I tried using the Bell crash replacement program. I sent my old crash helmet to the distributor in Germany and paid by bank transfer as instructed. But the replacement helmet they sent me has a crack in the foam at the MIPS attachment point, which actually looks worse than the crack in my original helmet.

I sent them photos by email, and they asked me to return it. Now they’re saying they don’t see any crack and are going to send the same helmet back to me.





At this point I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. There's no way to dispute a bank transfer to get my money back. The whole process has already taken two weeks. I had planned to restart my long-term bike tour early next week after pausing it, but now I have to delay until at least the end of the week because I don’t have a helmet. I don't want a defective helmet, nor do I want to ride wearing it.

This helmet model is the only one that fits me comfortably out of 10 models I had tried, so I'd like the same one. I have a very oval head and other helmets are painful to wear. My previous helmets were also discontinued Bell models. If I’d known the crash replacement would be this difficult, I would have have just bought at the full price at the retailer with more reliable customer service, and would have also been able to keep my old crash helmet too in case of a similar problem.

Really frustrating.

??? How much would just buying a reasonably-priced helmet cost? Is that so much to be worth messing up your schedule?

Was the box damaged and it may have been the fault of the delivery service? Perhaps you should see if you can recover the insurance money. But that will be a though thing since you've probably destroyed the box opening it and didn't take any pictures of it before opening.

Different rules apply for different delivery services. So you need to know what they are.

Otherwise, Rant and rave all you want. Get it all out. You'll feel better. But don't expect us to all feel the same as you toward Bell or any other place. Most every brand has a certain percentage of customers that for some reason think they are being screwed. And perhaps you are.

Also realize the on again, off again idiotic tariff situation could play a part in this. As the tariff's are to be paid by the importer. And in some cases, that could be you. Especially if you bought the original helmet from a vendor outside of the USA. Regardless of where the helmet was made.

I doubt he's in the US. Dude sent it to a distributer in Germany (It seems fairly likely a crash-replacement policy would be in country).(I'm not sure how tariffs would impact the visibility of a crack.)

https://www.bellhelmets.com/crash-replacement.html

No, the same helmet is available at retailers but not the same color. The problem is now having sent my old helmet through the Bell crash replacement program thinking I'd get it cheaper and with the same color, they want to send me the defective helmet or won't give a refund.

On Monday if Bell won't refund or replace the defective helmet then I'll have to buy another one from a retailer and lose the money I spent on the Bell crash replacement program.

I have an oval head with a flat top and it's difficult to find a helmet that fits. Many aren't long enough and I can't actually get my head inside them. Other helmets press painfully at only one contact point on my forehead and and at the back and don't even touch the top of my head, while others are so round that they'll slip from side to side or lift off. So I want the same model helmet that I had because it was the best fit out of all the others I've tried.

I do get it's a headache (pun intended). Makes sense to keep to the same model. It seems you'd maybe get a 30% discount (nice but not likely a deal breaker). Is the color that important?

No the packaging was fine. I think the defect is with the interface of the MIPS attachment insert/hook with the polystyrene foam. Whether it's molded in place or post-processed, the crack propagates from the insert and down the sides of the foam along air vent.

I had been in hot climates up to 38 Celsius, and light colored clothing really helped to try keeping as cool as possible while cycling. I'm assuming that the white color of my helmet would have contributed to some heat reduction however small it may be, but I'll take whatever advantage I can get.

The problem now is how to deal with the money sunk into the Bell crash replacement program. Wait for a response or order from retailer now so I can get it as soon as possible. Or take it as a loss. Or possibly end up with two helmets.

It looks like your schedule is very flexible.

Not sure how often you replace helmets but ending up with two might not be that much of a problem.

How long did it take to get the replacement? Buying a new helmet is likely the fastest/reliable thing to do.

I’m assuming you sent them the photos. If you send it back, I’d suggest putting painter’s tape (with braille markings) showing where the crack is.

The initial replacement was fast. I sent my old crash helmet Monday last week and received the defective new helmet last week Friday. But the second round was slow. I sent the defective new helmet back to them on Monday this week but only got their denial email Friday this week.

I did send them close up photos by email of the crack but I forgot to take one photo of the entire helmet from the underside to mark the general area. I did write them that it was the yellow attachment point for the MIPS and it is visible in the close-up photos. There are only four of them so it must be one of them.

I was hoping to get the new replacement by Friday so I could go on my bike tour, so when I got the denial email instead I was furious.

Ending up with two helmets is not really useful because I might already be gone from the temporary address by the time the second helmet arrives. The delivery service usually leaves packages outside when nobody is there and marks it as delivered, so there's no way to reject the shipment. If it's the same defective helmet, I won't be here to take new photos or videos to send back to them. If it's a new helmet while I'm still here, I'm not going to travel with two helmets.

Send it to a friend’s house.

Sounds like you are going to just take the risk.

