO, go straight to him. My chum did that having got nowhere with a company for several months...issue was resolved within hours!</p> <p>* I just had a look and it says any e-mails to the Specialized website ( the US one, I believe) do not receive blanket e-mails in return(?). I don't know the format of their e-mail addresses but I'd go for the US main one, not the European derivative and see if I could get it through to Mike Sinyard himself. From the articles I've read he is a stickler for high standards. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100856 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:42:54 +0000 kaputnik 100856@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><strike>Crunchy Cream.</strike></p> <p>Definitely the wrong thread. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100855 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:42:15 +0000 kaputnik 100855@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Demand a complete refund and report them to Trading Standards? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-100840 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:39:16 +0000 gowgowuk 100840@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>An update on my complaint to Specialized Customer Service:<br /> after the initial fairly nice email from them offering a compensation in the form of £100 worth of accessories, I wrote a proper letter addressed to their customer service with all my details (including bike model, etc).<br /> Weeks after, I had no reply and so, decided to send another email to have a follow-up. No reply to this either! Since, I wrote another email and send another copy of letter recorded/signed for and none have been replied to!<br /> Not sure where to go from here! It seems to me that they made this offer a bit quickly and then decided to change their mind? Who can I complain to when a complain letter is not answered (I gave them 10 days)? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-94780 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:55:42 +0000 Snowy 94780@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think Kaputnik's approach is probably best, just to get you moving (asking for a temporary fork).</p> <p>There's been strange turn of events. The one-week-old suspension fork (on my bike-to-work scheme bike) gave up the ghost completely this weekend. I took the bike in to the shop at 9am, got a phone call a few hours later to say that they would have to send the fork away to SRAM/Rockshox, but that they would fit the identical fork from the display bike instead, and depending on the repair outcome I could choose to keep that or take the repaired one back whenever it re-appears. I had the bike back by 5pm to commute home on.</p> <p>So the prize for unexpectedly great service goes to ...Halfords !</p> <p>PS before you say anything about my choice of shop, I wanted a Boardman, and was prepared to take the rough with the smooth ;-) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783&page=2#post-94767 Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:33:23 +0000 rupparti 94767@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Week 5 for me. No sign and no comms about when it'll be returned. Rang Bike Coop who don't seem to know anything about when etc.</p> <p>Feeling v frustrated. I'd expected weeks but not months. And it's my commuting bike.</p> <p>Angi </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-94515 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:11:23 +0000 kaputnik 94515@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It doesn't <em>need</em> to be a Specialized fork. I'd be asking for any fork to replace it until Specialized come up with the goods. Failing that, they can send the whole bike back to Specialized and give you something else comparable instead. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-94508 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:04:12 +0000 gowgowuk 94508@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well, another week (week 6), still no news of the forks! It looks increasingly likely that I might not have it back before I'm going away for Christmas! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-93333 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:19:02 +0000 gowgowuk 93333@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks HibeeBiker for the explanations. </p> <p>The only two problems I still have (and I don't know really whose fault it is):<br /> 1. if safety is paramount, why did Specialized UK decide to go ahead and ask you to send letters at least two weeks after the recall was published online.<br /> 2. I think that I've been told that Specialized acknowledge reception of my fork only 8 days after I brought my bike in the shop. I wouldn't call that "fast"!</p> <p>I contacted EBC as soon as I received the letter, so, I really have done anything possible.</p> <p>If I had been asked if I mind having a different colours, I would have said "of course not"!</p> <p>Specialized UK customer service is talking about compensating with free Specialized accessories (maybe £100?); all very well, but I don't really need any. I guess I can try to sell them.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-93243 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:52:06 +0000 chdot 93243@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well that's a comprehensive explanation!</p> <p>Thanks HB. </p> <p>I suppose there is still the issue of whether Specialized will compensate the most seriously disadvantaged. </p> <p>I wonder if people have been asked "would you take a different colour?" </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-93210 Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:28:18 +0000 HibeeBiker 93210@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I’ve just caught up with this thread. </p> <p>As a Bike Co-op employee, first I would like to unreservedly apologise to anyone rendered temporarily bike-less by the recall of 2008/9 Specialized Globe bicycles with aluminium forks. I can totally understand your frustration.</p> <p>In the spirit of openness, allow me to share our take on recalls.