Warranty

A warranty call out is when, having previously worked on your bike, we come out and either a) repair on the spot or b) collect, repair and deliver - completely free of charge.

Covered:

• Any problem that is a result of a mistake that we have made whilst working on your bicycle
• Failure of parts that we have supplied and fitted, except as a result of an exceptional lack of care, or riding in a manner likely to cause such damage

Not Covered:

• Problems where we have advised for parts to be replaced and/or work to be carried out and this has been declined
• The normal 'going out of tune' of a bicycle over time
• Acceptable wear and tear

Please note: if you bring your bike to us and we have previously worked on it, we will always try to help where possible - regardless of the problem, the cause and how long it has been since we last worked on it.

Happy, satisfied customers are very important to us here at SCB and as such we take very seriously any problems our customers have with their bikes after we have worked on them. It has been said that one of the true measures of a business is not just how satisfied its customers are, but how it responds to customers who have problems or are dissatisfied with the service they have received.

Up until now (Jan 2009) we have dealt with customers' problems on an informal basis. This has worked very well, but as we have expanded to working on several thousand bikes each year, we have recognised the need to put in place a structured warranty procedure.

We are not perfect and we know it. Sometimes mistakes get made. As a team we continually peer review the work that we do. By tracking and recording the details of all problems that occur, we are able to highlight areas in which we can improve and mistakes that can be avoided, enabling us to build on our culture of continually improving the level and quality of the service we offer.

By looking at warranty claims as an opportunity to learn and improve our service, we strive to achieve our stated aims as below.

Our goals:

• To eliminate as far as possible any problems that our customers might have with their bikes after we have worked on them
• To ensure that we provide a quick, hassle free service when problems do arise

To achieve this we will:

• Respond to warranty claims as a matter of priority
• Learn from any problems that do occur and do our best to improve our practices and procedures to avoid similar problem occurring again
• Help to inform our customers as to the best ways to use and care for their bikes so as to minimize any problems that they may have (Please see our 'Care and Best Practice Advice' document here.)

Immediate Problems

If, after we return your bike, you ride it and something is not right, please contact us straight away and we will be more than happy to come out and look at it as a matter of priority.

Alternatively, if you are able to, and do not wish to wait until we are able to come out to you, please feel free to come to the workshop with your bike. We will drop everything to resolve any problems that you are having immediately.

Please bear in mind that a significant number of the warranty queries that we deal with, especially the ones concerning gears, are as a result of the rider not fully understanding how their bike works. It is easy to quickly damage a perfectly set up bicycle through the incorrect use of the gears. If you would like advice on using your specific type of gears, please ask when we deliver your bike, or read our advice on using your gears here. We also highly recommend Bike for Life, a local charity that does excellent adult cycling lessons. Please see their web site - http://www.bikeforlife.org.uk/

If you are proficient at using your bike, get it back from us and find that all is not well, please get in touch straight away - resolving these problems will be our absolute priority.

Problems after a period of time

• You come to us

If you are an existing customer and you arrive with your bike at the workshop, we will always look at it straight away, no matter how long it has been since we last worked on it.

Depending on what the problem is, how long it has been since we last worked on it and any other factors (the level of care it has received, how busy we are etc.) we will either try to resolve the problem then and there, take the bike in to work on ASAP, or book it in for a collection at a suitable convenient time in the future.

• We come to you

SCB is a small business running under a fine financial margin, with a limit to the number of bookings we can take per day. As stated above, we take warranty claims very seriously. However, it is important that we only prioritise genuine warranty claims, as unjustified claims can have an impact on the level of service we can offer to our other customers.

If time has elapsed and a part that we have supplied and fitted breaks or fails - except as a result of extreme or very poor riding or acceptable wear and tear - then this would be covered under warranty and we would be happy to come out as a matter of priority.

If something else goes wrong with the bicycle after some time has elapsed and it is a result of a mistake that we have made, then again we would be happy to come out and look at it straight away. Generally, though, if we have made a mistake then this will become apparent as soon as the bike is ridden.

Most bikes do gradually go out of tune. (If they didn't, we would pretty much be out of a job!) How much and how quickly will depend on a number of different factors - the quality of the bike and its components; the amount and type of use that it gets; where the bike is stored when it is not being used; and how much care/maintenance the owner performs on it.

This going out of tune over time is not grounds for a warranty call out. Please do bring it to us, though, and we will of course look at it and, if appropriate, perform a quick tune up and advise on how best to care for it. Alternatively, book it in for a service and we'll be around to collect it ASAP.

Please also see our 'Care and best practice' advice document.

Contact us either by phone, email or through the web site any time.

Please don't leave it and then contact us many months after you get your bike back. If there is a problem with your bike when you get it back, please get in contact straight away; resolving the problem will be our priority.