LBS refusal to work on bikes they didn't sell?

[Hairsy]

I'm a very recent convert to eMTB - and I'm very happy with it! However, I'm now worried about motor maintenance, particularly software updates.

I'll explain ...

My path to buying was that I decided I wanted a Cube Reaction Pro. I then contacted all of the Cube dealers within 50 miles of me to try to buy a bike from them. Not all replied but many did. In all cases they had no stock and none could give me a delivery date. Most said that they estimated 4 months for delivery but couldn't guarantee it. They were all at the mercy of the manufacturer - I have no complaint there. But that leaves me without a bike.

Having exhausted the local dealers, I looked for a bike online and managed to find one in the right size. It was the only one I could find and it took me a long time to find. It was also a slightly higher spec than I was after and not my preferred colour - but I went for it because it was all that was available. And I'm delighted.

I generally do my own work on bikes - I have done for years. However, it appears that Bosch don't allow software updates outside their dealer network. I've now looked at the websites for my local bike stores and so far they all say that they will only work on e-bikes that they've sold themselves.

I understand the need to support local bike stores when purchasing - and I tried to do so. However it seems a bit short sighted to refuse to take a paying customer's money.

Is this something that others have found to be a problem? I'd be quite happy to carry out software updates myself if it were possible but I haven't found any suggestion that this is possible.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jackware]

Considering the amount of ebikes purchased online that's a very short sighted business plan.
I've never understood businesses that fail to understand the basic principle that they swap parts or services for people's money.

 

[Monkey Dog]

I travelled to Herts from Derbyshire to purchase a Scott with the Shimano motor. The store I purchased from told me "any Shimano dealer worth their salt should do any work needed". They said they didn't have a problem. Work means income.

 

[Mteam]

I bought my bosch ebike online from Germany (I'm in UK) , my local bosch dealer did the firmware update for me, but it cost 30 quid, I didn't mind paying seeing as it wasn't a warranty issue.

Then the kiox display failed, went back to the same local bosch dealer, and it was sorted quickly under warranty with no issue.

 

[KeithR]

I've now looked at the websites for my local bike stores and so far they all say that they will only work on e-bikes that they've sold themselves.

Are you sure that's the exact message?

Some will place restrictions on warranty work, but I'd be surprised if they would refuse to take on routine, paid-for maintenance work.

 

[Hairsy]

I bought my bosch ebike online from Germany (I'm in UK) , my local bosch dealer did the firmware update for me, but it cost 30 quid, I didn't mind paying seeing as it wasn't a warranty issue.

Then the kiox display failed, went back to the same local bosch dealer, and it was sorted quickly under warranty with no issue.

I'm hoping that this will be my experience when it comes to needing it. It's just that, currently, they're suggesting not!

For now I'll just enjoy the bike and then worry about the problem when it becomes one. Thank you for posting your experience.

 

[Monkey Dog]

Care to list a few who are "suggesting not"?

 

[Bigtuna00]

Are you sure that's the exact message?

Some will place restrictions on warranty work, but I'd be surprised if they would refuse to take on routine, paid-for maintenance work.

I question this as well. The message I have seen from several LBS's during COVID times is that they'll only work on bikes they've sold *because they are too busy*. It's just a way to try and reduce their overload. They have too much work already, so they aren't "losing" anything by turning some folks away. I suspect if you contact them directly they're not going to turn you down, it's just a tactic to control the flow...

 

[Hairsy]

Care to list a few who are "suggesting not"?

Given that I would like to form a relationship with them, I probably won't do myself any favours by naming names but this is taken from the website of my nearest dealer :

---------------------------------
Please note that due to our workshops being extremely busy, we only perform warranty work on E-Bikes we have sold.

If you have an issue with your E-Bike which you bought online from another dealer you will need to return it to that dealer.

----------------------------------

I may of course be successful if I spend more time searching - I was just rather surprised to find this sort of attitude.

 

[Hairsy]

I question this as well. The message I have seen from several LBS's during COVID times is that they'll only work on bikes they've sold *because they are too busy*. It's just a way to try and reduce their overload. They have too much work already, so they aren't "losing" anything by turning some folks away. I suspect if you contact them directly they're not going to turn you down, it's just a tactic to control the flow...

That does match with the sort of wording I've seen. As you say, perhaps it's a Covid problem.

I won't worry for now - thank you for the reassurance.

 

[Bigtuna00]

That does match with the sort of wording I've seen. As you say, perhaps it's a Covid problem.

I won't worry for now - thank you for the reassurance.

For extra reassurance: I took my Levo with motor failure to a shop that explicitly had the same wording on their website. I did not purchase the bike there. They sorted it no questions asked. Well, they asked for proof of purchase but that was it. Now, to be fair, this is Specialized. They're probably the best in the business in terms of taking care of customers so YMMV.