</p> <p>Believe us, Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op (and any other bicycle shop) would love a world were product recalls were unnecessary. Changing the forks on hundreds of bikes takes up hundreds of workshop hours that would otherwise be used catering for our customers’ everyday servicing needs. However, when we hear of a potential issue with any bicycle we take the view that the rider’s safety is paramount.</p> <p>In days gone by, when there were fewer global brands, recalls were extremely rare. So much so, throughout the Bike Co-op’s 35-year history, we have frequently found ourselves negotiating the best possible solution on behalf of our customers when manufactures were initially unwilling to admit a problem with a bicycle or component. </p> <p>The fact that today’s more enlightened bicycle companies, such as Specialized, take responsibility for potential issues is a good thing. Their willingness to proactively announce product recalls illustrates their commitment to the riders’ safety.</p> <p>This takes us to the current Specialized fork recall. When they became aware of potential fork steerer failure that could be attributed to a manufacturing fault, Specialized initiated a recall of every Globe bicycle sold worldwide between 2007 and 2009. We are talking tens of thousands of bikes here.</p> <p>Specialized’s UK arm instructed us in October to alert every one of our 2008 or 2009 Globe customers with clear instructions that they must stop riding their Globe and return the bike to us so we could replace their forks.</p> <p>Because so many Globe models were affected by the recall, Specialized UK (who are based in outer London) insisted that rather than supply us with a batch of forks, we had to send every fork individually back to them, so Specialized could replace the fork with one that best matched the style and colour of the original. </p> <p>When Specialized UK had the fork in stock, they could get the replacement fork to us within around a week. </p> <p>Unfortunately for you who have been kept waiting longer, Specialized had too few replacement forks, hence the bottleneck in supply. Believe me, we are extremely frustrated by the resulting delays. Naturally, we asked Specialized UK the fundamental question: ‘Why did you not have sufficient replacement forks in stock when you announced the recall?’</p> <p>Specialized reiterated the principle that, in situations like this, rider safety is paramount, so their first concern was to urge 2008/9 Globe bicycle owners to stop using their bikes. </p> <p>The next step was sourcing replacement forks. Replacing forks is, logistically, far more complicated than previous recalls for handlebars or cranks for instance, where the potentially faulty component can be replaced with a new one ‘off the peg’. Forks have to be manufactured from scratch to exacting CN standards. They have to match the bike’s frame in colour and style. They have to be shipped to every corner of the world from the far east.</p> <p>Having passed on Specialized’s instructions to advice every one of our 2008/9 Specialized Globe purchasers to stop riding their bikes, the Bike Co-op now finds itself in an invidious situation. We want to do the right thing by our customers but we are frustrated by the inability of our supplier to deliver as quickly as you have every right to expect. This is not a slight on Specialized. Generally speaking, they are among the most professional companies in the cycle industry. </p> <p>While this is no comfort for those of you still waiting to get your bicycle back, despite the logistical complexity of this process, to date we have replaced the forks of around 50% of the bikes affected by this recall. I assure you that the Bike Co-op are doing everything in our power to hasten this process for the owners of Globe bikes still awaiting replacement forks.</p> <p>Thank you for allowing me to use this forum to help explain this recall. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-92195 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:31:35 +0000 gowgowuk 92195@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thanks, yes, I realize now that's what I should have done, but I guess in my naiveness, I never believed it could be that long! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-92185 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:15:54 +0000 crowriver 92185@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sorry to hear about the continuing saga. I think this is where the n+1 phenomenon is a winner. If you have more than one bike, who cares if one is stuck at EBC for a couple of months? If I'd been you, I'd have picked up a second hand beater from GumBay and ridden it into the ground these past weeks... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-92176 Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:02:54 +0000 gowgowuk 92176@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Unbelievable! After complaining for the second time to Specialized Customer Service, they sent me an email this morning to apologize and add "We are expecting another consignment of forks to arrive with us during the second week of December. As soon as they arrive, we should be able to fulfil all the backorders."<br /> So, adding one week for them to send the fork to EBC and for them to fit it, I'll probably be without bike for 6-7 weeks!<br /> To be fair, they offer me "£100 worth of Specialized accessories of your choice as a goodwill gesture" (not even sure what I could get!) but still, I'm not too happy!!! If only they didn't insist on sending the old fork before them sending the new one, I could have taken the risk and use my bike for all these weeks... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-92003 Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:13:22 +0000 gowgowuk 92003@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>They explained that some forks take a lot longer than others (depending on model, colour, etc) and that unfortunately, mine seem to be a "slow one" and not part of the last batch, despite me contacting them as soon as I received the letter! I hope they'll give me some vouchers too (or a rebate on the expensive service I asked for...