Bad Surface 604 experience came good, eventually

[abridges01]

Purchased a Colt a couple of years back, and was quite quickly disappointed by decreasing range within first ten months, My concerns were exacerbated by their poor response, and then total blanking of questions when I pursued their (obviously bogus) 50 mile range claim.
Then this May (bike is now a little over two years old), my Surface 604 Colt power started dropping out on my 22 mile commute. Battery would suddenly show zero and no power, but after a couple of minutes, it would kick back in for a few, 10 ~ 20, seconds.
Contacted the manager, John Dem at Surface 604 who advised me it was a battery issue, so I reluctantly sprung $350+ for a new battery - it made no difference, other than wasting more time and my money.
John said to send the bike in, so I paid $75 to ship it to "Toys 4 Boys Motorsports" in Calgary, Canada. After chasing them and getting them to admit they’d received it (John responded to my multiple emails with "Ok, we have it here somewhere"!!!) they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested it. Cost was a further $180 for a display unit, which I reluctantly paid.
Upon receiving my bike back, it failed with complete battery failure 3.5 miles into very first commute ride.
Since then, Surface 604 have ignored my multiple emails and calls and refuse to communicate with me in any manner. I am now left with no option other than to pursue them in the small claims court in the hope of recouping my battery, shipping and repair costs.
AVOID THESE CROOKS

 

[FlatSix911]

Thanks for sharing your experience... it will help the ebike community and improve competition. Let us know if the issue get's resolved!

 

[John from Connecticut]

Purchased a Colt a couple of years back, and was quite quickly disappointed by decreasing range within first ten months, My concerns were exacerbated by their poor response, and then total blanking of questions when I pursued their (obviously bogus) 50 mile range claim.
Then this May (bike is now a little over two years old), my Surface 604 Colt power started dropping out on my 22 mile commute. Battery would suddenly show zero and no power, but after a couple of minutes, it would kick back in for a few, 10 ~ 20, seconds.
Contacted the manager, John Dem at Surface 604 who advised me it was a battery issue, so I reluctantly sprung $350+ for a new battery - it made no difference, other than wasting more time and my money.
John said to send the bike in, so I paid $75 to ship it to "Toys 4 Boys Motorsports" in Calgary, Canada. After chasing them and getting them to admit they’d received it (John responded to my multiple emails with "Ok, we have it here somewhere"!!!) they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested it. Cost was a further $180 for a display unit, which I reluctantly paid.
Upon receiving my bike back, it failed with complete battery failure 3.5 miles into very first commute ride.
Since then, Surface 604 have ignored my multiple emails and calls and refuse to communicate with me in any manner. I am now left with no option other than to pursue them in the small claims court in the hope of recouping my battery, shipping and repair costs.
AVOID THESE CROOKS

How did you pay ? Credit Card ? ....Please don't say debit card aka cash. If you used a credit card and you haven't exceeded your
time limit to dispute the charges, I'd do so as soon as you finish reading this sentence.

 

[Ebiker01]

Maybe also try this :

How to Dispute a Credit Card for Damaged Goods Received

There are several beneficial reasons to use a credit card to pay for items. Not only is it convenient, but the federal government has laws that protect the consumer for certain situations with credit card companies. If you make a purchase with a credit card and have problems with the item, you...

budgeting.thenest.com

 

[abridges01]

I have to say that since posting on this site, Surface 604's support has been amazing!
They've sent me a new controller that, although I'm struggling to install correctly (I believe the issue is due to my lack of mechanical 'sympathy', and no fault of theirs) and after a five mile initial test ride with the battery 'taped' onto the frame, it appears to have at least remedied the complete shut off issue I was experiencing since the bikes return. I think I see light at the end of the tunnel.
More news to come as it develops, stay tuned!

 

[Ebiker01]

Glad your situation has improved.

Yea , this site is the world wide reference for ebiking and brings together a ton of great people with an immense wealth of knowledge from various backgrounds and the companies are either pay attention or get swept under the rug.

 

[John from Connecticut]

I have to say that since posting on this site, Surface 604's support has been amazing!
They've sent me a new controller that, although I'm struggling to install correctly (I believe the issue is due to my lack of mechanical 'sympathy', and no fault of theirs) and after a five mile initial test ride with the battery 'taped' onto the frame, it appears to have at least remedied the complete shut off issue I was experiencing since the bikes return. I think I see light at the end of the tunnel.
More news to come as it develops, stay tuned!

I'm puzzled... In your original posting you wrote...." John said to send the bike in, so I paid $75 to ship it to "Toys 4 Boys Motorsports" in Calgary, Canada.
After chasing them and getting them to admit they’d received it (John responded to my multiple emails with "Ok, we have it here somewhere"!!!)
they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested it. Cost was a further $180 for a display unit, which I reluctantly paid. "

They had your bike in their shop, you paid $180 for a 'display unit' aka a controller, they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested your bike.
returned it to you, you rode it 3.5 miles and the problem reoccurred and now you've been sent a second controller. It seems reasonable to assume the
bike wasn't repaired when you returned it for service or am I missing something ?