 

[Monkey Dog]

---------------------------------
Please note that due to our workshops being extremely busy, we only perform warranty work on E-Bikes we have sold.

If you have an issue with your E-Bike which you bought online from another dealer you will need to return it to that dealer.

----------------------------------

I may of course be successful if I spend more time searching - I was just rather surprised to find this sort of attitude.

I am surprised, but also not.

 

[KeithR]

---------------------------------
Please note that due to our workshops being extremely busy, we only perform warranty work on E-Bikes we have sold.

If you have an issue with your E-Bike which you bought online from another dealer you will need to return it to that dealer.

----------------------------------

Warranty work, as I suggested. Bet you a bag of chips that they'll happily do routine firmware updates etc. Might cost you a few quid, but that's how it is, sometimes.

 

[Hairsy]

Warranty work, as I suggested. Bet you a bag of chips that they'll happily do routine firmware updates etc. Might cost you a few quid, but that's how it is, sometimes.

I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't picked up on the fact that they are mentioning 'warranty'. And I certainly expect to pay for any software updates. Thank you.

 

[fenwick458]

I have noticed my local shops have signs up saying they are only working on their bikes, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
They are likely busy enough they don't need the extra work, and lets face it, it's not the high earning side of the job. I'm always amazed at how cheap their labour charge is for fitting parts

 

[rider400]

I'm a very recent convert to eMTB - and I'm very happy with it! However, I'm now worried about motor maintenance, particularly software updates.

I'll explain ...

My path to buying was that I decided I wanted a Cube Reaction Pro. I then contacted all of the Cube dealers within 50 miles of me to try to buy a bike from them. Not all replied but many did. In all cases they had no stock and none could give me a delivery date. Most said that they estimated 4 months for delivery but couldn't guarantee it. They were all at the mercy of the manufacturer - I have no complaint there. But that leaves me without a bike.

Having exhausted the local dealers, I looked for a bike online and managed to find one in the right size. It was the only one I could find and it took me a long time to find. It was also a slightly higher spec than I was after and not my preferred colour - but I went for it because it was all that was available. And I'm delighted.

I generally do my own work on bikes - I have done for years. However, it appears that Bosch don't allow software updates outside their dealer network. I've now looked at the websites for my local bike stores and so far they all say that they will only work on e-bikes that they've sold themselves.

I understand the need to support local bike stores when purchasing - and I tried to do so. However it seems a bit short sighted to refuse to take a paying customer's money.

Is this something that others have found to be a problem? I'd be quite happy to carry out software updates myself if it were possible but I haven't found any suggestion that this is possible.

Any thoughts?

Yes, my lbs is treating me the same way. Any warranty issues they recommend I call the shop that sold me the bike. To me it doesn't make sense. I really wanted to buy one of there demo bikes because I really like it. So, I ending finding one at a shop that was 4 hours away and the lbs said they wouldn't see any new models like I was looking at until 2022..?? That's a long time to be out of this emtb game. My thoughts were similar to yours, I have this bike that's as much as a used car and they should be happy to get another customer on there books. I guess not because every time I've been to their shop over the past 2 weeks they really give me the cold shoulder.

Anyways, I'm happy with my new bike and will just deal with the maintenance issues when they arise.

cheers.

 

[Voluptua]

It seems a poor strategy on the part of the manufacturers: to sell bikes in bulk to internet suppliers, and leave LBSs with waiting customers, and orders paced, to hang on. Over time the "buy online" trend, that is killing off so many other businesses, will take away the LBSs too.

 

[#lazy]

Some bike shops are bizarre but some like mine ( Ace Bycyles ) are spot on , I take it in for anything and just pay for parts no labour , but I always buy something as a thank you !

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Because I move about the country a lot, I don’t have a LBS. so wherever I am at the time of something needing doing I go by recommendations etc. I bought my Whyte from a shop 120 miles away from where I was working in the summer because that was the nearest shop that had one. I never took it back for its free service because of the distance. ( They never contacted me anyway) Instead I took it to a shop an hour away and had a service, Bosh motor upgrade and they re routed the gear cable.The service was more than just a quick check up, they went the extra mile. It cost me £80 for that but to me it was worth every penny. If I had bought the bike from them the Motor upgrade and first service and possibly cable re route would have have been free. They were a good bunch of guys and next year I will take the bike to them again because I am back in the same area for work.

