Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I have attempted to purchase several items. After visiting several BS's and finding that they do not have much variety in stock on the floor, I turned to some internet sites.

Anyway, 60% of the items I tried to purchase are not available. Nothing fancy Camelbak lobo, netti longs.

There are so many cool products on the market yet here is AUS, only very few filter down to the shop level.

You add them to your cart, put in your credit card details then the shop rings you three days later to say they can't get them or you have to wait till April.

The latest item was a Camelbak Lobo from woolyswheels. They tried to blame manufacturers and distributors but where do they get off advertising products on their site that they don't have and are not sure they will have

How do you guys get products you want? i.e. where would you purchase some specialized sunglasses from (sydney specific but any advice is appreciated).

Yes I may be a little imatient and possibly I am unreasonable but I can get my hands on contraband easier than I can purchase many advertised cycling goods.

I've had this problem a lot with web purchases. I have had to ring my credit card company several times to run a a charge back.

I have had success with only 2 shops, both in Melbourne. Usually if it's on their web site, it is in stock. I've looked at something once, and then went back to buy it and it was gone. When I rang them, they said that it had just gone out of stock.

Dean Woods and Cecil Walker Cycles. Cecil Walker back this up with a statement about stock here.

I've had the same problem as you with every Sydney based shop and their web sites that are full of products that they do not have.


Kev.

Have had a perfect record with internet purchases.

A big part has been through eBay. Others include the ProBikeKit and other online overseas stores. Given it's online, given it'll be mailed over, given that there's no instant gratification, it makes no difference b/n purchasing locally or overseas, as long as the price (including P&H) is right. Of course, you should always verify the dependability of the dealer before purchase.

For eBay, not only should you try their AU site, but also their US site. Many sellers superficially indicate that they won't post outside of the US but some would waive that policy if you contact them by private message.

Essentially, you can pretty much get anything over the net.

gururug wrote: How do you guys get products you want? i.e. where would you purchase some specialized sunglasses from (sydney specific but any advice is appreciated).

Torpedo7 is usually good for an online shop - but, sadly, things can arrive from the US almost as quickly as they do from Australian shops.
As for the Specialized glasses, why not buy some BBB Quicksteps - they are good, have four different lenses and cost less than $100 (in fact, lots of shops have them for less - and I don't just mean $99). Oops, there's my bias showing again.

I bought BBB Sportglasses from the LBS and like them a lot. < $50, no frame at the edges to narrow your peripheral vision, dark, yellow and clear lenses, easy to change, stay on nicely.

Easily as good as other sunglasses I've had.

I have ordered stuff from Ground Effect (groundeffect.co.nz) and it arrived quickly and with no hassle, bit difficult to get the sizing just right though without trying stuff on.

As long as you restrict your desires to stuff that's readily available, it's easy.

Hi all

I think that it is fair for anyshop to say that they offer certain products but at the point in which products are actively offered for sale and can be purchased but can't be delivered as they are not on stock... this is the point in which the shop are misrepresting themself... to the disadvantage of of consumers.

Can you send me a Private Message (PM) with the shop names. I think that if shops are misrepresenting themself then it definately makes sense to make a note of it.

NOTE: This is only for products displayed in the shop that can be purchased (eg, put in shopping cart and paid for)... not products which are just displayed and can't actively be purchased . Please take note if there are messages regarding the current availability of the product... if it mentions there are long waiting times then this is fair warning...

Cheers
Christopher

How about distributors Chris? I recently ordered a higher neck for the Black Beast. I was in the shop when the shop rang the distrubutor. "Yes," the distributor said, "we've got that. I've got it in my hand now. We'll post it right through. Take about three days." Hah! It took nearly four weeks for the wrong part to arrive

Richard

I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that legally your credit card should NOT be billed until an item can be shipped.

If the item is not available you should NOT be billed for it.

Thanks guys, interesting topic.

Yes JackHenry, the shops didn't bill my credit card yet. (then I would have been really peeved)

I'm just peeved that you spend hours borwsing around the net looking for, weighing up, and purchasing items.

Only to find out later that the shop deosn't really have or can get within a specified time frame (2weeks max) the products you bought (supposedly) on their site.

SO just to reiterate the excellent advice from other members;

-Try to deal with shops that have a known reputation to stock and deliver the products available for purchase on their websites. (even if overseas)

-Don't take whats on a new site as a given (may still have to ring or email interstate when browsing around to verify availablility of items)

-An item purchased online is not really purchased until it has been shipped / delivered. The shoppong cart is a tentative "order request" NOT really a "CHECKOUT"

-Keep sharing our knowledge and experiences on this forum to mutually benefit each other.


