Faulty wheel on bike-no refund offered

S

spud26

Registered User
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36
Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone could help me - bought a bike last weekend and realised when it was assembled that the back wheel is faulty, is totally bent and not safe to use.

Brought it back to the sports shop where I bought it, and explained that i would like a refund as it is faulty and the manager said he could do nothing, that they just supply the bikes but I would have to contact the manufacturer ( he said that this was stated on the box but I have thrown away the packaging )

I find it hard to understand that there was nothing the store could do except give me a UK phone number to ring. Just wondering are they correct or should I be entitled to a refund?

Many thanks for any help you can give.
 
Thank you cjh, that link is excellent. It states very clearly on that website that the consumer's contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer.
The shop manager was adamant today that he could do nothing, I will have to go back tomorrow and try again.

Thanks again.
 
Find a way to drop 'Small Claims Court' into conversation when you go back to the shop. Don't get all aggressive and threatening, but do let them know that you won't be fobbed off.

Did you buy the bike assembled, or was it a self-assembly thing?
 
A friend of mine printed out the section detailing the retailers/manufacturers responsibilities and took the printout into the shop and that did the trick for her!
 
Thanks Complainer and cjh, will try both of those. It was self-assemble Complainer, had to put on the saddle, front wheel and handlebars myself.

Have just found the packaging in the garage, my flatmate had put it in there as it didn't fit in bin. There is a sticker on it saying to contact the manufacturer and not the retailer if there is a problem with the bike (I hadn't noticed the sticker beofore). So I'm not sure where I stand now. Going to ring the manufacturer tomorrow and also will phone Consumer Association to see what they say.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
 
spud26 said:
Thanks Complainer and cjh, will try both of those. It was self-assemble Complainer, had to put on the saddle, front wheel and handlebars myself.

Have just found the packaging in the garage, my flatmate had put it in there as it didn't fit in bin. There is a sticker on it saying to contact the manufacturer and not the retailer if there is a problem with the bike (I hadn't noticed the sticker beofore). So I'm not sure where I stand now. Going to ring the manufacturer tomorrow and also will phone Consumer Association to see what they say.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
Click to expand...

The sticker is irrelevant unless it was brought to your attention before you agreed to buy the bike and/or you could have seen the notice on the box before the deal was made. That's why the 3G shops used to have a notice up by the till that if you were buying Apple computers you were to contact Apple in the event of problems and not them - unless it is made known to you before you buy, it is not part of the deal.

Your contract is with the retailer, and it's up to him to fix.
 
spud26 said:
It was self-assemble Complainer, had to put on the saddle, front wheel and handlebars myself.
Click to expand...
So you didn't assemble the back wheel, the one with the problem?

j26 said:
Your contract is with the retailer, and it's up to him to fix.
Click to expand...
While this is legally true, that's not to say that it is the fastest way to solve the problem. If the manufacturer has set up a service operation, it may be easy enough to use that service. You have nothing to lose by calling the manufacturer's line anyway.
 
As Complainer states, the fastest option may well be going direct to the Manufacturer. I would assume that the retailer in question is an old hand at passing the buck the damage could well have happened anywhere in transit or in the shop. Ultimately the retailer is responsible but can drag it out. That's customer service for you - once it leaves the shop - tough. If you end up in Small Claims you shoudl be entitled to claim your time in pursuit of this claim - anyone have success with this?
 
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