Are E-Bike "Warranties" Really Warranties?

[The duke]

I went down to my local ebike store and was asking about warranties. Specifically related to the Bulls brand, the bikeshop owner told me that all parts are covered under warranty from Bulls, but labor is not??

He told me that 'as a courtesy', if i bought the bike from him, he wouldnhave his techs do simple replacements and wouldnt charge me, but this wasnt something he'd give me in writing.

So for all you e-bikers who have had major component failures, how much have you had to come out of pocket while still under warranty?

My two nearest local dealer have both been in business less than 2 years and i dont put much faith in an unwritten 'courtesy' labor warranty or their ability to stay afloat. Are other manufacturers better than Bulls?

 

[ebikemom]

Pedego has cheerfully covered all issues with our four ebikes, parts and labor. A real 2 year warranty. One major issue. A few minor ones. Oh, and they’ve been able to provide loaner ebikes and pick-up/delivery of bike or loaner as needed.

 

[The duke]

Direct from Bulls Website:

Please note that BULLS Bikes USA does not cover any labor or shipping costs therefore we recommend you settle the claim directly with the dealer where you purchased your BULLS eBIKE from.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

 

[Chris Nolte]

This is an item of contention througout the bike industry and especially the ebike industry. It’s becoming more commonplace for brands to cover warranty labor but we still have a way to go. We always cover warranty labor on local sales and we cover the labor for 6 months on remote orders. If we didn’t pay to ship the bike we have more flexibility.

In Europe there is a rate chart that exsists similar to the automotive industry. In the autmotive and power sports industry there are laws that require warranty labor to be reimbursed. There are also laws on how long a product is required to be supported.

None of these laws or regulations exsist in the bike industry and it’s a major issue. We have been working with other dealers to encourage change in this space. At the moment we are working on forming an ebike dealer group which will allow us to really start putting pressure on the brands to ensure corners aren’t cut.

 

[MikeDD]

Specialized just replaced my battery under warranty. I bought the bike as a demo, which was indicated on the receipt. I registered the bike with Specialized the same day I purchased it. I took the battery and receipt to a different shop since I purchased the bike from a shop 200 miles away. They determined the battery had failed. The local dealer submitted my claim, I was given a new battery and no charge from the local dealer.

The Mission Control App tracks the number of charges on the battery and the miles on the bike. This may help with warranty claims.

 

[Ebiker01]

Bh easy motion, 5 year warranty. Easily the best e bike brand out there. Of course labour is covered.

 

[ebikemom]

It's nice that folks here are chiming in with info on brands that they have bought whose warranties they are happy with. Keep it coming!

In my experience and in the experience of @Chris Nolte , good service means that the company goes the extra mile. That's also what creates someone who will be a repeat customer in the future!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I went down to my local ebike store and was asking about warranties. Specifically related to the Bulls brand, the bikeshop owner told me that all parts are covered under warranty from Bulls, but labor is not??

He told me that 'as a courtesy', if i bought the bike from him, he wouldnhave his techs do simple replacements and wouldnt charge me, but this wasnt something he'd give me in writing.

So for all you e-bikers who have had major component failures, how much have you had to come out of pocket while still under warranty?

My two nearest local dealer have both been in business less than 2 years and i dont put much faith in an unwritten 'courtesy' labor warranty or their ability to stay afloat. Are other manufacturers better than Bulls?

E-bike industry is a greedy, wild-wild west of a market place.
Traditional bike manufacturers like Trek or Specialized do not allow shops to ship bikes because they understand support system for their customers is important and they want to protect their dealers from territorial fighting.
Now, in the E-bike industry, Rad Power Bikes, Juiced, M2S and other brands like Raleigh, Izip, BULLS, Blix, Haibike do not have any restriction on shipping bikes. As a result, it all comes down to who has the bikes in stock, price and delivery.

Warranties in the E-bike industry is not as established as you find in the automotive world. Trek dealers do not have to work on other bikes with Bosch motors and can charge you money for diagnostic care or repairs.
The same goes with Brose or Shimano motors. So, from this context, BULLS is as good as any other brand.
As you will find out, dealers are very territorial and show their true face when the time to handle warranty comes. If possible, visit them in person, feel the vibe and get a system that is reliable.
Because, doesn't matter what e-bike brand you choose, after 2 years, they are not going to replace the motors for free.

Brands like BH offer 5yr warranty on motor, controller and display, which is excellent. The same goes with Yamaha, which offers 3 years.

 

[6zfshdb]

I've owned three Pedego ebikes for a year now and my total outlay for warranty repairs is $0. During that time, I had two defective controllers replaced with no charge for parts or labor. IMO, this is a major factor to consider when shopping for a bike.

 

[The duke]

Are all of you contractually guaranteed labor in your warranty, or are you blessed with a dealer who cares about the product he sells?

 

[6zfshdb]

Are all of you contractually guaranteed labor in your warranty, or are you blessed with a dealer who cares about the product he sells?