P.S. I have had some good online experiences also (moruya) (ebay - so far anyway)


Cheers

I've used this link is broken and cyclesports.com.au for pedals and jersies both with any trouble, hell cyclesports even allowed me to swap the jersies from L to XL for the cost of postage.

As for glasses I picked up some at Anaconda $24 down from $40 with the 3 interchangeable lenses. No complaints from me, they can fog up when I stop at lights but as soon as I move they demist quickly. Only wish I had of bought two pairs because I can't stop and change the lenses in a group ride and when that sun comes up the yellow lenses let you know it's sunrise!

Here is the perspective of the other party

Dear Mr gururug,

As per your request we have cancelled your order.

Please note that it is sometimes beyond our control regarding stock availability and we have noted this on our online page eg: All orders are dispatched within 2 working days. If for any reason we are unable to supply your selected products, we will inform you so you have the option to amend or cancel your order.

You will note we did let you know soonest possible when we found out our supplier was out of stock.

Regards

OrderNowFindOutIfYouCanGetItLater Bike Shop

JackHenry wrote: I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that legally your credit card should NOT be billed until an item can be shipped.

If the item is not available you should NOT be billed for it.

This all depends on the shop system. It is possible to accept a payment without processing it however it will expire after a certain amount of time. Normally shop would not have your actual complete credit card number on record for internet orders (depends on the payment system... request can also be made with the credit card company).

Easiest thing for a shop is to correctly list their stock (connect it with their stock system in the shop) and they can then honestly inform users in an item is in stock or not. Ordering on the internet shouldn't mean waiting longer than it takes to go to the physical shop and ordering it.

For example... if you walk into a shop, choose a product.. pay for it and they say please wait... we can't actually give it to you yet, that is stupid. This is what some online shops are doing.

gururug wrote: You will note we did let you know soonest possible when we found out our supplier was out of stock.

Fantastic response... the shop that doesn't really care!!
Anyone running an online shop should take responsibility to monitor their stock and provide accurate information, by hoping that a disclaimer (like in gururug's email response) is pure laziness.


I am serious about creating a list of recommendations ... even prominently on the bicycles.net.au website as a guidelines for purchasing bikes/bikeparts online in Australia. Please PM me with details and I will work out the best way to present this information.

AUbicycles wrote: I am serious about creating a list of recommendations ... even prominently on the bicycles.net.au website as a guidelines for purchasing bikes/bikeparts online in Australia. Please PM me with details and I will work out the best way to present this information.

Are you after guide lines for buying online or do you what the site we bought from and the type of service, EG postage time, stock availability, returns for wrong sizes, responses through the process - email such as payment received - item sent, etc.

Purchase 2 (different retailer)- The case of the missing order

__________________________________
Ordered 22/03/2007 20:18
Netti Longs and 50$ Sunglasses
Please allow 3-7 days for the shipping of your order
Thankyou for your purchase ra ra ra
__________________________________
29/03/07 - Follow Up email from me
Hello,

Can you confirm the date these items were shipped / posted as they have not arrived as yet.

I believe today is the seventh day. (or is it seven working days)

Thanks, gururug

_________________________________
31/03/07 - Reply to follow Up email
my apologies I did not recieve the original order. I will organise first thing monday.
regards

__________________________________

tuco wrote:Are you after guide lines for buying online or do you what the site we bought from and the type of service, EG postage time, stock availability, returns for wrong sizes, responses through the process - email such as payment received - item sent, etc.

I am after real experiences.. which shop you dealt with and briefly what went wrong. Obviously I also need to include good experiences but first am after some real experiences so I can layout a plan of attack.

Do you want me to name the distributor Chris? (funny how the neck on the Black Beast now carries the BBB logo, not the stock Bontrager )
And the distibutors who'd effectively sold an expensive Trek but weren't really interested in supplying it?

Both big brand names.
Both treating Aussie cyclists with contempt.
Oh, sorry, I wasn't buying a racing bike or racing bike parts was I. Yet both of the bastards lied about stock availability (or their ability/willingness to deliver it, one of the two). I seem to remember starting a thread about this some time ago, something along the lines of the Australian Bike Industry being its own worst enemy. Your problem Christopher, is that these idiots don't give a stuff about the people buying their goods (which is a bizarre way of running a business but hey, it's their money, mine'll probably be going overseas in future) so they probably won't bother reading either this forum or anything else you put up. Maybe one of the suppliers mentioned at the head of this post would like to come forward and defend themselves. Of course not, all I have to do is detail my experiences and they won't have a case.

The thing that shytes me in a big way is that both these distributors are damaging the business of a local bike shop who HAVE tried to do the right thing.

