Terrible experience – Faulty bike, poor service, and no accountability I bought an Apollo Phaze Blue 18, 20 mountain bike from Halfords Greenock in April 2025, and the experience has been consistently disappointing. Within a few days of purchase, I experienced serious issues: the chain wouldn’t shift to the smallest front gear and derailed repeatedly—often while riding uphill. This posed a safety risk and made the bike unreliable. I reported the fault immediately and returned to the store several times, but staff claimed they couldn't replicate the issue. Why? Because they only tested the bike suspended on a stand, not under real riding conditions where the problem actually occurs. I even demonstrated that the gears appear to function when the wheel is lifted—but fail under pressure on the road. Still, they dismissed my concerns. I use the bike lightly—just once or twice a week for short, 2-mile urban rides within Greenock—far below what you’d expect to challenge a mountain bike. Despite that, Halfords refused a refund and told me to pay for a new chain and labour. This, after I’d reported the issue well within the 28-day return period. To make matters worse, the mechanic who originally recommended the bike later told me the fault was due to it being a “cheap bike.” His manager echoed this. If that’s true, why did they recommend it? And why does Halfords’ website advertise the bike as having “premium components” and “durability at an excellent price”? You can’t have it both ways. Either I was misled at the point of sale, or the product was faulty from the outset. Either way, I’ve been left with a poor-quality bike, ongoing mechanical issues, and no support despite a warranty and CycleCare Premium cover. I also consulted local cycling enthusiasts—all agreed the issue should not exist on a bike that’s only weeks old. I’ve since found that others have had similarly bad experiences with the store’s maintenance service. After escalating my complaint to Halfords' head office, I received a final refusal, telling me they won’t act unless I provide an independent report at my own cost. This completely shifts the burden to the customer, which is unacceptable under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. I am now taking the matter to Trading Standards and RetailADR, and I advise anyone thinking of buying a bike from Halfords to be cautious. They do not stand by their products, and their service has been dismissive, contradictory, and unsupportive.