Poor service at Evans

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
crazydave789
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by crazydave789 »

mick skinner wrote:I got an ebike at the beginning of this year but the motor unit broke down, so I took it back to the shop on the 22nd of June and they've not repaired it yet. They say it's because it needs a new motor unit and the supplier doesn't stock motor units by thenselves.

By now I think they should be offering to replace the whole bike.

Has anyone else had problems like this with Evans and/or an ebike?


under the trade descriptions act you should demand a replacement. there should be something in writing somewhere.

at the very least they owe you a spare bike to ride while they fix yours.
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by The utility cyclist »

hemo wrote:If it's a Bosch drive and the unit developed a fault the drive unit has to be sent back to Germany only then do Bosch send out a warranty exchange unit, it could take up to 6- 8 weeks.

It takes 5 working days to send an item bog standard royal mail parcels, less than three via a courier/enhanced service. How long does it take to log in and inspect then decide if the unit needs a repair (and can be done so economically) or simply send out a new unit. I'd say one week would be good, two weeks very maximum. Say another 5 days to get it sent back.
That should be no more than 4 weeks at the very very most, 2 months is totally unacceptable even with respect to sending the unit back.

You've been inconvenienced and a it's not just a small inconvenience either, if this was a motorcar you'd be asking for a replacement in lieu at least, as others have said take matters further and don't be fobbed off.
eileithyia
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by eileithyia »

We've had nothing but decent service from our local Evans, when we have had to return items. Admittedly the items have had to be returned to the manufacturers and subsequently be replaced (and that is what has usually taken the time) but we have been kept informed and updated of the progress. Most recently it has been my Garmin Vector 3 pedals which developed a fault and had to be replaced via Garmin, it took time because we had to await an upgraded pair of pedals. But we were kept fully informed of the progress of the replacement and anticipated date of arrival in store.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
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TrevA
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by TrevA »

I took my wife's Specialized Dolce Elite back to Evans, because the frame had cracked around the bottom bracket. We explained the full story to the bloke behind the counter. We didn't have the original receipt and the frame was 5 years old, but it has a lifetime warranty. After 2 months we were told that it was just the paint that had cracked. I said, " why does it make an awful creaking sound when you pedal then", guy on the phone said "Ah, I didn't know that", even though we had told the guy behind the counter when we first went in. They hadn't even sent the frame back to Specialized, they had just sent them a photo. In the end, they did agree to supply a new frame, but it took another month and they only did it as a goodwill gesture. They did swap the bits over for no charge. So a good outcome in the end, but it took an age and my wife was without her bike for 3 months.

Compare this to a problem I had with my Trek Domane bought from the LBS. Took it in, got a phone call with 2 days to say Yes, we'll replace the frame and had my bike back a week later.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
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David9694
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by David9694 »

gaz wrote:Whilst it can be read as a "review" of Evans service it was posted as a request for advice on how to move the situation forward.

Seems to me like the right board for the latter.


But the complaint was in relation to an E bike - the motor, in fact: Isn’t this whole forum about ( :!:) cycling? Seriously though there is an e-bike sub-category. And also seriously, if e-bikes get people who wouldn’t otherwise into cycling then that makes them A Good Thing (plus in one of my LBSs you can’t move for £3000 e fatbikes at the moment.)
Last edited by David9694 on 19 Aug 2018, 11:01pm, edited 1 time in total.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
David9694
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by David9694 »

TrevA wrote:I took my wife's Specialized Dolce Elite back to Evans, because the frame had cracked around the bottom bracket. We explained the full story to the bloke behind the counter. We didn't have the original receipt and the frame was 5 years old, but it has a lifetime warranty. After 2 months we were told that it was just the paint that had cracked. I said, " why does it make an awful creaking sound when you pedal then", guy on the phone said "Ah, I didn't know that", even though we had told the guy behind the counter when we first went in. They hadn't even sent the frame back to Specialized, they had just sent them a photo. In the end, they did agree to supply a new frame, but it took another month and they only did it as a goodwill gesture. They did swap the bits over for no charge. So a good outcome in the end, but it took an age and my wife was without her bike for 3 months.

Compare this to a problem I had with my Trek Domane bought from the LBS. Took it in, got a phone call with 2 days to say Yes, we'll replace the frame and had my bike back a week later.


To break one frame might be considered a misfortune...
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
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TrevA
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by TrevA »

David9694 wrote:To break one frame might be considered a misfortune...

My wife's frame was 5 years old. Mine was a known fault with Alu Trek Domanes, it cracked just near the top of the seat tube, where there is a weld that creates a weak spot. My new frame doesn't have this weld, or it's been smoothed off.

Manufacturers shouldn't offer a lifetime guarantee if they don't want you to claim.....
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
David9694
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by David9694 »

I don’t suppose Evans are reading any of this, their reputation being panned (Mr Moderator, I don’t know what you think, but if the shop wanted to give its side of the story, would you be open to ithis?). I mean a real world shop, which isn’t a charity of course, competes with the virtual world on service - e.g. advice pre-sale and after sales. If neither of these is worth having, from the customer’s point of view, then what does the future hold??

I guess store managers are judged on their monthly sales, and slippage (e.g. goods shoplifted or damaged) come off that figure, as do customer returns, unless off-set by a credit from the supplier/manufacturer, who from these stories drags his feet at best.

