Have I been Halfordsed ?

[steve evans]

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my "Please help me choose a bike thread".

I haved decided to go with the Boardman Hybrid Pro Ltd, definate that I wanted a flat bar and this looks a good value bike and has received good reviews.

Placed my order online with the dreaded Halfords and was given a delivery date of no later than June 5th.

Rang up a local"ish" branch and spoke to a guy there who had previously told me if I got a bike online they would check it over for free, this branch seems to know how to set a bike up from reports I have heard.

When I told him what bike I had ordered he told me there was no way I would get that bike within 6 weeks, I told him my delivery date and he was still sure of his opinion.

Credit to him he rang me back an hour later after making a few calls to Halfords distribution people and told me there wasn't any in the country and I would have to wait until probably August for it.

So I e-mailed customer service (no hope of geting through on the phone), all I have so far is an automated response saying they will get to me in 48 hours.

Not feeling too confident at the moment, anyone else any experience of this with Halfords?

 

[XmisterIS]

Oh my ....

Personally, I wouldn't touch Halfords with a barge-pole! They're great for spark plugs and headlamp bulbs and the like for when I need to tinker with my car, but I would never buy a bike from them!

I would recommend:

1) Get them to refund you.

2) Go to your local, dedicated bike shop and sit on a few brands to get the feel of which frame is right for you. If your bike shop is worth their salt, they will get in a couple of frame sizes in the bike you want, for you to try out. The frame geometry is one of the most important things about your bike - if you get it right you will love riding your bike, if you get it wrong, you will hate it. Pick the geometry that is right for you - we're all different shapes and sizes! Personally, I found that the Giant OCR range fitted me best, so I got the FCR C - my local bike shop got in a Medium and a Large for me to try. I thought I wanted a Trek, but when I test rode one, I found that the top tube was too long for me and all my weight was on my hands.

Halfords don't give a toss about which bike they sell you, they just want your money. Your local bike shop, on the other hand, should take pride in the bike that they sell you - the staff are usually all keen riders themselves and they care about bikes.

 

[steve evans]

Yeah, that's what I used to think

Agreed, most lbs do care, one I tried was very good but only sold Giant and Bianchi, the other sold Specialized and Trek which were both on my short list.

Went in the second and the two guys (owners) could hardly be arsed to tear themselves away from watching cycling on the telly, even less interest when I said the word hybrid.

"Yeah, mate there's a a few in the corner if you want a look".

Got the briefest of disinterested answers to my questions about the two bikes, even after I said I was serious about spending around £1K that day.

Can only assume they were a pair of "elistists" who only care about roadies or a pair of chutney ferrets getting horned up by all the shaved, muscley legs on the telly.

Anyway, there till will be £1K lighter come cashing up time.

On the other hand I realise many of the Halfords lads are poorly paid, poorly trained and poorly motivated but the guy I have dealt with is highly recommended and has been very helpful.

I guess there's good and bad in both, agree it's almost certainly more likely you'll get a much better service from most LBS than most Halfords but lets not tar them all with the same brush, there all humans out to make a living.

 

[XmisterIS]

Your LBS sounds awfull! Do you have an outlet of Cycleworld near you? There are three down here (South Coast), and they are very helpful

 

[steve evans]

Don't think so, I'm up on the east coast of Lincolnshire.

I work in Hull and there's a brilliant shop there, Cliff Pratts, would thoroughly recommend them to anyone, they are very friendly, knowledgable and infinately helpful. Shame they don't sell Boardies, Speshes or Trek or I'd be there in a shot.

 

[gavintc]

Spesh available from Minster cycles in Beverley. Also check out Roy Irwin's shop - Star Bikes. He sells Bianchi, Pinarello, Cervelo and a couple of others as well. He is a classic Hull man and not a natural salesman, but there is a genuine bloke inside his slightly gruff manner.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

for every good branch of Halfords there are five bad ones. The ratio of good LBS's to bad one is worse imo

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Spesh available from Minster cycles in Beverley. Also check out Roy Irwin's shop - Star Bikes. He sells Bianchi, Pinarello, Cervelo and a couple of others as well. He is a classic Hull man and not a natural salesman, but there is a genuine bloke inside his slightly gruff manner.

I'd agree completely with the above. I have used both these shops and both are excellent.

