Haibike/Yamaha/Bikester ducking guarantee? - RESOLVED

[Snoozeboy]

Hello all

about 20 months ago I bought my wife a basic Haibike Emtb from online retailer Bikester. It has a Yamaha motor.

All has been fine, except it's just developed a clunking sound from the motor when going over any small bump.

I wrote to Haibike (edit: I meant Bikester) asking them the procedure for a claim under guarantee, expecting them to reply suggesting I take it to a local Yamaha dealer.

However, they replied asking if I've taken the bike to be professionally serviced since purchase. I've serviced the bike myself, tightening up, lubricating and cleaning/checking the transmission. I was under the impression that the motor is a non-serviceable unit. I didn't notice anywhere in their literature that professional service was a requirement of the warranty.

Am I wrong or are they just lining me up to duck the warranty?

 

[Mteam]

I'd get in touch with yamaha directly and see what they say about getting the clunk looked at, but if there is no mention in the user manual about having to have the motor serviced in order to maintain the warranty then it sounds like haibike are trying it on.

 

[JoeBlow]

My experience with Bikester was excellent. My Orbea arrived in tact but the dropper post seemed a little temperamental. I took it to my LBS who replaced the cable and charged me £65. Bikester asked me to mail a copy of the receipt and within a couple of days the full amount was payed into my account.

Al

 

[Snoozeboy]

Thanks for your replies.

JoeBlow, maybe your experience relates to a return, within 14/28/whatever days, whereas this is a warranty claim. The last thing bikester wants is to pay for more postage, so they react swiftly.

With me, they just seem to be kicking the can down the road and looking to avoid responsibility. Surely the warranty responsibility lies with the manufacturer anyway, so maybe they're just being thick.

 

[Mteam]

bit confused - in your first post you said you went to haibike, in your second you imply you went to bikester.

The legal responsibility (assuming you are the uk - I have no idea on consumer law elsewhere ) lies with the shop you bought it from (bikester), but the bike manufacturer (haibike) and the motor system manufacturer (yamaha) will have some kind of obligation to provide you with a warranty, the question is around the terms of that obligation. Time to start reading the small print and working out what your rights are under the terms of either one or both of the haibike and yamaha warranties.

You could try and force bikester to pick up the handling of the issue , but I suspect this will be more trouble than its worth, ie they may insist you send the bike back to them, and then you'll probably be without the bike for a long time.

Read up on the T&C's of yamaha and haibikes warranty - once you know whether you think you have a claim , then follow whichever manufacturers process you think you are best to follow to get a satisfactory outcome.

If you are 100% certain the issue is with the motor then I'd go direct to yamaha (assuming their warranty T&C's supported that course of action), if the issue may not actually be with the motor , eg maybe the motor mounts are loose, then you may be best off persuing haibike. But if its something like loose mounts then it may not be a warranty issue, and may just be the fact that the bike needs some maintenance (ie tighten up the mounts), which might be where haibike are coming from in asking you if it has been serviced.

I bought my bike from bikester - a few weeks after purchase the display failed, I contacted Bikester about it, and similar to joeblow they said take it to any bosch dealer and ask them to sort it out, if they charge you anything , then send the invoice on to us and we'll reimburse it up to £100. As it happens, I called my local bosch dealer and it was sorted without any charges to me (or bikester) under the bosch warranty.

Mine was a pretty clear cut case though - if yours will require some labour time to determine whether the fault is in the motor or somewhere else you may have a hard time getting that portion covered.

 

[KeithR]

The legal responsibility (assuming you are the uk...)

He's in Lausanne.

 

[Snoozeboy]

bit confused - in your first post you said you went to haibike, in your second you imply you went to bikester.

The legal responsibility (assuming you are the uk - I have no idea on consumer law elsewhere ) lies with the shop you bought it from (bikester), but the bike manufacturer (haibike) and the motor system manufacturer (yamaha) will have some kind of obligation to provide you with a warranty, the question is around the terms of that obligation. Time to start reading the small print and working out what your rights are under the terms of either one or both of the haibike and yamaha warranties.

You could try and force bikester to pick up the handling of the issue , but I suspect this will be more trouble than its worth, ie they may insist you send the bike back to them, and then you'll probably be without the bike for a long time.

Read up on the T&C's of yamaha and haibikes warranty - once you know whether you think you have a claim , then follow whichever manufacturers process you think you are best to follow to get a satisfactory outcome.

If you are 100% certain the issue is with the motor then I'd go direct to yamaha (assuming their warranty T&C's supported that course of action), if the issue may not actually be with the motor , eg maybe the motor mounts are loose, then you may be best off persuing haibike. But if its something like loose mounts then it may not be a warranty issue, and may just be the fact that the bike needs some maintenance (ie tighten up the mounts), which might be where haibike are coming from in asking you if it has been serviced.

I bought my bike from bikester - a few weeks after purchase the display failed, I contacted Bikester about it, and similar to joeblow they said take it to any bosch dealer and ask them to sort it out, if they charge you anything , then send the invoice on to us and we'll reimburse it up to £100. As it happens, I called my local bosch dealer and it was sorted without any charges to me (or bikester) under the bosch warranty.

Mine was a pretty clear cut case though - if yours will require some labour time to determine whether the fault is in the motor or somewhere else you may have a hard time getting that portion covered.

Thanks for the advice. When I said I went to Haibike, I meant Bikester. I have edited my original post.

I've booked the bike into an LBS (a Yamaha dealer) for Thursday. If it's something as simple as tightening up the mounts, then I'd be happy to cover the cost of that myself. However, if that were the case, I'd expect there to be some play between the cranks and the frame, which isn't the case. The rattling sound seems to come from within the motor.

 

[Doomanic]

Haibike Warranty for GB, other countries may be different.

Warranty

Read all about Haibike's warranty terms and instructions on how to make a claim.

www.haibike.com

Four things it says are pertinent here;
INCLUSIONS

Claims made via the original Haibike retailer, alternative Haibike retailer must be approved prior to work commencing.

EXCLUSIONS

Improper maintenance or zero maintenance.

Claims made by a non-Haibike retailer.

Labour charges of the retailer after year 1.

 

[Snoozeboy]

Haibike Warranty for GB, other countries may be different.

Warranty

Read all about Haibike's warranty terms and instructions on how to make a claim.

www.haibike.com

Four things it says are pertinent here;
INCLUSIONS

Claims made via the original Haibike retailer, alternative Haibike retailer must be approved prior to work commencing.

EXCLUSIONS

Improper maintenance or zero maintenance.

Claims made by a non-Haibike retailer.

Labour charges of the retailer after year 1.

I checked the bike back over. I found the cause of the rattle wasn't the motor. It was the stupid way my wife had attached the folding lock to the bike . At least the problem is solved. thanks for all your help.

 

[Jackware]

I checked the bike back over. I found the cause of the rattle wasn't the motor. It was the stupid way my wife had attached the folding lock to the bike . At least the problem is solved. thanks for all your help.

She says you told her to put it on that way