Sondors is closed ??

[dhdallas]

If you have a Sondors bike, you need to read this article from Electrek about Sondors going out of business.

Signs point to e-bike company SONDORS in peril, leaving riders stranded

SONDORS, maker of countless electric bikes and the Metacycle electric motorcycle, may be in financial distress.

electrek.co

If any Sondors owners need any specific replacement parts you better get them quick if it isn't too late already.

The following has been my experience with Sondors:

I got one of their MadMods at the pre-production price of $1500 and at that price it is a great deal & overall I really like the bike. However the wait was 16 months overdue, the bike was poorly packaged with loose parts including the large front fork banging around in the box, a few chipped paint spots, a brake line was kinked, the top headset bearing missing, the charger case was broken & did not work and a front shock brush guard was cracked. Customer service was a pain & never did deliver all of the stuff that needed replacing. I was in Florida for the winter when I got the bike & it was fun, fairly fast (26mph) & mean looking. Then I brought it home to PA and it is definitely underpowered & if there is a steep hill, it is all I can do to get up it. They lied about the weight in the ads and the bike is a beast at 135+ pounds. Then as they went into full production Sondors tried selling the MadMods for $3500 & that was not a good deal at all. The bike really needs a mid drive motor of at least 1000w. As for my MadMods, I am putting in a Bafang BBSHD 1000w (peak 1600w) mid-drive & that should take care of the hills! There is nothing on the MadMods that couldn't be replaced with non-Sondors parts even if they need a bit of modification.

The other bikes Sondors sell are overpriced compared to their competitors & the specs are not as good. There are 15 pages of BBB complaints about Sondors online and I feel bad for the people who got swindled in the Metacycle fiasco. Sondors has only themselves to blame. It's too bad if Sondors goes bankrupt because they did have some cool looking bikes.

 

[Superb_Raccoon]

I am fortunate to be able to do DIY, and most parts on the bike are off the shelf.

If I was buying, I'd buy from a big bike brand so that going bankrupt is less likely.

 

[Madmodj]

I just bought a mad mod and was wondering what the eta on delivery is. I bought it right when they closed.. anyone who knows please hlep

 

[fabbrisd]

1. One Path - EMAIL Order # and contat info - Morning CA Time Call CLICK HERE SONDORS WEBSITE

2.Very Real Path - call your credit card co NOW and dispute the charge - "was not delivered last week as they committed to"

 

[Madmodj]

It wasn’t a credit card, it was a debit card.. I can’t get a chargeback on that.. paid the bike in full and gave order# tracking number thro FedEx, and said I should wait until the shipping month to receive shipping details. FedEx says they don’t have the package so they can’t provide an eta. And on sonders site it shows a google map view of their hq and says “unknown” above it as the shipper to deliver said package.. so yeah

 

[fabbrisd]

. One Path - EMAIL Order # and contat info - Morning CA Time Call CLICK HERE SONDORS WEBSITE

2.Very Real Path - call your BANK and tell then you were a VICTIM OF FRAUD if you don't "try hard" you will pay the price

 

[biknut]

Sondors going out of business is just a rumor. I'm an admin on the "Sondors Storm Owners Group", and I'll know if they close shop, because one of our other admin's works for Sondors, and he would let us know if that happened.

 

[m@Robertson]

I am another admin on that same group, and I sort of hear things elsewhere too as I've got high friends in low places

Sondors is moving their warehouse. They are in the process of moving... after they just finished moving. The owners of the warehouse they are leasing filed for bankruptcy. Word is Sondors (Storm Sondors in particular) is committed to staying the disruptor he started out as, and becoming an industry player again. If anyone can do it he can.

Plus x2 on what @biknut said.

 

[Hoggdoc]

I just bought a mad mod and was wondering what the eta on delivery is. I bought it right when they closed.. anyone who knows please hlep

I would suggest you immediately contact what ever soruce you paid through and try to cancel the transaction. You may be out of what every you paid.

 

[Madmodj]

Sondors going out of business is just a rumor. I'm an admin on the "Sondors Storm Owners Group", and I'll know if they close shop, because one of our other admin's works for Sondors, and he would let us know if that happened.

well I bought a madmod and it’s sitting in an unknown location waiting to be delivered to FedEx and it’s been over 20days, should t they have shipped it out already when they moving the where house it would lighten the load right?

