Advice Need - Halfords Poor Customer Service - Please Read!

jones1328

Hi All,

I bought a Carrera Vanquish road bike from my local Halfords back in February of this year. Everything was pretty much ok till this Sunday when I went for a ride.

Whilst out on my bike I went to change to a higher gear and in the process the rear dérailleur buckled up which brought a swift end to my ride.

As the bike was still under warranty (or so I thought) I took it into the Halfords I had bought it from on the same day the dérailleur had broken. When I arrived the guy working in the BikeHut said "Have you dropped it or something?" to which I explained I had just tried to change gear and the dérailleur had completely buckled and broken in the process. He took the bike off my hands and said he would order the new parts in and I could expect to pick the bike up in 7 days time.

Fast forward to today and I had a missed call from the Halfords store, so I thought I would pop in to the store and see what the phone call was about. The same guy who I'd seen on the Sunday stated that he had inspected the bike and it appeared it had taken a "serious knock" on one side of the bike (the same side the dérailleur is on). He justified this by pointing to a minute tear to the handlebar tap where it meets the handlebar cap on the right hand side of the bike and some grazing to the right hand pedal (SPD pedals I had fitted myself).

I stated that the bike had definitely not taken any kind of knock and this was general wear and tear.

However, he said because of this 'damage' the bike the new parts I required were not covered under warranty and I would have to pay for them.

He also questioned why the bike had Shimano 105 set on it to which I replied that is how the bike had been put together (it had, but I think he was trying to suggest I'd fitted it myself) and stated that this was not the typical Shimano groupset for the Carrera Vanquish.

He then proceeded to reel off the cost of all the new parts required. These were broken down as:

Shimano 105 Chain (Part Number: CN560016) £31.99
Shimano 105 Cassette (Part Number: CS570010125) £54.99
Shimano 105 Rear Mech (Part Number: RD5700555) £59.99
Mech Hanger £7.99


I left the store saying I'd look into getting the parts myself and told the guy at Halfords not to order them on my behalf.

What I'd like advise on is:

A) How I go about getting these parts fitted under the Carrera warranty (which is a 1 year warranty for such parts) and not having to pay for these parts as my bike hasn't taken a 'serious knock'

The cheapest costs of getting the new parts (as listed above) as the price qouted by Halfords seems a little on the expensive side!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks.

Lillywhite

Speak to the manager and if you get no joy refer it to higher up the chain.

Pross

Ask Freehub to raise it when he goes for his interview with them

Seriously though, they can't prove you have knocked it so just keep taking it up the chain until you find a staff member with a brain cell. Not too sure why you would need the cassette and chain replaced though, did they somehow get damaged when the mech went?

redddraggon

jones1328 wrote:

Whilst out on my bike I went to change to a higher gear and in the process the rear dérailleur buckled up which brought a swift end to my ride.

TO be fair to Halfords that is not something which would normally happen without a good knock. Deraillers don't just buckle.

jones1328

Pross wrote:

Seriously though, they can't prove you have knocked it so just keep taking it up the chain until you find a staff member with a brain cell. Not too sure why you would need the cassette and chain replaced though, did they somehow get damaged when the mech went?

The chain was obviously completely out of shape/warped due to the dérailleur buckling up but the cassette seemed in good condition.

alfablue

Its nothing to do with the warranty; if the bike is faulty, in law the assumption is that if this is within the first six months then it is presumed faulty at time of purchase. The onus is on the seller to prove that it wasn't faulty. You are entitled to reject the goods or have a repair at their cost. Write them a recorded delivery letter giving them seven days to arrange repair at their cost or say you will sue them (if they don't comply, then go ahead, its easy to do online, costs very little, and the fee is part of your claim https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome )

Gazzaputt

I cannot see the cassette requiring replacing nor the chain. I'd check both yourself.

I take the hanger from them and order the rear mech yourself from CRC or a like.

Or find your local LBS and ask their opinion.

Weejie54

Contact Trading Standards.

