Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/25/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Front wheel not true when removed from the packaging.I was told to take it to a bike shop.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/26/2024

  Hi *****,

  Hope all is well,
  After reviewing the email communication with our warranty team we are truly sorry to see that your bike was received with a bent rim.
  There may have been some miscommunication on our part as we created a replacement order at the end of day yesterday. We do acknowledge your shops response and concerns and are getting a wheel to you ASAP. As the Order Confirmations are generated from a separate server than our communication, we are uncertain if the Order Confirmation email may have gone unnoticed and sent to a spam folder.
  Please rest assured our team is doing the best to assist given the situation.

  Best Regards,
  City Grounds

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/26/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/09/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought a bike from this company for my sons birthday. The bike box that it came in, stated that it was partially assembled, and when we looked in the box, most of the bike was put together. The only thing that needed to be put on was the handlebars, the seat and the back tire. So we had those parts put on, but unfortunately, the pedal fell off and injured my son, and before that when filling the tire for the first time, we realized that it was defective and would not fill. We reached out to this company numerous times,when every incident occurred but they give me a hard time and state that its not in their warranty since a licensed bike assembler did not put a childs bike together. The situation is as absurd as it sounds

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2024

  Hi ******,
  We appreciate your feedback.
  To clarify, all bikes come partially assembled by the manufacturers.There is still a level of assembly and inspection to all parts preinstalled by manufacture upon receiving. Both ourselves and the manufacturers do encourage (and include mention on the packaging and website) to take the bike to a mechanic for professional assembly.
  
  
  ****** are one of the parts included in the small parts box to be installed during assembly. They are not shipped preinstalled as this is a protective measure to not add unnecessary width to the bicycle packaging and ensure its safety.
  That said, stripped out cranks are one of the most common issues seen industry wide. They are caused when a pedal is not properly greased and cross threaded. It is for reasons such as this that both parties encourage the assembly by a bicycle mechanic.
  
  After reviewing communications with our team, I see that we have provided reimbursement for the inner tube and have tried requesting further photos for the pedal and crank situation.
  
  
  Please let us know if we can further assist.   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/10/2024

  Ive told your representative that I would be more than happy to send them pictures of the of the pedal and the crank as you can see if you looked at our whole conversation history. But after I indicated, I was not sure what they were talking about regarding a mechanic installation receipt, they quickly sent me a decline of replacement and a screenshot of some terms and conditions stating they would not be able to help me. So if you are able to help me, I am more than happy to send you the pictures that you are requesting. 

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  Hi ******,
  Please understand that all warranties are provided through the manufacturer and that City Grounds, a retailer, act as middlemen in attempts to help resolve any possible warranty should issue occur.
  
   A request of photos and proof of assembly are standard practice for all warranties. This is to ensure that a skilled hand who can be held accountable properly assembled the product. Given your questioning to this, and mention of what level of assembly you had performed out of box we did take this as it had not been assembled at shop/by mechanic. Policy had been reiterated and further explained as to why it is pertinent for a consumer to have the bike assembled in order to avoid any possible issue that *** occur during assembly.
  We were quickly met with the threat of contacting both Better Business Bureau and your payment holder. We understand your frustrations regarding this and hope you understand that this all could have been avoided if taken to a shop for professional assembly as stated on site.
  
  In events such as this, there is very little we can do to help resolve the issue. Our best we can do at this time is provide a discount on replacement part. If interested, you will require to email through the same email chain used prior. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/17/2024

  I did take it to a bike shop. Dont think that you have all the accurate information. I Myself hobbyist and certified tech for soul bike in ************. I know that this bike was put together properly and I also know that it is Faulty. I I have given you photos, and also you are the direct merchant that I brought the faulty merchandise from you. Your company is liable for any and all products you sell. I will not go away, and I will continue to fight you until the last breath in my body. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hello and ATTN: *****,I am writing to request a warranty replacement crank (right & left) for the bike purchased back on 2/19/24.We have purchased 29" BMX bikes before with SP ************, *** HTTPSJRBMX001 in ** on 06/19/23.We have never had this problem with other manufactures. We have only had it for a month before my godson began having trouble with his pedal falling off. Please consider replacing the crank set asap. We haven't had the bike long enough for this to happen. Do pedals fall off after only riding the bike for under 1 month? I noticed you aren't offering replacement parts online at this. Is there a quality issue here? I can be reached at: ************ I called in requesting a phone call back but it hasn't happened yet. *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2024

  Hi ******, 
  
  We are a bit bummed to see the reposting your original email as form of complaint. We have been in communication with you providing explanation both via phone and email. 
  
  As stated, crankarms threads are commonly stripped due to improper tension and/or careful pedal installation. If the threads are stripped out, the pedal will not be able to thread properly and will fall out as it is unsecure. This has nothing to do with the longevity or quality of the bike. Given your mention that the bike was not assembled by a mechanic, the manufacturer (SE Bikes) will be unable to cover under standard warranty. 
  
