I spent a total of about one hour looking for an electric bike. I wanted something that was more power assist than anything too zippy. I ended up going to a small shop that seemingly had many good reviews. The young salesman didn't seem to know much about cycle safety but was enthusiastic. I bought the bike with minimal sales pitch (I don't like hard sell stuff!)
I rode it about 3 times, taking great care of it because it wasn't inexpensive. I then was away for a month or so and when I came home, I took the bike our to ride and the throttle wasn't working. I had a look at the manual which, it turns out, was a few sheets printed from the internet. I followed the troubleshoot info and could not rectify the problem. I called the shop and they said to bring it in. When I got to the shop, they told me to leave it and they would look at it. I then got a phone call a couple of hours later telling me they had fixed the issue and it would cost me £50. I went in the next day to tell them there was no way I was paying. The sales assistant called the manager who told me I was an idiot who had clearly dropped the bike and that if I didn’t pay, they would call the police. I told him to call the police and left the shop. He then called me to tell me to come and collect the bike and not pay the charge but not come back if there was another issue. I told him I no longer wanted the bike and wanted a refund. He said no.
I reached out to some electric bike experts and they all pretty much told me the same thing, it was a common problem with cheap bikes. I then contacted the shop again, outlined my consumer rights and gave him 7 days to refund the money before I take legal action. They agreed to a refund but not before calling me all sorts of names!
I then went digging a little further and at least one other person had a similar issue to me.
Cowsham wrote: ↑28 Dec 2022, 1:50pm
OpheliaRaven wrote: ↑28 Dec 2022, 12:05pm
Hello, I'm Ophelia.
Have always loved cycling. I'm actually disabled and looking for support in cycling as a disabled person. Have posted about that in the health section.
Bought my first electric bike at the beginning of the year after trying one the year before. Made the mistake of buying too quickly and ended up taking it back after 3 months (long story)!
Currently living in London but moving to the Midlands in the Spring.
Can I hear the long version?