 

[biknut]

well I bought a madmod and it’s sitting in an unknown location waiting to be delivered to FedEx and it’s been over 20days, should t they have shipped it out already when they moving the where house it would lighten the load right?

All I know for sure is if past history proves anything you'll get your bike eventually. Many people have gotten shipping notices, and it still took a while to get their bike. Sondors has always been pretty good about refunds though if that makes you feel any better.

This is what I think happens, especially with hot selling models like the MadMod. When a container of MadMods arrives from china, and finally gets unloaded in Long Beach, every bike is already bought and sold to someone. However as often happens some people will ask for a refund before the ship arrives. The refunded bikes end up in the warehouse, available to be sold as in stock bikes.

The reason I think this is because of comments made by owners in the Owners Group. Some people luck out and get their bike in a few days. They sing praises about Sondors customers service forever after. But others bad mouth the company for sometimes up to 6 months till their bike shows up at their door, and a day later all is forgiven, because they love their bike so much. I can't remember any case where the person didn't get their bike, and couldn't get a refund.

 

[Madmodj]

Well I would like that but 6 months is outrageous that should have been stated rather than 3-7 business days. And customer service is non existent. The phone goes straight to a message box that gets no reply or emails with tickets also no response. And on BBB site is 15 pages of nothing but what a similar situation I’m in. Again the wherehouse is closest to me is currently in city of industry, is now unknown! And almost $2gs of my money with no bike. I do like the brand and the model bike, however the business practices and this lawsuit with the CA DA that is currently being looked at sondors for being fraudulent, is hard to overlook.

 

[fabbrisd]

HogD says it bes-test: "I would suggest you immediately contact what ever source you paid through and try to cancel the transaction. You may be out of every dollar what every you paid."

 

[Madmodj]

I did the day it went past the 10th business day of delivery they are gonna looking into the matter and investigate. I also put in a police report to the sheriffs office in my county which will help expedite my situation but also make it aware that the site has to stop taking orders for bikes that don’t exist

 

[HumanPerson]

"They" watch & see Everything

 

[wslange016]

I am another admin on that same group, and I sort of hear things elsewhere too as I've got high friends in low places

Sondors is moving their warehouse. They are in the process of moving... after they just finished moving. The owners of the warehouse they are leasing filed for bankruptcy. Word is Sondors (Storm Sondors in particular) is committed to staying the disruptor he started out as, and becoming an industry player again. If anyone can do it he can.

Plus x2 on what @biknut said.

Can you suggest an aftermarket supplier for Sondors fold Parts? I've been trying to buy a new rear wheel/motor for a couple of months, and they are still out. any ideas would be helpful.

 

[m@Robertson]

Can you suggest an aftermarket supplier for Sondors fold Parts? I've been trying to buy a new rear wheel/motor for a couple of months, and they are still out. any ideas would be helpful.

Those wheels just use Bafang G060 motors. I have bought those on AliExpress although you want to be careful who you buy from there. Electrobikeworld has the same motors on sale but Bafang has changed the plugs the motors use. You'll need an adapter, which EBW will gladly sell you for an amount that is effectively ransom... but they are the only ones who sell the things.

If it were me I'd very carefully research a motor to ensure a matching plug is on the thing on Ebay or AliExpress. I've bought motors from Conhis Motor and they were a good vendor. From there, you can remove your old motor core from your built wheel, take your new motor apart, put its core into your wheel, affix the bolts and off you go.

Also on the Sondors Storm Owners Group, Sean Alarid is an independent vendor who took over all of the Sondors parts inventory. If anyone has parts that are factory original, he's the guy to talk to.

 

[wslange016]

Thank you very much for all the info.....does Mr. Alarid have a website, or can I contact him through this forum possibly? Is the Sondors Storm Owners group a Facebook community?

 

[biknut]

Thank you very much for all the info.....does Mr. Alarid have a website, or can I contact him through this forum possibly? Is the Sondors Storm Owners group a Facebook community?

""Sondors Storm Owners group", on Facebook, and yes you can contact Sean there.