I thought all this “we’ll send it back to the manufacturer’s” stuff from retailers was bogus anyway - your relationship is with the shop and only the shop.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
PH
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by PH »

The utility cyclist wrote:You've been inconvenienced and a it's not just a small inconvenience either, if this was a motorcar you'd be asking for a replacement in lieu at least, as others have said take matters further and don't be fobbed off.

Your timescale sounds perfectly reasonable, but just where do you take the complaint? The Which guide to the Consumer Rights Act says ;
You can escalate your complaint to the ombudsman providing you have given the company a reasonable amount of time – usually up to eight weeks – to resolve your problem.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights ... r-repaired

There doesn't seem to be any consistency, between or within retailers, I've had decent service from some with the poorest reputations, like Halfords. Then the worst from a LBS with a good reputation - stitching come undone on some winter boots after a few weeks, took them in, said they'd swap them with the wholesaler, chased it four weeks later and told the rep hadn't been in yet! Had to argue with the owner for a refund and never went in again.
mick skinner
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by mick skinner »

Some really good advice thanks everyone.

I think I'm going to call them today and ask for a replacement bike.
iandusud
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by iandusud »

As someone else has already said this sending it back to the manufacturer to see what they say is nonsense. If the goods are faulty it is the seller who supplied you with the goods who should deal with the problem, and it is for them to get any redress from their supplier. I ran a bike shop for ten years and always treated any faulty goods returned to me in this way. If the goods were faulty I would repair or replace as appropriate and return faulty goods to my supplier for credit or replacement. I don't understand the way some people run their businesses. If you want happy customers who will come back and recommend others to use your services then give them them proper service.
PH
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by PH »

mick skinner wrote:Some really good advice thanks everyone.

I think I'm going to call them today and ask for a replacement bike.

I think I'd do the same. If they say no, try and get that in writing and then take it up with the ombudsman.
Good luck
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Xilter
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by Xilter »

flat tyre wrote:I've had a couple of problems with items purchased from Evans. In each case they have told me that they have to return the item to the supplier to determine if it is a warranty claim rather than refund the money to me straight away or replace the item out of stock. I didn't view this as a very satisfactory response. So my experience is similar to the OP's, though in my case the items were of lower value, but clearly defective (cycling shorts and a Lezyne GPS tracker).


It’s frustrating but a side of me has to empathise with this response. When i was fitting tyres 2-3times a month I’d have someone come in shouting that their tyre was defective. It had a bulge or had blown out or developed delamination of the sidewalls. Customers always wanted a free tyre out of me. The company had put in place a ridgid policy in this circumstance. I may send the tyre back to the manufacture for them to investigate and if the product was faulty they would be reimbursed the cost ( less the wear the tyre had already endured ). My employer appreciated I didn’t have an X-ray machine to dissect the construction on a tyre and determined the fault. Although it was usually very obvious. It needed to be passed back up the food chain.

This did leave me in the awkward position of explaining that me sending the tyre back is all well and dandy but it can take up to 6 months for a verdict. If they want their vehicle mobile in the mean time, a new tyre will need to be purchased while they wait for a verdict and a cheque.

Of course this difference being over the ten years I did that. sending a tyre or two back each month. only ONE was ever honoured. And in fact it WASNT a customer complaint but something I had noticed doing something else on his car at which point he agreed to buy a new tyre and I insisted he let me send it back for him as I knew something was faulty.

In EVERY other case the tyre was driven low pressure, had hit a pot hole or curb. Had been thrashed/spin up. Had a puncture and no attempt to pull over was made until after the tyre had detonated leaving the car immobile. The list goes on. So I had to appreciate the company’s procedure of buy a new tyre and I’ll send the old one back, see how you get on because the stinking vast majority of the time people KNEW they hit something. But wanted to try their luck at getting somthing free for their lapse in concentration.
My poor poor bottom
brumster
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by brumster »

My experience with Bosch: Shop runs a diagnostic test on the suspect motor and emails a report to Bosch along with Proof of purchase. If Bosch agree the motor is faulty and a genuine warranty claim, a replacement is sent within a matter of days and the faulty one collected and returned to Bosch UK.
mick skinner
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Re: Poor service at Evans

Post by mick skinner »

The motor system is Shimano by the way. I chose a bike with Shimano because Shimano stuff has always been so reliable for me in the past.

I did ring Evans on Monday and the guy said that the bike will be ready this week. I mentioned that at this stage they should be offering me a replacement bike, so if my bike isn't ready by tomorrow I'll tell him that he could have ordered me a new bike on Monday and had it ready for me by now.

The problem was with the motor unit. They said that it was a problem that has never happened before so the UK supplier (Madison) doesn't stock motor units, so they had to send off to Japan for a new one. By now I'm thinking that that is nonsense and it's just lazy shop staff not being organised properly. The guy said they're going to sort me out a bit of good will compensation; I imagine it'll be about fifty pounds in Evans vouchers, I think it should be at least two hundred pounds of vouchers. Suffice to say, after I've spent the 'good will compensation' vouchers, I'm never buying anything from Evans again.

And to those of you who are saying this has been posted in the wrong section; it's up to the moderators, they could have moved it if they wanted and I wouldn't have been upset. I wish I had that much spare time as you.
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