Both.

The Pedego written warranty states "Parts & labor for 2 years from date of purchase". The dealer goes above and beyond by offering free loaner bikes while repairs are being made.

 

[DDBB]

Pedego may be expensive but they take care of their customers better than any other brand _ period

 

[ebikemom]

Now, in the E-bike industry, Rad Power Bikes, Juiced, M2S and other brands like Raleigh, Izip, BULLS, Blix, Haibike do not have any restriction on shipping bikes. As a result, it all comes down to who has the bikes in stock, price and delivery.

In terms of support for shipped ebikes, some local bike stores have two sets of pricing, one for bikes purchased in house, and another for bikes purchased elsewhere, even if the bike store carries that brand. For example:

http://alkibikeandboard.com/electric-bike-repairs/

 

[jazz]

BH (Easy Motion) just replaced a 48v battery for one of my bikes that was not holding a charge. I had the battery just under 2 years. No hassles, no questions asked within 2 weeks.

 

[The duke]

BH (Easy Motion) just replaced a 48v battery for one of my bikes that was not holding a charge. I had the battery just under 2 years. No hassles, no questions asked within 2 weeks.

But that sounds like an 'all materials' job....no labor so maybe not relevant to the labor concerns with ebike warranties.

 

[Figs]

The LBS I bought from gave in writing the 1 year warranty on parts from Magnum, and 1 year labor from them. also 2 free tuneups during the first year. Fortunately, I’ve not used any of it, but glad they had my back.

IMHO if a reseller doesn’t believing in the products they sell enough to warranty them, then I don’t believe in them enough to purchase their products.

 

[Va. Bch. Electric Bike Center]

You buy a bike from me and labor is covered for the full length of the warranty..any brand.
That's what a good dealer does.

 

[The duke]

You buy a bike from me and labor is covered for the full length of the warranty..any brand.
That's what a good dealer does.

That's awesome....unequivocal. This is a benefit that isn't really preceived by the typical consumer. I had NO IDEA buying from my local vendor came with this kind of benefit, and it's something HUGE that is not being communicated to buyers.

Honestly, even when my local bikeshop offered to match online prices, I thought "why would i want to pay my local salestax?" I preceived abosulutely no benefit beyond maybe a free tuneup which i probably wouldn't have used anyway.

If my local dealer said "many of these ebikes only give you a parts warranty. I'll guarantee all labor for the full length of the warranty".....if that sign were hanging in the bikeshop when I went in to just use them for a testride before buying online.....

That lets me feel i can ride the bike the way i want to down the trails, not baby it like it's
An iphone i don't want to break. That lets me feel i can hose it off after a muddy day of riding, not gingerly wipe it down with a baby wipe to make sure water doesnt get on the electronics even though the specs say it will be ok.

Thats a perk of going local that more people need to be aware of. I wasnt.

 

[PDoz]

You buy a bike from me and labor is covered for the full length of the warranty..any brand.
That's what a good dealer does.

That's what my local dealer dose - including free servicing as well! ( for the duration of ownership)

It surprised me to not get a bill , to be completely honest it worried me - I put a high value on skilled labour , and am a bit nervous about the care / time that went into that free service. I'm pressuming there is some schedule of servicing they follow but I'll probably be a bit more specific about my hopes / expectations / willingness to pay next time!

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Very few ebike OEM's cover any labor costs for a dealer or customer. The only OEM that I know of than puts it in writing and does cover the labor, is Yamaha, who even goes to the extent of requesting dealer labor costs, upfront as part of the dealer agreement.

Some are explicit about not covering labor; some are vague and let you find out the hard way. Otherwise it's left up to the dealer to decide whether to 'eat it.'. Also it's not just the cost of the labor, on hourly basis, but overhead too, and lost opportunity cost for a dealer who keeps mechanics on staff busy with service work. So if they are eating labor, that is also time not able to be spent doing paid for service. Further most ebike OEM's don't provide service manuals, or materials for trouble-shooting, and that time to do so can be lengthy and no consumer would ever be willing to pay for the real costs of time spent. So a dealer needs to develop a highly trained mechanic or find one with innate troubleshooting skills , and any mechanic worth his salt, is going to demand higher pay.

Also, mid drive units are more complex, harder to troubleshoot and expensive to repair or replace. A dealer needs to be very cautious about 'eating' that cost of labor. Hence the Yamaha stands out in spades, as it's more reliable than all the others in the first place, their warranty is longer at 3 years and they cover labor when if something happens at dealers stated labor rates. (Very fair)

Hub motors are dirt simple, by comparison and relatively little time or labor to replace if needed, or even repairs, if needed. Worse case is you get a new motor and rim, for under $250. Mid drives can't touch that.

Some ebike OEMs might consider a 'credit' to a dealer in a raw situation to help with labor, but that is against a new purchase. Not the same value as reimbursement. Credits are modest at best.