Before you buy a Tezeus — read this first

If you are considering a Tezeus, know this

1. The brand's listed test-ride location did not stock the brand.

   Bella Bikes (Antwerp), shown on the Tezeus service-center page as an authorised test-ride point, replied in writing on 13 April 2026: "We do not have any test bike of that brand." Tezeus then asserted by email that the shop did sell C8s — a claim never substantiated.

2. An item you pay for can simply not be shipped.

   The €99 rear rack included in the order was not in the package. Tezeus indicated later that it would only reach their European warehouse in early May — well after the bike was already in use.

3. Tezeus's own installation guide contradicts their own product page.

   Tezeus's guide shows the fender bracket mounted on the outside of the fender; their product page at tezeusbike.com/products/tezeus-c8-fender shows it on the inside. As a result, the rear mudguard cannot be installed as advertised without rubbing the tyre.

4. "Free gift" framing can be used later to cap your refund.

   Tezeus only refunded the mudguards after explicit complaint, then used the "complimentary accessory" framing weeks later to refuse compensation for the defect: "this item cannot be regarded as a valid quality defect supporting a full refund return" (22 May 2026).

5. A 3 km odometer rule can erase a return you were promised in full.

   After confirming a full refund on four separate dates (28/29/30 April and 15 May), Tezeus reversed course on 18 May citing a 41 km reading versus a "3 km limit for unconditional returns" — a threshold their own staff did not invoke until after the bike had been received, inspected and the full refund had been submitted.

6. Tezeus invented fees its own policy doesn't allow.

   Tezeus's own Return & Exchange Policy says a quality return within 14 days is a free, full refund for which "Tezeus covers all shipping and related costs". Instead, after promising a full refund four times, Tezeus deducted €554.27 — a €300 "depreciation fee" and €254.27 in "outbound and return shipping fees plus warehouse operation fees". Those figures come from the "personal reason" return rules (Section 3.B), which don't apply to a quality return, and the "warehouse operation fee" appears nowhere in the policy at all.

7. "Processed" does not mean paid.

   On 22 May Tezeus stated: "A net refund of €2093.73 has been processed for you." Verified through 27 May in PayPal activity and on the credit-card statement: no such refund. Requests for proof of payment go unanswered.

What follows are the dates, quotes and photos behind each of those points. Nothing here is opinion: every claim links to a written communication from Tezeus or to verifiable tracking, payment or shipping data.

Summary

• Tezeus C8 e-bike purchased via PayPal for €2,737 on 15 April 2026. Net amount after a same-day partial refund of €89: €2,648.
• Return requested within the policy window, picked up on 30 April in its original box, and confirmed received at the seller's warehouse on 6 May 2026.
• On 15 May 2026 Tezeus confirmed in writing that the inspection was complete and that the full refund had been submitted.
• On 22 May 2026 Tezeus stated in writing that a net refund of €2,093.73 "has been processed".
• Verified in PayPal activity and on the credit card statement through 27 May 2026: no refund has been received. Tezeus has stopped responding to requests for proof of payment.

Reasons for return

The return was requested on 26 April 2026, within the 14-day window, on the basis of multiple independent issues — not a change of mind. Each of these was documented in writing to Tezeus at the time:

1. 1. Rear mudguard could not be installed — and Tezeus's own documentation contradicts itself

   After assembly, the rear mudguard made contact with the tyre with no clearance and could not be used. When this was reported with photos on 23 April, Tezeus's installation guide turned out to contradict their own product page:

   The guide (Step 1–3) shows the bracket mounted on the outside (convex side) of the fender; the product page at tezeusbike.com/products/tezeus-c8-fender shows it mounted on the inside (concave side) with the arms pointing outward.

   Tezeus issued a refund for the mudguards but never resolved the underlying problem: the bike cannot be ridden with proper fender protection, which is a core feature of an urban e-bike intended for daily use in Dutch weather. Tezeus later argued that the mudguard was "a complimentary accessory" and therefore not a valid quality defect.

2. 2. Brake noise from the first use

   Noticeable noise when braking was present from the very first ride. The bike was used only twice (two short commutes) before the return was requested. The condition did not change with use, which raised concerns about the product's condition on delivery. Tezeus acknowledged the report but did not provide a remedy before the return window closed.

