How Buying from Redtail Works
By Mehran G. — Redtail eBikes. Every term on this page is quoted from our own published policies and checked against the live store, and every figure below was last verified September 6, 2026.
534 bikes · 15% restocking fee · 3% cancellation fee · up to $1,000 off
Quick Answer. How to buy an electric bike online from us, start to finish. Order on the site, we ship free anywhere in the lower 48, and your bike leaves the warehouse in 1–3 business days and lands 5–10 business days after that. Photograph the box before you open it, because transit damage has to reach us within 48 hours of delivery and we file the carrier claim for you. Change-of-mind returns are 72 hours, unopened only, at a 15% restocking fee. Active-duty service members, National Guard, Reserve and veterans get up to $1,000 off, and so does anyone in recovery through a rehab program, AA or NA.
The numbers that govern your order (all pulled from our published policies, September 6, 2026):
- Free shipping, every e-bike, every address in the contiguous United States (shipping policy).
- 1–3 business days to process, then 5–10 business days in transit.
- 48 hours from delivery to report transit damage with photos. We file the carrier claim.
- 72 hours to change your mind, unopened and factory-sealed, at a 15% restocking fee (refund policy).
- 3% to cancel an order that has not shipped. The card processor keeps its fee when a sale reverses, and the 3% is that fee.
- Up to $1,000 off for military, veterans, and people in recovery. The largest direct-to-consumer e-bike brand in the US publishes $50.
Everything below is the long version. If you would rather talk to someone, call (213) 444-4020 or email support@redtailebikes.com.
In this guide
- Before you order: the 60-second checklist
- How to buy an electric bike online from Redtail
- What we do, and what we do not do
- Shipping and delivery
- The day your bike arrives
- If it arrives damaged
- Returns, cancellations, and refunds
- Warranty: who fixes what
- Military, veteran, and recovery discounts
- Getting a person on the phone
- Parts, including for bikes you bought elsewhere
- FAQ
- Quick reference
- Limitations
- Sources
Before you order: the 60-second checklist
Run these five before you pay. They prevent almost every problem a customer emails us about.
- Measure your height in socks, against a wall. Every product page publishes a rider height range. If you land on the edge of one, call us before you order rather than after, because a bike that does not fit you is not a warranty issue and it is not a defect.
- Read one guide. The electric bike buying guide answers most of what you are about to ask, and how much an electric bike costs sets your budget against real prices rather than advertised ones.
- Check the class against your state. Where you may legally ride a Class 1, 2 or 3 bike is set by state law rather than by us. Start at electric bike laws by state.
- Decide about financing before you reach checkout. Shop Pay Installments is live on the store, and the terms depend on the price band. They are laid out below.
- Plan where the box goes, and keep it. An e-bike arrives in a large, heavy carton. Original packaging is the difference between an eligible return and an ineligible one.
How to buy an electric bike online from Redtail
Choose the bike
Browse the full lineup, or narrow it by what you actually want to do: fat tire, commuter and city, mountain, folding, cargo, trikes, or kids and teens. We publish 534 products from 12 e-bike brands, and 156 free guides exist on this site precisely so you do not have to guess.
Pick how you want to pay
The store accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay, as listed on the storefront footer. You must be 18 or older to place an order, under our terms of service.
Or split it into payments
Shop Pay Installments appears at checkout, and the plans below were read from the financing payload our own checkout served on a live product page on September 6, 2026. What you are offered depends on the price of the order:
| Order total | What Shop Pay offers |
|---|---|
| $35 – $49.99 | 2 payments, 0% APR |
| $50 – $149.99 | 3 or 4 payments, 0% APR |
| $150 – $999.99 | 3 or 4 payments at 0% APR, or 3, 6 or 12 monthly payments at 15% APR |
| $1,000 and above | 3, 6 or 12 monthly payments at 15% APR |
Most e-bikes sit in the last row. The rate you are quoted is set by the lender at checkout after an eligibility check, so treat the table as the shape of the offer rather than a promise about your rate.
