Terms and conditions for a bicycle and e-bike repair shop

A repair workshop needs terms that deal with the bike on the stand rather than a counter sale: estimates that change once the bike is stripped, parts the customer supplied, e-bike batteries you will not work on, and bikes that are never collected. I draft customer terms around how your workshop runs for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Independent bike shops, mobile mechanics, e-bike specialists and workshops attached to a retail store, in England and Wales. Most of your customers are consumers, who have protections you cannot draft away. Some are businesses: delivery fleets, hire operators, couriers and employers running cycle schemes. One set of terms can serve both if it is written with both in mind.

What matters in a bike workshop's terms

Estimates, authorisation and work found on the stand

Most repair disputes start with a figure given at the counter before the bike has been inspected. Your terms should set out what the estimate covers, that a seized bottom bracket, a worn freehub or a cracked frame may only appear once the bike is stripped, and that you will contact the customer for approval before going past an agreed authorisation limit. They should also say what you charge if the customer declines the work after diagnosis, and what happens to a bike you have partly dismantled. Approvals belong in writing: a reply by text or email is evidence; a verbal agreement is difficult to prove.

E-bike batteries, motors and proprietary systems

E-bike work brings decisions a mechanical service does not. Your terms should let you refuse or stop work on a battery that is damaged, swollen, water ingressed or of unknown origin, on a conversion kit you did not fit, and on any system where the manufacturer restricts diagnostics to authorised dealers. Say who arranges and pays for getting a battery to you and back, since lithium batteries are dangerous goods for carriage and waste batteries fall under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009. An e-bike that has been derestricted or fitted with a motor above the limits in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 is no longer a pedal cycle in law, and the terms should let you refuse that work. Make clear that a firmware change, an altered controller or a non original battery may end the manufacturer's warranty, and that the customer decides whether to accept that before you begin.

Parts, customer supplied components and what you guarantee

Parts you sell are goods, and under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 they must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described, with the consumer's short term right to reject in the first 30 days. Your terms cannot cut that down. What they can do is separate your labour warranty from the component maker's, exclude wear items such as pads, tyres, chains and cables from any guarantee, and deal with parts the customer brings in: you fit them, you do not warrant them, and you may decline to fit anything you consider unsafe.

Bikes left with you, collection and storage

A workshop is full of other people's property. The terms should cover how long a completed bike may sit before storage charges begin, how you contact the customer, and what you eventually do with a bike nobody collects: selling it to recover what you are owed must follow the procedure in section 12 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. Set out whether bikes are covered by your insurance while on the premises, and whether the customer must tell you about anything unusually valuable. For consumers, storage charges should reflect your actual cost, because the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats disproportionate default charges as potentially unfair.

Collections, home visits and cancellation rights

If you collect and deliver, repair at the customer's home or office, or take bookings through your website or by phone, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply and the customer has fourteen days to cancel. Off premises contracts of £42 or less fall outside them. Starting work inside the period needs the customer's express request, and a customer who then cancels pays a proportionate amount. An urgent repair the customer asked for is treated differently. Missing cancellation information can extend the period by up to twelve months, so the booking process and the terms have to work together.

Fleet and trade customers

Delivery fleets, hire operators and employers running cycle schemes are business customers, and they belong in a separate part of the terms: account payment, labour rates, turnaround priority, who supplies parts, and what happens to bikes recalled from riders. For them you can claim interest and compensation on unpaid invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and you can cap your liability and exclude loss of profit, provided the cap is reasonable under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. Liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence cannot be excluded against any customer.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day. If you would rather pay straight away, buying online forms the engagement on payment: the scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I will be in touch promptly to get started.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Can I refuse to release a bike until the invoice is paid?

Your terms can say that a bike is released only against payment, and most workshops should include it. Whether that holds against someone who is not your customer, such as a finance provider or an employer who owns the bike, is a separate question. The terms should require the person booking the repair to confirm they are entitled to authorise it.

Can I charge for a diagnosis if the customer then takes the bike away?

You can, provided the charge is stated clearly before you start rather than appearing at the counter. Say what the inspection covers, whether it is credited against the repair if the customer goes ahead, and that it is payable whether or not the quoted work is accepted. A consumer told nothing in advance will resist paying it.

How do I get the terms in front of the customer properly?

Terms handed over with the finished bike arrive too late to form part of the contract. They need to form part of the job sheet the customer signs or agrees to at booking, with a copy available to read before they commit. I explain how to handle counter drop offs, online bookings and collections in the covering note.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Employment contracts and handbooks, £595
• Terms and conditions for a handyman service
• Terms and conditions for a locksmith

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.