Repairs and servicing: A fault with a bike sent by the supplier – what should you do?

​Serious faults with bikes from online retailers – particularly problems with the motor and electronics – present cyclists with service challenges. This guide shows you how to get back on your bike quickly.

​Conclusion

Electrical faults or other serious defects in a bike purchased online can often present challenges if there is no local dealer, but these can be resolved by following a structured approach. For gravel bikes with electric drives, for example, always document the error codes immediately and make sure you contact the seller before carrying out any repairs. By using official partner networks or authorised approvals, you can effectively avoid delays and out-of-pocket costs. This ensures you retain your warranty entitlements and gets your e-bike back on the trail as quickly as possible.

E-gravel bikes are currently the fastest-growing category of bicycle. Many cyclists opt for a bike from well-known direct-to-consumer retailers or online platforms because of the attractive value for money. As long as the bike runs smoothly, this approach works: you get good products at fair prices. However, the downside becomes apparent at the latest when the bike stops working properly. Whilst mechanical wear and tear – such as a misaligned derailleur, worn brake pads or a flat tyre – can usually be sorted out with a bit of DIY skill in your own garage, the situation is very different when it comes to serious faults, particularly with the electric drive system. If the display suddenly shows error codes, the motor cuts out without warning, the battery no longer charges or the sensors fail, cyclists without a dedicated local contact person quickly find themselves in an organisational dead end. In this guide, we shed light on the background to the workshop issue, compare the service networks of the major brands, explain the specific complaint procedures and highlight what you need to bear in mind when buying via online platforms.

What lies behind the workshop cancellations

At first glance, the situation seems baffling to the cyclists affected: why would a professional bike workshop, which services and repairs bikes and e-bikes on a daily basis, refuse to repair a bike purchased from a mail-order retailer? After all, direct-to-consumer retailers also work with the same major component and drive manufacturers as specialist retailers. One might therefore assume that any professional e-bike shop would be perfectly capable of reading out any system. The reality in workshops, however, is characterised by complex technical, financial and operational hurdles that go far beyond simply having a diagnostic cable to hand.

Not every bike shop has diagnostic equipment for all standard motors

Whilst most established specialist retailers do have diagnostic interfaces for Bosch and Shimano motors, the range is rather limited: in practice, comprehensive coverage of all systems available on the market is almost never the case.

There are very specific reasons for this:

• Compulsory manufacturer training and certification: Motor manufacturers such as Bosch, Shimano, Fazua and TQ do not simply grant access to their diagnostic tools, specialist software licences and training portals on request. Workshops must regularly send their mechanics on paid training courses. Without these up-to-date certificates, access to the motor manufacturer’s diagnostic software is simply blocked or its functionality is severely restricted.
• Ongoing licence and system costs: Setting up the diagnostic infrastructure involves ongoing expenditure for workshops. In addition to the costs of training, specialised hardware dongles, adapter cables and annual licence fees also add to the bill. A retailer who sells only bicycles fitted with Bosch systems in their shop has no commercial incentive to spend thousands of euros on training and licences for specialist or niche drive systems that they do not even stock themselves.
• Capacity, liability risks and the business model: Even if a cycle shop were technically and legally able to diagnose a problem with a mail-order bike or repair a mechanical fault, many owners categorically refuse such jobs. During the peak season, cycle shops are usually fully booked for weeks in advance. Naturally, retailers prioritise their own customers, who have paid a lot of money to buy their bikes in-store. Added to this is the legal liability faced by workshops: if an external workshop handles the bike, many retailers fear administrative complications should the fault prove to be more serious or should disputes arise with the original manufacturer regarding the warranty. Independent workshops also often shy away from the bureaucratic hassle, working hours and the need to settle accounts for spare parts with a mail-order manufacturer under the terms of the warranty.

The shippers’ service networks

Direct-to-consumer retailers have long recognised the lack of links to repair shops as one of the biggest hurdles to buying a bike, particularly when it comes to e-bikes. To counter this negative image and offer customers a reliable point of contact even after their purchase, the leading brands have significantly stepped up their efforts in recent years and established their own partner networks. Nevertheless, the strategy varies significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer – ranging from nationwide partnerships to a deliberate focus on the main factory.

Service networks of direct mail order companies

A detailed look at the approach taken by the leading direct mail companies:

• Canyon: The industry giant from Koblenz is pursuing a two-pronged service strategy. In addition to its own flagship centres (such as those in Koblenz and Munich), Canyon has a Europe-wide network of around 300+ authorised partner workshops. These partner workshops receive training, have direct access to the Canyon spare parts warehouse and are authorised to bill the manufacturer directly for fault diagnosis and warranty repairs. Furthermore, Canyon is expanding the use of mobile service vans in urban areas to carry out repairs directly at the customer’s premises.
• Radon: The Bonn-based mail-order company benefits enormously from the long-established logistics and workshop infrastructure of its parent company, Bike-Discount. With over 260 certified service partners across Europe, Radon offers an exceptionally extensive service network. A particular advantage for customers is that many of these partner workshops act as official delivery and assembly points at the time of purchase, ensuring that customers have a personal point of contact with their local mechanic right from the start.
• Rose Bikes: The Bocholt-based family business has completed its transformation from a pure catalogue retailer to an omnichannel retailer. Rose combines a network of over 130 partner garages – including many businesses from the quality-oriented VSF (Service Bicycle Association) – currently operating around 15 to 20 of its own brand stores and shop-in-shop outlets in major cities. This means that Rose customers can turn to both the company’s own branches and independent, trained partner businesses in the event of damage.

