A great example of how online purchasing of MTB E-BIKE can be good for you and your local bike shop.

[Mazvol]

I recently posted about my Scott e-bike having problems with the motor not starting and how I was finding it hard work deciding which local bike shop to use and was feeling I was going to be without my bike for a long time and have a big bill to pay at the end of it, as wherever you take your bike the warranty and diagnostic have to, in my case be done by Bosch trained and approved retailers and a motor fail means returning it to Bosch before a replacement can be issued under warranty or bought.

Having had it for 13 months and it being an online purchase of a demo bike I thought it would be an expensive and difficult process to return it to the seller Rutland cycles as they are in Cambridgeshire and I am in Plymouth and at the time I thought the warranty was 12 months like most things these days.

I am writing this because what actually happened should provide some reassurance and advice to others who find themselves in a similar situation .

Firstly I took my bike to a Bosch UK recommended e-bike repair shop near to me , explained the problem and hoped that a software update of the Intuvia headset fixed the error 500 that I had.
Unfortunately the update did not fix the problem as the motor started turning itself on and off when being tested. But at least I had a diagnostic report and updated software.

Meanwhile Rutland cycles had seen my earlier post and one of the dedicated e-bike after sales team contacted me, to point out that all e-bike including ex demo have 2 year warranty. Because they sell over 2000 e-bike a year they have a lot of experienced trained bike technicians and they offered to liaise with the local bike shop to help find the fault which I thought was good.

They also gave me a second option which was to courier me a bike box, collect my bike , repair it whatever the problem was and return it all free of charge and under warranty.

This was the option I decided was best for me and went ahead to arrange it after speaking with the local shop first.

Also the local shop The Bike Cellar explained that to progress the repair and start wiring and component testing I would likely incur quite a few hours of labour charges and the shipping charges if the motor was returned to Bosch. As it was they said they would just charge me £15 for the update and diagnostic work so far done and be happy to look after my bike when the warranty expires which I thought was good of them.

So the lesson I learned is that buying online can save you money and if the retailer is anything like Rutland Cycles you will have no worries about getting it repaired under warranty and when the warranty ends I have a choice of continuing the bikes service with them as out of warranty carriage is £50 to collect and return plus repair costs or going to a good local shop.

Happy days

 

[Wander]

Ahem:-

Why not get the dealer you bought it from to repair it under warranty?

A good dealer 250 miles away would still sort out your problems.

 

[Gubbins]

There is a big difference between dealers like Rutland Cycles who are a chain of respected bike shops who have embraced modern selling by going on-line, and on-line only retailers who may not be so helpful.

 

[footpump]

mazvol having seen your post re exdemo 2016 ebike and bosch 500 error code, my bike bosch exdem purchased in may 2017 but 2016 model,
got me a bit worried as the bike has only covered 300 miles.
so I could have a moter problem but be out of warrenty.
so contacted seller and I have 2 years warrenty from may 2017 which is a relief.

also it seems error code 500 is fairly common mostly fixed by reset .
I have seen on rutland website , that as you mention the pick up and return option, which is good if you are far away and like me no car.

 

[Mazvol]

mazvol having seen your post re exdemo 2016 ebike and bosch 500 error code, my bike bosch exdem purchased in may 2017 but 2016 model,
got me a bit worried as the bike has only covered 300 miles.
so I could have a moter problem but be out of warrenty.
so contacted seller and I have 2 years warrenty from may 2017 which is a relief.

also it seems error code 500 is fairly common mostly fixed by reset .
I have seen on rutland website , that as you mention the pick up and return option, which is good if you are far away and like me no car.

Glad it put your mind at rest, the cost of repairs and where to go for them, is not always forefront in our minds when we purchase things. I am glad it happened now as I learned a lot and will know what to do in future.

 

[RobF]

I'm pleased the OP is sorted, but I fail to see how buying online is good for the local bike shop.

Not that it should be - the consumer has sovereignty and makes his or her choices.

Even if the OP had bought the bike from a local shop, the other local shops would have missed out, so as a consumer you can't look after everybody.

Repairs are bread and butter for most local bike shops, but the big money - hundreds of pounds of gross profit - has gone to the online retailer.

Fifteen quid to the bike shop for a diagnostic check pales in comparison.

 

[Woosh]

I'm pleased the OP is sorted, but I fail to see how buying online is good for the local bike shop.

I suspect we will never agree on this.
I believe buying online and have your bike looked after by your LBS is a great combination.

 

[RobF]

I suspect we will never agree on this.
I believe buying online and have your bike looked after by your LBS is a great combination.

As a - largely - online retailer it would be odd if you did agree.

I have no problem with anyone buying online and using the local bike shop for maintenance.

But please let's not pretend a consumer doing so is supporting the local shop as fully as they could.

The ebike market is evolving.

Not so many years ago, a consumer wanting a 'woosh type' bike didn't have the option of buying locally.

That option is now more widely available.

But that doesn't mean the consumer should take it.

 

[Woosh]

But please let's not pretend a consumer doing so is supporting the local shop as fully as they could.

why do you expect people to 'support the local shop as fully as they could'?
Is it so bad form to try to save £200-£400 on the upfront cost of a bike?

 

[Wander]

But please let's not pretend a consumer doing so is supporting the local shop as fully as they could.

But that doesn't mean the consumer should take it.

Agreed!

People seem to want the best of all worlds without thinking through the consequences.

Look at banks, how often do you hear people moaning about local branch closure? How often do we hear about the 'death of the high street'?

