Halfords Retail
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URGENT SAFETY WARNING – Negligent Assembly
URGENT SAFETY WARNING – Negligent Assembly of Boardman ADV 8.6 by Halfords Walsall Product: Boardman ADV 8.6 Men’s Adventure Bike Purchased from: Halfords (Walsall branch, UK) Date of collection: 13/05/2025 I am writing this review to raise a serious safety concern regarding the state of a bicycle I received from Halfords Walsall, which I believe put my life in danger. Background I ordered the bike online as a boxed product, expecting to receive a new, unassembled unit. Instead, I received a call from Halfords Walsall informing me that they had two bikes in stock, both already assembled. I was told one was an ex-display model and the other a cancelled order that had "never been used." I agreed to collect the unused, pre-assembled bike. After two rides on 14/05 (22 km) and 15/05 (40 km), reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h, the bike felt dangerously unstable. I took it to a different Halfords location for a check-up. What they discovered was shocking and completely unacceptable: Serious Mechanical Failures Identified: Bottom bracket bolts loose Headset loose Front wheel loose Gears not indexed Brakes rubbing Plastic packaging material left between rear cassette Any one of these issues could have caused a serious accident. Taken together, they represent a gross failure of duty of care by Halfords. Response from Halfords Customer Service When I contacted Halfords to escalate the issue, I was met with denial and deflection. I was told that if the wheel or headset had truly been loose, it "would have been a disaster of a test ride." That is exactly my point—I was fortunate to avoid a disaster, but their own store documented these issues in writing, confirming the assembly was dangerously flawed. Halfords, you need to take responsibility. Your negligence could have resulted in a catastrophic accident. You must address this immediately, issue a formal apology, and take meaningful action to ensure no other customer is ever put in this kind of danger again.