I'd be upset about it too. Certainly I can't believe that anyone will say meets the certifications that are required for the helmet. The Bell Helmet Crash Replacement I read says it's only available in the USA. So I assume that's where you are. Or possibly Bell has them for other regions through differing trade laws and regulations with slightly different requirements, which might be a issue for a helmet bought in one region and then claimed in another.

How did you go about initiating the crash replacement? In the USA, you just have to contact Bell through their website. And according to this guy, he just had a live website chat with them, uploaded a picture and then got a discount code for a replacement helmet of his choice. It's about the 3:40 min time hack the talk about replacement begins. Though the video is from 2022. So maybe different today.

So did you actually contact Bell? You said you contacted the distributor. Which is not necessarily Bell. But just someone that sells Bell helmets. And particularly since you had to send the helmet back sounds suspect. Bell's crash replacement, here in the USA seems like they want you to contact them directly. Not a vendor that may have sold their helmets.

Letting us know for certain if you are in the USA or not will let us at least know that what works here may not be applicable in your region.

I'd get another helmet before my next ride. Even if it was a less expensive but just as highly rated helmet. And then still work with Bell, first and exhaust my avenues there, then go back to the vendor you bought it from and see what you can get them to offer.

When you get the defective helmet back, buy an identical one at the store. Put the defective one in the new helmet box, take it back to the store immediately and tell them you're returning it because of this crack, and you don't want a Bell product if this is the kind of quality they produce.

The store will return your money and they will return the defective helmet to Bell. You have a new uncracked Bell helmet. Problem solved.

I hope that is a joke!

I couldn't be dishonest just because it's what others do.

Which part of it is dishonest? The OP has two identical brand new helmets that Bell says are good. He returns one of them and let's the retailer know that it seems defective. They do what Bell won't do and send it back to Bell for credit. Just using two different sales channels back to Bell.


Bell is the one being dishonest, you realize.

I still believe two wrongs don't make a right.

And it hasn't been established that the OP is actually dealing with Bell. Some of what was written sounded like it could be just a vendor that sold Bell helmets. And the crash replacement policy says to go through Bell. Not the vendor.

So now you are accusing the OP of being deceitful about his crash replacement.

You haven't articulated what is the "wrong". Take both helmets out of the package. Mix them up. Return whichever one you like less. They are both new Bell helmets.

Ever buy pants in two sizes and return the one that doesn't fit as well? Same ethics.

Situations like this arise when manufacturers screw consumers. This doesn't screw anyone - it just uses a back channel to get the service he OP is owed.

The German language subdomain from Bell's official website seems to be operated by a Spanish company or perhaps the parent company of a German company of the same name GROFA Action Sports. There's a crash replacement program form on the official website or I can't remember if it was a redirect to the GROFA site but it's basically an identical program to the Bell English site. I'm assuming they're the licensed brand operator and distributor for Germany or Europe. It also seems to operate the official websites of European subdomains of other bicycle equipment brands.

Deranged.

Saying you purchased a broken helmet when you didn’t not is a lie.

The fact that lying works for you doesn’t make it not a lie. (The fact that other parties might be dishonest doesn’t make this not a lie.)

??? You are recommending the OP to be deceitful. Bizarre.

No, it’s not the same.

Do you work for Bell or are you juat a general advocate for corporate fraud?

Bell created thia problem. Bell is the party with the ethics problem. The OP doesnt need
to tell any lies, he just needs to hand the box to a clerk.

I own a business and suggest this course of action because I would never put my clients in this deplorable situation that you are so quick to defend for Bell.

Shill.

I don't have any idea. I wouldn't assume what you are assuming. I could not find with a easy search any information about Bell's crash replacement program outside of the USA. And not knowing what country you are from, it really makes no sense for me to dive deeper in trying to find out what is the proper way to initiate a helmet replacement for you.

Unless you are in the USA, and in that case, it still sounds like you aren't really dealing with Bell on this. So you might have been scammed in some way. Or you are a victim of another entity, maybe the vendor that sold you the helmet, that tried to do something but is failing to make it right. The part about having to send the helmet in is the most bizarre to me.

The obvious people to contact is Bell corporate above the level of the crash program.

It is not unusual for a company to subcontract warranty stuff to local distributors.

I'm glad you agree that Bell should have been contacted.

It's not unusual for any of the help, support or warranty services of a company to be contracted out. I guess we agree there too. So what's your point?

Why don't you talk to the OP. Me and you talking together won't find out anything.

I didn't agree.

I said that the OP could go directly to Bell if he feels the crash replacement people are screwing him. But he should bot have started with Bell corporate. That's pointless


I completed disagree that the crash replacement people are illegitimate, and shame on you for confusing the issue by suggesting that.

And yet we haven't actually found out if the proper place to request a crash replacement helmet was actually contacted. And you still want to go out on tangent conversations with others, instead of the OP.

I guess it makes you feel important.