Check out, then leave the address alone
An incorrect or incomplete address is the single most expensive mistake available to you at this stage. A shipment that comes back to us because it could not be delivered is treated as a return, which means return freight plus the 15% restocking fee (refund policy).
What we do, and what we do not do
Both columns are the point. A store that only publishes the first one is selling you something.
One clarification before the table, because it changes which laws apply to you. Alongside the bikes we list three electric scooters, and a scooter is not an e-bike. Most states write scooters into a separate class with their own speed limits and their own rules about sidewalks and bike lanes, so check the state law pages for the machine you are actually buying. The shipping, return and warranty terms below apply to everything we sell.
| We do | We do not |
|---|---|
| Ship free to every address in the lower 48 | Operate a showroom or offer test rides |
| Insure and track every shipment, and file carrier claims ourselves | Offer local pickup |
| Take the manufacturer warranty claim off your hands | Manufacture any bike, or write our own warranty |
| Answer the phone at (213) 444-4020 | Run dealers or franchises |
| Publish 156 free guides, including ones that tell you to buy elsewhere | Ship to PO boxes, or to Alaska, Hawaii and US territories without quoting you first |
| Sell kids' and teens' e-bikes | Sell used or refurbished bikes |
| List three electric scooters alongside the bikes | Pretend a scooter is an e-bike |
Browse by what you will actually ride
If you are still choosing, start from the shape of the ride rather than the spec sheet.
| Category | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Fat tire | Sand, snow, gravel, and anyone who wants stability over speed |
| Commuter and city | Paved miles, fenders and racks, predictable range |
| Mountain | Suspension and gearing for trails and sustained climbs |
| Folding | Apartments, car trunks, transit, and small storage |
| Cargo | Kids, groceries, tools, and anything you would otherwise drive |
| Electric trikes | Stability at low speed, and riders who want three wheels down |
| Cruiser and moped style | Upright comfort and the moto silhouette |
| Kids and teens | Smaller frames, lower wattage, locked top speeds |
| On sale | Current markdowns across every category |
| Every e-bike we stock | The full shelf, unfiltered |
Prefer to shop by maker? Our approved lineup includes Eunorau, Eahora, Ridstar and Samebike.
Shipping and delivery
Free, on every e-bike, to every address in the contiguous United States. Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, PO boxes and remote areas may carry an extra charge or be excluded, so contact us before ordering rather than after (shipping policy).
The timeline, end to end:
Processing takes 1–3 business days from the moment your order is confirmed. Transit is usually 5–10 business days after dispatch, depending on how far the bike has to travel. Parts and accessories can ship separately and can take longer (shipping policy).
Bikes move by parcel carrier or, when the carton is large enough, by LTL freight. In practice that means UPS, FedEx, or a freight line. Your tracking number arrives by email the moment the order ships. If it went freight, the carrier may call you to schedule the delivery window, and a signature may be required at the door.
When tracking goes quiet
Freight tracking is not parcel tracking, and this is where most worried emails come from. A freight shipment can sit on one scan for several days while it moves between terminals, because freight lines scan at far fewer points than a parcel network does. Silence for three or four days is normal and does not mean the bike is lost.
What is worth a phone call: no scan at all for more than a week, or a freight shipment where nobody has called to schedule delivery two weeks after pickup. Email support@redtailebikes.com with your order number and we will chase the carrier. You should not have to open a trace yourself.
The day your bike arrives
Do these three things in order, before you cut a single zip tie. They take about two minutes and they are the entire evidentiary basis of any claim you might need to make.
- Photograph the sealed carton, all six sides, before you open it. Include the shipping label in one shot. If the box is crushed, torn or punctured, note it on the driver's paperwork while the driver is still there.
- Photograph the contents before you unwrap anything. This is what separates "it arrived scratched" from "you scratched it during assembly," and a carrier will make exactly that argument.
