Lectric eBikes Announces End To International Shipping, Effectively Abandoning International Customers

[A Touch of Class]

TL;DR - Lectric eBikes effectively abandons international customers by suddenly ending international shipments.

I was hoping that my first forum post here might be about how much I enjoy using my Lectric XP Step-Thru 3.0 Long-Range eBike on the backroads and trails of rural Ontario, Canada. But imagine my shock and dismay when I received the following email from Lectric on September 24 titled "International Shipping Update":

Hello, John!
We hope this message finds you well.
We wanted to share an important update regarding our shipping policies. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to no longer offer international shipping. While we understand this may be disappointing, we remain fully committed to supporting our international customers.
Rest assured, we will continue to honor all warranty services and address any customer service needs as they arise. We're grateful for your continued support, and our team is here to assist you in any way possible.
If you have any questions, please call our team at (602) 715-0907, or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you!
Kindly,
Team Lectric

So what is one to make of all this rather pleasant sounding boilerplate word salad? It's certainly bad news for Lectric's customers, and not at all a good look for a company that relies (at least to some extent) on positive public perception for their direct-to-consumer business model. Although they supposedly aspire to "support our international customers;" by ending international shipping they have effectively abandoned those international customers. Yes, if you have an approved warranty claim you may expect to get some support; but if your claim is denied, you're out of luck. If your bike is out of warranty, you're out of luck. If you want to purchase general maintenance items like tires, tubes, brake pads, etc., you're out of luck. If you want to purchase any replacement, upgrade or accessory parts (including batteries), you're out of luck. And if you want to purchase another Lectric eBike... boy, are you ever out of luck!

And let's be clear, this decision to end international shipping doesn't just affect international customers. Current and potential future customers in the U.S. might well wonder if this sudden announcement is indicative of other problems within the company, whether of a structural or financial nature. If they can suddenly and arbitrarily end international shipping and related sales -- a rather curious move given the prospect of growing international markets in a time of potential domestic market saturation -- what's to say that they won't suddenly suspend domestic operations in a similar fashion? One would certainly hope that that would not happen; but if it did, it certainly wouldn't be the first company to continue taking online orders up to the moment of laying off staff and closing up shop.

Whatever was behind their "difficult decision" to no longer offer international shipping (and maybe it was a "difficult decision" because they ultimately ended up making the wrong choice?), wouldn't it have been better for them to give advance notice of their intentions, along with a specific timeline? Perhaps they could have said something like "We recognize that this decision may raise particular concerns and challenges for some of our international customers, so we will continue to offer international shipping until Dec 31, 2024, in order to allow our existing customers sufficient time to order maintenance items, replacement parts and/or accessories." And hey, maybe they could have sweetened the deal by offering a special discount code to international customers, to ease the overall impact somewhat and regain at least some public goodwill? Who knows, such a move might have pushed their Q4 earnings through the roof! But as it stands now, Lectric's international customers are left with owning what amounts to little more than battery powered white elephants -- and batteries, as we e-bikers know, don't last forever.

It's sad, really. I actually thought that Lectric was a good company, with good people that would stand behind both their products and their customers. But in light of their announcement, maybe that's not the case.

Maybe I should have bought a Rad Power RadRunner instead.

 

[Dry Fork]

Wow! I hope someone finds away to act as a go between to get parts to our friends to the north.
An explanation of reasons seems appropriate.
After all, a portion of their company purchases rely on the international market.

 

[harryS]

They over extended themselves selling to Europe. Gotta pull back. Maybe you can have your parts sent to a US reshipper on the border, but all the wear items like brakes, tires, tubes are generic anyway.

 

[Rexlion]

The way I read it, it sounds like they will no longer ship new ebikes across borders but they will ship parts for your existing Lectric. I say that because of this: "we will continue to honor all warranty services and address any customer service needs as they arise." I might be wrong, but I get the impression that if, say, your controller failed they would send a new controller.

 

[A Touch of Class]

Wow! I hope someone finds away to act as a go between to get parts to our friends to the north.
An explanation of reasons seems appropriate.
After all, a portion of their company purchases rely on the international market.

