halfords vs bikehut

clodhoppa74

hope this is the right forum for this... and yes, i now know why people tell you about some of the halfords branches...

i bought a saracen mantis from halfords 5 months ago. supposedly £340 worth of bike, for which i paid £200. that's kinda what i had to spend. in the five months it's had loads done, to fix breaking parts/components. new handlebar stem, 2 x crank arms (the same one), i had to buy new shifters and rear deraileur from an local dealer who fitted them for me (because halfords said they couldn't do it for 2 weeks), new v breaks, a couple of cables.

i've kind of had enough. i would have thought that a £340 bike wouldn't need that much attention. i know maintenance is important, and i keep it cleaned and grease free and oiled/lubed, but it's been off the road as much as it's been on, what with finding time to get to bike shops every other weekend. i know that parts wear, but even though i used it to commute, it was towpath and road business.

so, i took it back to halfords. it's well within it's warranty, and when i walked into bike hut, the lad there visibly srunk and asked what was up with it this time? when i told him i wanted to exchange it he was cool about it. i said i'd even buy off them to replace it rather than demand a refund. he said he's tell the manager to change the bike as bikehut have seen as much of the bike as i have.

manager rings me today and tells me there's not a chance they'll exchange it. they'll do a safety check on it. he said it looked fine to him, and as it had been ridden they wouldn't take it back. and, even though bike hut told me it was fine to replace the parts myself, he's now saying that's invalidated the warranty. it's also got some scratches on it from when the front mech went and the shifter jammed, sending the chain between the cog and the chain, sending me over a limestone paving on ingleborough, head first.

so, bike hut are all nice and understanding, halfords are being difficult as they can.

do i have a leg to stand on? because i have lost confidence in the bike completely, and there's no way i can afford another one in the next 12 months.

supersonic

Can you elaborate more on the damage, and how it occured? It is rare for shifters to die. Also the cranks - did they fall off, bend?

BikeHut tend to have better staff than standard Halfords. I get the impression they are telling you that you are to blame for the damage, which is why we need to clarify a few points.

Of course we have chatted about this in the other thread lol, so I know the background, but as much info as you can tell us then we can hopefully help but you in the best possible place.

About replacing parts from other places: should not invalidate the warranty concerned with the rest of the bike if the parts are fitted properly. However Halfords have no obligation to replace the new parts or refund the old ones.

.blitz

A few key facts on what the Sale Of Goods Act has to say about faulty goods:

• Wherever goods are bought they must "conform to contract". This means they must be as described, fit for purpose and of satisfactory quality (i.e. not inherently faulty at the time of sale).

• Goods are of satisfactory quality if they reach the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking into account the price and any description.

• Aspects of quality include fitness for purpose, freedom from minor defects, appearance and finish, durability and safety.

• It is the seller, not the manufacturer, who is responsible if goods do not conform to contract.

• If goods do not conform to contract at the time of sale, purchasers can request their money back "within a reasonable time". (This is not defined and will depend on circumstances)

• For up to six years after purchase (five years from discovery in Scotland) purchasers can demand damages (which a court would equate to the cost of a repair or replacement).

• A purchaser who is a consumer, i.e. is not buying in the course of a business, can alternatively request a repair or replacement.

• If repair and replacement are not possible or too costly, then the consumer can seek a partial refund, if they have had some benefit from the goods, or a full refund if the fault/s have meant they have enjoyed no benefit

• In general, the onus is on all purchasers to prove the goods did not conform to contract (e.g. was inherently faulty) and should have reasonably lasted until this point in time (i.e. perishable goods do not last for six years).

• If a consumer chooses to request a repair or replacement, then for the first six months after purchase it will be for the retailer to prove the goods did conform to contract (e.g. were not inherently faulty)

• After six months and until the end of the six years, it is for the consumer to prove the lack of conformity.

Goods sold by traders should be of satisfactory quality. If they aren't, the seller is obliged to 'put matters right' and, if necessary an aggrieved consumer may seek recourse via the small claims court.

The 'within reasonable time' bit is always a bone of contention but if you have proof of all the repairs you've had done, it will help your case.

Write a polite letter to the manager explaining the situation and what you want them to do. Make sure you provide a reasonable time frame (two weeks max) for them to reply. If they are not forthcoming, take your case to the local trading standards and/or the small claims court.