- Inspect the frame, both wheels, the battery, the charger and the display. If anything is bent, cracked, missing or dead, stop here and read the next section instead of assembling.
If everything checks out, find the assembly instructions for your model and follow them before you ride. Most e-bikes arrive largely built, with the front wheel, handlebars, display and pedals left to you, and the job is usually well under an hour.
Two things are worth slowing down for. Pedals are threaded left and right and marked "L" and "R," and forcing the wrong one into a crank arm strips the threads permanently. Every retailer in the category treats that as an installation error, and no warranty covers it. And if you repair a flat, put the torque arm back, because a hub motor without one can tear its own axle mount apart.
If you are not confident the build is right, do not ride it. Call (213) 444-4020 and we will walk through it with you, or budget for a local bike shop to finish the job.
If it arrives damaged
Transit damage is not a return and it is not a warranty claim. It is a carrier claim, it has its own clock, and the clock is short.
Email support@redtailebikes.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number, your photographs and a short description (shipping policy, terms of service). From there it is our job: we file the claim with the carrier, supply the documentation, and arrange a replacement or a repair. You do not call UPS, you do not chase a freight terminal, and you do not pay for any of it.
The 48-hour window is not ours. It is the carriers', and once it closes we lose the ability to recover the loss, which means we cannot cover it either. That is why the photographs matter more than they feel like they should on delivery day.
The same is true of two neighbouring situations. If we shipped the wrong item, we fix it in full and cover every shipping cost. If the bike is dead on arrival, will not charge, or throws an error code out of the box, that runs as a manufacturer warranty claim and we coordinate it remotely.
Returns, cancellations, and refunds
This is the section where we are stricter than much of the field, so read it before you order rather than after.
| Our terms | |
|---|---|
| Change-of-mind return window | 72 hours from delivery |
| Condition required | Unopened, in factory-sealed original packaging |
| Once the box is opened, assembled or ridden | No longer eligible for a change-of-mind return |
| Restocking fee | 15% |
| Return shipping | Yours |
| Refused or undeliverable shipment | Treated as a return: return freight plus the 15% fee |
| Inspection | Up to 5 business days after the bike reaches us |
| Refund issued | Within 14 days of completed inspection, to the original payment method |
| Bank posting | A further 2–15 business days, depending on your bank |
| Never eligible | Opened, assembled or used bikes; clearance and discontinued items; rebate and promotional purchases; factory-refurbished products; used parts and accessories; custom orders |
| Custom orders | Require a non-refundable $100 deposit |
| How to start one | Email support@redtailebikes.com with your order number |
Where that sits against the market. Ride1Up publishes a 30-day window and deducts $250 to $350 from the refund, with the buyer paying return shipping. Ecotric publishes 30 days and a 20% inspection and restocking fee. Our window is far shorter than either. Our fee is lower than either, and on a $1,399 bike a 15% fee is $210 against Ride1Up's $250 floor.
We are not going to pretend the 72-hour unopened rule is generous. It is the trade we have made. A shipped, opened, ridden e-bike cannot be resold as new, and a store that absorbs that cost prices it back into every bike on the shelf.
If a long trial window matters to you more than the price does, buy where the window is long. We would give you that same answer on the phone.
Canceling before it ships costs 3% of the order. Card processors keep their fee when a sale is reversed, and the 3% is exactly that fee passed through to you. The comparable published numbers in this category run to 5% after the first hour, flat fees of $75, and $180 once a label has been created. Once your bike has shipped, cancellation is no longer the mechanism and the return terms above take over.
Warranty: who fixes what
Redtail is a retailer, not a manufacturer. We do not write the warranty; the manufacturer does, and its terms are the ones that govern, as our terms of service state. Coverage, length and what counts as a covered part all vary by brand, which is why the honest advice is to call (213) 444-4020 before you buy and ask what the warranty covers on the exact bike you are looking at.
