OMNICO (GT) customer service is pathetic!!!

[Robbow]

So after much fighting, frustration and still no resolution I am now taking to the Hub to warn other riders of OMNICO and their customer service levels.

 

It has unfortunately been 13 weeks yesterday and I am still without a bike.

 

I bought the bike at the end of March 2014, it is a GT Zaskar Carbon 100 9r Pro. My riding partner also bought one the same day, but more on his troubles later. This is a Carbon Full Suss, 100mm, XT, Fox marathon bike (+-R40k). The bikes are sold with a 3 year warranty.

 

My troubles began on Saturday the 23rd of May (14 weeks ago) when I could feel movement from the rear wheel, I checked spokes, play etc whilst on a ride, but nothing seemed wrong. So Monday 25th May I took the bike to the dealer (Hattons) for a service, there I asked them to check rear hub, pivot bearings etc for movement as something was wrong. The next morning they phoned to inform me that they had found the fault, the rear triangle had 3 cracks in it. 14 months old, I was understandably a little bit pissed off. The next day (Wednesday 27th May) OMNICO approved the warranty claim, so far so good, but then the lying started.

 

Firstly the triangle would take 14 days to arrive, needless to say nothing arrived. Then when I pushed the shop on it and they contacted OMNICO they were lied to again and told “just tell the customer 4 weeks”, which needless to say again passed by. When I then went into the store and they tried to get an answer again, someone at OMNICO acknowledged that no triangle had ever been ordered and nothing was coming.

 

Then after some moaning from me they sent parts from the US, the wrong colour. When in writing I declined receiving the wrong colour they merely ignored my complaints and sent it to the dealer. I fully understand that spare parts might be limited due to availability, but having a blue and white bike, with a black and grey triangle is not acceptable. Surely you should be returned to the same position you were in or an equivalent. This incorrect part took over 4 more weeks to arrive and has now been at the dealer for going on 5/6 weeks as I refuse to be prejudiced by OMNICO and their faulty product and stuff you attitude.

 

After I made a negative comment about them on the Hub a week or 2 ago they phoned the Dealer to enquire as to why I was upset with them and why the bike hadn’t been sorted. REALLY??. So now the Dealer (Hattons) has been trying to sort out my frame at their cost, they have sent the black/gray triangle off to a custom painter in Durban to get it matched up, so hopefully it will be ok.

 

 Bike 2

My riding partner has the same bike, bought on the same day. So needless to say when I informed him of my troubles he took his in for an inspection. No surprises, it was cracked too. OMNICO delayed for as long as possible to approve the claim (many weeks), probably because they knew that  we had a case of faulty goods against them. His replacement triangle arrives and no surprises it was the wrong colour, his complaints of mismatching were also ignored. They have since sent him another triangle which we went in for it to be fitted yesterday, this time it was even better. Not only was it another wrong colour (black/blue this time) but its well used, has scratches, chip marks on it. Needless to say he declined that on the spot.

 

I have during this ordeal bought a new PYGA, firstly because I wanted one, but secondly because of OMNICO and the ridiculously bad service. If it wasn’t so laughable I would think the whole sad saga was BS. I luckily through my own large expense now have a bike to ride.

 

We are meeting with lawyers next week to find out our recourse here, for surely this type of service can’t be condoned. Sadly during this ordeal I have tried repeatedly to make contact with GT international to complain about the product and service, yet there attitude is extremely poor too, “go back to the importer”, but what use is that when they are the problem.

 

Currently there is no resolution and I wait for what will hopefully come back from the painter in 3 weeks and be usable. No thanks to OMNICO. Funnily enough they have said they will give us an extended 3 year warranty on the replacement triangle, it’s taken them almost 4 months on this one to screw us around, the warranty is not worth the paper it’s written on.

 

BEWARE, that is all I have in closing.    

[Guest notmyname]

Painting that triangle will void the warranty. WATCH OUT!

[Sharkie 2]

I understand both of yours pain but go read your warranty clause carefully...nowhere do they state that they will give you the same color frame, triangle or whatever. It is impossible for them to carry enough replacements for every color of frame out there if there are failures.

And by your shop sending off the triangle to get painted, your warranty will be voided.

 

Did your shop in question really keep Omnico under pressure? I have had warranty replacements from Omnico before and have always been impressed...might just be my LBS.

[shawnvan]

Woohoo... another popcorn thread.  Just finished reading about Heinz and his saga, and now this.

 

Unfortunatly *** attitude like this is the norm with appointed distributors here in SA.  

 

I recieved the most unbeleivably shameful experience from such a distributor (not Omnico), but I won't go into that and derail your thread...

 

It seems that they all have the attitude that we the end customers are out to inconvenience THEM!

[Tiaan Jordaan]

I feel your pain, got the same problem with my Cannondale Scalpel Team warranty claim

[Mojoman]

When the rear triangle of my Ghost broke the first time round I could only get a different coloured one to the rest of the bike so Ghost replaced the whole frame instead so everything matched.  And it took just a few weeks for the unit to arrive from Germany. This is how it should be (and it was a 2011 26in bike...).

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

FREEEEE!

 

BTW OP - Sharkie is right on both counts. They are under no obligation to supply you with the same colour frame / fork / swingarm / rear triangle etc as the one you bought - simply a warranty replacement. 

 

In some cases people get a frame of a completely different wheel size, and then have to change parts to fit (wheels / tires / fork etc) 

 

Sending it off to paint will also void your warranty. 

[PhilipV]

I feel your pain, got the same problem with my Cannondale Scalpel Team warranty claim

Also incidentally an Omnico brand...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

When the rear triangle of my Ghost broke the first time round I could only get a different coloured one to the rest of the bike so Ghost replaced the whole frame instead so everything matched.  And it took just a few weeks for the unit to arrive from Germany. This is how it should be (and it was a 2011 26in bike...).

Agreed that that's how we would like it to be done, but that's a case of them accommodating the client, over and above what they need to. Probably having a better warranty team or more lenient terms than some others. 

[BigMike69]

i also had a cracked frame... i found that omnico bent over backwards to help me. i was back on trails within 10 days

 

are you speaking to the right guys? i dealt directly with Lance and he was unbelievably helpful.

[Bizkit031]

They should of sent you a whole frame rather and all this could of been avoided,but the long response times is not very good.Hattons should know that it would void your warranty so they not on their A game either.

[Patchelicious]

OMNICO wanted me to pay R5000 above advertised price for a Super Six EVO frame.

 

So I didn't.

[johannrissik]

 

".......I have during this ordeal bought a new PYGA......."

 

You won't regret that for a moment.

[rouxtjie]

".......I have during this ordeal bought a new PYGA......."

 

You won't regret that for a moment.

hear hear....

[ratherberidin']

".......I have during this ordeal bought a new PYGA......."

 

You won't regret that for a moment.

 

 

hear hear....

Is it that you want me to live off baked beans for the next year?!! I'm burning for one, no more torture please....

[rock]

sadly this is what mountain biking has come to.

 

calling your lawyers 'cos you broke your frame and they gave you a replacement free of charge?