My Beecool experience

[Dabramow]

Hi...I just finished a long and arduous process with my Beecool Adventurer.

I ordered the bike back in October and kept on getting shipment notifications even though the bike wasn't shipped until late December.

After receiving and assembling the bike, and fully charging the battery, I was getting an error on the system (for a brake issue) rendering this brand new bike unusable.

After lots of back and forth with Service and support having me mess with the cable connections, unplugging and removing the controller and plugging wires in and out (seriously wtf) and me requesting a replacement bike or to have them send and pay for a technician to come and fix, they decided the best solution was to send me a new set of brake levers and wires to replace myself (including the cable threaded through the body, redoing cable management, and hoping it would be fixed). This was too much for me to even think about wanting to do on a brand new ebike. They offered to cover a maximum of $50 to have a technician come to fix this never-having-worked ebike.

My 2 week return window was closing. And now if I wanted to return it, I would have to pay for shipping. I threatened to take them to small claims court.

TBH, I am kind of blown away that today, in an ebike market looking for differentiation from competitors, Beecool would leave a customer like this. This could have been so easily fixed, but they chose the difficult path that few, if any, customers would follow to get a brand new ebike to work.

In the end they paid for the return shipping and refunded in-full my purchase. I bought an Aventon Aventure in the end - easy order, quick ship, easy assemble, AND IT WORKED. Some small customer service issues were very quickly resolved and I am a happy customer of Aventon.

 

[tomjasz]

When we save dollars on factory direct bikes we sign on as our own mechanics. That service stinks, but I’d have done the same thing regarding disconnecting and checking all connections. I do get your frustration. However our own repairs with warranty parts is part of the decision. Glad you got a company you’re happy with. Bad builds ruin the fun!

 

[ruffruff]

When we save dollars on factory direct bikes we sign on as our own mechanics. That service stinks, but I’d have done the same thing regarding disconnecting and checking all connections. I do get your frustration. However our own repairs with warranty parts is part of the decision. Glad you got a company you’re happy with. Bad builds ruin the fun!

Yes, not an unusual story for a buy direct bike.
You really have to go into a direct buy with your eyes wide open knowing you are on the hook for labor.
If you can't perform basic bike labor you may want to reconsider.

A "more expensive" bike from your LBS may not be more expensive in the long run.

BUT glad you got it worked out. Enjoy the new ride. I still feel like a 10 year old kid on Christmas on new bike day!

 

[PatriciaK]

So far, at least (my bike is still under warranty), Espin hasn't required me to do a thing. They've had me take my bike to REI, provided a detailed description of the work to be done, and provided immediate reimbursement to my credit card upon receiving a screenshot of my receipt.
After the warranty is up, whatever my "personal mechanic" can't handle, I'll just go to REI - they were very friendly and knowledgeable, and their prices were great! I'll build my relationship there .

Just to say, not all direct buy companies are the same... Just like not all dealers are the same. I do have a FABulous dealer for my other - Giant La Free - bike, so have experience in both worlds .

 

[rich c]

I'd say you got excellent service from both companies. Your experience of some minor electrical issues is typical, but the customer service you got from Beecool is not. If you do some searches on here, there are endless posts of people that took forever for parts shipments and more troubleshooting before an issue was resolved. Getting out of a deal at no expense is highly unusual. As far as long and arduous, some buyers have waited a year to get an eBike.