Curious, how does manufacturer’s warranty work with no parts?

I suspect a call to Citizen’s Advice is in order, but I’m interested to see what TZ can surmise.

I purchased an ebike through eBay (meaning I’m not the original owner). The brand, Boardman, is owned by Halfords.

It’s a 2021 model and therefore is covered under manufacturer’s warranty and not Halfords warranty that stipulates buyer only cover.

The bike has been in the shop now for 7 weeks. The last call I got was that they still weren’t able to find parts and that they genuinely weren’t able to tell me when I’ll get the bike fixed.

What are my rights here? The bike is under warranty but there’s a significant shortage of parts. They can’t fix it, they can’t refund it as I’m not the original owner. We’re at an impasse. What can I do?

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Originally Posted by RickChard

I suspect a call to Citizen’s Advice is in order, but I’m interested to see what TZ can surmise.

I purchased an ebike through eBay (meaning I’m not the original owner). The brand, Boardman, is owned by Halfords.

It’s a 2021 model and therefore is covered under manufacturer’s warranty and not Halfords warranty that stipulates buyer only cover.

The bike has been in the shop now for 7 weeks. The last call I got was that they still weren’t able to find parts and that they genuinely weren’t able to tell me when I’ll get the bike fixed.

What are my rights here? The bike is under warranty but there’s a significant shortage of parts. They can’t fix it, they can’t refund it as I’m not the original owner. We’re at an impasse. What can I do?

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I don’t think it would be unreasonable to escalate this and request a like-for-like replacement.

I did casually suggest replacement, but the bike is sold out everywhere and has been removed from sale or preorder due to parts shortage.

The question I always ask here is what do I want out of the situation and then try and pursue that route

If you want the bike then there isn’t much you can do it get than escalate within the organisation but if there are no parts then there will be a wait

If you want a refund then discuss this with then and potentially the original owner as they may be able to refund them who could pass it into you?

I really just want the bike back, it’s been a source of much enjoyment, weight loss and exercise this year.

I guess I’m just frustrated at no forward movement for nigh on 2 months - how long is reasonable to wait?

I have found a replacement part on eBay, it’s expensive but would get me back riding again…

Who is the manufacturer; and what are their warranty terms and conditions, especially in relation to subsequent owners? (All I could see online were Boardman's warranty which is the same as Halfords' and limited to the original owner).

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The defective part is made by Fazua:

https://fazua.com/en/company/terms-and-conditions/

No mention from what I can see about original owner.

If there really is a manufacturer warranty take it up with them, not Halfords, the shop.

If no mention of the original owner imagine warranty is non-transferable. The contract was with original purchaser.

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Originally Posted by RickChard

The defective part is made by Fazua:

https://fazua.com/en/company/terms-and-conditions/

No mention from what I can see about original owner.

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It does define the customer and the warranty section refers to the customer. But if they are already dealing with you on a warranty basis, - ie are aiming to rectify the issue under warranty - that's a positive.

It looks as though it's an e-bike? That's a bit of a pain as you're probably going to need the Fazua component(s) - battery? motor? - to get going again.

Are they having supply issues? Assuming that they are suffering the widespread difficulties with supply chains, I can't see them reimbursing you the cost of a secondhand bike when it's just a part that's needed and you aren't the customer with a direct contractural relationship with them (as far as I can tell). I suspect that you will just have to wait.

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It’s a common issue with Halfords bikes be it the Boardman or Carrera brands, I know of a couple that have been in for months waiting for parts, although not Ebikes.
One the manager even sourced the part himself to get it resolved.


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Continue asking for a full refund. Be polite but very firm.

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Originally Posted by noTAGlove

Continue asking for a full refund. Be polite but very firm.

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Of what? He bought it elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Of what? He bought it elsewhere.

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If I bought a car second hand but it was only a few months old and the dealer couldn’t fix it under warranty, I would expect a refund at least at the market rate and pre-owned sales price.

Same for the bike.

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Originally Posted by noTAGlove

If I bought a car second hand but it was only a few months old and the dealer couldn’t fix it under warranty, I would expect a refund at least at the market rate and pre-owned sales price.

Same for the bike.

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Refund from who though? The manufacturer didn’t sell it to this customer

In your analogy that’s like buying a second hand car from a private seller, then expecting a main dealer to refund you

That’s not how it works - the dealer has no contract with you and no obligation to essentially buy the car or bike from you. It wouldn’t be a refund because the original transaction was not with you, it would essentially be them buying it from you

As I said earlier the original buyer could get involved and that might help but it’s doubtful

And how much should the refund be - what the OP paid or the original price?

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

And how much should the refund be - what the OP paid or the original price?

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No perfect solution here as the op is caught between a bit of a rock and a hard place.

But I would have thought that if the op presented Halfords with confirmation of the eBay sales price, then engaged in a bit of persuasive negotiation with the branch manager or regional manager as necessary.

Easier to pursue the easiest and most straightforward approach, before taking on the bigger challenges of such things as the small claims court.

Maybe Halfords will stick the middle finger up, but until you try you will never know. I find escalating the complaint up the management chain helps, as you may eventually find some mine who has the proper decision rights, and also is sympathetic to the predicament.

Some interesting debate and suggestion, thanks folks. I’ve escalated within Halfords but will pursue with Fazua directly too.

Original buyer has gone silent - I’m not asking for much other than the store it was bought from and a purchase month. No response after several contact attempts.

Throw it in the canal...and claim a new one on the insurance....

j/k :pride:

Maybe it’s stolen.

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Originally Posted by Kingstepper

Maybe it’s stolen.

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Always a possibility when buying from auction sites. I did enough due diligence (since it was an expensive purchase). The chap seemed to have good knowledge of its purchase and the reason for buying (recovering from accident), as well as a number of other bikes on display when I went to view at his home.

The only slight alarm bell was his eBay item history, which was exclusively bike bits - suggesting some kind of dealer. Either way, it felt legitimate.

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Originally Posted by noTAGlove

No perfect solution here as the op is caught between a bit of a rock and a hard place.

But I would have thought that if the op presented Halfords with confirmation of the eBay sales price, then engaged in a bit of persuasive negotiation with the branch manager or regional manager as necessary.

Easier to pursue the easiest and most straightforward approach, before taking on the bigger challenges of such things as the small claims court.

Maybe Halfords will stick the middle finger up, but until you try you will never know. I find escalating the complaint up the management chain helps, as you may eventually find some mine who has the proper decision rights, and also is sympathetic to the predicament.

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Halfords aren't going to refund an eBay purchase. How would that look in their accounting software? How do they report it to the tax man?

Via the original owner I think he could push for a refund from Halfords to the customer, then on to himself. Via Halfords it seems he's stuck in the same queue as everyone else awaiting parts.