Yes, an explanation of some sort would definitely have been appreciated, and might have helped to soften the blow somewhat. But because their decision may have been based on sensitive financial or otherwise proprietary information, I can understand why no specific details may have been offered. So we are left to speculate as to what factor(s) prompted the sudden cancellation of international shipping, especially in these weeks leading up to the busy holiday shopping season.

 

[A Touch of Class]

They over extended themselves selling to Europe. Gotta pull back. Maybe you can have your parts sent to a US reshipper on the border, but all the wear items like brakes, tires, tubes are generic anyway.

Yes, thankfully those parts you mentioned are not proprietary and can be sourced elsewhere. For proprietary items like the battery though I likely will have to rely on a freight forwarding company, which unfortunately increases the time and cost of the overall purchase. I do live close to the American border; but because I don't have a valid passport (which would enable me to travel to pick up a package sent to a convenient border town in the U.S.), I'm in the same situation as any other Lectric customer on the other side of the ocean.

 

[A Touch of Class]

The way I read it, it sounds like they will no longer ship new ebikes across borders but they will ship parts for your existing Lectric. I say that because of this: "we will continue to honor all warranty services and address any customer service needs as they arise." I might be wrong, but I get the impression that if, say, your controller failed they would send a new controller.

Yes, the precise meaning of the original boilerplate announcement is a little unclear. After I reached out to Lectric to express my general dissatisfaction and specific thoughts on the seemingly contradictory statements in the announcement, I received the following reply from them:

Hello John,
Thank you for your message.
We understand your concern on the matter. Unfortunately, this decision was a hard one to make by our team to stop shipping internationally.
We understand this may be disappointing, but we remain fully committed to supporting our international customers. We will still ship parts for warranty bikes but this will exclude batteries and bikes.
Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. We would be happy to help!
Best,
M...

The key point of course is that statement "We will still ship parts for warranty bikes but this will exclude batteries and bikes." The warranty period for Lectric ebikes is rather short -- one year from date of delivery -- and only applies to the original registered owner. While the list of parts that would potentially be covered under warranty is rather extensive, again, the warranty period is only for one year. And I also came across this exclusionary indication on the Terms of Service page on the Lectric website: "Warranty parts will only be shipped within the continental United States and Canada." At just somewhat over a year or so old now my bike is unfortunately already out-of-warranty; but thankfully at least I live in Canada. If however my bike was brand new and I happened to live in Europe... well, apparently, I would be completely out of luck.

 

[Taylor57]

Sounds like if you already own an Lectric and live international, you will be fine, no?

TL;DR - Lectric eBikes effectively abandons international customers by suddenly ending international shipments.

I was hoping that my first forum post here might be about how much I enjoy using my Lectric XP Step-Thru 3.0 Long-Range eBike on the backroads and trails of rural Ontario, Canada. But imagine my shock and dismay when I received the following email from Lectric on September 24 titled "International Shipping Update":

Hello, John!
We hope this message finds you well.
We wanted to share an important update regarding our shipping policies. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to no longer offer international shipping. While we understand this may be disappointing, we remain fully committed to supporting our international customers.
Rest assured, we will continue to honor all warranty services and address any customer service needs as they arise. We're grateful for your continued support, and our team is here to assist you in any way possible.
If you have any questions, please call our team at (602) 715-0907, or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you!
Kindly,
Team Lectric

So what is one to make of all this rather pleasant sounding boilerplate word salad? It's certainly bad news for Lectric's customers, and not at all a good look for a company that relies (at least to some extent) on positive public perception for their direct-to-consumer business model. Although they supposedly aspire to "support our international customers;" by ending international shipping they have effectively abandoned those international customers. Yes, if you have an approved warranty claim you may expect to get some support; but if your claim is denied, you're out of luck. If your bike is out of warranty, you're out of luck. If you want to purchase general maintenance items like tires, tubes, brake pads, etc., you're out of luck. If you want to purchase any replacement, upgrade or accessory parts (including batteries), you're out of luck. And if you want to purchase another Lectric eBike... boy, are you ever out of luck!

