QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - When you’re a 14-year-old with a brand-new bike, there’s no such thing as a leisurely ride through the neighborhood.
Nate Hall, of Quincy, loves tearing through town and popping wheelies with his friends. Earlier this year, Nate set his sights on a new bike: the Mike Buff P.K. Ripper.
“He’s one of the most famous BMX riders in history,” says Nate. The big name means a big price tag – the bike cost $1,200. Nate knew his parents weren’t going to spend that kind of money on a bike, so he raked leaves, shoveled snow and sold his old hockey equipment to get the cash.
“I was very proud at that point,” says his mom, Julann. “I think he did a great job. He got a lot of money.”
Nate ordered the bike through a local shop, but when it arrived there was a problem. The original seat, pedals, pads and other pricey parts were missing.
“This is a Black Ops seat,” Nate says, looking down at the seat that was delivered. “It’s not even the right brand.”
The Halls say the bike shop owner told them those items must have fallen out of the box during shipping.
“[The owner] said he’s going to call SE bikes,” says Nate’s dad, Greg. “He’s going to try to resolve the problem, get the parts sent.”
It wasn’t so easy. The parts were tough to get. The Halls spent weeks calling the bike shop for updates, but no luck. Nate even emailed SE Bikes directly. They told him the bike shop could rectify the issue. Nate’s mom was getting frustrated.
“At that point I was like, ‘So we’re really getting nowhere,'” Julann says.
After cycling though their options, the Halls reached out to Solve It 7.
First, we contacted the shop owner, who told us he was working with SE Bike’s warranty department but was spinning his wheels. So we tried our luck with a different department and reached the right person.
The representative told us 2020 has been a year unlike any other for the bicycle industry and demand is at an all-time high. Finding parts for Nate’s bike was going to be tough. But SE Bikes came through big time.
“This pad right here,” says Nate, showing off his new bike parts. “This pad [and] this one.”
Just hours after our call, the company shipped out all of the parts Nate needed along with some extra SE Bikes swag, including a sweatshirt and a Mike Buff autograph. The Halls are happy Nate has the bike he bought and thankful to Solve It 7 for getting things straightened out.
“Keep up all of your good work,” says Julann. “Because there’s a lot of people out there that I’m sure could use your help.”
Nate has a shorter message, delivered while popping a wheelie on the bike he’s worked so hard to get: “Thank you Solve It 7!” he says.
SE Bikes told us they’re happy to make things right for such a hard-working, deserving young rider.
Is there a problem that has you spinning your wheels? Send us an email at SolveIt7@WHDH.com or give us a call at 617-367-7777.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)