Slight concern over Kalkhoff / 50cycles / Focus posts

[Walklikegump]

Right.
After deliberating for a while, I got down to two eMTBs. A 50Cycles supplied Focus Jarifa 29R 5.0 or a Haibike Hardseven. Both were about the same cost and with local dealers. 50Cycles put a short offer on thier site so I could get a 4.0 for the price of a 5.0 so promptly ordered one. ( delivery not confirmed yet but possibly this week). Since then I have read posts about courier company woes, 50cycles customer service, batteries being bad etc.
This leaves me a bit worried, did I make a big mistake?

The questions in my head are :

Is the customer service going to be OK?
Is there a problem with the new batteries and will I be bikeless for a few weeks?
Are the Focus bikes likely to be as the Kalkhoff bikes ( problem wise)

As I am the only person in the country buying this size of this model this year, if anything did go wrong, would all the parts be available?

I am seriously considering cancelling my order.
Does anyone have any advice?
Cheers
Walklikegump

 

[flecc]

For every long established supplier, you will find some examples of negative experiences posted by members, and 50cycles are no exception. With the best will in the world, any supplier will get things wrong on odd occasions, given the wide range of error possibilities.

For the most part 50cycles customers experiences are positive and my own past experiences of them as a customer have been excellent.

They are one of the longest established suppliers in this business, selling e-bikes in Britain since about 2002, so they must have been doing things mostly right throughout that time or they wouldn't still be in business.

Overall I'd say don't worry, no matter how much care you take, the only way you can avoid any chance of a problem with any product, subsequent service or connected courier problems is never to buy anything.
.

 

[flatbat]

Right.
After deliberating for a while, I got down to two eMTBs. A 50Cycles supplied Focus Jarifa 29R 5.0 or a Haibike Hardseven. Both were about the same cost and with local dealers. 50Cycles put a short offer on thier site so I could get a 4.0 for the price of a 5.0 so promptly ordered one. ( delivery not confirmed yet but possibly this week). Since then I have read posts about courier company woes, 50cycles customer service, batteries being bad etc.
This leaves me a bit worried, did I make a big mistake?

The questions in my head are :

Is the customer service going to be OK?
Is there a problem with the new batteries and will I be bikeless for a few weeks?
Are the Focus bikes likely to be as the Kalkhoff bikes ( problem wise)

As I am the only person in the country buying this size of this model this year, if anything did go wrong, would all the parts be available?

I am seriously considering cancelling my order.
Does anyone have any advice?
Cheers
Walklikegump

I have purchased two pedelecs from 50 Cycles. Both were supplied rapidly and with zero defects. Parts were supplied after 18 months under guarantee (minor issue with pedals) and also for damage by a thief. Advice on the phone has also been easily obtained. Customer service to me is excellent and I have recommended them to two friends who have also purchased Kakhoffs with the same favourable experience.

 

[Kuorider]

Problems seem to be mounting with this company, best to play safe.The issue with their so called no quibble guarantee would put me right off. Lots of other suppliers around. The Distance Selling Regs give you the absolute right to cancel this and get a full refund. Do not settle for less or accept any quibbling. They may well have supplied lots of bikes but not everyone with a problem finds this site or even feels able to write about their issues .

 

[RobF]

Going back to the bike for a moment, a big attraction for me of a Focus would be the bigger 17ah battery.

However, the one you are having has 11ah, so I assume that suits you.

I've briefly tried the other bike on your short list, the Yamaha Hardseven.

I liked it, it has the same size battery and similar quality components, so I reckon it will perform broadly the same as the Focus.

Given your reasonable concerns about the retailer of the Focus, it seems obvious to me what your best course of action should be.

 

[flecc]

The Distance Selling Regs give you the absolute right to cancel this and get a full refund.

The Distance Selling Regulations no longer apply in UK law. As of 13 June 2014 the new Consumer Contracts Regulations - which implement the Consumer Rights Directive in UK law - apply to all purchases you make at a distance.
.

 

[RobF]

The OP says both bikes are 'with local dealers'.

Seems likely he's buying in person.

 

[Kuorider]

Good point Flecc thanks for pointing this out. The new regs do seem to give more rights particularly the 14 day refund bit .

 

[Walklikegump]

Thanks for all the responses. I actually paid a deposit on credit/debit card over the phone and financed the rest as it was 0%. The consumer contracts regs may still apply.

 

[JohnCade]

In my experience if you start out looking for problems with a company you will find lots of bad reviews. It’s human nature to only post a review when you are unhappy, and far more people do that than post them when they’re happy. Amazon is an exception in this as it’s very easy to review things bought there, and people tend to post good reviews as well as bad.

I’ve had problems with two bikes from different dealers and the problems have been resolved without fuss. Both times batteries, and once with 50 Cycles who got me a new one quite quickly. Incidentally 50 Cycles allows the warranty to be transferred to a new owner if you sell it on which few other dealers allow.

As far as sending stuff back within the regs. I don’t believe you can just use something and then ask for a refund. The item has to be in the same condition as when it was sent to you, and in some cases it has to be in the original wrapping. If you could do that then Moss Bros would go out of business. Because you could just buy a morning coat for a wedding, wear it on the day, and then send it back and get a full refund.

