What are my rights with faulty e-bike?

Brynric

Pedelecer
Jun 29, 2015
38
31
68
Worcestershire
I don't know why anyone puts up with this fault, if it was a TV and it went off in the middle of a program you'd take it back for a refund.
I think it depends upon context.
I'm retired, overweight, living on the edge of the Cotswolds, and Mrs B and myself both have Crossfires. We've both had cutout issues but in the early stages of ownership - I think in some cases it's a "settling-in" issue. If we have been held up jointly for 5 minutes in several hundred hours of cycling in a range of conditions, that's all. The aggregate inconvenience has been less than that of a single puncture.
For that inconvenience we have well speced "budget" bikes, both were bought during one of Halfords flash sales where we got them for £800 each. Mine is big and powerful enough to drag my not inconsiderable frame up the Cotswold scarp. (Mrs B is sylplike and has no such issues). And we are very lucky in that our local Halfords cycle shop is staffed with knowledgeable and helpful staff, though I agree with Gubbins that this is not always the case.
We are lucky in that the bikes are for leisure and not needed for commuting and the inconvenience is minimal. I doubt that we would buy Crossfires when the time for replacement comes as we may explore the heady heights of Bosch Mid drives if we could afford them. (Cue another discussion.)
I certainly sympathise with those owners who have found the problem to be a major issue. I certainly wouldn't want to trivialise it but nor would I want to overstate it. In an ideal world it shouldnt happen.....but then I wouldn't have a leaking shower either.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: LeighPing

DBrown67

Pedelecer
Feb 26, 2017
77
27
57
Leeds
Bike went back into store yesterday. Guy who sold the bike said he didn't have the authority to give a refund, but the manager would be in this week. They needed to check the bike over anyway presumably to ensure it's all OK other than the fault I complained of.

I will leave it till end of the week and if I don't hear from them I'll pay a visit. The guy was quite OK about the issue and he had heard of it happening before. So I don't envisage any issues. For now I'm back on my Giant Escape 1.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
I can understand the problem. You buy the bike when it has a massive discount, then you get an annoying, but not deal-breaking problem. You can get your money back, but then a replacement will cost a lot more.
 
Bike went back into store yesterday. Guy who sold the bike said he didn't have the authority to give a refund, but the manager would be in this week. They needed to check the bike over anyway presumably to ensure it's all OK other than the fault I complained of.

I will leave it till end of the week and if I don't hear from them I'll pay a visit. The guy was quite OK about the issue and he had heard of it happening before. So I don't envisage any issues. For now I'm back on my Giant Escape 1.
Cycle Republic guys in Leeds know what they are doing, so I'm sure they'll be good to you. Cycle Republic might be owned by Halfords, but its very much a separate business now, so their workshop and indeed shop staff shouldn't be compared to Halfords, they are very different.

There is a number of good reasons we supply Cycle Republic not Halfords.

If you ask them nicely, I'm sure they'll do you a nice deal on a KTM that won't give you any issues :)
 

RobF

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 22, 2012
4,732
2,312
Bike went back into store yesterday. Guy who sold the bike said he didn't have the authority to give a refund, but the manager would be in this week. They needed to check the bike over anyway presumably to ensure it's all OK other than the fault I complained of.

I will leave it till end of the week and if I don't hear from them I'll pay a visit. The guy was quite OK about the issue and he had heard of it happening before. So I don't envisage any issues. For now I'm back on my Giant Escape 1.
Could be a genuine or could be a fob-off.

I would have asked the lad if he was 'authorised' to take £900 for a purchase.
 
  • Like
Reactions: flecc

DBrown67

Pedelecer
Feb 26, 2017
77
27
57
Leeds
Could be a genuine or could be a fob-off.

I would have asked the lad if he was 'authorised' to take £900 for a purchase.
LOL... I know what you mean. But I wasn't going to get arsey with them. They've been OK with me so far and I'm fairly confident they'll give me the refund. Not 100% certain of course
 
  • Like
Reactions: RobF

jonathan75

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2013
794
213
Hertfordshire
If a product develops a fault within a week of purchase then it is assumed to be defective when sold which means you are entitled to a refund or replacement. After 28(?) days this can reduce to a free repair. After 6 months the onus will be on you to demonstrate it was faulty at the time of purchase.

Good luck.
Very apt encouragement for the particular buyer there.

30 days is the time limit for the so-called 'short-term right to reject' (faulty goods), during which you can insist on a refund as of right; after that period, then a refund, replacement, or repair is at the discretion of the vendor, but they must provide one. I think the presumptions of innate fault only come up as an issue if there's a dispute, and there needn't necessarily be one. But it's an interesting topic.