Returning a bike for a refund or exchange

Hadenoughofitall

I bought my son a bike in Halfords. He rode it once and the chain came off. I managed to put it back but it was a nightmare because of the gears. He rode it again and the same thing happened. I tried to ride it and there is something wrong with the gears. Halfords say they won't replace it because it is not in the original condition. How do they expect it to be in the original condition? I wouldn't know it was faulty unless it had been ridden. It is a £200 bike so i expect something that works. They have offered to repair it but i think it is dangerous for a child and i would prefer an exchange or a refund so i can go elsewhere. What are my legal rights? I bought it nine days ago so i assume i am still within the timescale to return it.

JJ_Egan

9 days yes return under Consumer Rights , but what is this not in original condition .

Sandtree

You are technically rejecting it, rather than returning, as you are within the first 30 days 

Chain coming off though could be a fault but it could just be an adjustment thats needed to one of the derailleurs which is standard setup stuff  

Hadenoughofitall

JJ_Egan said:

9 days yes return under Consumer Rights , but what is this not in original condition .

I think they mean the tyres are dirty due to it having been ridden

Hadenoughofitall

Sandtree said:

You are technically rejecting it, rather than returning, as you are within the first 30 days 

Chain coming off though could be a fault but it could just be an adjustment thats needed to one of the derailleurs which is standard setup stuff  

I paid extra for them to build it so i assumed they knew what they were doing. I fixed it myself thanks to youtube instructions but i came off again in a few minutes.

Sandtree

Hadenoughofitall said:

Sandtree said:

You are technically rejecting it, rather than returning, as you are within the first 30 days 

Chain coming off though could be a fault but it could just be an adjustment thats needed to one of the derailleurs which is standard setup stuff  

I paid extra for them to build it so i assumed they knew what they were doing. I fixed it myself thanks to youtube instructions but i came off again in a few minutes.

They should do but everyone can make mistakes.

Technically in the first 30 days they can make you prove its faulty but most retailers don't.  

I personally have no idea if a config issue on a user adjustable element can legally be deemed a "fault"... to take it to the extreme it could be like rejecting a bike as faulty as the seat is too high but you haven't adjusted it... I appreciate derailleurs are a slightly more technical adjustment but extremes always illustrate points better.

molerat

Where is it coming off - top or bottom, front or back ?  99% of chain coming off faults are simply adjustments, on a child's bike often knocked out of adjustment, which you can't really sort without the bike off the ground on a stand.  A very small frame shouldn't really have derailleur gears as they have to be set absolutely spot on due to the short chain and kids knock it out very easily. Give them a chance to adjust it.

Aylesbury_Duck

Give them a chance to fix it.  Cables take a while to bed in - they stretch with early use and should be checked and tightened after the first few rides.  That's probably all that's happened, or the adjuster for the derailleur needs half a turn.  I doubt the bike is faulty, but the set-up might have been.

£200 isn't a lot for a bike, and unless your son is very young/small, £200 is at the bottom end of bike quality.  You're not going to get a great bike for that money.

user1977

Hadenoughofitall said:

JJ_Egan said:

9 days yes return under Consumer Rights , but what is this not in original condition .

I think they mean the tyres are dirty due to it having been ridden

That's irrelevant if you're returning it because it's faulty. But as above I suspect it can be sorted easily enough rather than it being a fundamental fault.

TELLIT01

Give them the opportunity to fix it in store, with the caveat that if they can't fix it permanently i.e. it doesn't happen again in a couple of days, that you are rejecting it as not fit for purpose.  The purchase price is irrelevant.

Keep_pedalling

Sounds like poor set up I doubt very much it is actually faulty so an exchange is pointless.