Potential Video Content for a Youtuber– Fighting for Consumer Rights with Giant E-Bike Battery Failure

[Gian]

an open letter

I wanted to share a frustrating experience with my Giant Reign E+ Pro e-bike that might be of interest for your channel, especially with a focus on consumer rights and the mountain biking community.

I purchased the bike in April 2021, and after just 1,070 km, the battery failed. Despite being a loyal Giant customer for over 30 years, I’ve faced significant challenges in getting the issue resolved. My local dealer confirmed the battery was dead, but since it was out of warranty, Giant initially refused to replace it and only offered a discounted replacement when I referenced the consumer rights act 2015 .

However, soon after replacing the battery, the charger also failed. This has resulted in weeks of frustrating back-and-forth emails, repeated trips to the dealer, and no clear resolution. I’ve been asked to explain basic usage of the charger, despite following all proper procedures and the shop confirming it was faulty.

What’s important here is that, under the Consumer Rights Act, I am entitled to have these repairs done even after the warranty period, as it's reasonable to expect a product as expensive as an e-bike battery to last longer than this. If I’m able to get this resolved under the Act, it’s something that should be known by the entire mountain biking community. Batteries are a huge expense, and riders deserve to know their rights when it comes to long-term durability and customer service.

I think this could be a great topic for a video, not only to highlight the struggle I've gone through but also to raise awareness about how riders can protect themselves under consumer laws when dealing with expensive components like e-bike batteries.

Thank you for considering this for your channel and I'd would be happy to discuss this further if you are interested.

Best regards,
G

 

[Doomanic]

Good luck finding someone…

 

[Paulquattro]

Welcome to the forum

It was an interesting read .

 

[Gian]

Good luck finding someone…

I hear you but I and you should bite any hand that denies you your consumer rights. Rise above for the greater good!

 

[Astro66]

Batteries are expensive and whilst I sympathise. If you expected a longer warranty. Then it would be best practice to choose a manufacturer who offers a longer warranty. The length of warranty is a large factor in the cost of a product, and is built into the price.

Many products offer extended warranties, that you can pay for. Perhaps this would be a better path in the future if you expected a longer warranty than what the manufacturer offered. I know my LBS offered me a longer warranty. But it was expensive.

What’s important here is that, under the Consumer Rights Act, I am entitled to have these repairs done even after the warranty period, as it's reasonable to expect a product as expensive as an e-bike battery to last longer than this.

The bike is 3.5 years old. Can you quote and provide a link to the part of the act that you are referring to ? Perhaps Third Party oversight, may have a different interpretation to you ?

And lastly. If you truly feel that your Consumer Rights have been breached. It would be best to take the matter to the appropriate legal recourse. We have an Ombudsman where I am from. I have used them successfully before. A Social Media story, if not reported exactly correctly, including how, and the environment the battery was used, could go against you if you chose legal recourse.

Best of Luck.

 

[whitymon]

Not an expert on UK law, but having a look at this Consumer Rights Act, Extended Warranties & Expired Warranties - claims.co.uk ™ yeah it seems they cannot refuse.

But humor me, they cannot refuse but they can do the following:
- no stock available, please wait
- bill you such a price that you will likely not follow the process.

Not gonna delved too much in stories there and there but the two case above are used by famous brand today. Some people out there are still waiting for parts, even at full price, for months.

Ebike even if as expensive as some used car are not under real regulation of having the parts for you. This becomes a thing in modern society when the repaires starts being handled by insurance company as they have tremendous power everywhere.

Good luck trying to solve this, honestly I would buy a charger to continue riding and keep fighting.

Do your own publicity on YT, Twitter etc. I am sorry but asking a YT channel to do it for you would make them pretty unpopular and banned from the say brand. In the end, they need also to eat, it is what it is.

NB: hope this is not a custom battery/charger ... if so lesson learned too!

 

[Gian]

Batteries are expensive and whilst I sympathise. If you expected a longer warranty. Then it would be best practice to choose a manufacturer who offers a longer warranty. The length of warranty is a large factor in the cost of a product, and is built into the price.

Many products offer extended warranties, that you can pay for. Perhaps this would be a better path in the future if you expected a longer warranty than what the manufacturer offered. I know my LBS offered me a longer warranty. But it was expensive.

