KMG440

Thank you for your advice, we will definitely look at this option.

Perhaps I didn't make the situation clear - the exact model of bike which the salesman recommended was not available for a test ride and arrived in a sub-standard condition......Thank goodness we live in a country where adverts have to be honest & truthful, and there are sensible laws which protect traders and consumers alike.

I am very grateful for the advice & comments of forum members (50Cycles - misleading advertising) It was very useful to hear all points of view & I was particularly grateful for the detailed legal analysis provided by several forum experts. I am pleased to say that 50Cycles did finally agree to honour their guarantee and have refunded the full amount which I paid for the Kalkoff Tasman. 50 Cycles no longer offer a 'no quibble' guarantee. My advice to anyone contemplating purchase of an e-bike: - be very cautious when buying at a distance. Even if you visit the showrooms & do some test rides, this doesn't show you how the bike will perform on your home territory or during a longer trip. If the bike you receive is faulty, you are unlikely to find this out until you have taken it for a ride, so check with the trader whether they will allow returns once the bike has been used. Sending a bike back by courier can be a lot of hassle & you will be without it for a week or more. In the light of my experience with 50 cycles, I will be asking detailed questions about the after-sales service before making another purchase. I am now without a bike - and would be pleased to receive recommendations. I don't mind investing in quality, as I intend to use the bike as an alternative to the car for shopping and 'functional' trips in hilly terrain, wherever practicable. Our nearest bike shop is 10 miles away and I am not a mechanic, so reliability is paramount, It must be light-weight & have a range of 30 to 40 miles. The Tasman was ideal for my (male) partner but, as a less-powerful cyclist, it did not give me enough assistance on hills. After just one 20 mile ride, I suffered knee-damage from which I have not yet fully-recovered. I have cycled thousands of miles on ordinary bikes without any problems, so this is quite a severe set-back. I am in no hurry to repeat this experience - perhaps I will have to wait a few years for improvements to bike-design?

Thanks everyone, it has been interesting to follow the discussion and see different view points. Just to put you in the picture, I am a keen & fit cyclist, I enjoy pedalling and would be delighted to own a reliable e bike that I can use as alternative to a car for many routine journeys. My mission is to reduce car use and I would love to see a lot more people on e bikes. I carried out a considerable amount of research including visits to local retailers before deciding to buy from 50cycles. Their web advert was highly influential in this decision. The ASA stated yesterday "we have looked at the ad... and agree that this was misleading" I am still in discussion with 50cycles and am optimistic that, in the light of this ruling, they will do the decent thing and refund the full purchase price.

Thank you, I feel encouraged by you analysis! The directors of 50 Cycles are aware of the ASA ruling, but have not replied to my most recent messages via this forum. I am still hopeful of an amicable solution as it will be best for all parties, and the e bike market in general.

I agree, it is best to test-ride a bike. I went to Loughborough to do just this. However, it is pretty flat around there, compared with the Shropshire Hills, where I live. The problems only showed up on a steep hill. Also, the bike which I purchased was not identical to the one tested, as there are (understandably) only a limited range available for test rides. 50 cycles are very good at selling bikes and quick to answer the phone to prospective customers , but, in my experience, less responsive when there are after-sales issues. I would advise others to be extremely cautious when dealing with this company.

With respect, I feel you are missing the main point here. The company did not honour their advertised promise, which I feel is pretty clear: 'No quibble 100% money back' There was no small print attached to this promise, no time limit, no mileage limit, just no quibble.

Regarding the battery (which is not the main issue here) - the bike arrived with the battery fitted. We charged it on the bike (which the shop told us was OK to do). The battery fitting is actually so stiff that I lack the physical strength needed to do secure it myself. This is one of several reasons why I felt it was not a suitable bike for me and requested a refund.

The Advertising Standards have this to say regarding 50 Cycles web advert: .."we have looked at the ad you provided and agree that this was misleading. Therefore we have contacted 50cycles and asked them for assurance that they will ensure that any future ads for money back guarantees will make all terms and limitations of the guarantee clear." Emily Gent Complaints Executive

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Thank you very much for your detailed and helpful replies. Thank you also for pointing out that 50 Cycles have now removed the guarantee from their web site. Fortunately, I have a screen shot which clearly shows the money back guarantee. The fact that they have altered it is , I feel, helpful to my case. I will certainly look at the moneyclaim option, although I would prefer to resolve the problem by negotiation if possible. As a result of this thread, 50 Cycles have been in contact, so I will let you know how I get on.

Just to clarify, I am new to this forum, but am an experienced e-biker. I have owned Chinese-made bikes before and loved the experience, butthey had a short battery life. I bought a Kalkoff as I wanted to invest in a quality bike for long-term use. The 50 cycles 'no quibble' guarantee gave me the confidence to take the plunge. I gave the bike a short trial and - for various reasons - sent it back. I feel it is a clear case of the company not honouring their advertised promise.

Amazingly, that is the situation at the moment. I was told that the bike would arrive back here 2 weeks ago, but am still waiting. To be fair, I haven't chased them for it, as I don't want the bike - I want to 50 cycles to honour their refund guarantee.

more details here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gHf_JtjQEM

I recently bought a bike from 50 Cycles (Loughborough). It turned out to be not as good as expected, and although they did try to resolve the technical problems, I decided (after 2 short trips & one month) to return the bike and request a refund. As their web site advertises a 'no quibble guarantee' and '100% money back guarantee', I was very disappointed to receive a 'no quibble' refusal to refund my money. Not only that, but they have kept the bike. Has any one else had a similar experience.?