CAP BARBELL SITUATION

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ummijaaz560
ummijaaz560 Posts: 228 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started the sl5×5 strength program as a complete novice in march of this year.

I purchased a CAP BARBELL weight bench set in march that was basically enough for a beginner.
About a week ago I had 80lbs on the bar deadlifting. As I went to lower the bar back down one of the metal pins holding the bar together fell on the floor.

For reference the bar is held together by two of these pins, the other one stayed attatched which allowed me to slowly lower the weigh to the floor without the 80lbs toppling my feet.

That was a very scary situation. I felt like I got out lucky and unscathed.
I contacted the retailer letting them know what happened. Unfortunately being a month out of my warranty I was told to contact CAP BARBELL.

I called them and left a message letting them know what happened. Two days later still no reply from CAP. I sent a follow up email letting them know again what happened, and the barbell seems defective as this shouldnt have happened.

This morning they replied back saying basically "too bad" and the bar isnt defective.
I feel like they are not really grasping the seriousness of the situation.

Someone could get hurt with the way this barbell is designed.
If I had been squatting or benching I would have been hurt.

So I'm left with plates and a barbell I cant use, and someone else might get hurt because no one cares to acknowledge this defect.
Do I have any recourse, or just suck it up?

Replies

  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
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    Send letters to the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports. If the retailer and manufacturer have Facebook, twitter, or Instagram accounts, make complaints there. You can also give a bad review on Yelp. Keep complaining. Send a registered letter to the CEO of the manufacturer.
  • ummijaaz560
    ummijaaz560 Posts: 228 Member
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    Also can anyone suggest another home bench set reasonably priced, thanks? I really dont want to lose my strength gains.
  • ummijaaz560
    ummijaaz560 Posts: 228 Member
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    Lisa_Ookoo wrote: »
    Send letters to the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports. If the retailer and manufacturer have Facebook, twitter, or Instagram accounts, make complaints there. You can also give a bad review on Yelp. Keep complaining. Send a registered letter to the CEO of the manufacturer.

    Ok thank you, I hadnt thought about that. I really dont want anyone to get hurt.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Many companies have an "executive escalation" office tied to the ceo office. Ask to speak to them. They know how to resolve problems fast!
  • ummijaaz560
    ummijaaz560 Posts: 228 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    Many companies have an "executive escalation" office tied to the ceo office. Ask to speak to them. They know how to resolve problems fast!

    Ok! I will update thie thread to let you all know what happens.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Lesson learned, CAP is the cheapest of the cheap. Get a better bar. If you're looking for cheap, rogue has "beater" bars that are pretty inexpensive.
  • _incogNEATo_
    _incogNEATo_ Posts: 4,543 Member
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    http://capbarbell.com/warranty/

    It looks like if you were deadlifting with this bar, it's going to void the warranty (see "Bars **" towards the bottom). Since the bar is being dropped with weights, you're out of luck; especially if you stated that you were deadlifting with it since they'll more than likely assume that you were dropping it. Not saying it's right, but as stated above, lesson learned.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    80lbs on a barbell is really light to have the bar break. I even bench more than that. So I agree w posters above. Call a higher up, report to BBB, leave negative reviews.
  • _incogNEATo_
    _incogNEATo_ Posts: 4,543 Member
    edited August 2016
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    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    _incogNEATo_ wrote: »
    http://capbarbell.com/warranty/

    It looks like if you were deadlifting with this bar, it's going to void the warranty (see "Bars **" towards the bottom). Since the bar is being dropped with weights, you're out of luck; especially if you stated that you were deadlifting with it since they'll more than likely assume that you were dropping it. Not saying it's right, but as stated above, lesson learned.

    Just because he was deadlifting with it doesn't mean he was dropping it (especially with weight that low on it).

    I think OP is female.

    I should have reworded my post to exclude an assumption on my part that she was dropping it. However, CAP's stance (if they have a decent defense team) is going to be that deadlifts are a lift that can involve dropping the bar. Hopefully something is resolved in OP's favor, but I can see CAP sticking to their guns on this one AND having a decent argument.

    Also, they only warranty their bars for 30 days (in home).
  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
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    What about looking for some used equipment on Craigslist? I assume the weights are still serviceable, just need to find a bar that they will be compatible with. Not sure if they will work with an Olympic bar, but if they do, just make sure it still spins.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,979 Member
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    It can probably be fixed.

    Can the pin be reinserted? If so, figure out how it's held in place by loking at the other one and replicate it. Take it to a machine shop if you can't figure it out.

    FWIW, the better bars use snap clips to hold the ends in place; they never pop out.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
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    Ouch. That was a bad experience, but CAP is basically the Walmart of fitness. I'd let it go and buy a Rogue bar. Your time is almost certainly worth more than whatever compensation you'd eventually drag out of CAP.
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 178 Member
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    _incogNEATo_ wrote: »
    http://capbarbell.com/warranty/

    It looks like if you were deadlifting with this bar, it's going to void the warranty (see "Bars **" towards the bottom). Since the bar is being dropped with weights, you're out of luck; especially if you stated that you were deadlifting with it since they'll more than likely assume that you were dropping it. Not saying it's right, but as stated above, lesson learned.

    Wow. That is so crazy. Thanks for the info:-/ I have a CAP barbell too. I bought it in May and it is already starting to rust. It will be replaced with a Rouge bar very soon.

    OP, go with Rouge. They are not cheap, but they sell a quality product at a reasonable price. Their customer service is excellent. I wish I would have gone with them in the first place.

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