Spring 2025 I decided last-minute to have my
Pinion 18-speed gearbox 🖱️
overhauled.
I had to delay the start of my 2025 YesTrip cyclingseason anyway since the weather was to bad,
and the forecast also still was.
I created my
OnTheRoad 4.0 🖱️
end of 2016, emigrated to France in 2017 and started YesTrip.nl in 2018.
All those years it never caused me any problem, and all I did was an oilchange every winter.
But now one oilseal was leaking, so that's why.
Although not even that is a problem since Pinion states officially that it is no problem
to cycle on without the regular amount of (only 60mil) of oil.
That is because the gears continiously pick up oil in the sump where there is always enough oil left.
Which is logical since the outputshaft(-seal) is located a lot higher
then the lowest points of the gears are.
So it is always a "splash-and-dash" situation inside.
My purchasing-history during this cycling-winterstop :
Having my Pinion P1.18 gearbox overhauled
I decided last-minute to have my Pinion gearbox overhauled.
Which means shipping it to the factory in Germany.
The weather would be worse for several weeks tocome and I delayed my starting cycling
again for this reason anyway.
The gearbox functions flawlessly ever since 2016 but it was starting to leak oil.
It is no problem according the Pinion factory to just keep on cycling, but I thought it wise to do.
But they charge only €300 + p&p for this, including a new 5-year full warranty.
- I downloaded the related service-form, had it printed in the library, filled it out,
had it scanned and printed in the library, packed the gearbox
and brought it to the very small local Correos office.
- There it was booked and I had to pay a stunning and whopping €67,20 (cash).
- In that office there is no digital equipment available so my contactinfo was noted on a small paper
and the package would be transferred to the office in the next town.
So far so good.
I would recieve the trackingcode soonest.
However I didn't ...
- So four days later I visited the office and to my Veri Negative Surprise my package was
at the desk.
- The employee explained that Correos Madrid had refused it because according to there scanner
it contains a battery (which they don't allow).
- This process took 5 days ...
- She refused to refund me my money and I was forced to fill in an official complaintform to get it.
- When I once more returned to hand over that form she did the best she could to refuse it because
"you wrote all in english".
However since the form is in the spanish and in english language she realised she had to except it.
- I am Not At All Confident that I will have my money returned.
To be continued ...
- Two weeks later a letter was delivered to me in which Correos explained that they are not responsible
for this "inconfenience" since the Security Service of the Granada Sorting Center had made
the decision to return the package.
So1 it was not Correos (however), and so2 no refund was granted and so3 €67.20 is down the drain
and so4 I had a 1-week delay in a very urgent situation ...
Thank you !!!
- I asked a local person to call the DHL-shop in the next "big" town,
but they can't handle international shipments they said.
How can that be ???
- Then I contacted another local person I know and she offered me to bring the package
to the shippingcompany she uses herself also.
- That would cost €40 and I payed her €50 allin.
- I received an incomplete trackingcode but managed to solve that.
- The package was in Madrid (...) soon however the trackingcode showed "in Madrid" (text)
and also "Transit" (bar), so at the same time.
From that day on the status did not change anymore in 5 days.
- The shipper did not reply to my email for 4 days.
- Then, to my very big relieve, I received an email from the Pinion-factory
that my package had arrived there.