What we do is take the claim off your hands. The alternative, which the internet will often recommend, is that you contact the manufacturer directly. Do not. Once you open a claim on your own, we have no visibility into that file and we cannot advocate inside it.
To open a claim, email support@redtailebikes.com with your order number, a description of what happened and what you were doing at the time, clear photographs, and a video if the fault involves something moving or displaying: a motor, a display, a throttle, brakes. A thirty-second video resolves claims that a thirty-minute phone description cannot, because the manufacturer's warranty desk will ask for it anyway.
Two things that are almost never covered anywhere, and are worth knowing before they happen: wear items such as tires, tubes, brake pads and chains, and damage caused during installation, including the stripped crank arm from a cross-threaded pedal and a motor damaged by a missing torque arm.
Military, veteran, and recovery discounts
These two programs are the reason a lot of people end up on this page, so the whole of both is set out below.
Up to $1,000 off, depending on the bike. The amount is not the same on every model, because the margin is not the same on every model. Email us with the bike you want and we will quote you the best number we can put on it.
If you serve or have served
Open to active-duty US military, National Guard, Reserve, and veterans. Email sales@redtailebikes.com from your military address if you have one, or attach a photograph of your military ID, VA-issued ID, veteran designation on your state driver's license, or your DD-214. Tell us which bike you are looking at and we will come back with the price.
For scale: Lectric eBikes, the largest direct-to-consumer e-bike brand in the United States, publishes $50 off any model for the same group, verified through a third-party service. Ours is a ceiling of $1,000, quoted per bike, by a person.
If you are in recovery
Open to graduates of a rehabilitation program, and to members of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Email sales@redtailebikes.com.
- Rehab graduates: send documentation from the program.
- AA and NA members: a letter from your home group confirming your membership is all we ask. There is no minimum time requirement, and there is no clean-date threshold to clear.
Nothing you send goes anywhere except the person quoting your price, and we do not publish, share or keep a list. If it is easier to talk it through than to write it down, call (213) 444-4020 and ask for the recovery program.
We looked for another US e-bike retailer running a program like this before we wrote it down, and did not find one. The nearest thing is a Maryland non-profit that places bikes at recovery residences. Transportation is one of the practical things that decides whether early recovery holds, and a bike is a form of transportation that does not need insurance, a license, or a clean driving record.
The small print, such as it is
These two programs are ours, set by the owner of this store, and this page is the only place they are published. There is no second source to check them against, so read the terms below as what we have committed to rather than as something a third party has confirmed. Everything else on this page is quoted from a document you can open yourself.
The discount is quoted before you order rather than refunded afterwards, so email first. It applies to the bike. Shipping is already free. We will tell you honestly if a particular model cannot carry the full amount, and we will tell you which one can.
Getting a person on the phone
(213) 444-4020 is the official line, and it is the number published in our privacy policy and on the storefront itself. Leave a voicemail if nobody picks up, because voicemails get returned and a second call never counts against you.
| Reach out to | For |
|---|---|
| support@redtailebikes.com | Orders, shipping, damage claims, warranty, returns, parts |
| sales@redtailebikes.com | Pre-purchase questions, product advice, and the military and recovery programs |
| (213) 444-4020 | Anything, and the fastest route for a question about fit |
Two practical notes. For anything diagnostic, email beats the phone, because a photograph of an error code or a short video of the fault gets you a correct answer the first time and creates a record both of us can point to later. And cancellations should go by email, so that the timestamp exists.
Parts, including for bikes you bought elsewhere
Email support@redtailebikes.com with a photograph of the part, the model name, the year you bought the bike, and the serial or frame number. If we carry the brand, we will tell you what we can source and what it costs, whether or not the bike came from us. If we do not carry it, we will say so rather than waste your week.
FAQ
Does Redtail offer a military discount?
Yes. Active-duty US military, National Guard, Reserve and veterans get up to $1,000 off, with the exact figure depending on the bike. Email sales@redtailebikes.com with the model you want and proof of service, such as a military ID, VA card, veteran designation on your license, or DD-214.
