Buyer Beware - Turner Recumbents

Originally Posted by azeast

Buyer Beware – Turner Recumbents

As an avid cyclist encountered neck and back problems, I was advised by a physician to consider a recumbent bicycle as an alternative. Having tested several makes and models, I settled on a bike manufactured by a small outfit in Tucson, Arizona called Turner Recumbents.

I met with the owner in person, Milt Turner. Outwardly he is a pleasant person who is quick to tout the advantages of his frame design versus those of other manufacturers. However, the location and condition of his business establishment is rather suspect as he operates out of a small storage facility that is quite disorganized and inappropriate for visitation by those who might find pornographic wall posters offensive.

This alone should have been sufficient cause to steer me clear of his business. Unfortunately, my medical need for a recumbent combined with the fact that his demo bike was comfortable to ride were enough for me to overlook these warning signs.

I was advised the frame size I needed was in the latter stages of being completed and would have to wait a couple of weeks. Not willing to buy the bike sight unseen, I asked that he contact me when he received and built this bike. That ended up being 3 months later wherein I made another trip to Tucson.

Upon arrival, I tested this supposed newly assembled bike and found that it was sorely in need of adjustment. Exercising great patience, I spent over 4 hours, well into the late evening as he and I both attempted to make the bike useable. Mr. Turner spent much of this time reciting his commitment to customer satisfaction, and how he would warranty his work. Since it was dark and in a very seedy storage facility, I surmised that the bike was sufficiently fine-tuned. I bought the bike and returned to my home in Phoenix.

What followed was two months of aggravation that today has left wondering how I could have been so foolish as to buy a Turner Recumbent. In a nutshell, when I got the bike home I found that there were several nagging problems with the chain, brake calipers, and what turned out be used parts including the bottom bracket, chain rings, and cranks. This necessitated I ship the bike back to him because I was unwilling to again drive the two hours to Tucson. Additionally, he refused to even meet me half way.

Today I own a bike that has:
· Clear packaging tape in place of cloth rim tape
· Some used parts
· A chain that gets wedged and jammed under the rear brake caliper whenever the largest front and rear chain rings are used together
· A crank set that has been inexplicably downgraded from Ultegra to Shimano 105s
· No warranty or receipt, nor a willingness to provide one

I have appealed to Mr. Turner to resolve these outstanding issues but he has refused to do so. When mentioning to him that I would be writing this review his response was, and I quote, “You take your best shot”.

It is truly unfortunate that an organization such as Turner Recumbents is allowed to conduct business in this manner. In recent years, far more reputable manufacturers have gone out of business. I sincerely hope, for the industry’s sake, that others do not suffer the same fate as I have.