 

[abridges01]

I'm puzzled... In your original posting you wrote...." John said to send the bike in, so I paid $75 to ship it to "Toys 4 Boys Motorsports" in Calgary, Canada.
After chasing them and getting them to admit they’d received it (John responded to my multiple emails with "Ok, we have it here somewhere"!!!)
they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested it. Cost was a further $180 for a display unit, which I reluctantly paid. "

They had your bike in their shop, you paid $180 for a 'display unit' aka a controller, they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested your bike.
returned it to you, you rode it 3.5 miles and the problem reoccurred and now you've been sent a second controller. It seems reasonable to assume the
bike wasn't repaired when you returned it for service or am I missing something ?

My bad; the original repair, that I paid for, was for the handle bar mounted display unit. The controller they' sent this week fits inthe down tube above the crank.
Please forgive this novice's lack of technical know-how and terminology!

 

[John from Connecticut]

My bad; the original repair, that I paid for, was for the handle bar mounted display unit. The controller they' sent this week fits inthe down tube above the crank.
Please forgive this novice's lack of technical know-how and terminology!

No need to apologize. You didn't 'do a bad' : ) I still question the claimed repair and thorough testing that was done at their shop
prior to your bike being returned when the problem reoccured within the first 3.5 miles of use upon return.

Replacing the controller 'may' fix the problem or whatever was (is) intermittent may not fail again on its own, unrelated to the new controller.
Hopefully the controller was the problem.

 

[abridges01]

No need to apologize. You didn't 'do a bad' : ) I still question the claimed repair and thorough testing that was done at their shop
prior to your bike being returned when the problem reoccured within the first 3.5 miles of use upon return.

Replacing the controller 'may' fix the problem or whatever was (is) intermittent may not fail again on its own, unrelated to the new controller.
Hopefully the controller was the problem.

Hi John ,
The last problem with my bike was different form the original one I reported. But I agree that, regardless of the type of problem, it should have been identified prior to the bike being returned through testing.

Oh well, I believe I can see light at the end of the tunnel, it is just a shame that a whole summer's riding has been lost.

 

[abridges01]

Purchased a Colt a couple of years back, and was quite quickly disappointed by decreasing range within first ten months, My concerns were exacerbated by their poor response, and then total blanking of questions when I pursued their (obviously bogus) 50 mile range claim.
Then this May (bike is now a little over two years old), my Surface 604 Colt power started dropping out on my 22 mile commute. Battery would suddenly show zero and no power, but after a couple of minutes, it would kick back in for a few, 10 ~ 20, seconds.
Contacted the manager, John Dem at Surface 604 who advised me it was a battery issue, so I reluctantly sprung $350+ for a new battery - it made no difference, other than wasting more time and my money.
John said to send the bike in, so I paid $75 to ship it to "Toys 4 Boys Motorsports" in Calgary, Canada. After chasing them and getting them to admit they’d received it (John responded to my multiple emails with "Ok, we have it here somewhere"!!!) they claimed to have fixed and thoroughly tested it. Cost was a further $180 for a display unit, which I reluctantly paid.
Upon receiving my bike back, it failed with complete battery failure 3.5 miles into very first commute ride.
Since then, Surface 604 have ignored my multiple emails and calls and refuse to communicate with me in any manner. I am now left with no option other than to pursue them in the small claims court in the hope of recouping my battery, shipping and repair costs.
AVOID THESE CROOKS

UPDATE

After posting on this site, I could not be happier with the support I have received, the power of negative press I guess!
I am delighted to say that I am back on the road! Surface 604 Bikes provided a new controller, and even proceed me with a video telling me how to install it. Once done, everything appears good. I have edited the title of my original post to reflect my satisfaction with these guys.

 

[Robtriangle]

I am having similar problems with a 2018 Rook that is showing E30 communication error, even after the bike mechanic unplugged and replugged all connections. Mitch at Surface 604 suggested replace the controller, the wire to the display and the display. The bike mechanic here at Hubbikes has not received parts and can not get anyone to call him back. I tried calling and left a message but never heard from anyone. Who is best contact at Surface 604 and how do you get to them?

 

[jackducan]

How to Become a Bike Mechanic? To become a bicycle mechanic and land a job, there are some skills you need to acquire: Assembling and disassembling of different types of bikes, building wheels, replacement of crank arm,...These technical skills are not instantly acquired. A basic repair course will equip you with the essentials on fixing and maintaining a bike. It also provides you with the theoretical foundations of different parts of a bicycle and how you can best repair them. By working in a bike shop, you can obtain holistic experience to understand more about the industry.