PLEASE HELP (CARRERA CROSSFIRE 2 FAULT)

[HastyPasty]

Hello,

I am in desperate need of some help or advice.

I am going to try and keep this as short as possible, but I will summarise and can forward you all of the comms between myself and halfords regarding this matter if you are interested?

At the beginning of last year I purchased an ebike from halfords.

After a couple of months of use, a fault developed where the electric motor would start making a loud humming noise, which would get louder and louder and eventually the power would cut and I would lose all power.

I have nearly been hit by a car twice due to this happening as when the power goes, due to the way the motor works, you can literally go from 15.5 mph (the legal electric bike speed limit) to only a few mph as the bike doesn't work like a normal bike and it's like peddling in 20th gear, so if this were to happen at a cross road, this could be fatal!

5 times I have brought my bike back to halfords to be repaired and and this seems to happen every 3 months and I was told by halfords that this is a common fault with this particular model, but st my most recent visit, a different technician tried to blame grit on the road for this fault occurring and and told me to wrap my bike in cling film?!

I asked to speak with a manager and she told me that I shouldn't ride my bike on the road as this is the worst place for me to ride my bike due to the grit.

I told her that these comments are ridiculous and that the previous technician advised me that this is a common fault and that their records of previous repairs would prove this.

But to my surprise she advised me that they do not keep a record of "these sorts" of repairs?

I find this highly suspicious and it seems to me that they are trying to cover this up, as when I went online ( bicycle forums and facebook page dedicated to this fault on the bike) and searched the particular model of e bike (carrera crossfire 2) I found that lots of other people have experienced the same thing and I honestly belive that it is just a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed due to this fault, nevermind the fact that I have spent £1,399.99 on a faulty product which is not fit for purpose.

I have raised countless complaint in store and over the phone and due to not getting any help or resolve, I decided to contact the the Hlafords CEO using LinkedIn last week and I have been going back and forth with their executive communicator to resolve this, but without any joy.

After having admitted that this is a common fault, they are now trying to blame me for this fault?!

This is serious matter and want to take this further but not sure how to proceed so I am wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar and has some advice for me.

Thank you very much.

 

[Nealh]

They are having a laugh , bikes are designed to be ridden on the road as that is what they are for.
I keep telling folks I know NEVER ever buy a bike from Halfrauds.

 

[saneagle]

Hello,

I am in desperate need of some help or advice.

I am going to try and keep this as short as possible, but I will summarise and can forward you all of the comms between myself and halfords regarding this matter if you are interested?

At the beginning of last year I purchased an ebike from halfords.

After a couple of months of use, a fault developed where the electric motor would start making a loud humming noise, which would get louder and louder and eventually the power would cut and I would lose all power.

I have nearly been hit by a car twice due to this happening as when the power goes, due to the way the motor works, you can literally go from 15.5 mph (the legal electric bike speed limit) to only a few mph as the bike doesn't work like a normal bike and it's like peddling in 20th gear, so if this were to happen at a cross road, this could be fatal!

5 times I have brought my bike back to halfords to be repaired and and this seems to happen every 3 months and I was told by halfords that this is a common fault with this particular model, but st my most recent visit, a different technician tried to blame grit on the road for this fault occurring and and told me to wrap my bike in cling film?!

I asked to speak with a manager and she told me that I shouldn't ride my bike on the road as this is the worst place for me to ride my bike due to the grit.

I told her that these comments are ridiculous and that the previous technician advised me that this is a common fault and that their records of previous repairs would prove this.

But to my surprise she advised me that they do not keep a record of "these sorts" of repairs?

I find this highly suspicious and it seems to me that they are trying to cover this up, as when I went online ( bicycle forums and facebook page dedicated to this fault on the bike) and searched the particular model of e bike (carrera crossfire 2) I found that lots of other people have experienced the same thing and I honestly belive that it is just a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed due to this fault, nevermind the fact that I have spent £1,399.99 on a faulty product which is not fit for purpose.

I have raised countless complaint in store and over the phone and due to not getting any help or resolve, I decided to contact the the Hlafords CEO using LinkedIn last week and I have been going back and forth with their executive communicator to resolve this, but without any joy.

After having admitted that this is a common fault, they are now trying to blame me for this fault?!

This is serious matter and want to take this further but not sure how to proceed so I am wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar and has some advice for me.

Thank you very much.

Contact Trading Standards. They'll sort it out for you. Keep your communication short. I bought a bike from Halfords. It has a systematic fault that makes the bike dangerous to use. They Know about the fault but won't do anything about it.

You should then provide links to all the evidence online about the fault and anything that you have from your communications with Halfords.

Go to Citizens Advice Bureau. They'll help you get your money back.They're always very good at sorting out things like this.

