By definition, a warranty is: “a written guarantee, issued to the purchaser of an article by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time”. (google)
Since we are not the manufacturers of any of the bikes that we sell–nor are they new–we do not offer any sort of written warranty.
In some instances–with the newer bikes–there may still be a factory warranty on the frames (for workmanship issues… not abuse). It just depends on the manufacturer. But even those often require proof of original purchase (i.e. the original store receipt), which we rarely get when we acquire a bike.
However… one of the main benefits of buying a pre-owned bike from Houston Bike Exchange is the fact that we DO stand behind every single bike we sell… 100%.
As soon as we get a new (pre-owned) bike, we go through that bike from top to bottom, to make sure there are no obvious or significant problems with the frame, components, or wheels.
When we do find problems, we cure those problems before we put the bike up for sale.
We keep a pretty big supply of new and used parts in the shop for this purpose.
In rare cases when the problems are not curable–or too expensive to cure (for a bike in that price range)–we simply part out the bike. (Often you can get as much or more for a bike by parting it out–selling the frame, wheels, and components separately–than the bike is worth complete.)
If a bike needs tubes or tires, we keep those on hand and we replace them.
If the cassette, chain, or chainrings–which are normal wear items–are excessively worn–we keep those on hand and we replace them.
If the brake and / or shifter cables and / or housings are excessively worn or stretched… we keep those on hand and we replace them.
Occasionally we buy bikes or take them in on trade that have bigger issues… like shifters that won’t shift or derailleurs that are bent or wheels that are out of true… but we always cure–or disclose–these issues before we resell any bike.
The bottom line is that we are not in this business just to make a quick buck. We don’t buy bikes at garage sales, swap meets, or pawn shops (where stolen bikes are frequently sold). We don’t buy bikes from crackheads on the corner. Every bike in our inventory can be traced directly back to a specific owner. And we don’t put bikes out onto the road that have any known defects (aside from normal wear and tear that a bike of that type and age would normally have).
But… at the same time you have to remember that we only sell PRE-OWNED bikes. Not NEW bikes. Which is why you are only paying 1/2, 1/3, sometimes as little as 1/4 of what the same bike cost new. And though it rarely ever happens–like, maybe once a year at most–if you buy a bike from Houston Bike Exchange and discover some type of problem with the bike shortly thereafter… you can bring that bike back to us and we will inspect, it, troubleshoot it, and repair it if necessary. Free of charge.
9 times out of 10 the problem is something simple. For instance, usually when you re-cable a bike (install new brake or shifter cables) the cables will stretch a bit after a few long rides and the brakes or derailleurs will need to be adjusted again. But if the problem is something more complex, as mentioned above, we keep a pretty big supply of used parts on hand that can usually be swapped out quickly to get you back on the road quickly.
Clearly there are going to be caveats to this policy. If you wreck the bike and cause the damage, that’s obviously not on us. (I have a friend with a $9,000 custom built time trial bike… that he used to transport on a roof rack on his fancy Audi… until he forgot the bike was on the roof one day and pulled into the garage and destroyed the bike, the rack, and his roof.) We may still be able to help you get your bike on the road–even if you caused the damage–but we would obviously have to charge you a reasonable amount to do that work for you.
Also, say six months, a year–two years–down the line, you have an issue with a bike that you bought from Houston Bike Exchange: Let us know. We can probably help you trouble shoot the problem quickly and recommend the most affordable solution.
So, buy with confidence. We’ve got your back!