Good luck.

clodhoppa74

on the stem two of the bolts sheared leavin me somewhat dangling, this was in the first week. in the second week the pedal worked it's way out of the crank arm, mashing the thread, so had that replaced, and now it's gone again. it seems those crank arms can't take a change in pedal, as the bearings went an i had to replace them.

i don't know what happened to the shifter, i went to go from middle to small cog, lever jammed and chain went between cog and frame, there was light scratch damage to the crank arms and the handlebars when it threw me.

i got aire valley cycles to sort me a new pair of shifters, but had to buy a new derailleur as the shifters they had weren't compatible with my sram. also because bike hut had a 2 week waiting list to fix the problem.

i've had to have the wheels re trued, new v-brakes, new tyres. i know some of these fall under general wear and tear, the tyres were soft compound, the brakes weren't fantastic anyway... but my worry is this is 5 months of reasonably regular use of a 20 mile a day commute along towpaths and roads, and the odd weekend jaunt.

the lad in bikehut was great, he said he worked there part time and he'd seen me about 5 times, and that he didn't see the problem with replacing it. i've taken it in with the pedal hanging off for the second time. it seems that bikehut understand that it's wrong for a bike at this price point to be needing this much attention. it's not like i bought a full suss apollo for £80 and tackled the alps.

the halfords manager said, as it's been used, they can't accept a return. what was i supposed to do on it? i haven't done anything the stickers that were all over the components told me not to.

clodhoppa74

oh, and i should point out that the manager said it looked fine, when one of the pedals is mashed into the crank arm at an odd angle...

and thanks for that blitz, i may print that.

supersonic

First off the Halfords manager is wrong: you are not returning it because it is the wrong size and have used it, you are returning it because you feel it is not fit for use (and if this is upheld, or proven, then they have no choice but to accept it back and remedy the situation). As Blitz says, time periods come into this, and they may still be allowed to offer replacement parts. I would certainly ask for compensation if it is deemed that the bike is at fault.

Wheels needing trued, and tyres is wear and tear unless the wheel was not built correctly. Brake blocks too. At 100 miles per week, in 5 months that is 2200 miles, easy enough to wear parts!

Seems very likely the crank arms could be faulty. Though when correctly torqued they should not fall out. I would say the pedals were faulty and so was the stem. Looking like the shifter was too: but chain falling down is usually incorrect set up.

I think I would ask them to remedy the parts: fit a better crank, ask about them torqueing it correctly. Make it very apparent that you are not happy with 2 week turnarounds, and that fitting your own parts does not affect the warranty of other parts. I would also make clear this is the last chance to get it right, or you will seek a full refund. I'd also ask for some compensation for your time and delays.

passout

They have a duty to sell you non-faulty goods. Unless you are snapping things from crashes, jumps, tricks or mis-use then I'd be asking for replacement bits.

clodhoppa74

some kind of result!

first off, halfords agreed to upgrade the cranks, but fitted a direct replacement as it would take three weeks (!) to order a new set.

tired of fighting (no sleep in 2 days, back pain) i said fine.

went to pick it up, didn't really look at it and took it home.

realised when i'd got it home the brakes were so tightly adjusted they were basically stuck on the wheels, then noticed one of the v-brakes doesnt release on one side.

so, have toalked to the manager and managed to get £125 back from the bike (cost me £200) and all the parts i've put on i can keep, leaving the knackered ones (i kept em) on the bike. so i'm getting a new bike on friday.

thanks for all your help with it, the posts certainly gave me some ammo with the consumer service types!

supersonic

Seems a good resolution! I have to say the workmanship of the Halfords people leaves a lot to be desired.

Have you thought about a non mountain bike for commuting?

passout

Yep....they are pants. A good LBS on the otherhand is invaluable.

clodhoppa74

supersonic wrote:

Seems a good resolution! I have to say the workmanship of the Halfords people leaves a lot to be desired.

Have you thought about a non mountain bike for commuting?

i have yeah, but due to my general fear of roads and the towpath runs more or less from my house to where i work, i tend to use that. it's not very well maintained, which means roots, puddles, mud etc, and i just don't think a hybrid or road bike would take it.

plus i like getting filthy at the weekends when i can, and my wife's just bought a gt avalanche so lots more outings planned.

supersonic

Ah, cool

Any models you seen?

Papa Smurf

Ah see now you've mentioned 'GT' Which means the legend that is supersonic aka the GT master is your bestest friend...

supersonic

Hehe, what makes you think I like GT?!

.blitz

clodhoppa74 wrote:

some kind of result!

Nice one. Glad you got it sorted