Circle City Bicycles & Fitness

Bought electric Bicycle they had to build paid in full when order.went to pick up bicycle and they wanted me to pay $more because they price it wrong cause they did not know what they was doing I told them I was not going to pay them the $because they have already give me a price so they went a head and give me the bike and told me they will not cover the warranty on it and I think they should it is not my fault they mis price the bicycle they should be liable for the warranty

A woman came into the store asking about an electric bike under a thousand dollars. No supplier we knew of offered an e-bike under $1500, and most were closer to $2500. Because we wanted to help find a solution, we looked into other options and found a kit for a motorized wheel for $300 from a...

company called Yesco that could be added to the bikes we sell. I explained that we hadn’t done a conversion before, but we were interested to see how well the kits worked since many people seem to be interested in an affordable electric bike. I offered to do the installation (which I estimated at 1 hour, our shop rate is $60) for free and she agreed to $300 for the motor and installation and then selected a Nirve Starliner bicycle priced at $449.00 for us to modify. The $300 dollar kit was no longer available, so we instead purchased a $400 kit from the same company.  It turned out to be incompatible with the bike, so we placed an order with a Canadian Company, [redacted], for a kit that would work with this bike. This kit cost $451 and the battery itself cost $271.00. At this point we attempted to contact the customer, but the number she had given us was her husband’s and we were not able to reach her. The electronics and cable routing were not intuitive and the instructions were designed for an electrician, rather than a standard bike mechanic, so we ended up putting over 40 hours into the project. Because we were learning, I was willing to write off these labor hours. However, the material costs themselves were much higher than originally anticipated. Although we spent $422 more than budgeted, we asked the customer to pay only 200 more to offset these losses and still deliver an electric bike under $1,000. We also offered to refund the money in full should this be too great a cost for the customer. When the woman came to pick up the bike and we explained the situation, the husband became very angry. We agreed to absorb the full cost on the basis that we had not communicated clearly with the customer. In the interest of clear communication, we tried to make sure that both husband and wife understood that this was a special case project, and that turning a pedal bike into an ebike typically voids the manufacturer’s warranty on the bicycle. At the mentioned of a voided warranty, the husband became irate and verbally abusive. We again offered a full refund, but he insisted that if he had a refund it should include interest. At this time, he asked again about a warranty and we provided the warranty information for the electric motor kit. If there is any problem, he can contact them. Between the labor and the more expensive kit, we lost a considerable amount of money on this project, and don’t want to lose any more on it in the future. The customer was also given the option of a full refund, which he declined. In summary, we tried to do something we hadn’t done before to please the customer’s wife, and warned her that it might not work out. We ultimately didn’t charge the customer for the higher cost of the kit or the additional labor, and also offered him the option of a complete refund. He has the warranty from the manufacturer of the motor. The warranty policy from Nirve is attached below. If we have been unfair with this customer, please let us know what we should have done. We run an honest shop and try our best to please our customers. It appears in this case there was a lack of communication between the customer and his wife. NIRVE WARRANTY GUIDELINES NIRVE  warrants to the original owner the replacement of original components and equipment of NIRVE bicycles due to defects in the material and/or workmanship according to the following conditions and limitations: 1) Warranty coverage on bicycle frames and rigid forks extends for the lifetime of the bicycle while owned by the original retail purchaser, except for the following bicycles: a) Chopper Models with any modifications on original equipment b) Any Cruiser Model with any modifications on original equipment 2. The components, other than frame and fork are warranted for 1 (one) year. Suspension forks and Springer Fork models are excluded from this warranty. 3. The original owner shall pay all freight and labor charges connected with the warranty and parts changeover. 4. IN NO EVENT SHALL NIRVE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. 5. This warranty is limited to the original retail purchaser ONLY and is not transferable. 6. Normal wear, accident, abuse, neglect, improper assembly, improper maintenance by other then the Authorized dealer or use of parts of devices not consistent with the use originally intended for the bicycle as sold are not covered by this warranty. 7. In order to exercise your rights under this limited warranty, the complete bicycle must be presented to an authorized NIRVE dealer for inspection, together with a receipt, bill of sale and other appropriate written proof of purchase, which identifies the bicycle by serial number. For information regarding the nearest dealer, consult our website www.nirve.com. 8. This warranty is limited to replacing the defective part without charge and the company shall in no event be responsible for consequential or special damages. 9. This bicycle is not intended for use in trick riding, ramp riding, jumping, aggressive riding, riding on severe terrain, riding in severe climates, racing, riding with heavy loads, institutional or industrial use, or any similar activities; such uses may damage the bicycle, can cause serious injury to the rider, and in all cases will void this warranty. Likewise, the bicycle is not intended for use with a motor. 10. This warranty is expressly in lieu of any other warranties, any implied warranty, including any warranty of merchantability of fitness, shall be limited in duration to the duration the express warranty set forth herein. 11. The return of the warranty registration form within 30 days of purchase is a condition precedent to coverage as provided herein. 12. Unless otherwise provided, the sole remedy under the terms of this warranty or any implied warranty is limited to the replacement of defective parts with those of equal or greater value at the sole description of Nirve. 13. Paint finish and decals are warranted for one year. 14. Modification of the frame or components shall void this warrant. 15. Useful Product Life Cycle: Every Nirve bicycle has a useful life cycle. This useful life cycle is not the same as the warranty period. The warranty identifies the period of time that Nirve will replace the product if this becomes necessary. When Nirve provides a lifetime warranty, this does not guarantee that the product will last forever. The length of the useful life cycle of a Nirve bicycle will vary depending on the type of bike, riding conditions and care the bike receives. Competition, jumping, downhill racing, free-riding, trick riding, trial riding, riding in severe conditions or climates, riding with heavy loads or any other non-standard use can substantially shorten the useful product life cycle of a Nirve bicycle. Any one or a combination of these conditions may result in an unpredictable failure of a Nirve bicycle or frame set that would not be covered by this warranty. All Nirve bicycles and frame sets should be periodically checked by an authorized Nirve dealer for indication of potential failures including cracks, corrosion, dents, deformation, paint peeling, and any other indications of potential problems, inappropriate use or abuse. These are important safety checks and very important in the prevention of accidents, bodily injury to the rider, and a shortened useful product life cycle of any Nirve bicycle. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state.