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-91966 Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:23:40 +0000 14Westfield 91966@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I collected my bike last night so i've had better luck with this recall.<br /> EBC had even given the bike a quick check over and included one of their vouchers on top.<br /> I did see a few other Globes in the workshop so maybe they have done a batch this week. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-91766 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 12:37:38 +0000 gowgowuk 91766@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I called EBC again, and they put all the blame on Specialized. However, I suspect they took their time before sending of my fork. Anyway, they say that it was confirmed by Specialized on 12th September (I brought my bike on the 4th) and they are still waiting. So, I guess it's both EBC and Specialized's fault. What I find unbelievable is that the original recall was published on 25th September, and the advice was to stop using our bike immediately... 2 month ago! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-91755 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:56:06 +0000 14Westfield 91755@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Balls. i gave my bike in to get the fork exchanged yesterday and would be very out of sorts if it stretches beyond a week to get back on the road.. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-91749 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:37:35 +0000 crowriver 91749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Crazy. I think unfortunately this says more about EBC than Spesh. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-91741 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:17:27 +0000 gowgowuk 91741@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Another week and still no fork (and no bike). It's beyond a joke now! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-90873 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:04:38 +0000 gowgowuk 90873@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I have just called EBC again and apparently there's still no sign of the new fork :-( They say that they want things to go as quickly as possible but have to wait for Specialized to send the new ones.<br /> When I complained to Specialized, they say they have plenty of forks in stock and can send them overnight by courier! To be fair to EBC I guess it depends on the fork model, colour, etc... I don't know who is lying but I'm more and more annoyed... I reiterated to EBC that I find that incredible and not happy, but they don't seem to care.<br /> £3.5 bus day ticket times ~40 days without bikes (If I had followed Specialized notice) = £140! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89905 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:41:22 +0000 kaputnik 89905@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>At least they sent letters. I only found out about my crank by accident, the retailer of the bike it came with was of an opinion that it was up to me to find out and deal with the supplier directly. As the retailer was in the Lake District and it was most convenient to deal with the problem by post, I didn't end up arguing the toss. Then again, a crank-arm is easier to get through your postbox and install than a fork. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89901 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:35:31 +0000 gowgowuk 89901@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well, I might have been exaggerating a bit when I said 2 weeks, but they said "it's probably going to take up to 10 days, but we cannot guarantee it, it might be longer...". Also, the EBC sent letters mid-October, but the Specialized recall message was published on 25th September (see link in my original post), so, if we'd followed their recommendation at the time, this could be a total of almost 2 months without bike! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89862 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:31:36 +0000 tarmac jockey 89862@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had my globe booked in for the 15th to be called back and told they couldn't get the replacement forks. So far they haven't called back. Mine is a bike to work. Given the letter I received from the EBC dated 16 of last month, I wasn't impressed that they hadn't been in touch with me earlier. I made this point to them. They never said the bike would be in the workshop for a fortnight. I will check this out when I call them back today. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89859 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:26:15 +0000 steveo 89859@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Borrow Laidbacks paper bike and get him to write up an invoice for the rental then send it off with your forks. If they ignore you at least you'll not be much out of pocket. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89853 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:20:32 +0000 kaputnik 89853@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a recall on a crank before. The deal was that I had to remove it myself, post it to them and await a replacement. I was less than impressed that they expected me to pay any labour costs on a defective product myself, although I can understand why they wouldn't want to ship out a replacement until they had the original in their posession to check off serial numbers, etc.</p> <p>EBC's aftersales care and their "we can book it in some point next month" service system has never impressed me (i bought a bike from them once).</p> <p>I think with any defective part where manufacturer or supplier is at fault, you should be at liberty to have any bike shop you choose to fix it (so long as they're qualified to do so), at the expense of the guilty party. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8783#post-89844 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:44:04 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 89844@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Send in a claim to Specialized for travel costs while without your bike! </p>