I have been told that basically I'm an idiot and making stuff up on this.
Well, it didn't take long to find some unhappy people with their level of service:
My bike came from SanDiego Fly & Ride. When I had a warranty issue with the left Madura 4T brake I contacted them and left multiple messages with NO response. Now that I've put ~ 700 miles on the bike, it could use a tune and software update. I have been calling local Haibike dealers trying to...
electricbikereview.com
I was involved in a discussion in a Brand forum but thought it would be a good topic for General Discussion. Some thought the manufacturer should ensure the buyer is covered for all costs. That could mean either the manufacturer reimbursing the local dealer or requiring as a condition of being...
electricbikereview.com
Haibike is dead to me.
![Rolling on the floor laughing :rofl: 🤣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/7.0/png/unicode/64/1f923.png)
I have no time for these kinds of shenanigans. If you can't even get them to do qualified work at a normal shop-rate, you really don't have any backup support at all. You're simply on your own. Surely no one is going to ship a eMTB across the country for service or repair!
It's one thing with a $5-800 pedal bike that you have a problem with and get it fixed - there isn't really anything I couldn't remove and replace myself, so for warranty coverage I would really just be looking for frame failure coverage, or other major issues. I've never really considered a warranty on a $600 pedal bike, nor for free tuneups and all that - I don't need that so there's no concern. Worst case scenario you scrap it and start over.
Now on a several-thousand dollar ebike, you have motor and controller, switches and sensors, suspension components - if it quits working you have to be able to troubleshoot it. That may well prove more difficult than first glance simply because you don't have any extra parts to test with. You have to troubleshoot, order a part, install to test. If that's not it you go to plan B. And on and on. I have no idea how you would get a dealer to submit a failed drive motor for a warranty claim if they won't work on a bike they didn't sell. [shrug] I'v even heard customer complaints where their shock failed and their dealer instructed them to make a claim directly to the component manufacturer. Really? Yup.
I experienced this yesterday with our failed hub-drive - was a parts kit from China, and the motor has quit. I got some help here and we're pretty sure it's the controller, but I took the wheel assembly into my local ebike store as surely they have a way to test a motor, right? Uh, no, they don't - if it was one of their bikes they would drop the assembly into a known good bike of the same type and see if it works. Same for a controller - they would swap one out and try it. That is their 'testing and troubleshooting' model. I was willing to pay for work, but they weren't even interested in looking at it - it's not something they sold. So I got a referral to an independent technician that works on ebikes out of his home. Called and left a message, no reply. Maybe they'll call, maybe they won't. [shrug]
It's not so bad with a $300 hub motor, but if it was two or three thousand dollar eMTB I would be livid. And this was a highly-reputable high-volume ebike store with a sign in the window 'authorized service for Brose, Bosch, Yamaha', and they sell new hub-drive ebikes! If you didn't buy it here - POUND SAND!!!
I know if I buy a bike from a big-3 dealer they'll take care of it for me if it breaks. IMO a mountain bike gets a little harder use than a commuter or bike-path cruiser. Stuff is more likely to break. In this case, even YT as a direct seller - if I had a problem they're not that far away - I can take it to them to fix. I'm confident they support their product.
Thanks for the great advice. I would rather not have a $2500+ boat anchor.
![Grinning squinting face :laughing: 😆](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/7.0/png/unicode/64/1f606.png)
It's like an expensive crap-shoot.
I feel sorry for people that paid four-grand for them. They are lucky if resale value is 25%. Even then I'm not sure you could sell it. There's a classified ad here for a All-Mountain 2.0, never got used, they want $1500 without the battery. Well gee, the battery is like $900! Maybe if it INCLUDED the battery they could get that for it, otherwise any buyer worth his salt is simply going to buy a new one, or a better one.
The shoppers for this type of bike seem to know what they want, and they seem to want the best, regardless of cost. Like several dealers I visited didn't even stock the lower end model - just the high end carbon frame one - cuz that's what their customers want. Or that's where great profit lies - I can't be sure. Oh they'll special order a bike for you, but not to try, not without a commitment to buy it.
This has been very enlightening.