Scuffing of the handlebar tape can be caused by simply resting the bike against a wall. It i also easy to scrape the pedal without the bike being involved in a crash.

Like a previous poster said, the presumption is that the goods are faulty.

Trading Standards should be able to sort it out. Find your local office - irrespective of where the bike was purchased.

alfablue

Trading standards is a convoluted way round this - much quicker to do as I suggested above.

My local trading standards say they will offer "Advice on statutory rights and practical methods; practical methods that might be employed to obtain redress are offered; In exceptional circumstances limited casework can be undertaken"

So you can go to trading standards and they will tell you just what I told you (or what you can find on consumer direct). It is extremely unlikely that they would pursue the case for you, unless it was part of some massive scam or with a notorious business perhaps.

So don't beat about the bush.

tmg

Had exact same issue last year but with evans, one of the jockeys on the rear mech failed causing the chain to stick in the RD, that then buckled up and ripped into my wheel

I went through to their Warrenty department, they asked to see the mech so I sent it to them, they then sent that back to the UK distrubtor for SRAM who agreed it had failed, Evans then paid out for all the repair costs without quibble. So don't talk to the guy on the shop floor as to him your an annoyance, speak to someone within warrenty part of halfords, they need to prove it wasn't a failure of the item through normal use, the cost to them is not the same as the cost to you so push them to replace the items. If you need to then mention sales of goods act as the items not fit for purpose and not of satisfactory quality

wicked2627

alfablue wrote:

Its nothing to do with the warranty; if the bike is faulty, in law the assumption is that if this is within the first six months then it is presumed faulty at time of purchase. The onus is on the seller to prove that it wasn't faulty. You are entitled to reject the goods or have a repair at their cost. Write them a recorded delivery letter giving them seven days to arrange repair at their cost or say you will sue them (if they don't comply, then go ahead, its easy to do online, costs very little, and the fee is part of your claim https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome )

I wouldnt go quoting all the law to them yet - people use it as a threat and Halfords may turn around and ask you to go through the small claims court.

I bet there will be an exclusion clause from the statutory 6 month warranty when they suspect the bike has been abused.

Just get the guy's details and start progressing it up the chain. Once they realise that you're not backing down, they should sort it. It's not the guy on the floor's fault, it'll be his manager telling him to replace it free of charge - when you speak to the manager directly they'll usually back down.

Also, the more reasonable you are they are more likely to help than if you start shouting and threatening to take it to court.

MikeWW

A derailleur breaks after 6 months on its own? Why would it suddenly buckle?Not really surprised at their response.

Monty Dog

Has the bike been serviced since new? From someone who's had plenty of bikeshop / mechanic experience - 9 times out of 10 when this happens it's either due to a bent gear hanger or poor adjustment of the gears - it only takes one forced shift of a poorly adjusted rear mech to wrap it around the cassette. I'm not defending the quality of service you're getting from Halfords, but make sure you can demonstrate that the bike was serviced competently and hasn't been crashed / knocked.

Weejie54

My local trading standards say they will offer "Advice on statutory rights and practical methods; practical methods that might be employed to obtain redress are offered; In exceptional circumstances limited casework can be undertaken"

So you can go to trading standards and they will tell you just what I told you (or what you can find on consumer direct). It is extremely unlikely that they would pursue the case for you, unless it was part of some massive scam or with a notorious business perhaps.

My local Trading Standards, at the very least, will offer advice. However, if a merchant continues to evade a statutory duty, Trading Standards will write or phone them..

Basically, any advice given by a Trading Standards officer is probably more valid than some anonymous poster on an internet forum. The consumer, at least, knows that he/she is well within his/her rights.

jones1328

Monty Dog wrote:

Has the bike been serviced since new? From someone who's had plenty of bikeshop / mechanic experience - 9 times out of 10 when this happens it's either due to a bent gear hanger or poor adjustment of the gears - it only takes one forced shift of a poorly adjusted rear mech to wrap it around the cassette. I'm not defending the quality of service you're getting from Halfords, but make sure you can demonstrate that the bike was serviced competently and hasn't been crashed / knocked.

