Transferable Warranty in Oz

[brw0513]

Hi all.

I'm thinking about purchasing a used eMTB. There are a few candidates on FB from time to time.

Just wondering about warranty here in Australia. Are they transferable to a second owner? It's Merida, Focus and Commencal I have in mind.

 

[flash]

Yes, with a few conditions. In Oz warranty is with the item, not the buyer, generally, unlike many other countries.

1. It'll need to be a *legal* bike. Obviously. If they find it's de-restricted or stolen, for example. Some bikes log de-restriction attempts.
2. You'll need the original purchase receipt plus possibly a receipt from who you bought it from.
3. It'll need to be Oz stock. Not an import.
4. The usual warranty rules like abuse, damage, mis use, non-original parts etc.
5. Wear and tear parts won't be warrantied and the battery might not be as well.
6. You might be up for store costs and freight to the importer as these can be considered a contract between the original purchaser and the store (not covered under Oz warranty by law). Some stores won't deal with used bikes or bikes they didn't sell.

Often the original owner will help you out if you have an issue by dealing with the store or manufacturer. You might also want to contact the importer to see what they require for the warranty to be proven. Always better to be safe than sorry.

Gordon

p.s. I am knowledgeable on consumer law but I am NOT a lawyer nor do I pretend to be. Do your own due diligence.

 

[Pdoz]

Read each brands warranty document .
Merida frame is for original owner only WARRANTY - MERIDA BIKES
Giant is original owner only
Specialized made a big deal about warranty being transferable in about 2019 from memory, before that they were original owner.

ALL brands have no warranty once they decide the bike has been de restricted - they interpret average speed / power use etc and if it looks unusual they decide the bike had been derestricted

 

[flash]

Read each brands warranty document .
Merida frame is for original owner only WARRANTY - MERIDA BIKES
Giant is original owner only
Specialized made a big deal about warranty being transferable in about 2019 from memory, before that they were original owner.

ALL brands have no warranty once they decide the bike has been de restricted - they interpret average speed / power use etc and if it looks unusual they decide the bike had been derestricted

Don't worry about what they write. What's on the warranty document should be considered a minimum, not absolute. Often these things are based on either a standard international piece of paper or what they think they can get away with. It doesn't replace Australian consumer law. In Oz, warranty is on the product not the owner so mostly these original owner claims are not valid here. Same with warranty cards. Not required in Oz. Same with warranty time. You could argue that a $10K bike should last longer than 2 years and in most cases you'd be correct under Australian law. Depends on how hard you want to push.

I had an issue with my Sony TV. Had a two year warranty and was three years old. Retailer said I should expect $7K TV to last longer. Sony agreed (great customer service from both). TV repaired in house in a week. Cars here mostly have a 5 year warranty. They used to claim original owner only as well. Now they don't. In both cases they're not being nice. They know Oz consumer law will back the owner for a legitimate warranty claim. We have some of the most robust consumer protection in the world.

Again, if in doubt ring consumer affairs to check. They'll let you know.

Gordon

 

[brw0513]

Thanks for the replies.

I agree that the Australian consumer should be well covered for warranty claims, by law, regardless of what the various Retailers state on their websites. But I'd hate to have to pay/wait for a decision in my favour.

At this very moment, there are a few used Commencal Meta Power SXs advertised for sale in Oz. Up for sale from the original owners. I phoned Commencal Australia and was told the warranty on frame, parts, motor and battery was only good for the original owner. Not unexpected. But I asked would it make a difference if I could supply an original purchase receipt and maintenance records. The answer was an even firmer "no".

I find this hard to accept. Still looking for my first eMTB. New prices just aren't realistic for me right now. And second hand prices seem to be nudging original purchase cost!

 

[flash]

You'll get that line from a lot of manufacturers. Ring consumer affairs and see what they say. That's really what'll happen. And yes, you may need to give the manufacturer a nudge if they don't comply with the law.

But also you need to be realistic. Batteries, bearings etc are consumable parts. You can't expect these to be covered and there may be some issues that wouldn't be warranty regardless. Bikes get ridden hard and you might not see that until it fails. Say for example you find a small frame crack in a few months. Did it start while you had the bike? Was it the last owner totally abusing it? Nearly impossible to tell and you might not be covered anyway.

You are always taking a risk with a used bike. OTOH failure rates are generally very low and no more than normal bikes, really. Except for maybe a few well know Levo issues which Specialized stood up and acknowledged.

In an ideal world you make an arrangement with the seller that he will handle any warranty issues as if he still owned the bike. Ask the seller. Most people would be more than happy to do this as part of a sale.

Gordon