 

[Elover]

I bought a bike at a shop up north, as they had my size, spec etc and offered the ride to work, through green commute.. But after nearly 2 years the bosch motor sounded noisy... Anyway, the original shop could have done the warranty, but over 100 quid to send the bike, i found a local bosch centre bike shop and they did the warranty and only charged 30 quid for the labour..i was very lucky. I can understand shops not wanting to do small jobs, i have my own retail business and its always a cost to me below a certain value. Ok, you may buy a bike from a helpful dealer in the future, but i think there is such little loyalty now as people just jump on line and find what they want at the cheapest price... I guess shops have the right to give the very best service to their own customers who have actually bought a bike from them. They also become liable for any faults i guess once they touch someones bike for updates.

 

[rider400]

I get the whole idea that if you didn't buy your bike from the lbs they don't have to be obligated to help you with your new bike that you purchased somewhere else, but my lbs told me the model I was looking for wouldn't be available until 2022. Reading the responses here on this thread, I'm hoping I'm not expected to apologize to the lbs because I went out and found a bike at another shop that's 4 hours away. After all they are a 'dealer' for the bike brand I bought. And, I've been buying bike related parts and accessories for over 20 years from this shop so I don't see how they feel they'd be losing money if they took on my warranty issues are service related to my new bike. Since I'm limited on how many lbs in my area, it's difficult to accept the cold shoulder when talking to them about warranty issues or any service related issues and being told that I should start with the shop I bought the bike from.

 

[KeithR]

A warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer, who will generally cover the costs incurred in satisfying the warranty; but UK law is clear that all cases - warranty or not - our relationship as a customer is with the retailer.

Some bike shops will do what they can to help honour a warranty even if they didn't sell the item, but there's no obligation on them to do so.

Consumer rights

Martin Lewis reveals your consumer rights, when can you return goods and when can you ask for a refund. Find out more on MoneySavingExpert.com.

www.moneysavingexpert.com

When returning items, beware shops trying the oldest trick in the book: saying they're not responsible for the shoddy goods and you must call the manufacturer. This is total nonsense!

If a company fobs you off by saying "go to the maker instead", it's wrong. It's the retailer's job to sort it.

It doesn't matter if it's an iPod from a high street shop or a designer frock from a department store. If something's broken, torn, ripped or faulty, the seller has a legal duty to put it right as your contract is with it.

No idea if it's the same in the US.

 

[thebarber]

Given that I would like to form a relationship with them, I probably won't do myself any favours by naming names but this is taken from the website of my nearest dealer :

---------------------------------
Please note that due to our workshops being extremely busy, we only perform warranty work on E-Bikes we have sold.

If you have an issue with your E-Bike which you bought online from another dealer you will need to return it to that dealer.

----------------------------------

I may of course be successful if I spend more time searching - I was just rather surprised to find this sort of attitude.

I guess it comes down to arses and seats and if they do have room im sure they'd fit you in.
I'm not doing any new customers leading up xmass as always busy.
Mabe buy a few things there first so as to get yer face seen.
Good luck anyway

 

[conman]

Reading this thread just reminded me to buy some Christmas beers for the guys at my LBS!

 

[skyhigh levo]

Specialized is as bad or worse as everyone else. Check out my post about creaking sound when pedaling. Took five weeks to get the motor swapped out and months to find the mistakes they made. I found my new motor has a problem and they wont even acknowledge it. Offered to send puctures and they decline to even look.

 

[CodyDog]

I'm not a bit surprised that an LBS will not want to work on ebikes other than what they sell or support. There are probably several reasons and the two that first come to mind our parts and warranty.

I look at it this way, you go into a French restaurant and order Mexican food. They are probably capable of making something close but that's not what they do. So why do riders get frustrated with an LBS that won't work with online ebikes?

 

[skyhigh levo]

I bought mine from a Specialized dealer, not online.

 

[Airpro]

Specialized is as bad or worse as everyone else. Check out my post about creaking sound when pedaling. Took five weeks to get the motor swapped out and months to find the mistakes they made. I found my new motor has a problem and they wont even acknowledge it. Offered to send puctures and they decline to even look.

IMO, you may consider finding another lbs..... We have some great spesh dealers in Boise, Idaho and Ridgeline bike and ski is the best. New Motors in stock, wiring harnesses, and everything that typically goes wrong with ebikes. They even stock batteries and offer rental batteries....Doesn’t matter where you bought it, they want to earn the business and that is a great opportunity, regardless of origin of the sale. We have purchased over 9 ebikes form them and countless others have purchased their too because of the service.

 

[Janc]

My local LBS did warranty work on a Shimano brake bought from CRC on a Commencal bought mail order. I pay them for their parts and labour, which are more than online shops because they have less turnover. Works for me and they seem happy to do work for me. I guess like everything, people are different.

 

[KeithR]

I bought mine from a Specialized dealer, not online.

Is "Specialized dealer" the same as "Specialized"?