Buy a bike online: what should you watch out for?

A few years ago it was almost unthinkable to buy a bike online; these days, ordering a bicycle on the internet is the most normal thing in the world. There are webshops that operate only online and therefore have no physical bike shops. There are brand sites of the bike manufacturers themselves, such as Stella Fietsen, Batavus and Gazelle. And you have the websites of local bike shops, but those usually aren’t real webshops, so you can’t actually buy a bike online there. So buying a bike online is perfectly fine, but what should you look out for? Is every online bike shop equally reliable? And are the terms and conditions the same everywhere? In this article we give you practical tips if you’re planning to buy a bicycle online.

1. Is the bike shop affiliated with Thuiswinkel Waarborg?

Thuiswinkel Waarborg is a quality label specifically for online shopping. By now, more than 2,200 webshops are affiliated. Among them are well-known major stores such as bol.com and coolblue.nl, but also many smaller shops. And that includes lots of affiliated bike shops. It is supported by the Consumentenbond. Every webshop that wants to use the Waarborg label is subjected to a strict audit and must pay an annual fee based on its turnover. If a webshop displays the Waarborg on its site, as a consumer you can be sure of, among other things:

• You know who you’re buying from (checked for reliability)
• The site’s terms and conditions are backed by the Consumentenbond
• A reflection period of at least 14 days
• A secure payment environment (https website)
• Proper complaints handling and an independent disputes committee

A few online bike shops that are Thuiswinkel certified:

Fietsenwinkel.nl

Matrabike.nl

Topbikes.nl

Vouwfiets-expert.nl

Fancyfiets.nl

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy from a bike shop that isn’t affiliated with Thuiswinkel Waarborg. It just gives you an extra layer of security. There are plenty of very good and reliable online bike shops that aren’t Thuiswinkel certified, such as:

Fietsuniek.nl

123elektrischefietsen.nl (has a Webwinkel Keurmerk)

Giga-bikes.nl

Internet-bikes.com (is a Trusted Shop)

2. Does the bike shop have another quality label, such as a Webwinkel Keurmerk?

Besides Thuiswinkel Waarborg, many webshops use the Webshop Keurmerk. This label is issued by an independent foundation and now has 6,100 affiliated webshops in the Netherlands. The Webshop Keurmerk was created after the Consumentenbond stopped with the Webtrader label. Many webshops that, after an extensive screening process, were allowed to use the Webtrader logo on their website later joined the Webshop Keurmerk. The Webshop Keurmerk conditions are therefore based on the terms previously used by the Consumentenbond.

Online bike shops affiliated with the Webshop Keurmerk include:

Bakfietsonline.nl

Transportfietsnederland.nl

Fietspoint.nl

Transportfiets.nl

3. Do you have to pay shipping costs?

Shipping costs at bike shops can vary quite a bit. It’s a good idea to check the general terms and conditions in advance to see whether you’ll need to pay for delivery. Because a bike is a large package to ship, many bike shops work with courier services. A bicycle can’t just be sent with PostNL as a standard parcel. And a courier service is simply more expensive than sending a small package with PostNL or Sandd.

Another way to find out the shipping costs is to put any random bike in your shopping cart and go through the order process as if you’re going to buy it. In the checkout you’ll then see what additional shipping costs apply for the bike.

4. Will a qualified mechanic assemble the bike on delivery?

It’s quite common for extra costs to be charged for assembling or setting up the bike when it’s delivered. In itself, this isn’t very complicated and you can often do it yourself, but many people prefer to have a qualified mechanic handle it. This is also important for any warranty claims. To prevent a webshop from claiming you didn’t assemble the bike correctly yourself, it’s wise to have a mechanic from the shop do the assembly.

It also happens quite often that the delivery driver is presented to you as the mechanic. That doesn’t have to be a problem if the person is sufficiently skilled to assemble the bike properly. But to avoid issues later on, it’s smart to ask the shop in advance who will actually be doing the assembly.

5. Does the webshop have good and accessible customer service?

Most webshops can now be reached 7 days a week, including evenings. During the day often by email and phone, and increasingly via chat as well. Before you actually buy the bike online, try sending a quick message or getting in touch. If they respond quickly and in a friendly manner, things are usually in order. But if the response is slow or unhelpful, you should consider what that will be like if you have a question or comment after your purchase.

6. Does the bike shop have good reviews?

Reviews and customer experiences are a very important indicator for consumers when making an actual purchase decision. Almost every webshop does everything it can to collect reviews from its customers, and online bike shops are no exception. So take a moment to read all the reviews about the bike shop in question. For your convenience, we’ve listed reviews of almost all bike shops in the Netherlands. View them here.

7. Can you cancel the purchase within 14 days?

Under the Dutch Distance Selling Act (wet Kopen op Afstand) you always have the right to return your purchase and get your money back within 14 days.