What e-bike company offers the biggest military discount?
We publish up to $1,000, quoted per model. For comparison, the largest US direct-to-consumer e-bike brand publishes $50 off any model, and the programs we could verify elsewhere in the category are flat dollar amounts or single-digit percentages. Ours is a ceiling rather than a fixed number, so ask about the specific bike.
Is there an e-bike discount for people in recovery?
Yes, and it works the same way: up to $1,000 off, depending on the bike. Rehab graduates send documentation from their program; AA and NA members send a letter from their home group. There is no minimum sobriety time. Email sales@redtailebikes.com.
How do I buy an electric bike online safely?
Buy from a seller who publishes shipping, return and warranty terms before you pay, answers a phone number, and takes a credit card rather than a wire transfer. Our own terms are on this page. Our guide to where to buy an electric bike runs the same seven checks on us in public, including where we fall short.
Can electric bikes be shipped to my house?
Yes. Every e-bike we sell ships free to any address in the contiguous United States, by parcel carrier or LTL freight depending on the size of the carton. Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, PO boxes and remote areas need a quote first.
Can you return an electric bike after riding it?
Not to us. Our change-of-mind window is 72 hours from delivery and the bike must be unopened in its factory-sealed packaging, so once a box is opened or a bike is ridden it is no longer eligible. A defective or damaged bike is a different matter entirely and costs you nothing.
What is Redtail's return policy and restocking fee?
Unopened returns within 72 hours of delivery, with a 15% restocking fee and return shipping at your cost. Inspection takes up to 5 business days, refunds are issued within 14 days of that, and your bank may take another 2 to 15 business days to post it.
Can I finance an e-bike?
Yes, through Shop Pay Installments at checkout. Under $1,000 you may be offered 3 or 4 payments at 0% APR; at $1,000 and above the published plans are 3, 6 or 12 monthly payments at 15% APR. The final rate comes from the lender after an eligibility check.
How long does an electric bike take to arrive?
Between 6 and 13 business days in the usual case: 1 to 3 to process and 5 to 10 in transit. Freight deliveries can add a scheduling call.
Do I have to assemble the bike myself?
Partly. Bikes arrive largely built, and what is left is usually the front wheel, handlebars, display and pedals, which takes most people under an hour with the included tools. If you would rather not, any bike shop will finish the job for a fee. Do not ride a build you are unsure about.
What if my tracking has not updated in days?
On freight, several days without a scan is normal, because freight lines scan at far fewer points than parcel networks. Worry at a week of total silence, or at two weeks with no scheduling call, and email support@redtailebikes.com rather than opening a trace yourself.
Can I cancel my order?
Yes, by email, while it is unshipped, at a 3% fee that covers the non-refundable card-processing cost. After it ships, the return terms apply instead.
Do you have a showroom I can visit?
No. We sell online only, with no showroom, no test rides, no local pickup and no dealer network. If a test ride is the thing you need most, a local shop is the right call, and our shop directory will find one near you.
Quick reference
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Shipping cost | Free, every e-bike, contiguous US |
| Processing time | 1–3 business days |
| Transit time | 5–10 business days after dispatch |
| Carriers | UPS, FedEx, or LTL freight |
| Signature | May be required, especially on freight |
| Damage reporting window | 48 hours from delivery, with photos |
| Who files the carrier claim | We do |
| Return window | 72 hours, unopened, factory-sealed |
| Restocking fee | 15%, plus return shipping |
| Cancellation fee | 3% before shipment |
| Refund timing | Up to 5 business days to inspect, 14 days to issue, 2–15 for your bank |
| Warranty | The manufacturer's; we run the claim for you |
| Financing | Shop Pay Installments at checkout |
| Military and recovery discount | Up to $1,000, quoted per bike |
| Minimum age to order | 18 |
| Phone | (213) 444-4020 |
Limitations: what this page does not cover
- The warranty term on your specific bike. Coverage is written by each manufacturer and differs by brand and model, so this page states the process rather than a number. Call before you buy and ask about the exact bike.