 

[soundwave]

you can get a full refund if the bike has not been ridden and all the packaging is in tact.

tho if you have ridden it then you will only get back 60% of what you paid for the bike. depending on the dealers t and c.

 

[JohnCade]

Yes. It is unreasonable to expect to be able to just send things back on a whim and get a full refund unless there is something seriously wrong with it. Amazon allows it, but that is their customer policy and it works for them. They don’t have to.

 

[EddiePJ]

Personally I wouldn't worry. They have been trading for 12 years, and would have fallen by the way side a very long time ago had the service not been any good.

Batteries can be an issue what ever the make. I had two duff ones on the BH and I have had two duff batteries on the current Bosch powered bike. I moaned about the BH ones, because it took three months to get a replacement, the replacement went awol and was delivered some 25 miles away (sound familiar)
Up until now, I've not mentioned the Bosch batteries, as there has been no point. Replacement was by turn around, although Bosch did try to wriggle out of the second one.
What you aren't hearing and reading about, are the hundreds/thousands of happy 50 cycles customers. We all moan, but never give thanks when things go well. Just be excited about the thought that a new bike is on it's way, and enjoy it.

 

[Walklikegump]

Thanks. If I did decide to cancel then it wouldn't be after using it. As far as I know it's still in a container somewhere between Germany and Loughborough. Still some good interesting and valid points being made. The service I have received so far has been very good with the sales guy being pretty honest about the specs etc. The real test of a company / person / organisation is how they handle things when they go wrong.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You're just suffering from nerves after parting with a fair chunk of money. When it comes, you'll be very happy with the bike and you'll end up being one of the guys on here that sings the praises of 50 cycles. Enjoy your new bike.

 

[Wander]

Thanks for all the responses. I actually paid a deposit on credit/debit card over the phone and financed the rest as it was 0%. The consumer contracts regs may still apply.

I would check the terms of your finance agreement on this one. You may find that your contract is with the finance company rather than the supplier of the bike.

But you are only wavering based on forum posts. As has been said why worry about problems when they haven't even cropped up for you yet?

 

[One_Box]

As someone who is actually waiting for a replacement battery from 50Cycles for my Kalkoff let me tell you my experience : -

• I was given a loan battery from a demonstrator at the Bristol branch as soon as my original was found to be defective.
• There was no suggestion that this was a replacement just a loan until a new battery became available. It has enabled me to keep my bike on the road.
• I have been kept fully appraised of progress by 50Cycles ( 2 phone calls this week ).
• Kalkoff have actually taken a battery off their production line with the correct graphics and are forwarding it to the U.K.
• It should be in the Bristol branch by Saturday.

My experience with the customer service from 50Cycles has been wholly positive, you have nothing to fear.

As others have said, enjoy your bike when it comes

 

[SteveRuss]

You're just suffering from nerves after parting with a fair chunk of money. When it comes, you'll be very happy with the bike and you'll end up being one of the guys on here that sings the praises of 50 cycles. Enjoy your new bike.

Yeah. I wouldn't stress about it. My experiences with 50 cycles have been good. I'd have virtually no reservations about recommending them.

 

[Walklikegump]

I think you guys are right . It's just nerves. The company is only 11 miles away and so far have been very good so best to go ahead and start to enjoy !
The only problem is that I am away for a surprise dirty long weekend somewhere foreign , then next weekend camping with the worlds foremost Adventure motorbikers , then taking by 171cc Scooter to Portugal for 12 days of 55mph touring and then a week with family in the hills in Wales so I have no time to collect or use the Jarifa
My social calender isnt this full normally ( or ever) but I turn 50 in a few weeks and am burning it at both ends.

Every evening is being used to prep my scooter ( 4yrs old and only a £600 more than this eBike ) so am expecting 1 evening to get the bike home and caress the curves etc , and then a couple of rides before leaving it for a month while I gallivant .

Thanks for all your input .
Wakelikegump

 

[oldtom]

I am seriously considering cancelling my order.
Does anyone have any advice?

If I were new to the electric bike scene and wanted to ensure I purchased from a solid company offering a good range of bikes backed by great warranty provisions, 50Cycles would be right at the top of my list. They wouldn't be the only contender for my business by any means but others would be measured against them.

As I have mentioned previously in other threads, the bike market in the UK remains very much a cottage industry and there have been several sellers that have come and gone over the last decade or so. 50Cycles has been around for the duration and may be the biggest single-brand seller in the market, (I'm presuming the Focus MTBs are from the same group as Kalkhoff, although I stand to be corrected on that).

Although 50Cycles/Kalkhoff has had a bad press in some recent threads in this forum, when a company sells more bikes than many of the competitors put together, the few rogue examples that occur in every brand are magnified hugely through these pages. In the car industry, no maker is free from the odd troublesome example, all the perceived top marques having had their reputations tarnished at some point. The real worth of a company is how they deal with such situations.

In summary, if I were investing a couple of grand in a new EAPC and placed reliability and quality alongside solid warranty at the top of my list of requirements, 50Cycles, as I said at the outset, would most definitely be right at the top of my list regardless of the few complainants we have heard from in these pages.

Tom