3. 3. Rear rack (€99) included in the order — never delivered

   The Tezeus C8 Rear Rack was part of Order #TEZEUS**62 but was not in the shipment. No separate shipment notice or delivery estimate was communicated. After the return request, Tezeus indicated the accessory would only arrive at their European warehouse in early May — well outside any reasonable fulfilment window for an item already paid for.

4. 4. Three days of disrupted delivery via FedEx

   FedEx notified a "delivery attempted" on Tuesday 21 April at 19:50 with a claim of failed contact — both untrue, with home-security footage confirming no one came to the door. The next day FedEx by phone said delivery would be on Thursday; minutes after leaving for the office, an email arrived saying delivery was that same Wednesday between 12:00 and 16:00. The bike arrived around 16:00 on 22 April. Three full working days were spent at home waiting for the delivery. Tezeus acknowledged the FedEx mishandling in writing on 28 April.

5. 5. Test-ride location listed on the Tezeus website did not actually carry the brand

   Before purchase, Bella Bikes (Antwerp) — listed on the Tezeus service-center page as an authorised test-ride location — was contacted directly to schedule a test ride of the C8. Their reply, in full:

   "We do not have any test bike of that brand."

   — Bella Bikes, 13 April 2026.

   This was forwarded to Tezeus, who responded that the store did sell C8s and had "already sold several". The purchase went ahead only because Tezeus offered a €50 discount, free mudguards, and explicitly assured after-sales service via a German service centre.

6. 6. The seller's first response to the defect was the very guide that was wrong

   The fender-rubbing defect was reported with photos on 23 April. Tezeus's first reply (same day) sent back an installation guide whose Step 1-3 image shows the bracket on the outside of the fender — directly contradicting their own product page, which shows it on the inside. The reply containing that contradiction was flagged in writing and left unanswered, which is why the return request was formalised on 26 April.

7. 7. Perceived build quality not matching the price point

   The Tezeus C8 ordered as configured cost €2,737 (€2,648 net after the duplicate-fender refund) — comparable to mid-range European urban e-bikes. The out-of-the-box experience did not match that price expectation, and the documented issues are not isolated fit-and-finish details:

   • Audible brake noise from the very first ride (two short commutes total).
   • A rear mudguard that physically cannot clear the tyre as shipped.
   • An installation guide that contradicts the brand's own product page.
   • A paid accessory (rear rack, €99) missing from the shipment without notice.

   This is the subjective impression of one buyer, but each item above is documented. For an e-bike approaching €3,000, the cumulative quality-control and after-sales experience here does not, in this buyer's view, justify the price point.

8. 8. A consistent pattern of trying to avoid the refund

   Across the return process, Tezeus's responses repeatedly steered away from resolving the underlying issues:

   • On 28 April they offered a "complimentary 1-year eSIM service" if the bike was kept, instead of accepting the return.
   • On 29 April they suggested "keeping the e-bike, or gifting it to your family member or friend as an alternative option" — a defective product.
   • They first quoted a €300 shipping fee plus a 15% handling fee for the return; weeks later, after confirming a full refund, they replaced this with €300 "depreciation" plus €254.27 shipping and warehouse fees.
   • From 22 May onwards, requests for proof that the announced refund had actually been processed have gone unanswered.

One month after the return request was submitted, and three weeks after the bike was confirmed received at the Tezeus warehouse, no refund has been received against the €2,648 charge — despite the seller's written statement of 22 May that the refund had been "processed".

The fender problem, visualised

The defect — rear mudguard contacts the tyre

Photos sent to Tezeus on 23 April 2026, the day the issue was first reported.

Rear of the bike: the fender sits flush against the tyre with no clearance.

Close-up: the inner face of the fender contacts the tread.

Side view of the assembled bike.

The contradiction — Tezeus's own documentation does not agree with itself

After this was reported, Tezeus's support reply on 23 April 2026 instructed the buyer to reinstall the rear fender according to an attached installation guide. The image below on the left is Step 1‑3 from that guide, sent by Tezeus, showing the bracket bolted on the outside (convex side) of the fender. The image on the right is the official product photo still live on the brand's own product page at tezeusbike.com/products/tezeus-c8-fender, where the brackets are clearly fitted to the inside (concave side) of the fender:

Tezeus installation guide (Step 1‑3, attached by Tezeus support on 23 April 2026). Bracket bolted on the outside of the fender.

Tezeus product page (current image on tezeusbike.com/products/tezeus-c8-fender). Brackets fitted on the inside of the fender.

