Bike shops taking money online and in store when they know they can’t get the item

[Kernow]

Had this a few times this year , most recently tweeks , ordered cassette and disc shown in stock on website 3 weeks ago , chased up today , they aren’t sure when it will be in stock maybe sometime in May - Refund please .
Last year a bike shop was trying to push a size small bike on my wife even though she wanted large .when will some bike shops realise you don’t size bikes so that people can touch floor both sides when sat on the seat Then wanted to take payment for the size large with no idea of when they could get it .

 

[cozzy]

I'm betting tredz or Rutland.
Ah I see tweeks, they have always been good for me.

 

[Sidepod]

Been bitten too many times on this. I will not order anything now until I’ve spoken with the store snd had confirmation the item exists.

 

[Beekeeper]

Yeah, plenty of sites saying “pre-order”

Translated this means “does not exist but happy to take your money” ?

 

[Kernow]

Yeah, plenty of sites saying “pre-order”

Translated this means “does not exist but happy to take your money” ?

Fair enough if they state pre order they are being strait with that .

 

[leix_toffee]

Had the issue with Wiggle but were quick with refund when I asked where the item was

 

[steve_sordy]

I have been after a DVO Topaz T3 210 x 55 since Sep'20. Everywhere across the UK and Europe was out of stock. But one UK supplier spoke more sense than the others and explained to me that DVO had won a big order with IBIS bikes and were struggling to keep up. The guy also told me that in the UK all DVO shipments arrive on a ship once every two months and go only to the UK agent for distribution. So I waited for the October shipment, only to find that there were no shocks of the size I required. "Not to worry, they are sure to be on the Dec shipment." Nothing for me on the Decembers shipment either.
I had been reluctant to place an order until the retailer had survived Xmas as the year end is frequently a make or break period. I contacted them yet again in early Jan and the guy advised me that I really ought to place an order to secure the shock if/when it arrives. If any arrive on the ship, the agent sends them to those that have been on order the longest. So I ordered and paid for the shock.
No shocks of my size in Feb and now I'm keenly awaiting news of the Apr delivery.

Yesterday I discovered that the shocks can be adjusted for stroke! This is up or down by 5mm depending upon which one you've got. I wish the friendly and helpful guy at the retailer had told me that because it seems that the 210 x 55 is not a size favoured by DVO. So that will be a subject for discussion next week.

PS: They have had my £440 since early Jan!

Later edit: The guy I had been speaking to didn't know that the 210x55 is the same shock as a 210x50 with a travel reducing spacer in it. I went looking for a 210x50 and found five at CRC! How long have they had those???? I bought one, cancelled the other order (24hr refund) and updated this Forum. A week later the remaining four at CRC had gone. The Topaz is brilliant and well worth the wait.

 

[Sidepod]

Fair enough if they state pre order they are being strait with that .

As long as they only take a deposit.

 

[MrSimmo]

Tredz is a good one here - I'm sure their "In Stock" label simply means that someone in some country at some point in time has had stock and has no relevance to true stock levels.

 

[RickBullotta]

Had this a few times this year , most recently tweeks , ordered cassette and disc shown in stock on website 3 weeks ago , chased up today , they aren’t sure when it will be in stock maybe sometime in May - Refund please .
Last year a bike shop was trying to push a size small bike on my wife even though she wanted large .when will some bike shops realise you don’t size bikes so that people can touch floor both sides when sat on the seat Then wanted to take payment for the size large with no idea of when they could get it .

I *only* buy if the product is in stock. Won't do an open ended backorder.

I've had decent luck paying a slight premium on eBay for parts also.

 

[steve_sordy]

Tredz is a good one here - I'm sure their "In Stock" label simply means that someone in some country at some point in time has had stock and has no relevance to true stock levels.

This post is not Tredz specific. The actual stock level is a movable feast especially when getting down to low stock levels. When a user puts an item in their basket is it "sold" or not? Answer is that it isn't. If the retailer did this, he would be out of stock and rejecting actual sales while those with items in their basket go get lunch or think about it for a while. I too have been irritated when I have built up a basket to an order size that qualifies for free shipping only to find an item is no longer available. Stock also gets returned by those who buy items in multiple sizes or colours to see if it fits/whatever. The answer for the customer of course is for the retailers to hold more stock. But in normal times, that is a recipe for financial losses, especially when many of the items are fashionable (not just clothing, but bikes!). Arguably, some retailers shave the stock levels a bit too finely, but at least they are still in business.

 

[MrSimmo]

This post is not Tredz specific. The actual stock level is a movable feast especially when getting down to low stock levels. When a user puts an item in their basket is it "sold" or not? Answer is that it isn't. If the retailer did this, he would be out of stock and rejecting actual sales while those with items in their basket go get lunch or think about it for a while. I too have been irritated when I have built up a basket to an order size that qualifies for free shipping only to find an item is no longer available. Stock also gets returned by those who buy items in multiple sizes or colours to see if it fits/whatever. The answer for the customer of course is for the retailers to hold more stock. But in normal times, that is a recipe for financial losses, especially when many of the items are fashionable (not just clothing, but bikes!). Arguably, some retailers shave the stock levels a bit too finely, but at least they are still in business.

Hi Steve,

I'm confused by your post quoting mine, are you arguing with my post or agreeing or talking about the market in general as opposed to Tredz specifically?


Cheers

 

[Zimmerframe]

Do you think they have the same supply issues in the firearms industry ?

With bizarre conversations about stock stocks ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Hi Steve,

I'm confused by your post quoting mine, are you arguing with my post or agreeing or talking about the market in general as opposed to Tredz specifically?