I'm not against online buying. I just think that we should go back to the online buyer for support / warranty work, not expect others to pick up the lower quality / lower profitable work.

 

[Woosh]

Look at banks, how often do you hear people moaning about local branch closure?

What's wrong with moving on with the new hi-tech online age?
You may know already that the taxman takes roughly 45% of any profit made by a UK company. Would you consider also the tax aspect of keeping unprofitable branches when virtually nobody will carry cash in a generation? And there are lots of cash machines if you still need cash.
Look at contactless payments. It is a security risk, and people use it more and more.

 

[Wander]

What's wrong with moving on with the new hi-tech online age?
You may know already that the taxman takes roughly 45% of any profit made by a UK company. Would you consider also the tax aspect of keeping unprofitable branches when virtually nobody will carry cash in a generation? And there are lots of cash machines if you still need cash.
Look at contactless payments. It is a security risk, and people use it more and more.

You're missing the point.

Nothing wrong with moving on etc.

Just don't moan about branch closure when it happens.

 

[Woosh]

Just don't moan about branch closure when it happens.

are we talking about closures of local bike shops? last year, apparently 10% of bikeshops closed. The number is high and uncomfortable but why is it up to the users to keep those unprofitable shops open?
I know some of my local shops where salesmen have little to do in the week except Saturdays through lack of customers walking through their doors. The sensible thing to do would be to offer to convert their bikes as a service but they seem to look down on this.

 

[Gubbins]

What's wrong with moving on with the new hi-tech online age?
You may know already that the taxman takes roughly 45% of any profit made by a UK company. Would you consider also the tax aspect of keeping unprofitable branches when virtually nobody will carry cash in a generation?
Look at contactless payments. It is a security risk, and people use it more and more.

Perhaps it's an age thing! I would find it hard to step away from visiting a bike shop, talking to the staff and trying a bike. I bought 2 bikes from one shop and 3 from another and I really liked the service I received, I like the way they address me by my name when i walk in the shop and nothing is too much trouble with fixing an issue being just a bike ride away. If I were to try a bike out at LBS and then buy it on line I would be too embarassed to take it in for a repair....
So is it an age thing? Am i a dinasour? Are my values old fashioned and out of date?

 

[RobF]

why do you expect people to 'support the local shop as fully as they could'?
Is it so bad form to try to save £200-£400 on the upfront cost of a bike?

I do not expect people to 'support ebikes as fully as they should'.

As I've said several times, the consumer has a choice to make.

All I'm asking for is a bit of realism, a local shop loses out when an online purchase is made.

I've bought bikes online (one), locally, and from further afield.

My online purchase was the Rose/Bosch bike.

Not much choice at the time, there were no similar bikes in shops locally.

That's now changed, although I would have to travel a few miles to find a quality crank drive trekking bike.

Budget Chinese ebikes are now stocked by most bike shops around here, so the buyer of such a bike has less need to go online.

Which ought to be a concern for brands such as yours, although you still offer a greater choice of around £1,000 ebikes than any shop I've seen.

 

[Woosh]

Perhaps it's an age thing! I would find it hard to step away from visiting a bike shop, talking to the staff and trying a bike. I bought 2 bikes from one shop and 3 from another and I really liked the service I received, I like the way they address me by my name when i walk in the shop and nothing is too much trouble with fixing an issue being just a bike ride away. If I were to try a bike out at LBS and then buy it on line I would be too embarassed to take it in for a repair....
So is it an age thing? Am i a dinasour? Are my values old fashioned and out of date?

We talk regularly with local bike shops, as a few of our customers live alone or too weak to take the bike out of its carton. The bike shop then sends somebody over. They take the bike out, set it up and check it for a small fee then continue to look after the customers.
There is no conflict of interest.

 

[Wander]

are we talking about closures of local bike shops? last year, apparently 10% of bikeshops closed. The number is high and uncomfortable but why is it up to the users to keep those unprofitable shops open?

Okay you win ...... the 'missing the point prize' that is.

It's not up to the users to keep unprofitable shops open. It's just when they close don't moan about it!

 

[Woosh]

Which ought to be a concern for brands such as yours, although you still offer a greater choice of around £1,000 ebikes than any shop I've seen.

Yes and no, Rob. I have thought about selling through the bike shops many times but to me, it is just too risky to do so. Just imagine the mess if anti dumping is put on Chinese e-bikes. I much prefer keeping a bit of headroom on price through the turbulent time.

 

[RobF]

Yes and no, Rob. I have thought about selling through the bike shops many times but to me, it is just too risky to do so. Just imagine the mess if anti dumping is put on Chinese e-bikes. I much prefer keeping a bit of headroom on price through the turbulent time.

It's a business decision that you as the entrepreneur has to take.

There is no right or wrong, you take the risk and gather the reward - or otherwise - that flows from your decision.

Ebike sales seem to be rising slowly, and I suspect we all support consumer choice.

Hopefully there will be room to make a living for shops large and small, online sellers, and those who do a mixure of the two.

 

[GLJoe]

I suspect we will never agree on this.
I believe buying online and have your bike looked after by your LBS is a great combination.

Interestingly, I was watching a GMBN video the other day where they were discussing buying bikes directly on line (IIRC, they were being called out on often seeming to like/recommend Canyon (direct sales only) while in the next breath saying 'support your LBS').
They also took the view of buying on line and getting the LBS to service your bike was great for ALL involved.