In other words: following the installation guide that Tezeus's own support sent to fix the defect would put the bracket on the opposite side of the fender from where Tezeus itself depicts the assembled product. The fender-vs-tyre contact reported above is what happens when the assembly cannot be reconciled between the two.

Visual record

Photos taken on 29 April 2026, the day the bike was repacked in its original box for collection. They were sent to Tezeus on the same date as part of the return process.

Original Tezeus box, fully repacked for return.

Inside the box: original foam, user manual, pedals and accessories.

Returned components, including the mudguards Tezeus later described as a "complimentary accessory".

Tezeus C8 cockpit display.

Front disc brake — brake noise was reported from the first use.

Frame view showing the TEZEUS branding.

Timeline

1. 13 Apr 2026 Bella Bikes (Antwerp), listed on the Tezeus website as a test-ride location, replies by email that they have no test bike of the brand and do not carry the C8.
2. 14 Apr 2026 Tezeus replies that the store does have test rides available and that they "have already sold several C8s". Tezeus offers a €50 discount (code LOVE TES) and free mudguards, and points to a service center in Germany for after-sales support.
3. 15 Apr 2026 Payment of €2,737 made via PayPal for Order #Tezeus**62 (Tezeus C8, smart accessories, rear rack, fender set).
4. 16 Apr 2026 Card transaction settles as PAYPAL *TEZEUS for €2,648.00. Same day, Tezeus issues a separate partial PayPal refund of €89.00 for a fender set that had been added in duplicate.
5. 22 Apr 2026 The e-bike is delivered after three days of FedEx incidents, including a false "delivery attempted" notification.
6. 23 Apr 2026 Defects reported with photos: rear mudguard cannot be installed without contacting the tyre; the official installation guide contradicts the product page (bracket shown on opposite sides); brake noise present from the first use. In addition, a rear rack (€99) included in the order was not delivered.
7. 26 Apr 2026 A formal return and full-refund request is submitted within the 14-day window, citing Section 3A (quality-related returns) of the Tezeus Return & Exchange Policy.
8. 28 Apr 2026 Tezeus first offers a complimentary 1-year eSIM service to keep the bike, then proposes a €300 return-shipping fee plus a 15% handling fee, on the grounds that the return is not for a "confirmed manufacturing defect".
9. 29 Apr 2026 Tezeus confirms in writing it will "handle the return process" and arrange the full refund within 3–5 business days of the item arriving at its warehouse.
10. 30 Apr 2026 Bike collected in its original box. Return tracking 7923******90, pickup reference RTMT***24. Tezeus confirms again that "once the inspection is complete, we will promptly arrange a full refund".
11. 6 May 2026 The return arrives at the Tezeus warehouse, per tracking.
12. 15 May 2026 Tezeus confirms in writing: "Our warehouse has inspected your returned package and confirmed all bicycle parts are complete. We have submitted your full refund request in our system."
13. 18 May 2026 Tezeus reverses position: the application "was not approved by management". The bike is said to show 41 km on the odometer, exceeding a 3 km threshold for "unconditional returns". A deduction of €554.27 is proposed (€300 depreciation + €254.27 shipping/handling).
14. 22 May 2026 Tezeus states in writing: "A net refund of €2093.73 has been processed for you."
15. 26–27 May 2026 PayPal account activity and the credit-card statement show no such refund. The only refund on file remains the €89 partial of 16 April. Requests to Tezeus for proof of payment go unanswered.
16. 27 May 2026 A formal chargeback request is filed with the card issuer for the full €2,648.00 charge.

What was promised vs. what happened

Verbatim quotes from Tezeus

Current status

Supporting documentation

Every fact above is backed by one or more of the following: emails from [email protected] and [email protected]; the PayPal receipt of 15 April 2026 and the corresponding credit-card statement; the FedEx delivery tracking and the return tracking 7923******90 (reference RTMT***24); the Tezeus Return & Exchange Policy as published on tezeusbike.com on the date of the return request; and the original email exchange with Bella Bikes (Antwerp).

Tezeus's own Return & Exchange Policy — the basis for the points above — is published at tezeusbike.com/pages/return-and-exchange-policy (captured copy, 31 May 2026). Under Section 3.A it states that a quality-related return within 14 days is a "free return or exchange" for which "Tezeus covers all shipping and related costs"; the processing/depreciation fees and the 3 km limit apply only to "personal reason" returns (Section 3.B), not to a quality return like this one.