Blown free hub in a new bike after 180 miles

Hi All,

I'm a newbie here, so apologies for any potential faux pas

In February this year I got a brand new Giant Fathom E+ 2 29er 2022 Hardtail Electric Mountain Bike. Didn't get a chance to ride it much but recently after doing just 180 miles, I started getting this weird metallic sound from the rear of the drivetrain. Upon inspection, I have noticed perhaps 1-2mm play on the cassette. Took the wheel to a local bike shop to tighten the cassette but the mechanic said that the freehub is gone.

No probs I thought, the bike is still new so will surely be repaired under warranty. I have contacted the seller... and the response was: normal wear and tear, get lost. Now, I'm no bike expert, but if my bike needs a new freehub every 200 miles, there's surely something wrong here, no? Visited another bike shop, where the mechanics told me this amount of play is to be expected... after 2-3 thousand(!) miles, not 2 hundred...

I have also tried invoking the Consumer Right Act with the seller - as I have taken delivery of the bike less than 6 months ago, it is down to the seller to prove that the issue was not a material or assembly defect, but they again responded that the act does not apply to wear and tear... 🤦‍♂️  

So I suppose my first question is: am I in the wrong here? Can a freehub really let go after such low milage (let me add that I'm more of a recreational rider, no ramp jumping or anything like this). If I am in the right, what can I do in this situation? Contact Giant directly? The seller is a big online bike shop.

Many thanks in advance for any advice!