Cheers

I think more importantly, why did he say :

feast

I'm now very hungry.

I think you'll find he's agreeing to argue about your post unless you want to quote some general market opposition .. Specifically, I'd Tredz carefully ..

 

[MrSimmo]

I think more importantly, why did he say :



I'm now very hungry.

I think you'll find he's agreeing to argue about your post unless you want to quote some general market opposition .. Specifically, I'd Tredz carefully ..

I’ve just had a Domino’s but now with the talk of feasts, I want more food!

You’re right, I could cause a Chain Reaction which may be hard to Wiggle out of!

 

[steve_sordy]

Hi Steve,

I'm confused by your post quoting mine, are you arguing with my post or agreeing or talking about the market in general as opposed to Tredz specifically?


Cheers

I am not arguing with anyone, not agreeing or disagreeing with your post. Deliberately not pointing solely at Tredz. I was trying to add another view to the debate. Getting stock levels at the correct level to meet customer expectation and still make a profit is hard. Maybe I shouldn't have pressed "reply" and confused you, but it was a quick way to lead into the point about stock levels.

 

[MrSimmo]

I am not arguing with anyone, not agreeing or disagreeing with your post. Deliberately not pointing solely at Tredz. I was trying to add another view to the debate. Getting stock levels at the correct level to meet customer expectation and still make a profit is hard. Maybe I shouldn't have pressed "reply" and confused you, but it was a quick way to lead into the point about stock levels.

Dont worry its quite easy to confuse me, at least thats what the wife says ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Dont worry its quite easy to confuse me, at least thats what the wife says ?

Is that "My wife" , as in your wife .. or meaning just "the wife" as in whichever married lady is closest at the time ?

 

[MrSimmo]

Is that "My wife" , as in your wife .. or meaning just "the wife" as in whichever married lady is closest at the time ?

Plural - they all say the same, some of them can be quite vicious! Sometimes, my wife confuses other wives or vice versa which causes confusion in itself until another wife wades in to help with the situation. Unfortunately that usually causes further confusion which confuses both my wife and other wives.

Its all very confusing!

 

[nixo]

I told the bike shop to get stuffed. Demand is off the hook and they're demanding 20% deposit? What if you go bust in the 3 months+ it'll take to get the bike? Eventually they conceded and ordered the bike in with zero deposit.

 

[Tribey]

I was after a 12 speed SRAM chain, Tredz were showing as 'pre-order' only, and due with their supplier in June. No-one else in the UK was showing in stock or available to order.
I bit the bullet and ordered one on the 31st March. I needed one shortly and no-one online seemed to have one (bar Mantel in Holland)
I checked my order 2 weeks later and the due with supplier date had moved forward to the end of April.
I got an update 2days ago to say dispatched, and it arrived today.

I'm more than happy to pre-order when the item is clearly in great demand, because I thought that any new stock in would be taken up by pre-orders, so that a normal shopper wouldn't ever find it showing in stock. However I received my order and the chains are showing in stock on Tredz website.

 

[Downhillr]

Had this a few times this year , most recently tweeks , ordered cassette and disc shown in stock on website 3 weeks ago , chased up today , they aren’t sure when it will be in stock maybe sometime in May - Refund please .
Last year a bike shop was trying to push a size small bike on my wife even though she wanted large .when will some bike shops realise you don’t size bikes so that people can touch floor both sides when sat on the seat Then wanted to take payment for the size large with no idea of when they could get it .

I have a related question hopefully someone can answer:
Has anyone had experience with the online company Teal Bicycle (web link... Home - Teal Bicycle)? They list several bikes as in-stock at great pricing, however, I've been looking for a Santa Cruz e-bike for 6 months and no one seems to have my size XL but this site shows it and their email response to my inquiry indicated they do have it. I'm just a bit suspicious because I've never head of them and no one else seems to have the bike... appreciate anyone sharing their experience with this vendor!

 

[steve_sordy]

@Downhillr Be very careful indeed. There have been some very clever fake websites set up recently, one was highlighted on here within the last two weeks. Check the address on Google Earth to see if there is a bike shop at that location. If there is, does it look like the one on their website? How much information is on their website and does it all check out? Do they give a phone number, is the STD the same as other businesses in that area? If you clicked on their link, try actually typing in the address instead, you might get a different result.

Be suspicious, they only need to sell a few bikes at £5k a go to make a decent return.

Let's face it, nobody these days is selling new bikes at "great pricing". I was in the Whitwell site of Rutland Cycling last week and they only had 35 new mtbs on the shop floor (12 of which had built up from a delivery the previous day), when they normally would have had 300 bikes in the shop and another 100 still in boxes. Not one of them was on offer (which is what I assume you mean by great prices).

Edit: @Tribey makes a good point below, I had forgotten they can do that.

I have just thought of some more. Check Yell.com or other business directory. Ring Trading Standards for the area and ask if the business exists.
I was in Leisure Lakes near Nottingham today and they only had three emtbs, all top rank and XL in size. EMTBS to see and buy are rarer than rocking horse poo and deffo not at great prices.

 

[Tribey]

Good advice from Steve, there's definitely scammers out there, but I've only ever bought by walking into my LBS.

Don't rely on the STD code being correct for the area, you've long been able to obtain area codes to make it look like you're based in areas you're not, and it's easy to divert the landline call to a scammers mobile, wherever in the world they may be.

 

[leix_toffee]

website says based in Sri Lanka and only ships by “Sea Freight 30-45days”. I would steer clear