Our aim is to minimise the likelihood of returns by ensuring e-Bike Barn customers select the right bike for them, prioritising correct sizing and suitability for their intended use
We speak to every customer directly in person, by phone or by email about their cycling needs, either when they visit our shop, or soon after they place an order through our website.
When a web order is made we collect a customer’s height and weight measurements, and actively use this information to find the right size bike for them, by phone or email. As a result, e-Bike Barn customers, whether in shop or on our website, are highly unlikely to buy an e-bike that either doesn’t fit them or is unsuitable for how, where and why they intend to ride it. Our shop customers are always offered a trial ride of an e-bike at our premises before purchasing so that they can be 100% assured that the bike’s size is correct for them.
We also provide a firm indication to our customers of an e-bike’s and component’s durability (e.g. expected drivetrain life expectancy), and suggest service intervals and maintenance routines for each e-bike. For example, we advise customers never to jet wash their e-bike which is a common root cause of later component failure.
Www.e-bikebarn.com is a “non-transactional” website. This means that e-bikes cannot be selected, placed in a basket and purchased in a single process. Therefore a customer cannot make an impulse online purchase of a potentially unsuitable bike from us. We believe this is a good process for customers investing in complex and expensive e-bike technology, where providing knowledge, expertise and advice are crucial to a successful purchase and customer satisfaction.
We also reduce the possibility of a return through the highest standards in preparing, testing and packaging a customer’s e-bike
We carefully and accurately build every e-bike we sell, checking all aspects of the bike’s functioning, and taking up to two hours to do so. Each build is followed by a thorough outdoors test, and a e-Bike Barn mechanic will not release a bike for delivery to a customer unless 100% confident that the set up is perfect. We aim for the highest packaging standards in the industry to ensure each bike arrives in the condition it left the warehouse in. Through these processes we ensure that returns as a result of either poor mechanical performance or damage in transit are very unlikely.
Overall, our end to end selling process is designed to help our customers avoid the disappointment of buying the wrong e-bike, and avoid the significant cost and impracticalities of returning e-bikes to us. In all e-bike return scenarios, e-Bike Barn will seek to expedite a speedy, fair and reasonable resolution for its customers. In the first instance, when a customer becomes aware of a problem, they should contact e-Bike Barn to allow us to begin exploring the options for problem resolution.
Our e-Bike and Accessories Returns Policy for Web Customers
Return of an e-bike or accessories for a full refund may be made for any of the following
reasons:
- You have changed your mind when first physically seeing the e-bike or accessory after delivery
- The e-bike or accessory was not what you intended to buy, or was not what you thought you were buying e.g. the colour or specification of the e-bike or accessory was not as shown or described at our website.
- The e-bike is not suitable for its intended purpose e.g. the e-bike is not the correct size for you, the e-bike cannot carry the cargo it is specified to, the e-bike cannot be ridden on the terrain it is specified for, or the accessory does not fit you or is not suitable for its intended purpose.
- The e-bike or accessory is defective or faulty.
Our web customers have a 14 day no quibble returns period (after delivery) for e-bikes and accessories purchased, whereby they can return the product(s) for a refund without having to explain which of the 1-4 reasons apply. They also have a 30 day return period (after delivery) for a refund for either reason 3 or reason 4. Beyond the 30 day period, and up to 6 months after purchase, a web customer can claim a refund for faulty goods or unsatisfactory quality of goods, but they must return the product to e-Bike barn and allow us one opportunity to repair or replace it before you can claim a refund. In these circumstances the onus is on e-Bike Barn to demonstrate that we did not sell a faulty or unsatisfactory product to you. After 6 months, the onus is on the customer to prove that we have sold a faulty, defective or non durable product. See product durability section below for more information.
The e-bike or accessory must be returned to us unused and in the same condition it was received in (i.e. in the same or similar packaging, with original labels attached). If a product is judged by us to have incurred damage of any kind, or shows evidence of wear and tear, as judged by us, we will not refund the cost of the e-bike, or exchange the e-bike for similar.
All keys, spare parts, owner manuals and warranty information for the bike and its components must also be returned to us alongside the e-bike or accessory.
If the e-bike or accessory is not wanted or unsuitable (see 1-3 reasons for return listed above), the customer is responsible for the cost of freighting the e-bike or accessory back to e-Bike Barn, even if we delivered it to your address in our own vehicle, and must provide a data trail of the return including a copy of the freight invoice and tracking information. If the e-bike or accessory is defective or faulty (i.e. reason 4 for return listed above), the customer will pay for the cost of freighting the product(s) back to e-Bike Barn, and must provide a data trail of the return including a copy of the freight invoice and tracking information. During transit the customer is responsible for the product(s), and should ensure suitable insurance is in place to cover damage or loss.