The bike is 3.5 years old. Can you quote and provide a link to the part of the act that you are referring to ? Perhaps Third Party oversight, may have a different interpretation to you ?

And lastly. If you truly feel that your Consumer Rights have been breached. It would be best to take the matter to the appropriate legal recourse. We have an Ombudsman where I am from. I have used them successfully before. A Social Media story, if not reported exactly correctly, including how, and the environment the battery was used, could go against you if you chose legal recourse.

Best of Luck.

I am not expecting a longer a warranty. I am expecting my consumer rights to honoured. Dont fall into the trap of believing a 2 year warranty means you have no rights to repair of or replacement of goods that dont last a reasonable amount of time. This is what I want to make people aware of.

I am in dialogue with a well know global bike manufacture and only if we meet a deadlock at that point I can pursue legal action.

I believe this whole process is an opportunity for people to learn and I want to share this journey and protect the mountain bike community.

Consumer Rights Act 2015 - Explanatory Notes

www.legislation.gov.uk

Under the law of England and Wales and of Northern Ireland, claims for breach of contract are subject to a limitation period of six years from the date of the breach of contract, whereas in Scottish law the limitation period is five years. Because the protections provided under this Part of the Act operate on the basis of contract law, the consumer has 6 years (or 5 years in Scotland) within which they may pursue remedies for breach of one of the statutory rights. This does not mean that a consumer may seek a remedy under the Act for any fault arising in goods at any time in the six (or five) years following delivery, but only if one of the statutory rights is breached. The statutory right under section 9 (goods to be of satisfactory quality) will only be breached if goods are not of the standard which a reasonable person would consider to be satisfactory, taking into account circumstances including the price and any description given. This test of reasonableness is provided under section 9(2). For example, the statutory right may not be breached and so a consumer would not be able to obtain a remedy if, say, a very cheap kettle stopped working fully after four years, as a reasonable person might not expect a bottom of the range kettle to last that long.

thank you for sharing your perspectives, keep them coming

 

[whitymon]

What I am saying is that hey can burry you under delay, message etc but still saying we are on it.

I worked at a time in some similar ground where if a lambda was raising concern legal issue they would say, ok go for it. On the average it would take years, sometimes decade to proceed.

Going by law would cost you money, time, force you to stop using the battery and the charger as they would become proof of evidence. No respecting this would make void any case. Even if you could win, which is never a guarantee you would have lost so much ... maybe not even being refund by lawyer cost!

You can go by law, I would go by image and local instance. Where I am there is also some semi-gov instance to which you can report such thing, usually they act pretty fast but only once they start processing it which could also take month/years.

I would like to see this kind of law everywhere in EU but not sure anyway brands would comply before class action lawsuit.

Being right these days does not make it enough unfortunately, but I hear you.

 

[RustyIron]

I am expecting my consumer rights to honoured. Dont fall into the trap of believing a 2 year warranty means you have no rights to repair of or replacement of goods that dont last a reasonable amount of time. This is what I want to make people aware of.

You knew there was a two year warranty.
Now You want something different than the original agreement, so you want to litigate and whine about it online. That seems to be the way the world has gone. Boo hoo. Next time buy your bike from a company that will meet your expectations.

 

[Gian]

You knew there was a two year warranty.
Now You want something different than the original agreement, so you want to litigate and whine about it online. That seems to be the way the world has gone. Boo hoo. Next time buy your bike from a company that will meet your expectations.

Thank you for your response. I understand that the original agreement includes a two-year warranty, and I’m not disputing that. However, my concerns go beyond the warranty itself—I am hoping for a resolution that acknowledges the issues I’ve faced with the product. And through lessons learned I can share them with the mountain bike community so they can also benefit.

As a consumer, I and you have certain rights when it comes to product quality and durability, and I believe it’s important to address concerns when a product doesn't meet reasonable expectations. I’m not trying to 'whine' or 'litigate,' but rather to seek a fair and reasonable solution.

I would appreciate a more constructive dialogue on this matter.

