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8 Sep 2022

We’re giving our support again to the #BikeIsBest campaign and particularly its latest billboard campaign which disputes the arguments that electric vehicles are a "catch-all" solution and...

8 Sep 2022

The new Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced the much-anticipated support plan to help households and businesses cope with rising energy costs.

8 Sep 2022

An investigation by the Daily Telegraph has found that, in the almost 24,000 neighbourhoods where there has been at least one bike theft since June 2019, 87 of cases have been closed without a...

8 Sep 2022

Make sure your V12 Retail Finance contact details are correct by updating your records. 

6 Sep 2022

27% drop in number of cycling trips per person in 2021 compared to 2020, new data reveals.

5 Sep 2022

There’s still time for bike shops to urge their customers to get involved with Cycle September, the world’s biggest group ride.

5 Sep 2022

With more people heading back into cities and offices after the pandemic, the topic of road safety has never been more important. Especially for cyclists, it’s vital to be aware of the...

1 Sep 2022

Home Office data has shown more customers leaving shops, restaurants and petrol stations without paying as the cost-of-living crisis bites. The data shows there were 51,486 offences of...

31 Aug 2022

Industry charity GroceryAid has teamed up with Business Debtline to provide support and guidance to the growing number of independent retailers facing debt and unpaid invoices.
The move...

30 Aug 2022

Nearly 14% of small UK businesses expect to close in the next twelve months, according to a new report published by the Federation of Small Businesses.

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Fire Brigade warns about dangers of e-bikes purchased from online marketplaces

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

A recent article in The Telegraph warned about the dangers that e-bikes can hold when purchased from online marketplaces, which may not meet correct safety standards.

A fire, believed to have been started by a malfunctioning battery, has destroyed the ground floor of a house in East London, with two women, a man and two children being taken to hospital after inhaling smoke during the incident.

Investigators for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) believe the fire started accidentally after the batteries of a converted e-bike malfunctioned.

The LFB said that knock-off chargers for e-bikes could be potentially hazardous and warned they were seeing a significant rise in the number of fires involving the devices.

They urged people not to charge bikes overnight as the fires caused by malfunctioning batteries could spread rapidly and with “ferocity”.

An LFB spokesman said: “It’s incredibly concerning that we are continuing to see a rise in incidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters.”

This year alone fire crews have already attended 32 fires involving e-bikes and another seven involving e-scooters.

So far in 2022, there have been a further 17 fires involving other lithium-ion batteries and last year, in total there were more than 100 fires in the capital involving lithium-ion batteries.

The spokesman continued: “When these batteries and chargers fail, they do so with ferocity and, because the fires develop so rapidly, the situation can quickly become incredibly serious.

“Lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used and there is a significant risk posed by e-bikes which have been converted, such as in this case.”

The spokesman said that the majority of the fires were started by e-bikes purchased from online marketplaces, which may not meet correct safety standards.

With customers being warned of the dangers of buying e-bikes from online marketplaces, it is important now for IBDs to appeal to the market and educate consumers on the importance of buying certified e-bikes from a responsible seller.

 

Help your customers to purchase their e-bike safely

As e-bikes from a reputable shop can often seem overly expensive to consumers, it is also important that IBDs present them with opportunities to spread the cost, through services such as retail finance.

Various consumer surveys show that customers are more likely to spend a higher amount if retail finance is sold correctly, and for many customers, having the option to spread the cost was the main reason the purchase was made.

Whilst retail finance certainly has the potential to be your business’s most powerful sales tool, unfortunately, it is not one that sells itself, so it is up to you and your staff to let every customer know the benefits of using finance in today’s economic climate.

The Retail Finance Training course will teach you and your staff how to encourage customers to make purchases, as well as maximising their spending through techniques such as financial promotion, Point of Sale (POS) and bundling.

The course retails for just £150 including VAT. Members of the ACT and ActSmart receive up to a 50% saving off the RRP.

To get started visit: indieretail.training.

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