Moda
Active Member
Was it refundable?
'i'm very interested in one of your bikes...'
- Thread starter kedab
- Start date
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mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
Nope.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Remarkable!
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Having gone to Edinburgh Cycles in Leeds I was surprised at their test ride offering.
On the phone when I asked about a test ride it was "you can ride it round our car park at most".
Having got there and chatted with one of their staff (Aaaron if you're looking EBC), he asked me to leave my credit card (which is still there - must collect it tomorrow) and suggested I take as long as I wanted.
I test-rode the demo 2014 Whyte 805 - which had only arrived that day and been built up quickly for me. That was followed by the 2014 Genesis Croix de Fer. For both I did a couple of miles, hills, park, etc.
And yes, I ordered the Whyte
- I like good customer service.
On the phone when I asked about a test ride it was "you can ride it round our car park at most".
Having got there and chatted with one of their staff (Aaaron if you're looking EBC), he asked me to leave my credit card (which is still there - must collect it tomorrow) and suggested I take as long as I wanted.
I test-rode the demo 2014 Whyte 805 - which had only arrived that day and been built up quickly for me. That was followed by the 2014 Genesis Croix de Fer. For both I did a couple of miles, hills, park, etc.
And yes, I ordered the Whyte
- I like good customer service.
OP
OP
kedab
Veteran
- Location
- nr cambridge
Love this forum for healthy debate & nearly always without snidey remarks. Just as an FYI to those that asked, I can't test ride the BMC - they dont take stock of it til the 9th - prepared to wait & take abit of a chance? Yep, that's me. Prepared to accept dismissive customer service? Nope
Moda
Active Member
Which to my mind suggests they weren't serious about a test ride or are stinking filthy wealthy.
Seriously?
If I was seriously interested in a bike, but wanted to try it out first, I'd be happy to pay a deposit. Let's say I'm looking at a £2k bike, I pay you the £1k, you get it in, I try it out, I don't like it - I'm a thousand pounds out? F**k that!
But on your original response - I'm disappointed in you, Mickle. This isn't some little LBS being expected to buy in stock they then aren't going to be able to shift - it's an official Giant store. If they aren't able to chuck bikes between their stores and warehouse for people to try out that's pretty poor and obviously going to cost them customers.
I wouldn't have said that's terrible customer service, but it's bad business for a major brand.
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
Official Giant stores are franchises - not Giant owned. It costs £16 to courier a bike in a box and up to an hour of workshop tome to build a regular bike @+/-£35ph. And once built they dont go back in a box without a fight. Its not like they can be beamed around like off of Star Trek.
I should mention that some of my bikes cost £450 to ship from abroad, many are individually built to order and some take 3 hours to build - so my end of the bike industry isn't very representative.
I should mention that some of my bikes cost £450 to ship from abroad, many are individually built to order and some take 3 hours to build - so my end of the bike industry isn't very representative.
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Moda
Active Member
It's hard not to come back to my original point of "it's the cost of doing business". Do you think that the estate agent offers you a cup of coffee because he thinks your thirsty?
The cost of the mechanic to put the bike together is only an issue if he's got too much work otherwise would you prefer s/he twiddle there thumbs?
The cost of the mechanic to put the bike together is only an issue if he's got too much work otherwise would you prefer s/he twiddle there thumbs?
procel
Well-Known Member
- Location
- South London
My wife is going to look at a bike tomorrow at CycleSurgery in Croydon that they shipped from their Bristol store for her to have a look at. She didn't have to press them to do it - in fact the salesman pushed her a bit into agreeing! And it's a 2013 sale model so presumably the profit margin is lower, but that's what you do if you really want to sell.
OP
OP
kedab
Veteran
- Location
- nr cambridge
hey CC'ers! hope you're all doing alright...just to bookend this thread, i got my new bike 
after the little disagreement with Giant, i was then hoping to get a BMC teammachine slr02 from evans...that shipment got delayed - they put the date back more than a month...i was going to wait...then found my new bike hiding away in the corner of the same website looking a little sorry for itself...SO! i got a 2013 merckx emx-3 - down from 2.8k to just over 1.9! rode it for the first time Sunday morning. oh my goodness. it is a dream. i'm not sure if it's the geometry, the carbon lay up or a combination of all the things that make a bike work but i was amazed at how comfortable it is, almost straight out the box, a quick fettle with the bars and saddle and seat post and it was pretty much bang on first time. love it love it love it! 
after the little disagreement with Giant, i was then hoping to get a BMC teammachine slr02 from evans...that shipment got delayed - they put the date back more than a month...i was going to wait...then found my new bike hiding away in the corner of the same website looking a little sorry for itself...SO! i got a 2013 merckx emx-3 - down from 2.8k to just over 1.9! rode it for the first time Sunday morning. oh my goodness. it is a dream. i'm not sure if it's the geometry, the carbon lay up or a combination of all the things that make a bike work but i was amazed at how comfortable it is, almost straight out the box, a quick fettle with the bars and saddle and seat post and it was pretty much bang on first time. love it love it love it! 
Hadn't spotted this thread before but to add my tuppence-worth, I ordered a bike with my local Trek shop, when it came they built it up for me and I sat on it and decided that I wanted a larger frame size and a different model. They ordered that through, set it up for me, I rode it round the shop (could have rode round the car park had it not been raining), and bought it - the first time a penny had changed hands. That is the basic level of customer service I would expect for buying what is basically my new mode of transport, and I was spending a fraction of the OP. I'd have been pretty disappointed if I'd been forced to buy the wrong bike! Surely a refundable deposit is the maximum a LBS should expect?
Roadrider48
Voice of the people
- Location
- Londonistan
Well put!
A new bike is, for me, a considerable amount of money. I would happily pay a deposit (refundable). This shows that I am seriously considering a purchase. If I hadchosen a particular bike and merely wished to check the fit then I would MAYBE pay a non refundable deposit on the grounds that I will be buying a bike, but I want the right size. If the first bike is too small then I would take the next size up. The LBS can take the risk if they want the sale. Other wise hello Wiggle etc etc.
Roadrider48
Voice of the people
- Location
- Londonistan
I also don't think it's unreasonable to try a bike, at least for size, when you're proposing to spend that amount of money. As far a s a no-refundable deposit goes. They can kiss my a***!