  We are sorry but our hands are tied in the matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My 13 year old son saved and bought a $650 bike. He followed the assembly directions provided then took it to a bike shop to go over and apply new brakes to it. They said everything looked good. On second day of riding he noticed the seat slid to lowest position. He tried to pull it up but it was stuck. So stuck that he pulled the seat itself off. The bike shop couldn't get it out either. So he then went and used some plyers hoping that would give it a good enough grip to get it out. Nope, it just pulled the top part of post off. We contacted City Grounds and they said there was nothing they could do. They said we didn't use grease even though we did, and that it was our fault it was broken. We took it back to bike shop and they said they have never seen this happen and that something must be defective. I told this to City Grounds and was told that we were to blame not the bike. They blamed us for using pliers and kept saying we broke it. Another man was able to get my claim to SE the bike manufacturer but they too said the bike wasn't faulty and it was our mistake. I took his bike to an auto mechanic who built bikes his whole life to see if he could help. He thought the bike had corroded over time and when I told him everything that had happened and that we had it for 2 days he was shocked. He too had never seen anything like this in his life. He thought it was odd that the post got this stuck and that they would use a post with two pieces. He too didn't think my son could have gotten the seat post that stuck. And because my son is 13 and broke the seat post it must not have been made very sturdy. Manufacturing errors happen a lot but this company won't consider it a possibility. My son can't ride his bike because all this and I feel bad. I don't understand how a company can make a product that they know could break like this and still sell it then refuse to replace it when it does.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Well I would like a bike of choice a big ripper or they can pay $2,000 per each claim the first claim is bait and switch they're guilty of that they took money for my credit card and listed something for sale and the item normally knowing that reckless with sinister disregard with deceit that they l u r e d trick to ******** citizen doing commerce business as a Moorish ******** in the empire over the internet from out of another state use my credit card absorbed as a authorized card member my credit card that are charged me for two or three days I don't know what they did with my 300 and some dollars then they refunded the money and didn't tell me why they not delivering a bike or how they listed a green bike with green rims and tires that was a fixed **** and then didn't ship it then count two would be a separate charge of $1,000 for emotional harm in ******** over in another state under 8:15 ilcs they cannot win and legislative gives the enforcement to enforce against this kind of deception under 505/4-48 and the other protective statutes under $815 then the receipt lacks the common disclosure to explain away this kind of fraud and deceit and for that they would be out of a lot of money in court so I figured to a thousand dollar bike which according to all the reviews at the bikes come with scratches and stuff I want a bike for free for this kind of bait and switch fraud after charging my credit card as an authorized card member and saying you have some by listing but then tricking me with deception and center store on the internet and that actually have them the product that I will attach here that I had paid for two days ago three days ago my money was gone but then today my refund happened without me asking for a refund this is a real good case all I want is a big ripper 29 in the red and gold one or the army fatigue one and the green one for this kind of deceit from all the state lines I'm in ******** and you got to answer to deception baitNSWITCH

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  To Whom it may concern,
  The order was flagged by our processor for suspicion of fraud. The order was flagged with multiple red flags which include but were not limited to a questionable email address (**************************************)and a card holder name (BanALLMETHPRODUCTSNCOPS). As a merchant, we have the right to refuse service and should not be penalized or scrutinized for us being protective when it comes to legitimacy of an order. The claims of bait and switch are false. More red flags are brought up as the claim filer is now requesting funds no where near the order total nor product within the same style of riding to what had been ordered. We ask that you remove the claim all together and work towards reviewing claims prior to sending out to a business.
  Best Regards,
  City Grounds
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My son was super excited and begged us to buy him the Super Flyer BMX bike. After seeing the price I was hesitant, but splurged since he needed a new bike and was so excited about it. My husband is an avid cyclist, has road bikes and gravel bikes, so he's very familiar with bikes. He assembled the bike and my son was able to ride it for about 4 weeks before the pedal just kept falling out. It appears the threading the pedal screws into is stripped. Contacted the company and they are denying the warranty claim because we assembled the bike and they are saying we stripped the threads, which is completely insane. They also stated that if a bike shop had assembled it, then the bike shop would be responsible. And they told me they aren't the manufacturer, so if it were a manufacturing defect, they would also not be responsible. So apparently they aren't responsible for anything they sell. Then I started digging and there are several other reviews across the various social platforms reporting this same exact issue. This is a manufacturing defect and any company who doesn't stand behind their $700 product after several weeks of normal wear and tear is not a company you want to do business with. It's unfortunate that they won't accept any responsibility, deflecting and shifting blame seems to be their customer service motto, and in their emails they continue to be accusatory in tone claiming we damaged the bike, which is unfounded. The replacement part is $35, which would be easy for them to cover in an attempt to stand behind the products they sell, but they refused. So I'm forced to pay for the replacement or keep a $700 paper weight in my garage.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/03/2022