 

[irie]

You knew there was a two year warranty.
Now You want something different than the original agreement, so you want to litigate and whine about it online. That seems to be the way the world has gone. Boo hoo. Next time buy your bike from a company that will meet your expectations.

I do not know what the law is in California (which I believe is your location) but in England consumer rights do not automatically cease after expiry of the warranty period. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives consumers the right to make claims for up to 6 years after product purchase.

Edit: In Scotland I believe this is 5 years after product purchase.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Is it just the battery charger that is now faulty? From reading above it seems they replaced the battery already?

 

[Gian]

Hi Rob, great question.

Giant initially rejected my request, but after I mentioned my consumer rights, they offered me a discount on a replacement battery. I went ahead and purchased the replacement, which was still very expensive. (small note, only ridden 1000km so although the bike is over 3 years old, actual use is very low) However, when I got home, I discovered that the charger was also faulty. My local dealer checked both the battery and the charger, confirming that the charger is indeed faulty. I've been waiting for over a week for a response from Giant, and if they continue to delay, I'll be escalating the case to Trading Standards to get it resolved properly.

I’d be keen to hear your thoughts on this!

Best,
Gian

 

[RustyIron]

I would appreciate a more constructive dialogue on this matter.

I don't think there is an expectation that batteries will perform indefinitely. Last week my tv didn't work and I had to replace the battery in the remote. Should I have sued LG?

If Giant warrants their batteries to last for at least two years, believe them. No white wigged wankers in Parliament can make laws that will make your battery last longer. They're not very good at such things.

I've read summarizations of the Consumer Rights Act, and don't see how it entitles you to new batteries and chargers. But I'm no barrister. If you want to make a video highlighting your struggle and how you used the Consumer Rights Act to correct this grievous injustice, you should by all means do so. When does your case go to trial? Will video cameras be allowed in the courtroom?

 

[whitymon]

The current talk is to honor or not the right to repair which is defined by law and has not the same length of the warranty at all. It has nothing to do with warranty length.

Example here in France and Europe too: In France as well as in Europe, you have a right to repair It does not mention obviously ebike as this is a niche market!

NB: but there is motor and electric charger which are what you are looking for. More over there The new ecodesign measures explained

So again in best scenario, post warranty, vendor or manufacturer (welcome ping/pong when this will happen), are oblige to offer a repair service.

Like I said in my previous post above, good luck for this stage.

 

[G-Sport]

I hope they get back to you soon. The charger really should last longer than 3-4 years especially as it sounds like you haven't used it that much. (though IF (?) the charger has lived in a cold wet Scottish shed that entire time that might go some way to explain it)
I do (potentially) have some sympathy with Giant on the battery itself though. Given the very low mileage you have done in the time you have owned the bike, I am guessing (?) that there were prolonged periods when the bike was not ridden (?) IF (?) the battery was left fully charged and/or very discharged during these periods (?) then it really wouldn't be very surprising that it failed so early on (in terms of distance). Especially if it was also left in a very cold shed for example.
We all want light batteries with great capacities and the only way to achieve this (currently) is with relatively sensitive cells that don't like being left in a low or high state of charge.
For future reference; if you are going to leave the bike for an extended period of time then try to leave the battery at between 60 and 80% state of charge and in a mild environment avoiding high and low temps.
Hope this is helpful.

 

[weiran]

Read the consumer rights act carefully. You’ll find they’ve already gone beyond it with their offer which they didn’t need to do. You have to prove the defect was present at time of manufacture, which given batteries are consumable and the charger worked for years is going to be very hard.

No YouTuber is going to fight this fight for you.

 

[Mikerb]

I have to say the fact that both battery and charger were faulty, coupled with the fact that the bike was only used to cover less than 700 miles .....but the warranty had expired......... so in 2 + years, maybe even 3 years? .........raises some red flags.

There is a reason why a lot of warranties are time based rather than usage based ( e.g number of charge cycles or miles ridden) since the manufacturer has no control over how the item was used or stored.
So the red flags are
Was the battery faulty, or did a faulty charger brick the battery? Seems a coincidence that both should prove faulty.
How was the bike/battery stored during what must have been extensive periods of no use?
How was the battery charger stored and how was it connected to mains supply. What exactly is wrong with the charger?
Is everything on the bike concerned standard?