And let's be clear, this decision to end international shipping doesn't just affect international customers. Current and potential future customers in the U.S. might well wonder if this sudden announcement is indicative of other problems within the company, whether of a structural or financial nature. If they can suddenly and arbitrarily end international shipping and related sales -- a rather curious move given the prospect of growing international markets in a time of potential domestic market saturation -- what's to say that they won't suddenly suspend domestic operations in a similar fashion? One would certainly hope that that would not happen; but if it did, it certainly wouldn't be the first company to continue taking online orders up to the moment of laying off staff and closing up shop.

Whatever was behind their "difficult decision" to no longer offer international shipping (and maybe it was a "difficult decision" because they ultimately ended up making the wrong choice?), wouldn't it have been better for them to give advance notice of their intentions, along with a specific timeline? Perhaps they could have said something like "We recognize that this decision may raise particular concerns and challenges for some of our international customers, so we will continue to offer international shipping until Dec 31, 2024, in order to allow our existing customers sufficient time to order maintenance items, replacement parts and/or accessories." And hey, maybe they could have sweetened the deal by offering a special discount code to international customers, to ease the overall impact somewhat and regain at least some public goodwill? Who knows, such a move might have pushed their Q4 earnings through the roof! But as it stands now, Lectric's international customers are left with owning what amounts to little more than battery powered white elephants -- and batteries, as we e-bikers know, don't last forever.

It's sad, really. I actually thought that Lectric was a good company, with good people that would stand behind both their products and their customers. But in light of their announcement, maybe that's not the case.

Maybe I should have bought a Rad Power RadRunner instead.

 

[A Touch of Class]

Yep, about as fine as a dog calmly drinking coffee while sitting at a table in a room that is steadily becoming engulfed in flames.

 

[Taylor57]

Yep, about as fine as a dog calmly drinking coffee while sitting at a table in a room that is steadily becoming engulfed in flames.

Is you bike broken and you are in need of some parts? I don't think I understand your concern. The letter states that they will honor all warranty claims. Also, pretty sure you can get a new battery on Ali Express should you need one...

 

[PCeBiker]

The battery is available on AliExpress,..

There is nothing proprietary about the battery except perhaps the battery output connector, and there is a newer 3.0 version,..

Any other parts you may need for your ebike should be available for purchase from Lectric unless they go out of business.

 

[A Touch of Class]

Is you bike broken and you are in need of some parts? I don't think I understand your concern. The letter states that they will honor all warranty claims. Also, pretty sure you can get a new battery on Ali Express should you need one...

Is my now out-of-warranty bike broken? Well, yes and no. My LCD display could stand to be replaced because it has developed some unusual ghosting; but AFAIK everything else is still functioning to spec. But at some point, something else is bound to break and need repair or replacement, and my "concern" is that just because I don't live in the U.S. I have no hope of being able to order a replacement directly from Lectric, the company I originally purchased my bike from. Imagine it's something like the manufacturer of your car, truck or SUV (or whatever your personal everyday vehicle is) suddenly notifying you and saying "Hey, sorry, but apart from valid one year warranty claims we will no longer support our customers in California." Well, as ridiculous as that sounds, that's what it feels like. Good to know though that replacement batteries might be available from Ali Express, so thanks for that info; but I have absolutely no personal prior experience dealing with them. And nor should I have to, IMHO, because I maintain that existing international customers of Lectric (such as myself) should have full access to all the support measures available to any other customer.

 

[A Touch of Class]

The battery is available on AliExpress,..


View attachment 183281

There is nothing proprietary about the battery except perhaps the battery output connector, and there is a newer 3.0 version,..

View attachment 183282


Any other parts you may need for your ebike should be available for purchase from Lectric unless they go out of business.

Thanks for the info. But that's just the point. As you stated "Any other parts you may need for your ebike should be available for purchase from Lectric unless they go out of business." Except that now, other than any parts covered under their existing one year warranty, Lectric will no longer ship ANYTHING to international customers -- batteries, displays, controllers, spokes, crank arms, derailleurs, chains, motor assemblies, you name it. Yes, those items SHOULD be available for purchase; but as per Lectric's announcement they ARE NOT available to international customers. And you raise an interesting point with your statement "unless they go out of business." That is unfortunately a potential dilemma faced by all Lectric customers, both foreign and domestic. Lectric has come a long way in a relatively short period of time; and while there is much to celebrate about that, all of us as customers (domestic and international, current and potential) can reasonably wonder if this sudden announcement by Lectric is a harbinger of future business cutbacks.