- The discount on a specific model. "Up to $1,000" is a ceiling, not a quote. The figure depends on the bike and it is given by email or phone.
- Your Shop Pay rate. The table shows the plans published on the store on September 6, 2026. Your actual offer comes from the lender at checkout after an eligibility check.
- Whether the bike is legal where you ride. Class definitions, age limits, helmet rules and trail access are set by your state and sometimes your city. Start at electric bike laws by state.
- Shipping outside the lower 48. Alaska, Hawaii, US territories, PO boxes and remote addresses are quoted individually, so this page cannot give you a number.
- Competitor terms. The three outside programs named here were read on their own published pages on September 6, 2026. Retailers change these without notice, so check theirs before you rely on the comparison.
These terms are current as of September 6, 2026. They expire the moment our published shipping, refund or terms-of-service pages change, and it is those published pages that control if they ever disagree with this one.
Sources
Source register
Every source used on this page, its authority tier, and what it supports.
| Source | Tier | What it supports | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redtail Ebikes, Shipping policy | T1 | Free shipping, processing and transit times, carriers, signature, the 48-hour damage window, excluded destinations | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes, Refund policy | T1 | The 72-hour unopened window, 15% restocking fee, ineligible categories, refused shipments, inspection and refund timing, the 3% cancellation fee, the $100 custom-order deposit | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes, Terms of service | T1 | Minimum age, USD pricing, the retailer-not-manufacturer warranty position, rider responsibility for state law | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes storefront | T1 | The official phone line, the published mailboxes, accepted payment methods | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes product page financing payload | T1 | The Shop Pay Installments plans by price band | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes product feed | T1 | 534 published products across 12 supplier brands | 2026-09-06 |
| Redtail Ebikes blog sitemap | T1 | 156 live guides | 2026-09-06 |
| Ride1Up, Return and Pre-Order Policy | T1 | The 30-day window, $250-$350 deduction, buyer-paid return shipping | 2026-09-06 |
| Ecotric, return policy | T1 | The 30-day window and 20% inspection and restocking fee | 2026-09-06 |
| Lectric eBikes, Military discount | T1 | $50 off any model, and the eligibility groups it covers | 2026-09-06 |
| This page | T1 | The Redtail military and recovery program terms, which we publish and nobody else does | 2026-09-06 |
Eleven sources were consulted and eleven were retrieved in full. One was not: Aventon publishes a military program but serves the amount only behind a sign-in, so that figure could not be read and is not stated anywhere above.
References
- Redtail Ebikes. "Shipping policy." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/policies/shipping-policy
- Redtail Ebikes. "Refund policy." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/policies/refund-policy
- Redtail Ebikes. "Terms of service." Last updated August 26, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/policies/terms-of-service
- Redtail Ebikes. "Privacy policy." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/policies/privacy-policy
- Redtail Ebikes. Storefront home page, Organization structured data and footer contact block. Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/
- Redtail Ebikes. Shop Pay Installments financing payload, live product page. Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/products/yvy-k20-pro
- Redtail Ebikes. Product feed. Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/products.json
- Redtail Ebikes. Blog sitemap. Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/sitemap_blogs_1.xml
- Redtail Ebikes. "How Buying from Redtail Works" - the military and recovery program terms, published here. September 6, 2026. https://redtailebikes.com/pages/how-buying-works
- Ride1Up. "Return and Pre-Order Policy." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://ride1up.com/return-and-pre-order-policy/
- Ecotric. "What is your return policy." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://www.ecotric.com/pages/what-is-your-return-policy
- Lectric eBikes. "Military discount." Retrieved September 6, 2026. https://lectricebikes.com/pages/military-discount
Something on this page out of date? Email mehran@redtailebikes.com - verified corrections are published.