Green Commute Initiative Avis 325

I made an error on the form and the team were very efficient at sorting this out for me. Every piece of correspondence was answered so quickly with clear details of next steps. It was fantastic to deal with the GCI team.

The whole process has been designed by GCI to be as easy and painless as possible. From supporting the company I work for, communicating clear instructions and minimising the amount of paperwork involved, everything worked so seamlessly. It took less than a week from initiating the purchase to picking my bike up from the shop. I would definitely use GCI again and recommend to all my colleagues.

Brilliant service and communication from start to finish which, by the way, was only a few days. I couldn't recommend Green Commute Initiative more heartily.

Absolutely brilliant communication from GCI had a nightmare waiting for my workplace to sort payment etc but GCI kept me up to date as much as possible. Would definitely recommend

Completing in ONE HOUR from a standing start, after choosing my bike (Canyon CityLite:ON) to having the GCI payment voucher paid, generated and confirmed by the retailer = genuinely impressive.

Absolutely seamless and wish more things would work like this. No delays from GCI at all.

Keep up the good work getting the nation cycling.

Can't wait to get my new bike (but will wait, since it's not quite in stock).

GCI make the whole process very easy and very efficient to complete

Green commute initiative is the best cycle scheme voucher company there is for many reasons. For starters you can pick up the phone and talk to a human being who is polite and helpful, queries get dealt with quickly and in a friendly manner. They are a not for profit organisation and take half the commission that their competitors take which is far kinder to bike shops who have a hard enough time as it is. The whole transaction is a much nicer experience with these guys and that is why I wanted to write this review. Support the good guys.

Quick Summary:

​GCI approved a non-road-legal e-bike for the Cycle to Work scheme, which my insurer wouldn't cover after it was stolen, leaving me with a loss of over £3,000. GCI's Managing Director has refused to help, made baseless threats, and used absurd legal arguments to avoid responsibility. My complaint is now with Trading Standards and I am taking them to court. Avoid this company.

​The Full Story:

​A warning to all potential users and, crucially, all employers considering GCI as their Cycle to Work provider. My experience has revealed a fundamentally flawed approval process and an appalling subsequent complaints procedure.

​I used the scheme to get an e-bike package, but the model approved by GCI's own process was not actually legal for use on UK roads. I only discovered this after the bike was stolen and my insurer refused the claim for the sole and documented reason that the bike was not legally compliant, resulting in a loss of over £3,000.

​GCI’s response to my initial complaint was shocking. In his very first email, before even investigating my order, their Managing Director made a baseless threat to report me to HMRC, then condescendingly added they "won't do this on this occasion." In that same email, he tried to shift the blame by falsely claiming their system would have rejected the bike if the full model name had been used. I immediately proved this was false using GCI's own official documents, which clearly listed the non-compliant model name.

​When faced with this proof of their failed process, he did not acknowledge his error or the threat. Instead, in a later email, he refused to investigate further and made a series of bizarre and irrelevant demands for my personal information, including my tax status, bike mileage, and the specific model of locks I used – all of which had nothing to do with GCI approving a non-compliant bike.

​After I sent a final "Letter Before Court Claim" by recorded delivery, GCI's Managing Director sent a response outlining his official defence. Incredibly, this involved hiding behind a single contractual clause stating that bike choice is the consumer's responsibility, while ignoring all evidence of their own failed approval process. He also argued my loss was only a fraction of the true figure by misusing a tax rule, and that because GCI technically owned the bike, I had suffered "no loss" at all - completely ignoring the money taken from my salary.

​As GCI has refused every reasonable opportunity to resolve this, I am now proceeding with a Small Claims Court claim to recover my losses. My purpose in posting this is to warn others of the significant financial risk and appalling customer service.

Edit in response to GCI's reply:

GCI have posted an anonymous reply to my review containing a number of false and misleading statements. For clarity, I will correct these points below, which are the same arguments their Managing Director has made to me in all our correspondence.

GCI's Claim: "Our research indicates this model ebike is road legal... the BBC... reviewed this exact model."

The Truth: This is a lie. The BBC reviewed the standard, road-legal WAU bike. My official GCI Hire Agreement, which I have in my possession, clearly states the model is the "WAU X Plus (off-Road Derestricted)". GCI's process approved a non-compliant model, and they are now trying to hide that fact.

GCI's Claim: "You refused to let us contact your insurer."

The Truth: I provided GCI with the final, written decision from my insurer, which is the primary evidence.

GCI's Claim: My loss is only "£396" based on an HMRC valuation.

The Truth: This is a deliberate misapplication of an irrelevant tax rule. My claim, which is now with the Small Claims Court, is for the full amount of money I lost from my salary due to GCI's breach of contract, not the taxable value of an old bike.

GCI's Claim: "We have multiple warnings on our website you clearly chose to ignore."

The Truth: My claim is not against their website; it's against their formal approval process. Their system, which their MD has admitted in writing should have rejected the order, approved a non-compliant bike. Their process failed, and they are liable for that failure.

As you can see, GCI's response is an attempt to deflect from their own documented failures. The matter will now be settled in court.

exceptional in every way..super efficient, super helpful and guess what they answer their phones unlike many or their competitors. Fiona was just excellent .Thanks to you guys for making this process a breeze..

Excellent - very easy to set up and great customer service and ongoing support.

GCI was fast, effective and explicit. The application process was swift with lots of detailed information.
I would not hesitate to recommend GCI to anyone wanting to use a third party for the cycle to work scheme.

Very quick and easy. Painless even though I misspelled an email address.
Very efficient. All done in a day

Collected my bicycle on Saturday, the staff at Bert's Cycles in Hampton Hill were very helpful and had only just signed up with GCI, the whole process was seemless and very quick. GCI contacted me today to see if I had collected my bike and if I was happy.
I highly recommend both GCI and Bert's Cycles.

Great scheme. Thanks for not adding the crazy fees that your competitors do!

I can't believe the speed with which GCI (and my fabulous HR Dept!) dealt with my application. Within a few hours of me selecting a bike the agreement etc. had been sent through to me.
Absolutely fantastic service!

I have genuinely never dealt with a company so efficient. Fantastic, well-explained communication and the turnaround could not have been more rapid. Thank you.

Excellent service. Quick and easy to use.
I would recommend to anyone looking to improve fitness through cycling.

This was recommended to our company as we strive to support social impact and social enterprise where possible.
To my delight, the service was second to none, friendly and super easy - which means a speedy process.
Better value for both the company and the employee.
Highly recommend using!

The best cycle scheme to get a great deal and support you local bike shop show Halfords where to stick it and work with these guys