 

[wesa]

I recently got a Boardman Hybrid Pro through C2W (we were limited to Halfords). The guy in the local branch was very good and everything happened exactly as he said it would (to the day), except that he was off sick when I collected the bike and the guy at the counter insisted on 'setting it up'; it took me about a hour to put it back to how it was for the test ride). If he is any good then I would trust the in store guy; that said I hope you get your bike this week.

FWIW I am impressed with the Hybrid Pro and I have embarrassed a few Lycra clad roadies while riding it, even with a good few miles behind me!

 

[rusky]

...

I would recommend:

1) Get them to refund you.

...

I would seriously hope they didn't take payment until the goods shipped.

 

[Wigsie]

I always find that the guys working in the LBS's I have been into are all cyclist's before salesmen, they are bike enthusiasts and sometimes mostly their people skills leave a fair bit to be desired. But once you get talking to them they are more helpfull than 100 spotty 17 year old halfrauds employee's.

 

[jay clock]

Do you have an outlet of Cycleworld near you

The one in Romsey refused to let me buy a child's bike that day because they mechanic needed to check it over (which takes an hour - haha!). He was entirely serious! The bike was for a 5 year old with a fixed wheel and one brake. I go the previous year's model off Ebay and collected it the same day. The other two branches are much better in my experience

 

[Crankarm]

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my "Please help me choose a bike thread".

I haved decided to go with the Boardman Hybrid Pro Ltd, definate that I wanted a flat bar and this looks a good value bike and has received good reviews.

Placed my order online with the dreaded Halfords and was given a delivery date of no later than June 5th.

Rang up a local"ish" branch and spoke to a guy there who had previously told me if I got a bike online they would check it over for free, this branch seems to know how to set a bike up from reports I have heard.

When I told him what bike I had ordered he told me there was no way I would get that bike within 6 weeks, I told him my delivery date and he was still sure of his opinion.

Credit to him he rang me back an hour later after making a few calls to Halfords distribution people and told me there wasn't any in the country and I would have to wait until probably August for it.

So I e-mailed customer service (no hope of geting through on the phone), all I have so far is an automated response saying they will get to me in 48 hours.

Not feeling too confident at the moment, anyone else any experience of this with Halfords?

So spill the beans which Halfords store is it and the guys first name?
This month's Cycle World or Cycling Weekly (can't remember which as I looked at that many mags in Smiths this afternoon) features the Boardman Team Pro at £800 ish. They give it the thumbs up. I'd cancel your order if you can. August seems a long time to wait.

 

[Crankarm]

Yeah, that's what I used to think

Agreed, most lbs do care, one I tried was very good but only sold Giant and Bianchi, the other sold Specialized and Trek which were both on my short list.

Went in the second and the two guys (owners) could hardly be arsed to tear themselves away from watching cycling on the telly, even less interest when I said the word hybrid.

"Yeah, mate there's a a few in the corner if you want a look".

Got the briefest of disinterested answers to my questions about the two bikes, even after I said I was serious about spending around £1K that day.

Can only assume they were a pair of "elistists" who only care about roadies or a pair of chutney ferrets getting horned up by all the shaved, muscley legs on the telly.

Anyway, there till will be £1K lighter come cashing up time.

On the other hand I realise many of the Halfords lads are poorly paid, poorly trained and poorly motivated but the guy I have dealt with is highly recommended and has been very helpful.

I guess there's good and bad in both, agree it's almost certainly more likely you'll get a much better service from most LBS than most Halfords but lets not tar them all with the same brush, there all humans out to make a living.

Generally commenting while they are ignoring you that they are obviously making too much money to bother with your paltry money (grand in your case) so you'll take it elsewhere to some one who will actually value your custom works a treat I find. Also ask them if they get a bonus on sales and if so they just lost a bonus they could have made on selling you a bike, a few verbal kicks in the balls for their arrogance and rudeness so to speak. If that doesn't spur them into action then you know you are in the wrong type of LBS .

 

[PBancroft]

The one in Romsey refused to let me buy a child's bike that day because they mechanic needed to check it over (which takes an hour - haha!). He was entirely serious! The bike was for a 5 year old with a fixed wheel and one brake. I go the previous year's model off Ebay and collected it the same day. The other two branches are much better in my experience

The one in Romsey is my LBS. It can be a little bit dodgy depending on who is working (as can anywhere, I guess). However in their defence I have been in and had some excellent advice as well, with assistants taking a lot of time to help even after I had been very clear that I wasn't going to make a purchase that day.