Biketart Woes

[Monkey Dog]

Friday 25th I ordered a helmet from the above.
I emailed them last night for an update, because I had zero updates as to my order.
They're having problems getting supplies from their suppliers.
I emailed them just now, saying that's not my problem & as a customer I should be kept up to date & not left wondering
Also blaming Royal Mail for delays. This is also not my problem as they should have sourced a different courier.
I'm not impressed with their crap CS
I don't think I'll be purchasing from them again.

 

[Mikerb]

I have always had excllent service and value from Biketart ( just to provide some balance!) . No doubt their suppliers are experiencing the same problem as Biketart themselves in getting goods though the Royal Mail system...................they are on strike today and yesterday. Not helping matters is the volume of orders due to Black Friday.

Pretty sure posting on here will not accelerate things

 

[Monkey Dog]

I have always had excllent service and value from Biketart ( just to provide some balance!) . No doubt their suppliers are experiencing the same problem as Biketart themselves in getting goods though the Royal Mail system...................they are on strike today and yesterday. Not helping matters is the volume of orders due to Black Friday.

Pretty sure posting on here will not accelerate things

Agreed, posting on here won't hurry things along, but it makes others aware.

 

[irie]

I believe DPD have also had technical problems of some sort and stopped accepting parcels for a while this week.

 

[Shjay]

Friday 25th I ordered a helmet from the above.
I emailed them last night for an update, because I had zero updates as to my order.
They're having problems getting supplies from their suppliers.
I emailed them just now, saying that's not my problem & as a customer I should be kept up to date & not left wondering
Also blaming Royal Mail for delays. This is also not my problem as they should have sourced a different courier.
I'm not impressed with their crap CS
I don't think I'll be purchasing from them again.

Wow a whole week
I ordered form Sports pursuit 10 days b4 you & am looking at end Dec!!

 

[Monkey Dog]

Wow a whole week
I ordered form Sports pursuit 10 days b4 you & am looking at end Dec!!

At least you have an idea of a delivery date

 

[steve_sordy]

Just for context, that one week is not that much.

I ordered a load of stuff (big discounts) from CRC on 15th Nov. It was shipped on 18th Nov to Evri (courier) who told me they had received it. On 19th Nov. Evri told me that there was a problem. And that is where it has sat ever since. I contacted CRC on 27th Nov and was asked to wait until 30th Nov while they investigated, but to contact them again if nothing had happened by then. I emailed CRC again on 1st Dec and it's now the 2nd and still no response from CRC. That's two and half weeks so far and no sign of the end of it.

CRC are normally excellent at this sort of stuff. In the past, they have quickly sorted out some really knotty stuff and left me happy. I just hope that the parcel is intact, not lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recovery. The parcel contains among other things a discounted FF helmet for my grandson for Xmas.

 

[Mikerb]

TLD UPS 7850 armour ordered from Biketart 25th Nov.....half price! Delivered today.

 

[Monkey Dog]

Just for context, that one week is not that much.

I ordered a load of stuff (big discounts) from CRC on 15th Nov. It was shipped on 18th Nov to Evri (courier) who told me they had received it. On 19th Nov. Evri told me that there was a problem. And that is where it has sat ever since. I contacted CRC on 27th Nov and was asked to wait until 30th Nov while they investigated, but to contact them again if nothing had happened by then. I emailed CRC again on 1st Dec and it's now the 2nd and still no response from CRC. That's two and half weeks so far and no sign of the end of it.

CRC are normally excellent at this sort of stuff. In the past, they have quickly sorted out some really knotty stuff and left me happy. I just hope that the parcel is intact, not lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recovery. The parcel contains among other things a discounted FF helmet for my grandson for Xmas.

I'm not surprised with Evri as a courier. Hence the brand name change from Herpes.
They're well known for lost & damaged parcels.
My only gripe with Biketart was there lack of communication.
I was sat wondering when my order would arrive.
It's not hard to explain in an email
I've had an update today after my email prompting them. My order hopefully will arrive tomorrow.

 

[Jurassic]

I had a similar issue with Fox UK a while back when I ordered my Speedframe which they showed as being in stock. I waited about ten days and had heard nothing so I contacted them and they said they'd had to get the helmet from Fox Europe and that was why it was delayed. First off, why didn't they let me know and second why was it showing as in stock when it clearly wasn't? My new lid eventually turned up and it's excellent but I'll not be ordering direct from Fox again. For the sake of an email I don't understand why some companies behave like this, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[irie]

I had a similar issue with Fox UK a while back when I ordered my Speedframe which they showed as being in stock. I waited about ten days and had heard nothing so I contacted them and they said they'd had to get the helmet from Fox Europe and that was why it was delayed. First off, why didn't they let me know and second why was it showing as in stock when it clearly wasn't? My new lid eventually turned up and it's excellent but I'll not be ordering direct from Fox again. For the sake of an email I don't understand why some companies behave like this, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

There seems to be a trend of online retailers showing items as being "In Stock" when in fact they're not, they're only in stock at their suppliers. Caveat emptor.