Faulty or Defective E-bikes. E-bikes are a composite product assembled by a bike brand, comprising the frame and a wide range of other components – e.g. suspension forks, motors, batteries, gearing systems, wheels, hubs and other parts – which are manufactured by other brands such as Bosch, Fox, DT Swiss, Shimano etc. All the products we sell are from official suppliers and are covered by their respective UK warranty. If individual components are faulty, they are considered in isolation from the bike as a whole. For example, a faulty motor does not render the whole e-bike faulty as a complete product. Warranties are time-limited and restrictive and vary from brand to brand (see Warranties section), covering defects or faults arising from manufacturing error. They do not cover wear and tear to an e-bike, its componentry or accessories incurred during its regular use in the activity it was intended for e.g failure of a frame on a road e-bike incurred by riding off road would not be covered under warranty.
If the e-bike or accessory is subject to a warranty claim , the customer will pay for the cost of freighting the product(s) back to e-Bike Barn, and must provide a data trail of the return including a copy of the freight invoice and tracking information. During transit the customer is responsible for the product(s), and should ensure suitable insurance is in place to cover damage or loss. If a customer is located in The Channel Islands or Isle of Man, it is expected that a warranty claim is pursued using an appropriate, relevant and competent local dealer as the costs of returning an e-bike to us from these locations is prohibitively high.
In the event of a warranty claim we will act as the manufacturer’s agent and proceed with your warranty request following their guidance and under the terms of their warranty. If it is established that the goods are faulty and are covered by the terms of the individual manufacturer’s warranty, we will send a replacement or repaired product free of charge.
If a customer wishes to return a faulty e-bike to us, or a constituent component fitted to the e-bike, or an accessory, we must be notified by phone or email within 14 days of the fault being identified. We will discuss the most time and cost efficient means to resolve the issue with the customer on a case by case basis. We will do our utmost to ensure the customer is without use of their e-bike for the shortest period.
Our e-Bike and Accessories Returns Policy for Shop Customers
We offer our shop customers the opportunity of one or more e-bike test rides at our premises before purchasing an e-bike from us. If the customer subsequently believes they have purchased the wrong size bike in error, we will, at our discretion, and only in exceptional circumstances, exchange the goods within 7 days of purchase subject to the following conditions: the bike has neither been ridden off road; nor in bad weather; nor more than 1 mile in any circumstances. If an e-bike is judged by us to have incurred damage of any kind, or shows evidence of wear and tear, as judged by us, we will not exchange the e-bike. All keys, spare parts, owner manuals and warranty information for the bike and its components must also be returned to us alongside the e-bike intended for exchange.
We will not refund or exchange an e-bike or accessory if a shop customer does not subsequently like the colour of the e-bike or accessory they have purchased or like its specification (e.g. its weight, dimensions and components).
Faulty or Defective E-bikes. E-bikes are a composite product marketed by a bike brand and producer, comprising the frame and a wide range of other components – e.g. suspension forks, motors, batteries, gearing systems, wheels, hubs and other parts – which are manufactured by other brands such as Bosch, Fox, DT Swiss, Shimano etc. All the products we sell are from official suppliers and are covered by their respective UK warranty. If individual components are faulty, they are considered in isolation from the bike as a whole. For example, a faulty motor does not render the whole e-bike faulty as a complete product. Warranties are time-limited and restrictive and vary from brand to brand (see Warranties section), covering defects or faults arising from manufacturing error. They do not cover wear and tear to an e-bike, its componentry or accessories incurred during its regular use in the activity it was intended for e.g failure of a frame on a road e-bike incurred by riding off road would not be covered under warranty.
If a customer wishes to return a faulty e-bike to our shop, or a constituent component fitted to the e-bike, or an accessory, we must be notified by phone or email within 14 days of the fault being identified. If we have delivered the e-bike to a customer in our own van, the responsibility and cost to return it to the shop rests with the customer in all cases. We will discuss the most time and cost efficient means to resolve the issue with the customer on a case by case basis. We will do our utmost to ensure the customer is without use of their e-bike for the shortest period.
If we supply faulty accessories or services to a customer who then returns the item, we will refund the customer as per our statutory legal obligations, provided the goods or services are declared as faulty within a reasonable time frame. We will be fair-minded and consistent in our handling of requests for returns, and we will err on the generous side for interpreting what is a reasonable cause and time frame for making a return to us.
