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.?

Shocking!!!

What bike was it? What was wrong with it?

 

I can imagine if you parked up a bike and a steamroller ran over it, any dealer would refuse to give your money back. "Technical problem" has a lot of meanings. Please be specific.

There is no way that company will both keep a bike you've paid for and refuse a refund. I'd like to see some more details.

 

Edit: N.B. Crossed with d8veh's post.

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

There is no way that company will both keep a bike you've paid for and refuse a refund. I'd like to see some more details.

 

Edit: N.B. Crossed with d8veh's post.

.

 

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.

it sounds like ball bearing noise. Could be from the pedals.

Not sure any company will offer a full refund on anything at all after it’s been used for a month. You are covered by distance selling regs and can return unused goods for up to two weeks now for a full refund, and the goods have to be of marketable quality.

 

Best to try to get the issue resolved. If it’s just a squeak it should be fairly easily fixable.

Minor problem turned into a major one.

 

As a competent retailer, 50 Cycles should have fixed the ticking noise same day and returned the bike.

Minor problem turned into a major one.

 

As a competent retailer, 50 Cycles should have fixed the ticking noise same day and returned the bike.

 

Sounds like they didn’t get the chance because the OP, perhaps for other reasons wanted a refund. Hence the impasse.

...although they did try to resolve the technical problems...

Yes, but he starts by saying that it turned out not to be as good as expected. I may be wrong here but it sounds like it was his first go on an e bike and he expected it to be more like a motorbike and not to have to pedal. The technical issue, if that is all there is to it is easily resolvable. But I don’t think he wants it resolved. He wants his money back.

He wants his money back.

"She"

Was thinking of a bike from 50 cycles, lets hope for a reassuring reply from them.

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.

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.

I agree

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.?

 

Hi KMG440. I've checked and I can't find any 100% money back guarantee or anything like it on 50cycles' website, although cached you'll notice they've removed their "No Quibble Guarantee" claim and replaced it with "First Class Service" (I've pasted cached and current screenprints). What did your money back guarantee say? If it was as you say, then I think you have two easy options available to you. One is to speak to your credit or debit card provider and ask for a chargeback: the service paid for (a money back guarantee) did not materialise. However you would probably need to be able to say convincingly that such a guarantee existed. It is more difficult if no records exist online any more, however, the card provider will ask 50cycles and they must not lie.

 

The other easy alternative (if you paid by credit card - not debit) is to explain to your card issuer, that the service paid for, of a money back guarantee for goods you chose to reject, was not provided, and as a result you have no choice but to make a s75 Consumer Credit Act request to the card issuer, that they provide the service you paid the seller for, i.e. they provide a refund.

 

You've other options. It is open to you to make a moneyclaim https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome against the seller, however, this is all contingent on there having been a money back guarantee. If it is not written down but someone promised it to you verbally (that that was what 'No Quibble Guarantee' meant) then that isn't a problem.

 

I've read the current terms on their website (it's possible the terms you agreed to are completely different) and all that is mentioned by way of no quibble guarantee is the "manufacturer warranty" (their words). Which I find quite strange, in that I don't see why a manufacturer warranty would involve quibbling ordinarily. So to promise a "No Quibble Guarantee" on top does seem to be promising something more, although I'm not sure what. If there was nothing saying it was a money back guarantee then you could argue it before a small claims court as a fourth alternative course of action, however, like I say if there was nothing said or written at any time about there being a money back guarantee then I think the judge would have to reluctantly refuse you a straight refund. However if anything was said about a money back guarantee, then you've a much easier case, although again the conditions under which that guarantee operates then become important.

 

There is a fifth possibility, that if you contacted 50cycles to reject the goods, within 14 calendar days starting the moment you received the goods, then I gather that amounts to a cancellation of the contract. Under the old Distance Selling Regulations, a buyer had the right to unpack and inspect the goods, much as they might in a store, and (I believe) use them just enough to see what the goods' properties are. I'm not sure if your 30 miles are a bit above that level. However if there is a money back guarantee, then depending on its terms, your 30 miles need not stop you invoking that guarantee.

 

The last point to note is that you can waive what rights you may have just by accepting 50cycles' refusal to honour them (if that's what they're doing), and by accepting the goods back, and then using them or keeping them for more than a little while. You might therefore decide it's prudent that until you have clarity about what your rights are exactly (which is not necessarily what a retailer says they are), that it would be best not to accept the bike back just yet. If that's what you decide, you must tell them that they mustn't send the bike back yet.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 11, 201510 yr by jonathan75

This is the cached page

and this is the current page

 

both of which just link to this page which doesn't say very much

http://www.50cycles.com/our-promise.html

Although whatever it (or they personally) said when you bought, is what they've committed to honouring, that forms your contract, and it's that which you can rely on re chargebacks, s75, moneyclaim, all of the above.

KMG440, reading your posts:-

It turned out to be not as good as expected,

I decided (after 2 short trips & one month) to return the bike and request a refund.

To be fair, I haven't chased them for it, as I don't want the bike

I gave the bike a short trial and - for various reasons - sent it back.

 

These could easily be interpreted as you having just changed your mind?

 

You say As their web site advertises a 'no quibble guarantee' and '100% money back guarantee', however similar to Jonathan I've been unable to find any reference on their site, either now or in the past, to a '100% money back guarantee'.

 

Personally in the absence of detailed terms & conditions I've always interpreted a 'no quibble guarantee' as a guarantee to fix a product without arguments.

 

A 'no quibble refund policy' or 'no quibble returns policy' or 'no quibble money back guarantee' are all entirely different however that does not appear to be what you have been offered here. Unless as Jonathan says you can show that this was in fact promised in some way.