 

[Monkey Dog]

I had a similar issue with Fox UK a while back when I ordered my Speedframe which they showed as being in stock. I waited about ten days and had heard nothing so I contacted them and they said they'd had to get the helmet from Fox Europe and that was why it was delayed. First off, why didn't they let me know and second why was it showing as in stock when it clearly wasn't? My new lid eventually turned up and it's excellent but I'll not be ordering direct from Fox again. For the sake of an email I don't understand why some companies behave like this, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

I had exactly the same the last time I ordered from Fox. Seems the way nowadays unfortunately
It took weeks to arrive & many emails later

 

[Cb750stu]

I always call ahead and ask" do you literally have it in stock in your shop to ship out straight away" and most of time it's a no shouldn't be allowed to advertise as "in stock "

 

[davosaurusrex]

I've generally had great service from Biketart, when it's showing as In Stock rather than At Supplier they usually despatch same day. I did see a Minion DHR in stock at a good price recently when there was just about no stock in the UK, I was in the area so phoned ahead and when they checked they didn't have a single one in stock. So yeah I'd call ahead, they are good guys in there and often have good prices on stuff

 

[steve_sordy]

When suppliers say "in stock", they might actually have the item in stock. But when many buyers are browsing the site and each puts the item in their basket, what is the supplier supposed to do? They know full well that many browsers put items in the basket and then leave the site, or answer the phone and then go do something else, etc. All of this would leave the supplier with no stock to sell when a genuine buyer comes along. So what they do is nothing. They leave the item on the shelf and the first buyer to actually buy it, gets it.

The problem is that the supply chain systems are not smart enough or fast enough to feed back from a sale to remove the unsellable items from all the baskets, nor prevent the sale from going through. (Probably not even set up to do so). The sale going through on all those basket items is potentially a later sale while the stock is transferred from elsewhere. That is in the supplier's interest but not yours. They should message you "sorry that item has just been sold, it will be 5 weeks before we can get another, do you want to wait or cancel?" But of course, they seldom do.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

When suppliers say "in stock", they might actually have the item in stock. But when many buyers are browsing the site and each puts the item in their basket, what is the supplier supposed to do?

Mark it as out of stock when the purchase is complete. Adding to baskets shouldn’t effect stock levels on any decent backend inventory system; it’ll only subtract from inventory when it’s actually completed the transaction.

The issue with many online stores is that they are backend-linked to suppliers epos systems, and rely on suppliers having correct stock levels too.

 

[RustyMTB]

The issue with many online stores is that they are backend-linked to suppliers epos systems, and rely on suppliers having correct stock levels too.

This is a big subject in retail. Very few online operators are powerful enough to hold stock of everything all the time. To do so requires you to tie up huge amounts of working capital in stock, maintain significant warehousing space and all the associated on costs of that.

If you sell 5000 bottles of Muc Off wet lube a week then clearly you'll hold pallets of that in hand but conversely. if you shift 50 Park tool bike stands a year, it makes no sense to keep 100 of them in your warehouse. You'll order in against forecasts or live orders if your suppler is nimble enough to keep lead times down to days. Managing stock turn efficiently is a real thing in retail. Volume retailers like the supermarkets have teams dedicated to this full time.

The downside is once in a while you come unstuck either as the seller or the customer when something goes wrong. My profession is logistics & when I get it wrong or some occupational hazard occurs like break downs or traffic jams, the pressure to get back on track is immense.

 

[Jurassic]

I get the whole logistics thing, what I don't understand is the lack of communication when there's a logistical glitch. Keeping the customer informed that there is a delay would offset most of the negative sentiments whereas waiting and not hearing anything from a retailer undermines goodwill.

 

[Mikerb]

Mark it as out of stock when the purchase is complete. Adding to baskets shouldn’t effect stock levels on any decent backend inventory system; it’ll only subtract from inventory when it’s actually completed the transaction.

The issue with many online stores is that they are backend-linked to suppliers epos systems, and rely on suppliers having correct stock levels too.

I agree............in stock does mean on a clothes rack or shelf behind the counter of a LBS has the item waiting to be packed and despatched!!!!
The issue here is that these online purchase systems together with the communications/tracking that goes with them is fully automated so there is very little, if any "human" supervision. Completion of an order will prompt an automatic order confirmation email.............thereafter communications is only sponsored by the warehouse ( retailer owned or supplier) on despatch, and the delivery agent ( Courier or RM etc) on receipt of the package from the Warehouse....then tracking.

Lets face it, the majority of the time this all works seamlessly. When it does not, the retailer is unlikely to know there is a problem so pointless ranting at them. They should of course investigate if informed of a delay by the customer though.
All in all..........1st world problem!!

 

[irie]

What is required is (at least) two definitions, such as "In stock with us" or "In stock with supplier".