I must admit that I've not heard of that problem before, not the way you describe it anyway. We've had the odd motor make a grinding/rasping noise. That's when it loses sync with the controller. I don't think we've had it on this forum. Without seeing anything, I'd say that it could be a problem with the motor connector, so check that there isn't tension in the cable pulling it apart or that you're nit kicking it with your heel due to its bad positioning. Other than that, it could be water in the controller, but I think it's potted.

 

[sjpt]

Sadly the Crossfire is notorious for faults as you'll see searching back in this forum. There was some hope that updates in a newer model had improved things, but it appears not. The advice to go to Trading Standards and Citizen's advice is good. Good luck with getting this resolved.

 

[HastyPasty]

They are having a laugh , bikes are designed to be ridden on the road as that is what they are for.
I keep telling folks I know NEVER ever buy a bike form Halfrauds.

I agree, literally the most ridiculous thing which I have ever heard or been told, if I knew this is advance, I would never of purchased the bike, I was also told that using to go to work 4 times a day for 15 minute to and 15 minute journey from work to be excessive and that the bike was designed for leisure use!

 

[Nealh]

Making up the rules as they go along as they have no answer to the issues so are trying to fob you off and are losing money all the time on repairs and refunds, simply put the bike isn't fit for purpose if it can't be ridden all year round in any weather.

The rest of us who have non Halfrauds bikes don't have these fobbing off issues.

 

[Michael Price]

If the bike is less than a year old then take it back and tell them that it is faulty - they have had sufficient opportunities to repair it and you want your money back
Put this in writing

Any comments about not riding on the road as just laughable!
If they claim to not have a record of previous repairs then this is good for you as you have a better record - so if it end up in court or at Trading Standards then only your record can be put forward
I suspect a record of the repairs will magically appear if it gets official

I would also find the companies main complaints department and lodge a formal complaint - make sure it is clearly labelled as a complaint other wise it might just get treated as a moan - happened to me once because it did not have the word COMPLAINT at the start of the letter!

Good Luck

Oh and BTW - not all Halfrauds stores are rubbish for bike - seems like it depends on the staff - but some are awfull!!

 

[sjpt]

Oh and BTW - not all Halfrauds stores are rubbish for bike - seems like it depends on the staff - but some are awfull!!

Also, some of their bikes are reputedly pretty good as well.

 

[HastyPasty]

If the bike is less than a year old then take it back and tell them that it is faulty - they have had sufficient opportunities to repair it and you want your money back
Put this in writing

Any comments about not riding on the road as just laughable!
If they claim to not have a record of previous repairs then this is good for you as you have a better record - so if it end up in court or at Trading Standards then only your record can be put forward
I suspect a record of the repairs will magically appear if it gets official

I would also find the companies main complaints department and lodge a formal complaint - make sure it is clearly labelled as a complaint other wise it might just get treated as a moan - happened to me once because it did not have the word COMPLAINT at the start of the letter!

Good Luck

Oh and BTW - not all Halfrauds stores are rubbish for bike - seems like it depends on the staff - but some are awfull!!

Thank you for your advice. I definitely think that this will end up in court as they are not playing ball at all. I have spent hours upon hours logging complaints in store and over the phone, delivering and picking up my bike after it was supposedly repaired and also have spent hundreds on taxis as I did use the bike to commute back and forth from work. I'm truly shocked at the lack of empathy and resolve which I've been shown. They are acting like bully cow boys and I have contacted the sun and Martin lewis. I know that this is a long shot but I am.pretty sure that I am not the only one which has had this issue and all I wanted was to give that bike back and purchase a different, more reliable model from them.
I honestly believe that the bike is very dangerous and not fit for purpose and its a matter of time before somebody gets hurt do to this fault as I've nearly been hit twice whilst riding and the bike cutting out and the literally don't care!

 

[guerney]

5 times I have brought my bike back to halfords to be repaired and and this seems to happen every 3 months and I was told by halfords that this is a common fault with this particular model, but st my most recent visit, a different technician tried to blame grit on the road for this fault occurring and and told me to wrap my bike in cling film?!

Did the technician tell you to wrap your entire bike in cling film, or a particular part? If you don't manage to get your money back, perhaps someone here could advise how best to shield that part from grit (if this is actually the cause of the problem).

 

[Az.]

If not on road, then where this bike should be used? In the shed? Totally ridiculous.

 

[saneagle]

If not on road, then where this bike should be used? In the shed? Totally ridiculous.

Before judging, you need to see it from the mechanic's side. We only have one side of the story. When I was an ebike mechanic, someone brought in a Carerra Crossfire with a broken torque sensor to be fixed. I've never seen a bike in such a state. It was absolutely covered in that light brown dried salt that you get in the winter - a really thick coating. The salt had dried and jammed the seal between the fixed part with the torque sensor on and the moving chainwheel, so the force on the torque sensor broke the retaining lug. Yes, that design is poor, but an occasional wipe down or rinse with clean water could have prevented it. The overall impression that anybody would have got from the bike was of sheer negligence. If it didn't get that problem, it was going to get another sooner or later. No electric bikes are build for that type of environment and neglect.