Okay just found their returns policy:-

 

Thank you for shopping with 50cycles Ltd. If you are not satisfied with your order, please return your goods within 28 days of the purchase date for a full refund. Any item can be returned to us provided it is returned unused with its original packaging and a valid receipt. We are unable to offer any refund without a valid receipt (a copy of the confirmation email for your order will be accepted)

 

Elsewhere it says:-

We will provide an exchange or refund as required. Items should be returned in their original packaging within 30 days.

 

As you have used the bike & appear to have returned it more than 28/30 days from purchase it wouldn't appear that this applies. The term that then applies is:-

 

If your purchase is outside our 28 day return period but within the manufacturers warranty period we will repair or replace the item(s) as stated in the manufacturers warranty guidelines

 

Please don't think I'm having a go at you in any way. Just trying to help you by providing some clarity as to what may have actually been promised.

Edited June 11, 201510 yr by Wander

For the sake of balance it's probably fair also to post what has been posted against that youtube clip as it gives a response that 50 cycles have already made:-

 

Published on 14 May 2015

This bike cost over £2000 from 50Cycles, UK - so I didn't expect that the (£800) battery would fall out the first time I rode it, nor that it would have this horrendous creak. Solution? I was told to start stripping the bike down to tighten the cranks & the motor bolts (neither fixed it), then told to take it to a bike shop to get it repaired!

This German bike is generally of quality build, but on the basis of 50Cycles' snail-inspired after-sales service (the bike has been returned, but after daily phone calls, I'm still waiting for a refund) I would have to recommend DON'T BUY.

 

ALL COMMENTS (2)

Share your thoughts

 

Garry Wiseman 2 weeks ago

Quote from 50 Cycles web site: 'No quibble guarantee ..100% money back guarantee' 50 Cycles have repeatedly rejected our request for refund They have also threatened legal action over this honest review.

·

 

 

Scott Snaith 2 weeks ago

Dear Garry, Even though you did not lock the battery in place correctly we still replaced your battery free of charge. With regards to the creeks it was just a matter of bedding in the bike and adjusting the saddle. Again we picked up the bike free of charge which was not packaged correctly and resulted in the console getting damaged. We have replaced this free of charge and gave a full free service when both problem were actually caused by yourself. Again we want you to have the best experience possible and ensured that these minor inconveniences have been at no cost to yourself. We pride ourselves on the best service and find your comments most unfair. Kind regards Scott

sorry KMG440, I did not find their advertising misleading.

Hi KMG440. I've checked and I can't find any 100% money back guarantee or anything like it on 50cycles' website, although cached you'll notice they've removed their "No Quibble Guarantee" claim and replaced it with "First Class Service" (I've pasted cached and current screenprints). What did your money back guarantee say? If it was as you say, then I think you have two easy options available to you. One is to speak to your credit or debit card provider and ask for a chargeback: the service paid for (a money back guarantee) did not materialise. However you would probably need to be able to say convincingly that such a guarantee existed. It is more difficult if no records exist online any more, however, the card provider will ask 50cycles and they must not lie.

 

The other easy alternative (if you paid by credit card - not debit) is to explain to your card issuer, that the service paid for, of a money back guarantee for goods you chose to reject, was not provided, and as a result you have no choice but to make a s75 Consumer Credit Act request to the card issuer, that they provide the service you paid the seller for, i.e. they provide a refund.

 

You've other options. It is open to you to make a moneyclaim https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome against the seller, however, this is all contingent on there having been a money back guarantee. If it is not written down but someone promised it to you verbally (that that was what 'No Quibble Guarantee' meant) then that isn't a problem.

 

I've read the current terms on their website (it's possible the terms you agreed to are completely different) and all that is mentioned by way of no quibble guarantee is the "manufacturer warranty" (their words). Which I find quite strange, in that I don't see why a manufacturer warranty would involve quibbling ordinarily. So to promise a "No Quibble Guarantee" on top does seem to be promising something more, although I'm not sure what. If there was nothing saying it was a money back guarantee then you could argue it before a small claims court as a fourth alternative course of action, however, like I say if there was nothing said or written at any time about there being a money back guarantee then I think the judge would have to reluctantly refuse you a straight refund. However if anything was said about a money back guarantee, then you've a much easier case, although again the conditions under which that guarantee operates then become important.

 

There is a fifth possibility, that if you contacted 50cycles to reject the goods, within 14 calendar days starting the moment you received the goods, then I gather that amounts to a cancellation of the contract. Under the old Distance Selling Regulations, a buyer had the right to unpack and inspect the goods, much as they might in a store, and (I believe) use them just enough to see what the goods' properties are. I'm not sure if your 30 miles are a bit above that level. However if there is a money back guarantee, then depending on its terms, your 30 miles need not stop you invoking that guarantee.

 

The last point to note is that you can waive what rights you may have just by accepting 50cycles' refusal to honour them (if that's what they're doing), and by accepting the goods back, and then using them or keeping them for more than a little while. You might therefore decide it's prudent that until you have clarity about what your rights are exactly (which is not necessarily what a retailer says they are), that it would be best not to accept the bike back just yet. If that's what you decide, you must tell them that they mustn't send the bike back yet.

 

Good luck.

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.

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.

Looks like you are right!

 

Won't this however be subject to the terms that I've already posted on the first page of this thread?

I've read their terms and conditions. There has always been a 28-day money back guarantee but it's not the same as a 'no quibble' money back guarantee.

Their 'no quibble guarantee' applies to their after sale support, like when you've got your battery replaced free of charge after it flew off your bike, even though it seems to me that it was possibly your fault for not installing the battery properly, that's to me is 'no quibble guarantee'.

Edited June 11, 201510 yr by trex