  Hey ********,
  We appreciate you taking the time to give your honest experience and opinion on the service received.
  I'm sorry about the stripped pedal threads on your son's new SE Big Flyer. Unfortunately, we're not the manufacturer and aren't the deciding party regarding warranties. Our warranty team submitted a claim with SE Bikes for you which was denied and considered a user error. Based on the resolution cost this was something that the City Grounds team exclusively offered to go above and beyond, not SE, and for further context, the $35 offer is to cover the part, labor for pulling the part, and shipping associated with getting you what you need so your son can be back on the road.
  All and all, we do apologize for any negative experience, that is far from our intentions, and I hope you take the warranty team up on the replacement offer. Thanks again!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/04/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My wife purchased a new bicycle for me, for Christmas, from City Grounds (citygrounds.com) on 12/18/21.After my wife gave me the bike on Christmas Day (new, still sealed in the packaging from City Grounds), it sat for a few weeks before I opened it and put it together (I have prior experience as a bicycle mechanic, and worked at multiple bicycle shops). Upon riding the bike less than 1 mile, I realized there was a problem with the bikes crankset (which was a factory installed component that I hadnt touched at that point).The non-drive side crank arm was not installed on the proper splines. I removed a crank arm bolt as I was going to remove the crank arm and reinstall it on the proper splines. However, at that point, I saw that the crank arm was improperly installed from the factory, which had damaged the splines of the crank arm and the spindle it goes on.I reported the matter to City Grounds and have been communicating with their team. Unfortunately, they refused to allow me to return the defective bike, and when I offered to accept a replacement crank set, they refused to acknowledge said attempt at a resolution.This bicycle was purchased new from City Grounds, and remains unusable as it was defective from the factory. As such, the product provided was not sold as payment was rendered for.City Grounds may wish to pursue this matter with the manufacturer on the back end, but thats not my burden to bear as the customer. I request to be made immediately whole in this matter. An acceptable resolution is either a return and full refund for the bike, or a store credit for the exact price of the bikes crank set, which City Grounds happens to sell (the same exact model). Thank you for your attention to this matter!Sincerely,*************************

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2022

  Hello *****,
  
  
  Thanks for your review!
  I am very sorry to hear about the bad experience with our support/warranty team.
  I have reviewed your correspondence with my team to understand better what happened with your case. I was made aware that you had purchased your bike over four months ago and didnt initially reach out until 3/11/22. Our Return policy states that we accept returns within 30 days of delivery. Unfortunately, this is why we were unable to accept your return and proceeded with requesting warranty information.
  
  
  As for the warranty process, you had mentioned to the team that you are an experienced mechanic and we understand why you didnt have a shop assemble the bike. Based on what you described in your initial direct message, it sounds like you may have ridden the bike before thoroughly inspecting all the components. Factories nowadays assemble the bikes for shipping purposes only; therefore, every part needs to be reviewed, adjusted, and tightened to spec. This is why we highly encourage our customers to take the bike to a local mechanic. As for a resolution, I double-checked with my warranty manager to ensure that he had sent your warranty claim into WTP, and this was confirmed. I also requested that he send an additional response to follow up for a timely resolution to get you back on two wheels. I do want you to understand that we are simply handling the manufacturer's warranty for you and are in no way, shape, or form the authoritarian regarding the approval of your case, but we will do whatever we can to get you back on two wheels!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/10/2022

  Dear BBB and City Grounds teams,

      This response is unfortunately woefully insufficient. To begin, your (City Grounds) reply challenged my decisions as a mechanic. Please note that trained bicycle mechanics at a bike shop will not remove factory installed 3 piece cranks, as there is no need to do so. Additionally, me having ridden the bike less than one mile did nothing to impact the damaged components, which were clearly damaged during installation, and not from one mile of riding.

      As Ive stated previously, this is not a warranty claim. I was sent a defective product. The goods provided were not per the purchase agreement entered into when the bike was ordered. City Grounds is legally culpable for providing me a new bike as ordered and described on your website, free of defects (which it was not). As such, this is not a warranty claim, your return policy is not relevant and your team suggesting that Im at the whim of the bicycles manufacturer for a resolution is an awful attempt at proverbially passing the buck. 
  

      Your response (City Grounds) stated youd do all you can to get me riding my bike, yet youve done nothing to actually attempt making me whole- why? This is a brand new, $1200 bicycle. If you provide me a store credit for to cover the exact cost of the crankset on the bike, your total cost to resolve this would easily be maybe $100 or less- are you unwilling to do that to help your customer, whom clearly received a defective bike from you?

      Please stop offering excuses, attempting to suggest this is on the manufacturer or my own fault, etc. instead, please offer a specific and tangible resolution that Im rightfully owed, by City Grounds. Ill await your reply and corresponding offer to resolve this matter properly. Thank you!

   

  Sincerely,

   

  *********************

   

  *********************