 

[PCeBiker]

Well, if it comes to it, you can install a KT controller and display to keep your ebike going if you can't get parts.

It's a bit of a project installing it, but it's better than disposing of your ebike.

 

[m@Robertson]

Anyone who has had product shipped across an international border, that is pricey (like an ebike) has dealt with what seems to be an incredible racket run by the shipping companies who rake in a small fortune on added charges; never mind the whole customs duty thing.

EVERYONE in the bike and ebike industry is experiencing hard times. Everyone including Lectric is having a tough time selling their inventory. It doesn't surprise me in the least when a company makes a decision like this. I am sure it is a cost/benefit analysis that is tilted way over into the PITA side of the scale, for a very very small portion of corporate revenue.

 

[A Touch of Class]

Well, if it comes to it, you can install a KT controller and display to keep your ebike going if you can't get parts.

It's a bit of a project installing it, but it's better than disposing of your ebike.

Good suggestion, thanks for passing it along!

 

[A Touch of Class]

Anyone who has had product shipped across an international border, that is pricey (like an ebike) has dealt with what seems to be an incredible racket run by the shipping companies who rake in a small fortune on added charges; never mind the whole customs duty thing.

EVERYONE in the bike and ebike industry is experiencing hard times. Everyone including Lectric is having a tough time selling their inventory. It doesn't surprise me in the least when a company makes a decision like this. I am sure it is a cost/benefit analysis that is tilted way over into the PITA side of the scale, for a very very small portion of corporate revenue.

Thanks for the feedback. I had to smile when you mentioned shipping companies and international rates. I had to pay Lectric an additional US$200 (that's close to a bazillion Canadian dollars*) for the privilege of having FedEx dawdle around with bringing my brand new Lectric eBike across the world's longest undefended border*. You also make an interesting point -- "Everyone including Lectric is having a tough time selling their inventory." Lectric seems to be in a nearly constant "SALE!" mode these days (e.g. their "Endless Summer Sale" wraps up today), offering deep discounts on specific models, including "free" accessory packages, and so on. Nothing wrong with that, from a consumer standpoint at least. But yes, that too may be indicative of having a large surplus of inventory that they are trying very hard to eliminate ASAP. I'd hate to think that we international customers are being a PITA; but if we're somehow the proverbial canary in the coal mine for prospective future customers in the U.S., then so be it. Due diligence, caveat emptor, etc. etc.
(* not really)

 

[PCeBiker]

Thanks for the feedback. I had to smile when you mentioned shipping companies and international rates.

I too am from Ontario, and ordered my e-bike from a Canadian retailer in BC during the height of covid.
They said "In Stock Ready And Ready To Ship In 24 Hours".
I could have ordered from Leon's Cycle online, but they were out of stock.

After a week the bike still hadn't shipped, so I complained.
Then magically it was in Toronto the next day and being shipped from there?

It turned out that there were no e-bikes in BC (well there were, sort of, but they were stuck on a ship in the port waiting to get unloaded)

So the shipping company got an ebike from Amego in Toronto (who Did have it in stock) and shipped it from there.

I didn't know about Amego in Toronto when I bought my e-bike, or I would have bought it from them.
I would have had it more than a week sooner.

My bill of sale and warranty is still from BC though. They must have made an arrangement with Amego to get one of their e-bikes.
They both sell and support Et.Cycle ebikes.

 

[A Touch of Class]

So the shipping company got an ebike from Amego in Toronto (who Did have it in stock) and shipped it from there.

That's an interesting turn of events on the part of the shipping company, and one that I have not heard of before. Also, I had not heard about ET.Cycle, so imagine my surprise when I Googled them and found a dealer just down the road from me (sort of) in Goderich, Ontario! Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[PCeBiker]

I bought an Et.Cycle T1000 and I liked the bike. It was well built and tough but the thing would go to full power and launch itself when I touched the throttle, and PAS modes weren't much better.
So I installed a KT controller and display which gave me control over the power and a normal throttle operation.