The bike was serviced by Halfords at the time of purchase and I still have a copy of their service checklist along with the receipts.

KevGuinness

Jones did they not do the 6 week free check up?

could be there get out if they say to be covered by the warranty you would have needed to let them carry that out?

alfablue

Look, everyone forget the warranty! It's nothing to do with the warranty!

If goods are faulty, sellers are legally obliged to repair/replace/refund.

Its quite simple really but it appears that a lot of people have been thoroughly duped by the retail trade into believing that its all about warranties, neatly sidestepping their legal duties under UK consumer law.

morstar

alfablue wrote:

Look, everyone forget the warranty! It's nothing to do with the warranty!

If goods are faulty, sellers are legally obliged to repair/replace/refund.

Its quite simple really but it appears that a lot of people have been thoroughly duped by the retail trade into believing that its all about warranties, neatly sidestepping their legal duties under UK consumer law.

I do agree (because you're right) but sale of goods is based on fair wear and tear. Halfords argument here is that it is not fair wear and tear. Under such circumstances they could have a point.

I am inclined to believe the OP's story but the sale of goods act does also offer some protection to retailers also as it is not unheard of for customers to try it on.

Jones 1328, your best approach is to firstly speak to at the very least a supervisor or bypass this altogether and as suggested go to their central customer services team.
Explain both the problem and your frustration with the service in a reasonable manner. If they push back, then start quoting sale of goods act and insist that it is their responsibility to rectify as the damage is not caused by you. Don't start with this approach as it is combative.
At the first sign of resistance, escalate up the chain. Good shop managers will want to get it resolved, unfortunately there are plenty of sh!t ones about.
If all of this fails, then try a good old tantrum but (this is the important bit) understand what you want to get out of this before you start mouthing off. You can look a complete knob when asked what you want and don't have an answer.

I've done this from both sides with outdoor gear. The training I had from somebody who was very good at dealing with customers was to find out what they're after as quickly as possible. If it's reasonable, work with them.

alfablue

morstar wrote:

alfablue wrote:

Look, everyone forget the warranty! It's nothing to do with the warranty!

If goods are faulty, sellers are legally obliged to repair/replace/refund.

Its quite simple really but it appears that a lot of people have been thoroughly duped by the retail trade into believing that its all about warranties, neatly sidestepping their legal duties under UK consumer law.

I do agree (because you're right) but sale of goods is based on fair wear and tear. Halfords argument here is that it is not fair wear and tear. Under such circumstances they could have a point..

Let's assume that the OP is being truthful (absolutely no reason not to). If it is fair wear and tear then the goods are not fit for purpose (one would not expect them to fail in a few months), then clearly Halfords have a duty. If deemed not fair wear and tear, i.e. damage caused by the consumer, this would absolve Halfords of responsibility, but a) the evidence for this is flimsy, and b) the onus is upon them to prove this in court if the item is less than 6 months old, and c) they are very unlikely to be able to do this (given OP's assertions), and d) if taken to court are unlikely to attempt to defend themselves as doing so will cost more than a simple fix for the OP. That is why the route I have suggested will work, and I would put money on Halfords agreeing to resolve the matter at no cost to the OP on a day somewhere between receipt of the recorded delivery letter giving 7 days notice prior to action, and the 7th day. It has worked for me every single time.

cougie

In 30 years of riding- I've never had a mech 'buckle'. I do shudder when I see cyclists putting their bikes down resting on their mechs - is that a possibility here ? Not everything is halfords fault.

alfablue

cougie wrote:

In 30 years of riding- I've never had a mech 'buckle'. I do shudder when I see cyclists putting their bikes down resting on their mechs - is that a possibility here ? Not everything is halfords fault.

Me neither. But if the mech was faulty, or if improperly fitted . . .Halfords have to prove otherwise. They may have to take the hit, sometimes unfairly, but I would suggest plenty of times the consumer will have paid through the nose to get repairs due to their poor workmanship.