When something is put into a basket it should decrement the relevant stock level. Baskets should only be valid for a specified length of time after which the basket is invalidated and stock level(s) incremented. Not complicated.

(In another life was an Operational Research engineer).

 

[Mikerb]

I very much doubt that putting goods in a basket has any impact on stock status. Stock numbers are more likely reduced either when successfully ordered or even only when picked and despatched. A stock inventory would also sponsor new stock orders on the same basis. On some sites the basket is monitored however, as evidenced by emails if you leave a site with items in your basket. That basket is normally deleted however when you log out or your login is timed out. Some sites include a wish list and that is usually maintained even on log out but is updated with availability/no stock status on subsequent visits.

 

[RustyMTB]

I get the whole logistics thing, what I don't understand is the lack of communication when there's a logistical glitch. Keeping the customer informed that there is a delay would offset most of the negative sentiments whereas waiting and not hearing anything from a retailer undermines goodwill.

Except the logistics thing was only a small part of the information I gave. I'm not disagreeing with you, a company should value its customers, it's a decent survival strategy. OTOH, a single transaction that goes tits for whatever reason isn't something they'll particularly care about. A rounding error in the scheme of things.

Incidentally, if you look up Biketarts accounts, you'll see they have almost £700,000 cash tied up in stock. That's obviously at trade value rather than retail. so it's an indication of where any customer into them for £100 or so sits in the pecking order. Incidentally, incidentally, I have no love for Biketart, they lost an order of mine during the pandemic & didn't answer queries or refund me. Meh, vote with your feet.

 

[Ssscrudddy]

Just for context, that one week is not that much.

I ordered a load of stuff (big discounts) from CRC on 15th Nov. It was shipped on 18th Nov to Evri (courier) who told me they had received it. On 19th Nov. Evri told me that there was a problem. And that is where it has sat ever since. I contacted CRC on 27th Nov and was asked to wait until 30th Nov while they investigated, but to contact them again if nothing had happened by then. I emailed CRC again on 1st Dec and it's now the 2nd and still no response from CRC. That's two and half weeks so far and no sign of the end of it.

CRC are normally excellent at this sort of stuff. In the past, they have quickly sorted out some really knotty stuff and left me happy. I just hope that the parcel is intact, not lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recovery. The parcel contains among other things a discounted FF helmet for my grandson for Xmas.

Another Evri victim here, I've had 3 attempts at buying a saddle from 3 different sellers, the first two failed to deliver because it was Evri. Went to Halfords in the end. & now I've tried buying some riser bars & guess what, the first 2 Evri failed to deliver & i've just cancelled the 3rd attempt as that's also not going to arrive from Evri.

 

[steve_sordy]

Are Evri losing the parcels? Are their systems crap? Are they getting "lost" in their warehouse underneath a pile of other incoming parcels, only to be seen early next year? Do they have a theft problem?

I have reported the missing parcel to CRC. They acknowledge my query but say they are dealing with it 24/7 and ask me not to contact them again on this matter as it will increase their workload and slow down their resolution. But when it's weeks without any contact what am I supposed to do? They no longer have a phone line to Customer Service. The parcel contains among other things a Xmas present for my grandson and other Black Friday high discount stuff that I am unlikely to see again if I cancel the order or use charge back via my credit card.

Hermes were shite and changing their name to Evri hasn't made them any less shite. Even the Dail Mail was having a go at them today.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

I am also waiting for a delivery from Evri. Tracking only says "we've got it"

 

[steve_sordy]

I am also waiting for a delivery from Evri. Tracking only says "we've got it"

Mine said they'd got it, then that they had a problem and they'd let me know. That was 18th Nov.

 

[Privateerjon]

Exactly the same as me with Evri….. kids Christmas present (bike) now showing out of stock on the website as well…

Only response from Evri and retailer (similar to “stay inside”) is to allow more time as it’s still in the system awaiting delivery.

To clarify - this is nothing whatsoever to do with Bike Tart who have been spot on everytime I’ve used them

 

[Freeforester]

Bear in mind how many neighbours you have down there, all of whom usually get stuff from the postman, only he’s just gone on strike at the busiest time of the year.… Our driver delivered today’s stuff yesterday (Sunday), because they’re anticipating very high volumes in the coming fortnight; meanwhile Pat and Jess are striking again this coming weekend…

 

[RustyMTB]

You think it means Evri parcel is lost?

 

[Stoffel]

I’ve had several problems with Evri this year and it drives me nuts.

The parcel is usually marked as “we’ve got it” and then nothing happens. I complain to the sender as soon as possible (usually a week after dispatch) and then it is mysteriously delivered the next day.
I assume they must prioritise who shouts the loudest unless it’s just a coincidence?!

The last parcel I ordered they claimed they tried to deliver it but there was no one in. That was total bs because it was my work address and I was there all day.

I really hate Evri and would gladly pay double the shipping costs to have it delivered by Royal Mail (when they decide to work) or any other courier company.