Son's dad powder coated his bike

[latishia6]

Pissed off is an understatement.

My son's dad didn't see him for years due to domestic abuse. He did a domestic abuse perp programme and now has access every other weekend overnight. In the community/hotel not at his house as he lives 3 hours away.

I bought my son a bike. It was £800 custom built and a gift for him completing his racing season and coming second. He's got another season coming up and he was growing out of his old bike.

His dad was taking him to his training last Saturday so I sent the bike with him. Has always been fine in the past.

Son comes home, dad tells me I'll need to pick the bike up in a few days because son wanted it a different colour and he's had it powder coated. Fuming.

Just been to collect it and it's bright green, the handlebars have been sprayed so the grips are now unsafe and moving around, and I'm just so pissed off.

They usually hold their value well as it's a very good brand. All branding has now been removed and it is now unsellable (well, I can't sell it as a branded bike when he grows out of it!). I'm going to have to buy new handlebars as the club chairman has looked at a photo and said they're not safe (don't spray handlebars!).

I actually don't know what to do with myself right now.

I think you should probably just ignore @Nospoonreq and @MemorableTrenchcoat. There’s nothing to be gained by continuing to engage.

So I’ve been told

Yeah I know all about this. Get the handlebars changed and then just leave it. He’s obviously a shitty person and what he did was his way of expressing his inability to be a good father.. he was jealous that you bought him a bike and he wanted to show his son that HE is in control (that’s a big part of domestic abuse) and it wasn’t about anything that your son wanted or needed. You’ll not get anywhere. If the bike is rideable with the new handles then leave it. Don’t say or do anything. Smile, tell your son it looks fine and don’t let him take it to his dad’s again.

I'm going to speak to the club chairman as he's now offered to help me out in trying to get it fixed. Not sure what he means but think he will be more sensible than some people on here. Appreciate the support and understanding from the majority.

Honestly I would go and tell the person who actually did it that you want them to pay to replace your property, and if they don't, you'll see them in the small claims court.

I can help you draft a letter before action to send if going in and telling it to them straight doesn't work.

Yes, that would be the ideal solution. Is it likely to happen soon, or at all? In the mean time, what is OP's son to do?

Wind your neck in.

If the bike needs replacing, then the father should be the one to pay as he is the one who presumably approached and paid for the bodyshop to carry out the work. They were just acting as instructed. They don't need to perform a background check for ownership.
It doesn't sound like it needs replacement, so the bodyshop should rectify the handlebar issue they caused and if the OP wants a full or partial payment for the actual bike she needs to sort that out with her ex.
He absolutely shouldn't have resprayed the bike without permission, but it sounds more like a stupid mistake than anything malicious. He obviously thought he was doing something his son would like, presuming the bike belonged to his son. I doubt he thought it would cause damage. He's an idiot who didn't think it through. Hopefully OP can come to some sort of compromise with him in terms of compensation.

There’s nothing you can do, as you’ve stated your ex will just take it out on your son.

just learn from it and never send your son’s bike again.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't suggest the same thing as me.

It depends… if he’s competing and will need a newer or bigger bike in the future then it will be sold. I do this with my son’s judo kits. They cost a fortune so we sell them to other parents in the team in order to buy a new/larger one.

You could do both and make a claim against the car paintwork place.

Then your son can have two bikes, and you can keep the nice one well away from your shitty ex.

Take your own advice.

Absolutely infuriating, OP - I would be livid too. However, you'll be on a hiding to nothing if you follow the call the police/sue for damages advice - and looks like with what you've posted here is the closest to a solution. I know there's been back and forth about the wretched handlebars - but at least if they can be made safe, that's someth8ng

He won't pay, but it wasn't a harmless mistake. He's probably upset that I've bought him an expensive bike and he didn't, so he's putting his mark on it.

Why? I'm not suggesting that anyone ignore you. You're the one making it personal.

This I’m afraid. He’s a domestic abuser. He ruined your bike. It’s another shitty thing he’s done.

police or small claims is a waste of time. He wants to take up the OPs time and energy like this. It’s outrageous but it is what it is. Don’t give it to him.

I disagree that they shouldn't be checking for ownership. This is an absolutely basic thing they should be doing because otherwise they're just going to be disgusing stolen property all the time.

And then to add insult to injury they didn't even do a proper job and the bike can't currently be ridden.

If you're not going to do even basic due diligence to check whether the person asking you to spray paint a bike actually owns it, and for that matter if you're going to spray paint a bike despite clearly not knowing the first fucking thing about bikes, you're living dangerously and if you fuck up you need to cough up.

In any case, she almost certainly does have a decent chance of claiming against them in the small claims court, and she should use that to get them to compensate her.

Are you a lawyer?

My first thought was “who in their right mind buys an 8 year old a £800 bike?”
Thats one hell of an expensive hobby. Can we have a picture of the resprayed bike please?

You are giving terrible advice that the OP has been very clear she doesn’t want or agree with. It’s goady and odd. And, judging from the likes that comment is getting, lots of people agree with me. So, yes, wind your neck in.

And now I’m going to take my advice and stop engaging with you.

That applies to every thread ever!

Why not just engage with the facts as presented rather than reinterpreting them to suit your own agenda

An abusive ex has found yet another way to impact her life, and he didn't care if it also negatively impacts his son's hobby - which it will as now his mum will find it harder to buy him the next size bike

Any reasonably engaged dad would have known the bike is being outgrown and would have asked her if he could contribute to a new lime green bike!

You know him best, and that's a real shame if he would purposefully damage his sons bike.
I suppose the only thing you can do is ensure in the future that only you have access to bikes you pay for. You transport and pick up after events. If he's really that much of a cock, you'll have to just keep everything out of reach.
Get the handlebars repaired or do what the chairman suggests in terms of a solution. Sorry you have to put up with a knobhead. Lots around unfortunately.