Wiggle.co.uk

[e-rider]

Is it just me or has Wiggle.co.uk become a bit crap recently?

I was always a big fan of the company and although their prices has been steadily increasing over the past few years, I thought I could rely on them for first class service and friendly customer service should I have any problems. Seems like that is not the case these days! Had some truely awful experiences with them during the last 2 months.

Anyone else noticed this or was I just unlucky?

 

[DCLane]

I wonder if it was anything to do with them trying to show increased profit for a flotation or buy-out:

http://www.retail-week.com/city/wiggle-bought-by-bridgepoint-in-180m-deal/5031899.article

 

[BigonaBianchi]

they are expensive...and in some cases much more so than other bike shops.

I found my new durano tyres a LOT cheaper elsewhere ..I sent wiggle a request to price match as I wanted to buy through them...they refused . BYE BYE wiggle.

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

I have found you can get a better service and cheaper elsewhere too. Can not remember last time I bought off of Wiggle. When I first started using Wiggle it was always delivered next day,went off Wiggle when they started to be delivered after a few days.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Definitely not competitive anymore, same has happened to PBK. Seems they get too big and too greedy.

 

[anyuser]

But I got a huge packet of haribos with my last order, and it was only some puncture repair kits

 

[MattHB]

The worst thing about wiggle is that they use city link. They refuse to follow delivery instructions and then take the package to a depot half an hour away.

And year, theyve not won out on my research on price with all my recent purchases

 

[ianrauk]

I still use them now and again but not as much as I did 3 or 4 years ago where they were my internet retailer of choice.

Regarding shipping, I always used to ask for items to be sent Royal Mail in the special instructions box, they always seemed to take notice and send as requested. City Link were terrible for deliveries.

 

[Ashtrayhead]

I never, ever got a packet of Haribos from wiggle, and every time I've used them I've had no complaints. Never had to send anything back and all the orders were complete and on time. More recently though, I have shopped around and found cheaper deals elsewhere but they're still my first port of call.

 

[Edge705]

Shame they were the leaders in their day but as mentioned above they are not competative anymore and Ive been frustrated by the way they inflate prices then offer wild discounts a kind of trickery thing that online retailer do to tempt sales. I use them but only as a last resort and mainly for the free postage otherwise Ive no other reason to shopp there anymore.

 

[MattHB]

I still use them now and again but not as much as I did 3 or 4 years ago where they were my internet retailer of choice.

Regarding shipping, I always used to ask for items to be sent Royal Mail in the special instructions box, they always seemed to take notice and send as requested. City Link were terrible for deliveries.

Hmm I've not spotted that option, I'll look out for it.

 

[172traindriver]

Some interesting points being made by people on here and I tend to find myself agreeing with a lot of what is being said. The guys I cycle with first brought it to my attention about 18 months ago, saying that Wiggle were not as competitive as they once were.
I have noticed that and whereas in the past it was order from Wiggle don't bother looking anywhere else now I will trawl the competitors and as most people say here there are better deals out there.
I commented on another thread about CRC and thier prices also not being as competitive. It was more to do about wrong items dispatched and the automated process that sends mad massive boxes for tiddly little items.
I suppose it all goes hand in hand, if one large retailer sticks its prices up a bit here and there, then the others follow suit and bargains start to become more difficult to source.
There are also probably other issues with the sale of the company, investors would want to see a highly profitable business that they were going to buy.
More often that not nowadays it is the smaller far more independant shops that do the best deals.

 

[siadwell]

So if Wiggle and CRC aren't as competitive as they used to be (and Evans never really were), who are people shopping with online?

 

[172traindriver]

It isn't as if there is one retailer that is cheaper than everyone else. You just have to be prepared to spend a fair bit of time trawling the good old net. The sort of thing to do this time of year when the weather is crap, the nights dark and you can't get out.
Recently I have got a set of wheels from edinburghbicycle.com with free postage.
Other recent purchases have been from Ribble, Parker, Winstanleys and Merlin, but you have to do a bit of research, the wheels were a few quid cheaper at ribble and merlin but they charge postage, so I saved a fiver. You may say no big deal, but if a stranger walked up to you in the street and handed you a fiver would you smack hin in the mouth? Don't think so.
In a lot of cases these may not be the cheapest prices, and there could be a case that Wiggle or CRC might be marginally cheaper.
Surprising as it may seem I picked an Assos airjack up from Evans last year for an absolute bargain price, so don't dismiss them and they do the price match and free delivery.
In life nowadays we all have to be a bit savvy.

 

[ianrauk]

So if Wiggle and CRC aren't as competitive as they used to be (and Evans never really were), who are people shopping with online?

CycleStore
Merlin
Ribble
Parkers