Blog: Help, the bike industry's warranty system is sick!

Garantie Bike-Branche

Photo: Tobias Gütlin

Imagine your device is already defective when you take it out of the package. You want a working replacement. First you submit a warranty claim to the manufacturer, who sends you to a parts supplier. And only then do you embark on an eternal marathon of nerves, which can be quite common for bike store employees in the bike industry.

Act 1: The display is defective

The e-bike is still in the intact transport box. And the display is already hanging at an angle from the handlebars. The mounting clip is broken. So it's pretty clear that something must have gone wrong during assembly

Act 2: The warranty claim with the manufacturer

So I dutifully submit a warranty claim to the bike manufacturer in B2B, complete with numerous photos and other documents. A picture of the entire bike, a photo for the frame number, a picture of the damaged part and then the invoice are required. Compiling these documents is a Sisyphean task and, in relation to the value of the goods, a real piece of nonsense.

Act 3: The request for goodwill

Compiling this warranty claim is already a lot of fun. I receive an answer from an employee of the bike manufacturer: We are no longer responsible... (Side note: a few months ago the same defect occurred, then a new display came from this office). I should contact the electric drive manufacturer.

I don't want to accept this and ask for a simple, accommodating solution. This is rejected with two terse sentences. I ask myself whether this is the right answer and whether this supplier is and will remain the right one.

Act 4: The warranty claim with the distributor

As the customer still needs a working display to receive the new e-bike, the process continues. I create the warranty claim on the Swiss distributor's website. There I fill out a web form which, once completed, spits out: Please create a warranty case in the diagnostic tool

Act 5: Attach the e-bike to the diagnostics

My enjoyment of this questionable procedure continues to grow, and I create a service case in the diagnostic tool. It's just a small drop-down form to fill out

Act 6: Answering emails

An automatically generated message confirms receipt of the service case by email - and another message arrives later. I should submit all kinds of documents (see Act 2). This redundancy is like a short wellness vacation, I think to myself - not so. Once I've done that (the office stuff, not the wellness vacation), it goes on, of course:

Act 7: Submit even more photos

The distributor of the e-bike drive manufacturer encourages me to take even more photos. A portrait of the display, as well as a picture in which the tiny serial number is clearly visible. Of course, I'm happy to do that

Act 8: Successful warranty claim

The shipping confirmation from the distributor automatically shows me: Hooray! The warranty claim has been accepted and the defective part is on its way postage paid. However, it can also happen that a fresh warranty claim form spits out a return label that - automatically generated of course - has the wrong recipient address on it

Act 9: The shortcut

These 8th acts are of course far too cumbersome for good customer service. The warranty display was only with us after x number of working days. We are committed to being a company with a certified workshop: Repairs are completed within 1-2 working days whenever possible. And if someone buys a new vehicle from us, they shouldn't have to wait unnecessarily long for it.

The solution: I ordered a new display after opening the bike box. It arrived within 24 hours and was quickly fitted. The customer had her new e-bike in no time at all. We keep the warranty display in stock.

Act 10: How can we do better?

The bike industry should come up with solutions to make warranty processing more speedy and accommodating. If I were to ask my customers to submit multiple photos, documents and online applications for warranties, redundantly and garnished with further bureaucracy, I would simply be ashamed.

What I would prefer is to collect all defective parts and submit them once or twice a year, or an employee of the parts or bike manufacturer could even collect them. And then there's a credit note, or new parts, with very little paperwork.

About the author:

Tobias Gütlin is the industry expert at Ride. In addition to his work as a journalist, he runs his own bike store in Binningen, where he is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. Gütlin therefore brings with him a high level of sensitivity for specialist retail topics. He writes about products, technologies, standards and current topics that move the two-wheeler industry.