As per most posts a bove no YT channel is going to promote your case not least because they could not possible know the full details of your claim.
You have accepted a reduced price battery replacement so essentially all that remains in terms of a case against the manufacturer is now a faulty charger. I assume that means the bike is not avaialble for use currently so my advice would be to save yourself time and money and just go buy a replacement.

 

[johnnystorm]

On one hand I can see the argument saying that the warranty lasts x years and after that tough. On the other hand a battery costing nigh on a grand should be expected to have a longer lifespan. The comparison with an LG telly remote is just daft.

The other argument against a failed battery being acceptable is how Giant boast about their batteries like they do here: Electric Bike Battery Technology | Giant Bicycles UK!

 

[Gian]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your input on my situation with the Giant e-bike. I’d like to address the points raised:

1. Fit for Purpose and Reasonable Length of Time: According to the Consumer Rights Act, goods must be fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time. This applies to my experience, where the battery and charger, both integral to the bike's functionality, failed within a few years. For more details, you can refer to the specific legislation here.
2. Battery Usage, Storage, and Charger Care: I followed the manufacturer’s instructions for use and care. When storing the battery for three months or more, I utilized the 60% charge function on the charger to ensure optimal condition. The bike and its components were stored indoors, protecting them from extreme weather conditions. The charger itself was kept in a dry place, away from direct sunlight and moisture. I have always been careful about how I connected it to the mains supply, ensuring it wasn’t subjected to surges or fluctuations and followed the manufactures instructions on use. A Giant retailer checked both the battery and charger and reported that both are faulty, but they provided no further information as to why. They also confirmed that there was no misuse of these items. Given that I adhered to the manufacturer’s guidelines for care and storage, it is concerning that both the battery and charger have experienced issues, especially considering the low mileage on the bike.
3. I've had experience with batteries through motocross, I spent a few years in technical support for a Global computer manufacture so I believe I have strong knowledge in diagnosing, using electronics and consumer rights.

The topic of an influencer not wating to share this story raises some very important questions. I want to clarify that I am not seeking a social influencer to fight my case in any way. Yes it would be nice if they could but thats not what is motivating me and I'd rather it didn't as such an interjection would dilute what I am trying to do here and would set the wrong precedence for other people in a similar situation. You should not have to have a negative PR event for a company to be nudged into replacing or repairing faulty bike part. Instead, I am asking if a social influencer would like to share my story so that others can benefit from my journey and be educated about their consumer rights. Id rather equip people with knowledge to fight their case within the boundaries of the law. If a social influencer does not want to share my story, because what I suspect is due to concerns about reduced income or free test bikes and products from companies that may not want to be associated with them, then consumers must question the information being provided by these influencers. What have they agreed to say or not to say? Silence can be worse than not speaking up! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

I hope this clarifies my position. I appreciate your thoughts, questions and suggestions, please keep them coming!

Best,
Gian

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

If a social influencer does not want to share my story, because what I suspect is due to concerns about reduced income or free test bikes and products from companies that may not want to be associated with them, then consumers must question the information being provided by these influencers. What have they agreed to say or not to say? Silence can be worse than not speaking up! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Hi,

Just because someone doesn’t pick up this topic to share your story doesn’t mean there’s something sinister at play, like you suggest!

It could be they have months worth of content already planned and a backlog of videos and content to make.

Picking up an individual warranty case is either simply not that interesting, or doesn’t add anything extra over the many topics already reported on consumer cases already made by various other media outlets.


As you have already come to a resolution to your battery case (you accepted a discounted replacement) then I see your options to sort your charger issue as:

1 - Pursue your case with a small claims filing after exhausting other options with the retailer
2 - Buy another charger at (looks like they are £119 here) Smart Charger Compact | Giant Bicycles UK

The reality is that your case isn’t really all that unique to the ebike industry. Most consumer retail in the UK will deal with it in a similar fashion.

Is it reasonable for an ebike charger to last more than you have experienced? Probably. If you want to then go ahead via small claims

Good luck and hope you get a satisfactory outcome.

 

[whitymon]

Content creator are not modern soldier available to us, no matter what people think we own nothing, they are just entertainers.

