Please review, only if it's good...

[mattobrien]

I recently had cause to return a pair of mitts to Evans as they were coming apart at the seams after nine months of use.

Let's just say that their handling of the situation wasn't ideal, both in terms of trying to suggest that it should be handled directly with the manufacturer (when the manufacturer said otherwise) and then with pretty much no communication until out of the blue around three to four weeks later, I get a refund / sales confirmation email for a new pair.

Anyway I received in invitation to review the product yesterday, via their automated system, so I did. I gave a description of what had happened and said that it had fallen short of my usual good experiences with Evans.

Today I receive an email saying my review has been rejected as it doesn't conform to their guidelines, with a link to said guidelines. Looking at them, nothing that I wrote was beyond the guidelines, it just seems that they don't like it if you say they haven't done well, when they haven't.

So do take a healthy pinch of salt when reading the Evans reviews moving forwards as they won't publish anything that isn't positive about them, but true.

I always found that a range of balanced feedback was more believable that everything being a glowing reference about how the sun only shines on their riders...

Shame on you Evans, as I said the returns process tainted my experience of using you, but not being open to accurate and fair feedback had left another bitter taste in my mouth.

 

[mattobrien]

I may well do that. Still a bit early in the morning to start composing more formal complaint letters. Need some coffee first.

 

[sidevalve]

Seems strange behavior from Evans's. My nearest branch have done me lots of little "good deeds" without question.I have even returned a track pump to good 'ole Tescos after six+ months [with no reciept] and was told simply " OK, no problem, just go get a replacement", which seemed pretty good to me. It seems a lot of these things regarding service [incuding Halfords] are "store specific". Maybe a list of "poor stores" would alter some management thinking.

 

[LosingFocus]

Can we see your review?

they don't like it if you say they haven't done well, when they haven't.

Did you go in to detail about the returns policy and your experience etc? If so, that's got nothing to do with the product, hence a reason why the review might have been pulled...

 

[LosingFocus]

This is what I presumed. You see lots of reviews on places like Amazon where the reviewer goes into massive detail about how the postie left their copy of the book they ordered on the doorstep and giving the book 1 star because of it - even if they loved the book. I wonder if this is an enforcement policy to prevent this. Although having said that, Amazon just lets peple get on and do it if they want, and doesn't try to hide criticism of any kind.

Yeah, Amazon have a decent "self policing" method where you can comment on review and when someone does give a low score based on delivery/returns etc when they are usually shot down by the community.

 

[400bhp]

Get it posted up here so we can take it to pieces and make you look silly have a look.

Perhaps they didn't like the spelling of seams.

 

[400bhp]

I wonder if they don't let you review because you got a refund?

 

[Boris Bajic]

I had a poor experience with Evans some years ago, but their 'customer care' was good.

A bike I bought and collected (Trek) was not as described. I took it anyway, but found the inaccuracy unusual.

I'd also been told when ordering that the shop manager would 'do me a good deal' on some clipless pedals. When I arrived to collect, I was told that this was not so. That was unusual.

All that stuff was taken on the chin, as I did want the bike and I thought it might just have been an understandable comms breakdown. These things happen.

But... When I got it home, none of the gears meshed, the brakes were out and it had clearly had no PDI after assembly.

Evans sent me a cheque to cover my LBS doing the PDI and a voucher for good measure.

I thought that was a good move by the Customer care side of things.

What I didn't like was that a bike was allowed to leave the shop in an unrideable condition. On that basis, I haven't used Evans since. there are billions of online cycle retailers, so if it's a big gaffe, I go elsewhere.

 

[GetAGrip]

Seems strange behavior from Evans's. My nearest branch have done me lots of little "good deeds" without question.I have even returned a track pump to good 'ole Tescos after six+ months [with no reciept] and was told simply " OK, no problem, just go get a replacement", which seemed pretty good to me. It seems a lot of these things regarding service [incuding Halfords] are "store specific". Maybe a list of "poor stores" would alter some management thinking.

Great idea me thinks! There could definitely be some mileage in that, if someone could think how to get the voting wheels in motion

 

[black'n'yellow]

the review has to relate to your experience of the product - not to your experience of Evans - which is probably why the review got canned. Wiggle is the same, as I suspect are many others.

Either way, nine months for a pair of mitts seems (seams) hardly worthy of a complaint.

 

[Manonabike]

My daughter is doing a degree in PR and when she recently had an issue with a reputable jewellery store she decided to use Twitter to have a little dig at the company..... I didn't think that Twitter would do any good but she said, on the contrary, PR people for the company would be looking at twitter. The very same day we got two calls from the company suggesting a solution and within 36 hours they delivered a 2 new rings to the local store..... something she had been told before "impossible" there are no more rings like that in the country :-)

So I'd say Twitter is worth a try to express your disappointment but do it gently or you might get the reverse effect

 

[black'n'yellow]

My daughter is doing a degree in PR and when she recently had an issue with a reputable jewellery store she decided to use Twitter to have a little dig at the company..... I didn't think that Twitter would do any good but she said, on the contrary, PR people for the company would be looking at twitter. The very same day we got two calls from the company suggesting a solution and within 36 hours they delivered a 2 new rings to the local store..... something she had been told before "impossible" there are no more rings like that in the country :-)

So I'd say Twitter is worth a try to express your disappointment but do it gently or you might get the reverse effect

the guy already has a refund - so what's the point of jumping on twitter..?

 

[Manonabike]

the review has to relate to your experience of the product - not to your experience of Evans - which is probably why the review got canned. Wiggle is the same, as I suspect are many others.

I agree, having said that you don't see these companies banning reviews when the review is complementary to the company, do you?

Either way, nine months for a pair of mitts seems (seams) hardly worthy of a complaint.

Tend to agree with that too although. Although, If the mitts were expensive then I would have probably done the same

 

[black'n'yellow]

I agree, having said that you don't see these companies banning reviews when the review is complementary to the company, do you?

Most businesses only want good publicity (ask your daughter to confirm that.. )

 

[Manonabike]

the guy already has a refund - so what's the point of jumping on twitter..?

errrr, the guy posted here after the refund so obviously he still has something to say. Does he need your approval?

Although the matter got resolved in the end I believe he does have a point to make to Evans "don't treat your customers like that!!!" Do you approve?