Kneeguard problems warranty am I expecting too much???

[Damien BonoraMember]

Hi All,
Sorry but I had to vent :unsure:
In May last year I purchased a set of 661 MX3 knee guards from a reputable dealer in parramatta (who shall remain nameless until we have an outcome).
On my last ride (Dec last year) I noticed something was pinching me. When I checked it out I found that all over the screws, nuts, spacers on the hinge joints (which are behind a cover) were either loose or missing.
Once uncovered, I found that the ally is all chewed and as far as I am concerned they are not repairable.
I contacted the importer for any kind of solution, and they “there is no spare part listing for them” and so basically, BAD LUCK.
They did not even offer to contact 661 to see if there was something that could be done. :angry:
So, I thought I would email them myself………. 6 weeks later no reply. :angry:
OK, I will go back to the dealer and they will help me.

That was 3 weeks ago.
When I dropped them off they told me “The can not be fixed, they will have to replace them”.

After one week when I asked how it was going I was told “maybe they are the wrong size and thats why it happened”.

I strongly disagreed and the dealer agreed to post them to the rep because he had not been in yet.
After hearing nothing for a further 2 weeks they called me today

They have now advised me that the rep has rejected the claim, and said “they are nearly onr year old, this is just wear and tear, they should not have been used for so long when the screws were loose”.
The dealer then explained that if i lost the screw holding a blinker on my bike in the bush I would not get warranty as it is a maintenance issue.
I responded with, ” OK but if a screw comes loose in the gearbox and lunches it, would that be warranty as the screw is behind a cover and I can’t see it?”
Response “uhhhh yeh probably.”

Our last words were “I will try again but I dont like your chances”. 👿
Otherwise we might be able to do you a better price for another set.
YEH RIGHT, as if I’m gonna spend more money with these clowns.

These clowns (shops and importers) are always crying in our magazines that people are buying things direct from the States (which I never have – yet) and not supporting them.

GEE I WONDER WHY!!!!!!
You do the right thing and still get screwed over and no – one is interested in helping you.
These things cost me $350, I have used them 8 times max and they are throw away??

Am I asking too much???
Check the pics

[Scott SouthwellMember]

Trailraider, these seem to be a poor quality product. I would probably cut my losses and avoid this brand and dealer in the future looking for a better quality replacement. Do you really want replacement set that will no doubt fail in the future.

[craig evansMember]

i would keep trying ,nothing worse then paying for something with your hard earned $ and being treated like an idiot later and if you are lucky enough to get warrinty take it sell it and buy something better ,dont back down it sounds like you have nothing to loose

[Nick JacksonMember]

I had a similar story with my Asterix Ultra Cell knee braces when the material behind the thigh started to deteriorate. I tried to go through the Aussie importer but had calls not returned , texts ignored , emails ignored. I wrote an email to Asterix USA and explained the problem , I got a return email instantly with an apology and 1 week later I received a box with not only the replacement part but with all the spares I’d every need to rebuild them. Great service and some very concerned managers in the US questioning the Aussie distributors ability to look after their product.

I dont know where 661 comes from but I’d suggest maybe taking this avenue and look overseas for better service as 661 is a good product , I have their armor after STM recommended it ( his lasted over 3 years and he’s a sweaty bugger ).

Good luck

Nick

[Damien BonoraMember]

Thanks Wolfie, thats what I reckon too!
I have already decided to try something else as I am not holding out any hope of a resolution.
A few Old Bulls seem to be using the Asterix ones, I will just go back to my trusty old ones till I decide which ones I want.

[Damien BonoraMember]

Nickj wrote:

I had a similar story with my Asterix Ultra Cell knee braces when the material behind the thigh started to deteriorate. I tried to go through the Aussie importer but had calls not returned , texts ignored , emails ignored. I wrote an email to Asterix USA and explained the problem , I got a return email instantly with an apology and 1 week later I received a box with not only the replacement part but with all the spares I’d every need to rebuild them. Great service and some very concerned managers in the US questioning the Aussie distributors ability to look after their product.

I dont know where 661 comes from but I’d suggest maybe taking this avenue and look overseas for better service as 661 is a good product , I have their armor after STM recommended it ( his lasted over 3 years and he’s a sweaty bugger ).

Good luck

Thanks Nick, I have tried emailing 661 in the states with no response.
Good to see that you were looked after, I am considering some of the Asterix ones, will buy from a different dealer or direct from the states

Nick

[Damien BonoraMember]

Hi Scotty,
Yeh I’m gonna get something else, if they do replace them the will be spares or sold.
If the rep wont do anything the best thing that the dealer could do would be to take what i spent on these off of whatever I replace them with as I am sure that they will be dearer :ohmy:

Not likely to happen, so I guess its not likely that I will be spending any more cash there!

[Matt BakerMember]

I had some EVS guards that had the plastic snap near the hinge and I didn’t even crash, Acerbis guards that broke just like yours with the bolts flogging out.

I think you are fighting a losing battle, the bike shops/companies will just blame the damage on crashing even if it is obvious they have simply worn out.

Good luck either way.

I am onto some Fly Racing guards now, they seem like a good thing but only time will tell.

[Iced VolvoMember]

You don’t really have any leverage with the distributor, only the dealer does; he’s the one who can say “hey look after this guy or else” and it doesn’t sound like he is in your corner at the moment:

“they are nearly one year old…”
“this is just wear and tear, …
“they should not have been used for so long when the screws were loose”.
“don’t like your chances”.

The only reason you pay the extra at a dealer (web is always cheaper) is cos they have a shopfront which can give you the extra service. So if you aren’t being looked after then don’t buy from them.

Another thing you can do is: warn people both about the product and the dealer which is exactly what you did here but there are a few other big forums like dirtbikeworld etc where you can let people know about your dramas with this product. I got ripped off really bad a while ago but I made sure others in the 4wd community were warned: there are two main forums for 4wds in Aus (patrol4x4 and exploroz) and I put a “watchout for this mob” on both! Certainly got a reaction then! be careful to recite just the facts with no bullsh%t.

I don’t know how much the knee guards cost and whether its worth the effort (stress, time off work to attend hearings etc) or not but the final solution is Consumer Affairs (cttt.nsw.gov.au) it will cost you a $37 fee which you may not get back but you will get your money back from the dealer eventually; takes about 3 months. I assume you have your receipts and warranty etc.

[Author]

Posts