Picking a battle is not something people can lightly jump on. It need serious ground research/investigation. This is not because it is Internet that people can say whatever they want even if they think they are in their rights. The repercussion can be pretty bad at business and legal level.

This also require different kind of skill, investigation to do the things right, sometimes individual are really out of base (not saying this is the case here - just for the sake of the discussion), people should stay in their line if they are not competent, not expert on that field, nor willing to spend tons of money on such topic.

Just relaying message is never good as it become your own, this is what modern society does and it is a sick age as in few minute something is spread without fact checking, well all see what it does out there.

Let's make professional topic handled by professional, this is harsh but for the better in my opinion.

 

[Gian]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your thoughtful input on my situation with the Giant e-bike. I appreciate hearing different perspectives, and I’d like to address some of the points raised:

First, I want to extend my gratitude for the link provided; it’s an excellent resource and adds valuable context to this discussion.

I understand that my comments may have implied something sinister about why content creators may not be picking up my story, and I apologize if that was the case. It’s important to recognize that creators often have planned content and may not find individual warranty cases compelling. However, I would like to ask for clarification and I appreciate the sensitivity of the topic and want to tread carefully and with respect in mind: with that said, are there often agreements in place that dictate what content creators can and cannot say about brands?

Regarding my acceptance of the discounted replacement for the battery, I full heartedly regret paying for the new battery. I fell into the trap of believing that a small discount was better than fighting the battle to have it replaced under the Consumer Rights Act. My focus now is on the unresolved issue of the faulty charger. While I am considering options like small claims, I must exhaust the conversation with the manufacture before going down that route, it’s essential to keep these conversations going to ensure that other consumers are aware of potential issues they might face.

I also agree that many consumer issues are prevalent across various industries. While my case may not be unique, every story contributes to a larger conversation about consumer rights, which I believe is crucial.

Lastly, I acknowledge the valid point about the responsibilities of content creators in handling serious topics. It’s vital that these discussions are approached thoughtfully and responsibly. My goal is to shed light on consumer rights issues without misrepresenting facts, and I hope to engage in constructive conversations that benefit all consumers.

I appreciate your thoughts and welcome any further suggestions. Thank you!

Best,
Gian

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

However, I would like to ask for clarification and I appreciate the sensitivity of the topic and want to tread carefully and with respect in mind: with that said, are there often agreements in place that dictate what content creators can and cannot say about brands?

Never have I had any kind of agreement or conversation about this in any video / brand partnership with a bike company. In fact they rarely ask for anything at all, usually they just hand over the bike after talking through its features, and the first time they see the video/content is when it goes live on YouTube.

Other content creators may be different, but that’s how I work.

 

[G-Sport]

Thanks for clarifying that the battery and charger were (by the sounds of it very) well looked after. Given this extra information I think you are being treated pretty badly. We already pay a ludicrous price for batteries, often well over $1000/kWh when the cell retail price is typically under $200/kWh, and chargers being £100+ is very hard to understand. These high prices are partly down to all the proprietary connectors and standards that none of us actually want so it is doubly frustrating.
We do seem to hear quite a few complaints about Giant's customer service and they would be well advised to work on this I think. Having extensive experience in warranty and customer service in the bike industry I think it is a really good area to improve your brand image and build customer loyalty. You are probably already paying a significant amount for the new battery so chucking in a charger (which probably has a large profit margin) will be a minimal hit for them and might go a long way to increasing the chances of you being a customer again in the future (which is probably otherwise super unlikely). Especially as both the battery and charger are for a 3 year old model and will probably be obsolete stock that they soon can't sell anyway.

 

[RustyIron]

Was the battery faulty, or did a faulty charger brick the battery? Seems a coincidence that both should prove faulty.

My thoughts exactly.
While it's indeed possible that both components failed, it's not probable.
On the bright side, if he replaces the faulty charger, he might discover that he now has two functional batteries.

 

[mooby77]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your thoughtful input on my situation with the Giant e-bike. I appreciate hearing different perspectives, and I’d like to address some of the points raised:

First, I want to extend my gratitude for the link provided; it’s an excellent resource and adds valuable context to this discussion.