Richard
still sore and, as you may have guessed, not in the best of moods

I think the biggest benefit is that we have a resource where we can use the experiences of others to narrow down who are good retailers and who have been improper / slack / dodgy.

Your right that a few people not happy is not likely to dent their ego's but the members here who check the resource will save time and stress levels of getting stuffed around.

I'm sure we'd all rather keep our $ in our homeland, or at least a portion of them.

Good point about the retailers. Can we start another thread for shops to fill in "The Problem with Distributors", someone needs to facilitate them banding together and giving the internationals a kick up the arse so that they don't neglect the land down under.


I'm sure though, that it is an issue of volume and the geographical dispersedness of AUS. They need something like the Tasmanian wool collective where one body can order and import the goods than sub-distribute. This will give them better bargaining power.

gururug wrote:I'm sure though, that it is an issue of volume and the geographical dispersedness of AUS. They need something like the Tasmanian wool collective where one body can order and import the goods than sub-distribute. This will give them better bargaining power.

No mate, that is NOT the problem. In both my cases, I was told the goods were on their way from the warehouse to me ... then they took weeks to arrive. That is NOT a problem with our country's location or its size.

I used to ride an obscure Yamaha motorcycle. I could go to my local dealer anytime before 4pm and if they didn't have the part in stock, it'd be in the store by start of business THE NEXT DAY! If I was there after 4, it'd be there by the close of business the next day.

The bicycle industry in this country is interested in our money, but not us. That is why we have a thread about buying over the internet, not because it's cheaper but because as you become more experienced, you realise that the internet despite its challenges, provides a better service than the bike industry on the ground.

When a bike shop goes out of its way to find you the right part (as mine did), when that shop rings and gets a definite time of delivery for that part (as mine did), the three weeks to deliver the wrong part is not their fault. Sadly though, they are the ones who will suffer the loss of sales.

Richard

I ordered a Surly Rack. 9 months later it showed up. I said to the shop "You've got to be joking!"

Most of the LBSs here call the distributor DirtJerks. I'll let you figure out who they mean.

Another web site shop in Sydney, their name basically explains the stock on their web site.

I'm now shipping direct from the US for some parts, and they are here in 3 business days via FedEx

The only web sites I now deal with are the 2 I mentioned above.

It should be noted at this point of the discussion that while Kev holds the title of Ubergrump, I am making a determined attempt to wrest the crown from his sticky grasp.

Richard
Meldrew is my Hero

tuco wrote:cyclesports.com.au

Thought I would have a look - redirects to "Computrainer Australia", which doesn't seem to sell anything useful (to me, anyway).

europa wrote:Meldrew is my Hero

He is my hero too. I am trying to be more and more like him every day. I am slowly collecting the DVDs of his series as they come out. Looks like an import might be required to get the rest.

I'm even starting a book like him about the amount of rubbish and odd things that one finds in one's front yard. I found a chair, lunchbox, but no bicycle yet!.

Ohhh! I don't believe it!

Online Retailer 3 - Slow and don't have the goods


EMAIL 1__THEM>ME__ORDER CONFIRMATION_22032007

Thank you for placing your order wiht OnlineShopHERE

Your order placed 22/03/2007 20:18

Please allow 3-7 days for the shipping of your order.
Instructions: We will contact you regarding the cost of freight for your order. Please allow 3-7 days for shipping of your order.

1 x NETTI LUNA WINDBLOCK LONGS
Size: M $139.99(each) $139.99
1 x STRIKE 33065 $49.95(each) $49.95
GST $17.27
TOTAL PAYABLE $189.94

EMAIL2_____ME>THEM____ORDERSSTATUSQ__29032007

Can you confirm the date these items were shipped / posted as they have not arrived as yet.

EMAIL3____THEM>ME____ODERHOLDUP__310307

my apologies I did not recieve the original order. I will organise first thing monday.

EMAIL4___THEM>ME___THEREALDEAL___04042007

the netti longs are on there way but unfortunately the euro sunglasses are now a discontinued style, the new range can be viewed at http://www.eurooptics.com.au/dealers.html and we can order accordingly.



Summary

This retailer is dodgy in goods supply AND slow

Torpedo7 have been excellent to date, and anything that is ordered is delivered quickly and promptly.

Their site is such in that if it aint in stock, you can't select the item.

They get a vote of "5 Thumbs up" from me.

And some of their prices are CHEAP !!!!

Happy to say no such dramas here - have ordered from Phantom, Cell ( in Sydney) and Torpedo7 - also ebay locally and in the US. Some ebay stores have scored repeat business due to top pricing and service, so touch wood I can keep this record going...