Pross

cougie wrote:

In 30 years of riding- I've never had a mech 'buckle'. I do shudder when I see cyclists putting their bikes down resting on their mechs - is that a possibility here ? Not everything is halfords fault.

You're right - the OP should blame Wiggle

jones1328

UPDATE: Went back into the store today armed with information provided from this forum and some reseach of my own. Halfords STILL point blankly refused to cover it under the warranty or The Sale Of Goods Act 1979.

Therefore, I took my bike back off them and told them I would be writing a letter of complaint to head office with regards to the shoddy customer service and the false allegations laid against me (they were still insisting the bike had taken a 'serious knock')

Anywa, in the meantime I've bought the required parts myself and booked into in for a service at another bike store.

Will see what kind of reply I get from Halfords!

morstar

alfablue wrote:

morstar wrote:

alfablue wrote:

Look, everyone forget the warranty! It's nothing to do with the warranty!

If goods are faulty, sellers are legally obliged to repair/replace/refund.

Its quite simple really but it appears that a lot of people have been thoroughly duped by the retail trade into believing that its all about warranties, neatly sidestepping their legal duties under UK consumer law.

I do agree (because you're right) but sale of goods is based on fair wear and tear. Halfords argument here is that it is not fair wear and tear. Under such circumstances they could have a point..

Let's assume that the OP is being truthful (absolutely no reason not to). If it is fair wear and tear then the goods are not fit for purpose (one would not expect them to fail in a few months), then clearly Halfords have a duty. If deemed not fair wear and tear, i.e. damage caused by the consumer, this would absolve Halfords of responsibility, but a) the evidence for this is flimsy, and b) the onus is upon them to prove this in court if the item is less than 6 months old, and c) they are very unlikely to be able to do this (given OP's assertions), and d) if taken to court are unlikely to attempt to defend themselves as doing so will cost more than a simple fix for the OP. That is why the route I have suggested will work, and I would put money on Halfords agreeing to resolve the matter at no cost to the OP on a day somewhere between receipt of the recorded delivery letter giving 7 days notice prior to action, and the 7th day. It has worked for me every single time.

Alfa, you raise some good points and I expect your approach would probably be a good one for the OP to follow.
A couple of things to clarify. Statutory rights apply for 12 months but the 6 month acceptance period you refer to when mentioning rejecting goods does not exist. The acceptance period is very loosely defined. Works to the consumers advantage in some cases and against them in others. It depends very much on the industry but you would find it hard to reject any goods that are anywhere close to 6 months old. Unless there is clear evidence of an underlying fault the retailer is able to take reasonable action to rectify the problem.
The warranties issue is interesting. A few years ago when I was a retail manager I took a faulty playstation back to the shop where purchased. They didn't want to know and palmed me off on Sony. I was furious, knowing my rights etc.
However, I did deal with Sony and their service was excellent and no quibble. It became apparent that these companies bypass the retailer to ensure good customer care for exactly the reasons in this thread. Basically a lot of suppliers can't bear to leave the reputation of their brand in the hands of retailers.

Weejie54

Statutory rights apply for 12 months but the 6 month acceptance period you refer to when mentioning rejecting goods does not exist.

Let me quote from the House of Commons Library:

In brief, if the consumer discovers an obvious fault with the good at any time within the first 6 months of purchase and it has not been caused by normal ‘wear and tear’ or misuse, the consumer may return the good to the shop they bought it from. The retailer has a responsibility under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 to put the matter right, either through a refund, replacement good or repair. The retailer cannot evade responsibility by referring the consumer to the manufacturer (even if there is a manufacturer’s guarantee or warranty). If the retailer offers to repair the good, they must do this within a reasonable time, at no additional cost to the consumer and without causing any significant inconvenience. Alternatively, if repair is impossible or unfeasible, the consumer should be offered a replacement good on a ‘like for like’ basis (and not simply the cheapest and most basic model). If repair or replacement is not offered, then the consumer can insist on a refund. However, any refund given may take account of any use the consumer may have had of the good since they took possession of it, and the purchase price reduced by an appropriate amount.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefingpapers ... -02239.pdf

alfablue

morstar wrote:

alfablue wrote:

morstar wrote:

alfablue wrote:

Look, everyone forget the warranty! It's nothing to do with the warranty!