I understand that my comments may have implied something sinister about why content creators may not be picking up my story, and I apologize if that was the case. It’s important to recognize that creators often have planned content and may not find individual warranty cases compelling. However, I would like to ask for clarification and I appreciate the sensitivity of the topic and want to tread carefully and with respect in mind: with that said, are there often agreements in place that dictate what content creators can and cannot say about brands?

Regarding my acceptance of the discounted replacement for the battery, I full heartedly regret paying for the new battery. I fell into the trap of believing that a small discount was better than fighting the battle to have it replaced under the Consumer Rights Act. My focus now is on the unresolved issue of the faulty charger. While I am considering options like small claims, I must exhaust the conversation with the manufacture before going down that route, it’s essential to keep these conversations going to ensure that other consumers are aware of potential issues they might face.

I also agree that many consumer issues are prevalent across various industries. While my case may not be unique, every story contributes to a larger conversation about consumer rights, which I believe is crucial.

Lastly, I acknowledge the valid point about the responsibilities of content creators in handling serious topics. It’s vital that these discussions are approached thoughtfully and responsibly. My goal is to shed light on consumer rights issues without misrepresenting facts, and I hope to engage in constructive conversations that benefit all consumers.

I appreciate your thoughts and welcome any further suggestions. Thank you!

Best,
Gian

I would say get a life dude ( Harsh I know but not sure on your approach on this to the forum / Rob , it's a charger , they do fail as do all electicals , and it is a bummer , one assumes the charger is technically out of warranty if I understand ,if you really wanna ride your bike , get a new charger with a warranty from a reputable / local dealer , maybe different to the one you have used and take it on the chin.
As to small claims , I have used this a number of times with suppliers , always succesfully , even the mention of the interntion to go down that route is some times enough to get a resolution., you dont need to exhaust anything more, sounds like you have. already !
Use the fault diagnostic from your dealer as part of your claim supporting evidence etc.
For reference I have a Giant Trance X E2 PRO 2021 , technically out of warranty , but as I have a good relationship with my local dealer , when my controller and gateway failed , literally 3 months out of warranty , they managed to get good will from Giant and get them replaced FOC , it just depends on the customer / dealer/ Giant relationship in my opinion.

 

[Gian]

"Get a life, dude"? That’s quite a dismissive way to approach a serious topic. Yes, it's just an expensive charger and an expensive battery, but this isn’t merely about an electronic failure—it's about consumer rights and accountability. Just because you might be willing to throw your hands up and buy a new charger doesn't mean everyone else should accept a lack of quality and responsibility from the manufacturers.

If you assume the charger is out of warranty, then you’re missing the point: it shouldn't fail within a reasonable timeframe, and as consumers, we have the right to demand more. I’m not here just to "take it on the chin." I'm advocating for a principle that affects us all, especially when it comes to expensive products like e-bikes failing and manufacturers being quick to dismiss your claims.

Sure, you've had success with your local dealer and Giant, and that's great for you. But not everyone has the same experience or relationship. It is way too easy to say "just get a new charger," and this sounds like a luxury privileged belief if you can exercise this option with such ease! I’m here to shed light on the fact that not every consumer has that kind of luck and show them there is another way. I'd be more than happy to end the conversation if collectively people reading this do not want to hear more.

Could you clarify what specifically you find problematic about my approach? I’d appreciate understanding your perspective better and the opportunity to learn.

Thanks for your input, and I appreciate your reference to using diagnostics as supporting evidence; luckily, all diagnostic outcomes came from my local dealer.

 

[RustyIron]

I’m here to shed light on the fact that... there is another way.
I'd be more than happy to end the conversation if collectively people reading this do not want to hear more.

No! Don't leave!
I'd like to hear more about how "there is another way."
Please tell us more about how you leveraged the laws to force the manufacturer to replace your parts.
Now that you got all these new parts, is your bike running to your satisfaction?

 

[RustyMTB]

The entire premise of this is weird. You feel you have an issue in which a manufacturer is in breach of the law yet want a Youtuber to take up the case. Why not take legal action against Giant if you are confident of being in the right? You could open a civil case for a small sum & see the issue through that way. The only reasonable conclusion I can see for begging for a video is to attempt to publicly shame a company into action. No one is going to do this for you.

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