Complaints procedures: How the process works

If, in the middle of the season, the display suddenly goes blank, the motor stops working, or you’re unable to repair mechanical damage yourself, a structured approach is required. There is no single, universal complaints procedure. The process varies depending on the brand of your bike and whether there is a service partner available in your area. It is essential to follow the correct steps to avoid being left with repair costs to pay later on.

Process A: The route via the partner network (Canyon, Radon, Rose)

If there is an authorised service centre for the manufacturer within easy reach, this is usually the quickest and easiest way to get back on the trail:

• Error documentation & online ticket: First, create a support ticket via the manufacturer’s service portal. Important in the event of electronic faults: make a note of the exact error code (if shown on the display) and attach any photos or videos, as well as the purchase receipt.
• Approval & Authorisation: The supplier’s support team will investigate the matter. If the issue is covered by the warranty or guarantee, the manufacturer will assign you a reference number (authorisation) and refer you to a listed service partner in your region.
• Drop-off at the partner workshop: You take the bike to the authorised workshop. The workshop reads the fault memory using the manufacturer’s specific software, orders any necessary spare parts (e.g. a new motor, wiring harness or battery) from the distributor or motor manufacturer, and carries out the repair.
• Direct billing: The workshop settles the labour and material costs incurred directly with the sender. You will not incur any costs in the event of a valid warranty claim.

Process B: The delivery process to the factory

If there is no authorised service centre in your region, or if the manufacturer requires the repair to be carried out at its main factory, the postal returns process applies:

• ​Telephone diagnosis & preliminary check: Customer support will attempt to narrow down the problem using remote diagnostics, videos or log files from the e-bike app (to rule out the possibility that it is simply a loose connection).
• Packaging & Collection: If the fault cannot be rectified remotely, the manufacturer will provide you with a special transport box (or you can use the box from the original delivery). A courier company will collect the packed bike directly from your home.
• Manufacturer's Service & Returns: The manufacturer’s own technicians diagnose the electronic fault on the test bench, replace the faulty components, install the latest firmware updates and put the bike through a final test ride. The bike is then returned via a courier service. Please note: The quality of repairs at the factory is generally high, but you should expect downtime of usually 2 to 4 weeks.

Special case: online platforms – what applies to Fahrrad XXL, BIKE24, BikeExchange and similar sites

Alongside pure direct-to-consumer retailers (who develop their own frames and sell them exclusively via their own websites), a second major online market has established itself: large online cycling platforms and web shops. Retailers such as BIKE24, XXL Bicycle, BikeExchange and Fahrrad.de do not sell their own-brand bikes via direct mail order, but instead stock a range of established specialist brands (such as Cube, Focus, Ghost, Specialized, Trek, Haibike, Scott and others).

Should a (electronic) fault occur with a bicycle purchased via such a platform, the legal and organisational rules are fundamentally different from those applicable to mail-order bicycle brands.

Comparison of types of retailers and complaint procedures

The legal and practical distinctions in detail:

• The online retailer is your contractual partner (warranty): If, for example, you have ordered a Cube e-MTB from the online retailer BIKE24, then from a legal point of view, the only option is BIKE24 responsible for your statutory liability for defects (warranty) – this is not necessarily the manufacturer, Cube, nor the Cube dealer in your home town.
• Do you need to send the bike back to the online retailer? Legally, the seller (the online shop) has the right to rectify the fault. If a fault occurs, the platform will usually require you to send the bicycle to its central service centre for repair. The retailer will usually provide return labels or dispatch orders for this purpose.
• Is it simply a matter of contacting your local specialist retailer? This is where buyers most often make a mistake. A local specialist retailer who stocks the same brand (e.g. Cube) is not legally obliged to carry out warranty repairs on a bike that was purchased from an online competitor.
• Option A: The local retailer carries out the repair as a gesture of goodwill or to build customer loyalty.
• Option B: The retailer will accept the bike, but will treat the repair as a standard workshop job subject to a charge and will bill you for the labour. If you wish to have these costs reimbursed by the online retailer, you must ensure that you obtain written confirmation from the online retailer that they will cover the costs before placing the workshop order!
• Special case: manufacturer’s warranty: Some component and frame manufacturers (e.g. Specialized or, in some cases, Bosch) administer their voluntary manufacturer’s warranty through a global dealer network. In such cases, any certified authorised dealer can enter the warranty claim directly into the manufacturer’s system. Nevertheless, you should still check with your local dealer in advance to see if they are willing to handle the claim for a bike purchased elsewhere.
• The advantage of Giga-Stores (e.g. XXL Bicycle, Lucky Bike): If you order your e-MTB from the online shop of a retailer that also has large high-street branches (such as Fahrrad XXL or Lucky Bike), you’ll enjoy a clear advantage. If a fault occurs, you can simply hand in your online bike at the service reception desk in any branch of the chain, without having to organise any transport boxes.