This ordeal started when I went to the Trek store in Waterford to purchase a SRAM Red 2×12 speed eTap rim brake groupset to upgrade my Trek Domane 6.9, Bontrager Team edition (Specs) bicycle.  I went to the Trek store to talk with Javier the mechanic about the details of fit and pricing. I have owned the Domane since 2014 and it is in impeccable condition. Look very close to new except for a couple of small/minor nicks from rocks after 21,573 miles.

Javier talked me into celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Domane by purchasing a Trek Madone SL7 Gen 7 (Specs) getting electronic shifting and having a new bicycle for just a little more. The math didn’t make sense (LOL).  I purchased the Madone SL7 because secretly I wanted a new bicycle, been eyeballing the Madone for over 2 years, and Javier is a good mechanic whom I have come to trust and refer to concerning bicycle equipment. I know it sounds silly but that is the truth and anyone who knows me knows I’m usually more frugal. However, the pearl gray with the flat black color helped in the decision.

The Experience

Something strange happened with my last Trek purchase. This was the worst buying experience in over 12 different bicycles and other purchases I have been involved with Trek.  The Waterford (Orlando, FL) store’s latest purchasing experience has been abysmal in comparison to others for the following reasons.

The Cons

  1. The bicycle and purchased accessories disappeared from my account and on the bicycle:

    I ordered the Madone SL7 and it was said to arrive in April, no problem. The Madone arrived 3 months earlier which was great. The Waterford store knew I was going to purchase it but it arrived at the beginning of the new year and was not budgeted for that time however I placed $1,000 on it and said I would pay it off in the next 30 days. When I went to pay the 2nd down payment the bike wasn’t in my records neither were all the items I purchased for installation.

    I talked to Britt Powell, who stated he accidentally removed it from my record. Looking at the bike in the back of the shop all the purchased accessories (carbon bottle cages x2, Gatorskins Black tires x2, and Korg alarm) were removed. At this time I saw other bikes in contact with the Madone, I asked them to be careful and not let the bikes (waiting for service ) scratch my new Madone. I also mentioned to Britt that the Madone looked stock and all my accessories were missing. Britt said they would have it all put together when I came to pick it up. This didn’t explain why they were removed.Later

    I found out that he asked the mechanic to remove all these items because he was going to sell the bike to another individual who wanted to purchase it. Yes, this is after I placed a $1,000 credit card payment to hold it.  After a couple of attempts to get the already purchased items and down payments correct in my account, I provided another down payment with the understanding that I would be back to pick up and pay the bike off in 2 weeks.

  2. No mechanic at the shop and the bike wasn’t ready to pick up:

    When I arrived to pick up the Madone it wasn’t ready. I was told they didn’t have a mechanic to prepare my new bike. The time and date of pick up were discussed and agreed upon with Britt Powell at Waterford 2 weeks prior. I also informed Britt 2 weeks earlier that I was scheduled to take the bike with me on travel, and he assured me it would be ready.

    I had to pick up my new Madone and transport it to another store to prepare it for final sale. I had to expedite getting to the other store during rush hour, on the other side of town, arriving 53 minutes later so it could be taken care of the same day while I waited.

  3. The bicycle was not ready to ride out of the Box:

    I had my Motion Fit Pro bicycle fitter measurement information at the time of ordering. Even when I picked up the bike, no one told me I needed another stem post so this bike to fit me. Understand that all other Trek 56 cm models fit me just fine without extra costs.  The day after I purchased the Madone, I went to my appointment with the fitter and found out that the supplied stem post wasn’t within tolerance for my 5’10” height.

    I called Britt (Waterford Manager), and he first told me that there wasn’t any other size stem post. I informed him there had to be another stem post and it should have been included for my measurement. I asked Britt can he check with other stores. I guess he called around because he called me after some time had passed and informed me that I had to purchase another stem post (smaller by 40cm) for $300. Something doesn’t sound correct after paying over $7,000 for a bicycle that I couldn’t ride because the seat (stem post) was too tall.

    I called Trek’s customer service phone number spoke with a representative and explained the issue of how the 56cm Madone doesn’t fit a 5’10” normal individual out of the box. The Madone is the same size as my Domane and it fits just fine out of the box. To no avail on just changing the stems post since the one on my bike is new.This translates to a normal 5’10’ individual who couldn’t ride it with the shipped larger stem post.

    I had to wait for 7 days to get the new stem post installed because this interruption wasn’t part of my schedule. This was a major inconvenience, I had to change my flight out of town for two weeks to get the stem post installed and reschedule my bike fitter appointment before my flight. I was taking my new Madone with me on my travel. Now I have a stem post that I can’t use.

  4. Damages on the new bicycle
    The bicycle fitter noticed and pointed out some damages to the new, never-been-ridden Madone SL7.

    • The handlebar has a blemish/chip in the paint and a clear coat that with sweat and time the paint will start to chip/peel away.
      Damage to handlebar
    • The left brake handle looks like it was dropped, scrapped, or came in contact with another bicycle while in the shop. The right is not as bad but also scratched (not pictured).
      Damage to the Brake Lever

Pros

  1. Britt attempted to assist to the best of his ability and knowledge. I just think he doesn’t know enough about the product which is vital when selling high-end bicycles.

  2. Once I transported the bicycle to the College Park, FL store … Lee was a consummate professional when dealing with me. I was not a happy customer having to take care of the transportation. I transported the bicycle so I wouldn’t be inconvenienced another week or 2.Lee was so accommodating that I purchased more accessories (Garmin 1040 Solar and 3 bottles) that weren’t needed because I own a Garmin 1000 and have several water bottles. This was an impulse so Lee could show register sales for his last-minute assistance.

  3. A week later, Lee provided professional service again while handling the stem post-sale and installation.

  4. Trek did provide a 20% discount on the purchase ($300) of the correct stem post for my height.

I have been a loyal TREK customer for over 14 years providing over $38,042 in bike sales, not including cycling accessories.  I trying not to judge TREK by this interaction alone because of the years of pleasant and professional dealings. This still feels like I was charged more because of my height even though the 56cm frame size is the perfect fit for my height.  

Another feeling came to mind … the one of being frauded on my purchase because all the information on the final out the door costs were not provided prior to committing to order.  Purchasing this new TREK Madone SL7 at the initial price seemed like a deal as compared to another road bike I was contemplating on purchasing instead. I missed out on a one in a life time sale of a friend’s pre-owned mint condition Pinarello Dogma F12 Red AXS for $7,200.

Let me know about your interactions, negative or positive the next time we talk.

Ciao,
Z