Advise needed - Who is responsible

[dewaldsss]

Good day fellow hubbers

posting on behalf of a friend.

 

customer buys new bike (carbon dual suspension with deore xt parts)

Takes bike on maiden voyage and decides to buy a fresh bottle of Namgear to wash new bike.

(customer been using namgear for 3 plus years)

Bike shop owner confirms he is out of stock and gives customer another type of bike-wash to use until namgear becomes available again.

(customer ask bike shop application procedure and bike shop owner instructed customer to use as he did with namgear, the reason for asking was because it's decanted into a smaller container with no instructions or label)

Takes bike for second ride and after ride starts washing bike with new bike-wash.

rinse and dry bike and only to discover that new bike is now full of white stains on each and every component (cranks, rims, hubs, h/bar, dropper post, front & rear shock including shock stanchions , etc etc... )

After research and confirmation from supplier the bike-wash given to the customer is actually a heavy-duty engine degreaser containing caustic....

We all know what caustic does to anodized parts... 

 

Long story short,

do the customer now hold the bikeshop responsible for the damage caused by the bike wash supplied?

Edited March 1, 2023 by dewaldsss

[tinmug]

I can tell you I'd be very p1ssed if that was my bike. 

Bike shop should know what it is selling, so I'd imagine at least partly responsible. Was the heavy-duty engine degreaser marked as bicycle cleaner?

Perhaps post a photo of the product and product labels?

[BuffsVintageBikes]

I'll be the devils advocate. The customer is at fault. Unless the product had no instruction labels and/or the customer is blind. I wouldn't put anything on a new bike without reading the instruction label first, especially if I bought it from a bike shop.

[MudLark]

I suspect that your answer lies in the product liability provisions in the Consumer Protection Act.

[Mongoose!]

Please upload a picture of the "another type of bike-wash" label with its instructions.

[DieselnDust]

16 minutes ago, Mongoose! said:

Please upload a picture of the "another type of bike-wash" label with its instructions.

i'd second this ^^

 

Ultimate liability is always going to rest with the person who applied the "bike wash". Sadly it is up to the end user to ensure the product is safe for use on their car or bike (push or moto).

I guess you'd want some advise from a lawyer at this point or simply chalk it up to school fees and get your insurance involved.

I don't buy bike wash any longer. Most of the stuff is just repackaged industrial cleaners and solvents at x10 the price. Often they cant even be bothered to dilute to the appropriate concentration for bicycle use.

Edited March 1, 2023 by DieselnDust

[Kom]

1 hour ago, dewaldsss said:

rinse and dry bike and only to discover that new bike is now full of white stains on each and every component (cranks, rims, hubs, h/bar, dropper post, front & rear shock including shock stanchions , etc etc... )

After research and confirmation from supplier the bike-wash given to the customer is actually a heavy-duty engine degreaser containing caustic....

We all know what caustic does to anodized parts... 

Strongs Dewald - this must be a sickening feeling 

[dewaldsss]

hi Guys, thanks for the feedback.

I have edited the post.

(customer ask bike shop application procedure and bike shop owner instructed customer to use as he did with namgear, the reason for asking was because it's decanted into a smaller container with no instructions or label)

hope this helps by clarifying the situation.

[dewaldsss]

1 hour ago, tinmug said:

I can tell you I'd be very p1ssed if that was my bike. 

Bike shop should know what it is selling, so I'd imagine at least partly responsible. Was the heavy-duty engine degreaser marked as bicycle cleaner?

Perhaps post a photo of the product and product labels?

hi Tinmug, nope, decanted into blank container.

[AkwA]

1 minute ago, dewaldsss said:

hi Tinmug, nope, decanted into blank container.

I would say bike shop is liable, but doubt youll get anything out of them
Has he spoken to the shop?

[dewaldsss]

39 minutes ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

I'll be the devils advocate. The customer is at fault. Unless the product had no instruction labels and/or the customer is blind. I wouldn't put anything on a new bike without reading the instruction label first, especially if I bought it from a bike shop.

Jip, sad thing is that namgear was the go-to product, shop owner handed the alternative product without any instructions except the verbal instructions

[tinmug]

4 minutes ago, dewaldsss said:

hi Tinmug, nope, decanted into blank container.

Good luck to the bike shop. 🤷‍♂️

[BuffsVintageBikes]

Terribly sad thing to have happen to a new bike, I feel his pain.

A similar thing happened to a mate using Prepsol on his KTM 690 (it's my go to cleaner as well). Instructions say to leave on for 5mins before rinsing with water. He sprayed his motorbike down with it, went inside to put the kettle on and sadly forgot to go out and rinse it off. The bike stood for 2 hours in the sun with the product on and his screen and plastics all got damaged 😒

[dewaldsss]

9 minutes ago, AkwA said:

I would say bike shop is liable, but doubt youll get anything out of them
Has he spoken to the shop?

Bike shop needs to claim from insuranse so option one is to replace all the bike parts except frame, second option will be to replace the complete bike.

problem is bike is now at bike shop and according to some insurance company experts this is a looong process.

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, dewaldsss said:

Good day fellow hubbers

posting on behalf of a friend.

 

customer buys new bike (carbon dual suspension with deore xt parts)

Takes bike on maiden voyage and decides to buy a fresh bottle of Namgear to wash new bike.

(customer been using namgear for 3 plus years)

Bike shop owner confirms he is out of stock and gives customer another type of bike-wash to use until namgear becomes available again.

(customer ask bike shop application procedure and bike shop owner instructed customer to use as he did with namgear, the reason for asking was because it's decanted into a smaller container with no instructions or label)

Takes bike for second ride and after ride starts washing bike with new bike-wash.

rinse and dry bike and only to discover that new bike is now full of white stains on each and every component (cranks, rims, hubs, h/bar, dropper post, front & rear shock including shock stanchions , etc etc... )

After research and confirmation from supplier the bike-wash given to the customer is actually a heavy-duty engine degreaser containing caustic....

We all know what caustic does to anodized parts... 

 

Long story short,

do the customer now hold the bikeshop responsible for the damage caused by the bike wash supplied?

difficult one.

Was it the same shop?

[DieselnDust]

well then with poor instructions from the bike shop, they are then liable,