In the event of a warranty claim we will act as the manufacturer’s agent and proceed with your warranty request following their guidance and under the terms of their warranty. The customer is responsible for returning the faulty item to us and is responsible for carriage costs even if the product was delivered to you by a e-Bike Barn van. If it is established that the goods are faulty and are covered by the terms of the individual manufacturer’s warranty, we will send a replacement or repaired product free of charge.
UK consumers are protected by several consumer rights laws as a statutory right – notably the Consumer Rights Act of 2015 – and nothing in our returns policy affects those rights.
Other Returns Information
If a customer has bought a sale item from us and it is faulty, they have exactly the same rights as if the product was full price as described above.
Refunds may take up to 10 days to process, and can only be made to the original card/account used for the original purchase.
Product Durability
Every e-bike we sell should be fault-free and undamaged on delivery or collection, and should be of sufficient quality to allow reasonable durability for its intended use. For example, regular wear and tear from usage should be expected and wouldn’t indicate an overall poor quality product, but a failure of multiple parts and different types of parts over time potentially would.
All e-bikes incur more wear – in other words, faster wear – on components such as brake pads, chains, cassettes and chainrings. This results from the extra weight of electric bikes compared to “acoustic” bikes and the additional power (i.e. leg power + motor combined) that is transmitted through an e-bike’s drivetrain.
How should a customer judge if their e-bike lacks durability, and what remedies are available?
Durability should be consistent with the overall quality and the intended use of the bike. For example, an eMTB that is described as an all-terrain performance-oriented sports e-bike (e.g. Orbea Rise or Merida e160) will have shorter component durability – life expectancy of parts – than a road-going utility-oriented bike (e.g.Tern GSD or Benno Boost) as regards its drivetrain, brakes and forks. It will also require more frequent maintenance and servicing as a result of the more challenging use it is put to (e.g. eMTB suspension forks will likely require servicing at a specified hours total usage (e.g. Fox = 50 hours) or at a minimum annually, to maintain optimal performance). In the case of performance-oriented e-bikes, especially eMTBs, premium range components (e.g XTR) require more frequent maintenance. Therefore high price does not indicate longer life expectancy and longer service intervals: in most cases it indicates the opposite.
We ask our customers to consider these factors when making the purchase decision to invest in performance sports equipment, and to factor into their investment decision the cost in time and money of maintenance and service to ensure the continued optimal performance of their e-bike.
If a e-Bike Barn customer judges an e-bike, or its component parts, to have shown insufficient durability after a period of ownership, we will review the circumstances in detail with the customer and determine if a claim is merited. To reach a decision we will consider;
- the type of bike purchased (e.g. performance v non-performance) and reasonable expectations of durability of high performance componentry
- how long the customer has had the e-bike
- the volume of its use (i.e. total recorded mileage)
- if the e-bike’s described use and actual use differ
- if the lack of durability occurs with single parts repeatedly or multiple different parts
- the e-bike’s maintenance and service history
- if there are known problems with the brand/model in liaison with the manufacturer
- if the manufacturer’s warranty scheme allows replacement of affected components.
Remedies could include repair, refund or partial refund and will be judged by us, in consultation with the manufacturer, on a case by case basis.
If the lack of durability occurs within the first six months of ownership, the onus is on us in the first instance to prove that repair or replacement of parts will resolve the problem for our customer. If the lack of durability occurs after the first six months of ownership, the onus sits with the customer to provide proof of poor durability, and the responsibility to provide this evidence increases over time.
Refunds Overview
The table below details the time limits for refunds for different “reasons for return”.
| Time since Purchease Date | Upto 14 days | Upto 30 days | More than 30 days and less than 6 months | More than 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONLINE | Refund for any reason | Refund for either faulty goods or unsatisfactory quality or unfit for purpose or not as described | For either faulty goods** or unsatisfactory quality, you must return the product to e-Bike Barn*** and allow us one opportunity to repair or replace it before you can claim a refund. | For either faulty goods** or unsatisfactory quality, you must return the product to e-Bike Barn** and allow us one opportunity to repair or replace it before you can claim a refund , and the burden of proof is on you to prove the product is faulty or of unsatisfactory quality. |
| SHOP | Refund for either faulty goods** or unsatisfactory quality or unfit for purpose or not as described or incorrect size (first 7 days only*) | |||
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* Returns for incorrect size only apply for the first 7 days after purchase and are subject to the conditions stated in section “Our e-Bike and Accessories Returns Policy for Shop Customers”. ** Faulty goods will be processed under manufacturer’s warranty terms, with e-Bike Barn acting as your agent. ***See sections the “Our e-Bike and Accessories Returns Policy for Shop Customers” or “Our e-Bike and Accessories Returns Policy for Web Customers” for customers’ responsibilities for returning goods to us. |
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