That bike also had completely worn out rear brake pads so that the backing plates were grinding away the disc rotor, gears that didn't shift properly and a very rusty dry chain.

 

[HastyPasty]

Before judging, you need to see it from the mechanic's side. We only have one side of the story. When I was an ebike mechanic, someone brought in a Carerra Crossfire with a broken torque sensor to be fixed. I've never seen a bike in such a state. It was absolutely covered in that light brown dried salt that you get in the winter - a really thick coating. The salt had dried and jammed the seal between the fixed part with the torque sensor on and the moving chainwheel, so the force on the torque sensor broke the retaining lug. Yes, that design is poor, but an occasional wipe down or rinse with clean water could have prevented it. The overall impression that anybody would have got from the bike was of sheer negligence. If it didn't get that problem, it was going to get another sooner or later. No electric bikes are build for that type of environment and neglect.

That bike also had completely worn out rear brake pads so that the backing plates were grinding away the disc rotor, gears that didn't shift properly and a very rusty dry chain.

Hi, thank you for your imput. I completely get what your saying but this issue first start about 10 weeks from when I first started riding the bike and it's been the same issue roughly every 3 months. Every time I brought my bike in for repair, they said that nothing was wrong with my bike other than this "common fault" and that the bike was well maintained. I don't use the bike for other than travel to and from work in a town/city so only travel on roads. I avoid traveling in the rain as I don't want to get soaked before getting into work but of course I've been caught in the odd shower but as my work is only 15 minutes away, my bike has never been in the rain long. Of course things break, especially if not maintained properly but I've done everything which I have been told to, except for wrapping the back wheel part on cling film and avoid riding on roads. Surely if a bike has to be wrapped in cling firm for it to not breakdown, it is not fit for purpose. I accept fault that I should of done more research prior to purchasing this bike, but I have just put in for a section 75 claim, and if that fails I will be going to small claims court as I'm stuck with a bike which cost me £1400 which doesn't work, been advised to not ride on the road and has to be wrapped in clingfilm to apparently not break.

 

[saneagle]

Hi, thank you for your imput. I completely get what your saying but this issue first start about 10 weeks from when I first started riding the bike and it's been the same issue roughly every 3 months. Every time I brought my bike in for repair, they said that nothing was wrong with my bike other than this "common fault" and that the bike was well maintained. I don't use the bike for other than travel to and from work in a town/city so only travel on roads. I avoid traveling in the rain as I don't want to get soaked before getting into work but of course I've been caught in the odd shower but as my work is only 15 minutes away, my bike has never been in the rain long. Of course things break, especially if not maintained properly but I've done everything which I have been told to, except for wrapping the back wheel part on cling film and avoid riding on roads. Surely if a bike has to be wrapped in cling firm for it to not breakdown, it is not fit for purpose. I accept fault that I should of done more research prior to purchasing this bike, but I have just put in for a section 75 claim, and if that fails I will be going to small claims court as I'm stuck with a bike which cost me £1400 which doesn't work, been advised to not ride on the road and has to be wrapped in clingfilm to apparently not break.

IMHO, there are many flaws in that bike, and there are other problems that can affect any ebike. Surely, they'd only tell you to wrap it in clingfilm if you rode it in the rain? Were there indications of water ingress? Riding in the rain a lot can cause the torque sensor optical system to get dirty and malfunction. In that case, it needs cleaning from time to time, which involves dismantling the chainwheel assembly. Other than that, the control panel on any bike is vulnerable, so it's always wise to take precautions if riding in the wet. The motor connector on your bike should already have a cover on it. is it missing?

If you want to take the matter to court, you must make a final demand in writing. Say what the problem is and ask for a full refund by a date, say 10 days, and tell them if they don't pay up, you'll take the matter to further. The courts don't look on you so kindly if you don't do that first. There's also an arbitration service you can use and courts expect you to use that first these days:

Solve an ongoing consumer problem with a business seller

The steps you can take if you’ve approached a seller about a problem with a product or service and you’re not getting anywhere, including alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

 

[HastyPasty]

First and foremost, thank you for your reply. This is why I came here, just for some honest advice and help. I have gone backwards and forwards with them regarding this is via email and it turned quite sour, when they told me that the could confirm the repair dates of when they were carried out, but could not give me any info or paper work regarding exactly what work was carried out. I think that the clingfilm was to keep both water and grit out.

Thank you again for sending me the link and I will look into that into the morning and will follow yournadvuce regarding the demand letter.

I'm sure you have more important things to worry and think about but I will keep you all updated.

 

[guerney]

could not give me any info or paper work regarding exactly what work was carried out.

I'm wondering if submitting a Subject Access Request could compel Halfords to reveal all information they hold about you, which might perhaps include details about the repairs. The Information Comissioner's Office used to have standard SAR letters available to download, but this seems to have been replaced with an online tool.

Right of access

ico.org.uk

How to make a subject access request

ico.org.uk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_access_to_personal_data