If goods are faulty, sellers are legally obliged to repair/replace/refund.

Its quite simple really but it appears that a lot of people have been thoroughly duped by the retail trade into believing that its all about warranties, neatly sidestepping their legal duties under UK consumer law.

I do agree (because you're right) but sale of goods is based on fair wear and tear. Halfords argument here is that it is not fair wear and tear. Under such circumstances they could have a point..

Let's assume that the OP is being truthful (absolutely no reason not to). If it is fair wear and tear then the goods are not fit for purpose (one would not expect them to fail in a few months), then clearly Halfords have a duty. If deemed not fair wear and tear, i.e. damage caused by the consumer, this would absolve Halfords of responsibility, but a) the evidence for this is flimsy, and b) the onus is upon them to prove this in court if the item is less than 6 months old, and c) they are very unlikely to be able to do this (given OP's assertions), and d) if taken to court are unlikely to attempt to defend themselves as doing so will cost more than a simple fix for the OP. That is why the route I have suggested will work, and I would put money on Halfords agreeing to resolve the matter at no cost to the OP on a day somewhere between receipt of the recorded delivery letter giving 7 days notice prior to action, and the 7th day. It has worked for me every single time.

Alfa, you raise some good points and I expect your approach would probably be a good one for the OP to follow.
A couple of things to clarify. Statutory rights apply for 12 months but the 6 month acceptance period you refer to when mentioning rejecting goods does not exist. The acceptance period is very loosely defined. Works to the consumers advantage in some cases and against them in others. It depends very much on the industry but you would find it hard to reject any goods that are anywhere close to 6 months old. Unless there is clear evidence of an underlying fault the retailer is able to take reasonable action to rectify the problem.
The warranties issue is interesting. A few years ago when I was a retail manager I took a faulty playstation back to the shop where purchased. They didn't want to know and palmed me off on Sony. I was furious, knowing my rights etc.
However, I did deal with Sony and their service was excellent and no quibble. It became apparent that these companies bypass the retailer to ensure good customer care for exactly the reasons in this thread. Basically a lot of suppliers can't bear to leave the reputation of their brand in the hands of retailers.

Thanks Morstar, I think I may have confused the issue, the 6 month thing I was referring to was regarding the onus of proof - up to 6 months the assumption is that the fault was present at time of sale, the onus is on the seller to prove otherwise; after 6 months the onus is on the buyer to prove the item was faulty. Interesting post from Weejie, though.

Also, I agree, some manufacturers really do take care of the customer well, but I am loathe to go down this route as I am in effect relinquishing my statutory rights and also letting the retailer off the hook and perpetuating their often delusional belief that they are not responsible.

evilollie

just buy a mech and take it to a decent LBS and get them to fit it

Pross

evilollie wrote:

just buy a mech and take it to a decent LBS and get them to fit it

Which is what he has done but why should he have to pay for something that has apparently broken so quickly through no fault of his own?

jones1328

Pross wrote:

evilollie wrote:

just buy a mech and take it to a decent LBS and get them to fit it

Which is what he has done but why should he have to pay for something that has apparently broken so quickly through no fault of his own?

Precisely! and when I went back into the store today the bike had escalated from 'taking a serious knock' to 'having been involved in a very serious collision'?!? - there's a minor tear to the handlebar tape and the right pedal is slightly scuffed!

I mean, seriously, I think they just make it up as I go along. Anyway, I'll be writing a letter of complaint and look forward to receiving a reply.

nonameuser

How did you get the tear in the handlebar tape?

morstar

nonameuser wrote:

How did you get the tear in the handlebar tape?

A big crash! :twisted: