Online Purchases - good and bad experiences

[lewie15]

I've placed a number of orders the Chain Reaction lately. I don't know how they make any money. I've used a family members email each time to get $20 off each order ($20 of first order when you register promotion) and most orders have come to just over $100 to qualify for free shipping. All of my orders have included heavily discounted products, which are cheaper than anywhere else online. I made my latest order on Tuesday (Rapha Randonee shorts and two c r c wheel bags) and the order has already arrived in Adelaide and should be delivered today. I've looked at the tracking history and the order has come from the UK. I used to prefer Wiggle, but lately Wiggle seems to have limited stock and they have tightened up on different codes to save money.

[10speedsemiracer]

I've placed a number of orders the Chain Reaction lately. I don't know how they make any money. I've used a family members email each time to get $20 off each order ($20 of first order when you register promotion) and most orders have come to just over $100 to qualify for free shipping. All of my orders have included heavily discounted products, which are cheaper than anywhere else online. I made my latest order on Tuesday (Rapha Randonee shorts and two c r c wheel bags) and the order has already arrived in Adelaide and should be delivered today. I've looked at the tracking history and the order has come from the UK. I used to prefer Wiggle, but lately Wiggle seems to have limited stock and they have tightened up on different codes to save money.

Wiggle now own Chain Reaction (ostensibly a merger, looking less like that as time goes by) so I'm surprised you're seeing any difference.

[lewie15]

I've placed a number of orders the Chain Reaction lately. I don't know how they make any money. I've used a family members email each time to get $20 off each order ($20 of first order when you register promotion) and most orders have come to just over $100 to qualify for free shipping. All of my orders have included heavily discounted products, which are cheaper than anywhere else online. I made my latest order on Tuesday (Rapha Randonee shorts and two c r c wheel bags) and the order has already arrived in Adelaide and should be delivered today. I've looked at the tracking history and the order has come from the UK. I used to prefer Wiggle, but lately Wiggle seems to have limited stock and they have tightened up on different codes to save money.

Wiggle now own Chain Reaction (ostensibly a merger, looking less like that as time goes by) so I'm surprised you're seeing any difference.

I realised that they merge. Still quite a difference in products and sometimes pricing. I get $20 off every order with c r c (new email signup). Wiggle are much stingier with discount codes.

[10speedsemiracer]

Interesting, although I gave up on them both a while ago.

[jaseyjase]

Merlin - SLX brakeset

4/12 - ordered
4/12 - dispatched
14/12 - arrived

[metalrideroz]

Anyone have experience buying from https://ebike.hu/en/ ?

[DaveQB]

I've been a long time customer of Bike Bug. Always great prices (still the case) and always had great customer service...until now. I am not sure what has gone wrong lately, but it is taking days with many emails and phones calls (that only ever go to a virtual receptionist where you can leave your number but you never get a call back) to get any sort of response. Anyone else experiencing this now with them??

[bomber]

I've been a long time customer of Bike Bug. Always great prices (still the case) and always had great customer service...until now.

Similar experience and it does feel like something has changed.

Anyone else experiencing this now with them??

Last order was a pair of top end road shoes. Only one arrived... took an age to get the second shoe during which I realised they where ex shop floor and lightly scuffed. Not even an apology or offer to exchange. I could only return and repurchase if I felt strongly enough about it.

[biker jk]

First order with 99 bikes and all went well. Ordered Monday and delivered Wednesday. Took advantage of the $20 off on orders over $150 offer.

[colinmc400]

I've been a long time customer of Bike Bug. Always great prices (still the case) and always had great customer service...until now.

Similar experience and it does feel like something has changed.

Anyone else experiencing this now with them??

Last order was a pair of top end road shoes. Only one arrived... took an age to get the second shoe during which I realised they where ex shop floor and lightly scuffed. Not even an apology or offer to exchange. I could only return and repurchase if I felt strongly enough about it.

I have an order with them currently for a Pioneer Power meter and my two previous orders for similar, were fulfilled in less than a week. The current order is 2 weeks in, with a promise of early Jan. That's not been my previous experience with them and comes as a surprise.

[whatsgolden]

They are legit, have an ABN etc, I've placed 3 orders with them in the last 2 months, all fulfilled.

One order was for a $8k emtb, paid for in full upfront and was originally quoted a 2 week ETA. The battery has to be sent separately due to the high capacity, and the Christmas season meant that it actually took 5 weeks to get to me.

A positive experience however, biggride did all they could to get the bike to me, keeping me updated, it shipped direct from the AU distributor via TNT express, who had to import it from Spain.

Hopefully this helps anyone else purchasing from these guys, it was a nervous payment, 5 week wait, and my first online bike purchase.
Cheers,
Chris

Looking for experiences with biggride.com, I am looking to buy a Tune saddle.
They seem to be Sydney based, well designed website, but can't find much info about them on the web, searched here found only 1 post from 2010.
cheers!

[CycloVelo]

I have purchased from Biggride before, no problems and they seem legit. I bought some parts including a Syntace stem. I like them 'cos they stock premium items usually only found on European online retailers' websites.

[Paddles]

I've just bought an "allrounder" style gravel bike for my wife from Bicycles Online and it was a pretty easy experience for my first ever online purchase of an entire bike. The freight took 8 days which seemed a bit long, but it was over new years so should be expected I guess. The bike was packaged really well to prevent damage and comes mostly assembled anyway. They even throw in a little 5Nm torque setting T-bar tool with all the different allen key heads you need to finish off the assembly.

[MichaelB]

The drama when you need things in a hurry !!

So on way home Monday, RH shifter (RS685) developed a fault. It wouldn’t shift into the smallest 5 cogs.
After a bit of faffing around, found that where the shifter cable inserts and is held in at the ‘knob end’ of the cable, part of the mechanism is worn away, and hence cable had come out.
Managed to get it going, but only real solution is a new lever.
There the fun begins. Needed the item in Adelaide by Friday PM.

Bikebug is only Aussie place that has suitable lever (got a pair of R7020) so ordered them Tue am and sent request to see if I could pay extra for Express shipppng.

No go, so normal shipping it is and they’ll arrive Tuesday

Next option if the lever goes non functional is to do the ride planned on the Cannondale Slate and source some road tyres. Then starts another PITA.

Oh well, at least it’s not going to be 40 degrees on Sunday ....

[biker jk]

The drama when you need things in a hurry !!

So on way home Monday, RH shifter (RS685) developed a fault. It wouldn’t shift into the smallest 5 cogs.
After a bit of faffing around, found that where the shifter cable inserts and is held in at the ‘knob end’ of the cable, part of the mechanism is worn away, and hence cable had come out.
Managed to get it going, but only real solution is a new lever.
There the fun begins. Needed the item in Adelaide by Friday PM.

Bikebug is only Aussie place that has suitable lever (got a pair of R7020) so ordered them Tue am and sent request to see if I could pay extra for Express shipppng.

No go, so normal shipping it is and they’ll arrive Tuesday

Next option if the lever goes non functional is to do the ride planned on the Cannondale Slate and source some road tyres. Then starts another PITA.

Oh well, at least it’s not going to be 40 degrees on Sunday ....

I'll express post my RH ST-RS685 lever for $500.

[jasonc]

I'll express post my RH ST-RS685 lever for $500.

Pffft. Di2 was the fix

[MichaelB]

I'll express post my RH ST-RS685 lever for $500.

Pffft. Di2 was the fix

I’d give you $100 for your RS685 lever

And I’d love Di2, and have looked at that many times, but with cost nearing (for used) $800 or $1k+ for new, it ain’t an option at all

[jasonc]

You only have replace cables once....

[Warnerrep]

Hi,
I am looking for a commuter bike and visited my local 99bikes store yesterday. The salesperson recommended the Merida Speeder 100. It seems pretty good but I am fairly new to cycling and havent heard much about it online. Does anyone have any experiences with the speeder series? I am also looking at rhe Trek Fx2 or Fx3 so which would be a better pick between these three?

Thanks in advance

[RobertL]

Hi,
I am looking for a commuter bike and visited my local 99bikes store yesterday. The salesperson recommended the Merida Speeder 100. It seems pretty good but I am fairly new to cycling and havent heard much about it online. Does anyone have any experiences with the speeder series? I am also looking at rhe Trek Fx2 or Fx3 so which would be a better pick between these three?

Thanks in advance

If I was you, I'd start a new topic about your situation. I think that it might get buried in this thread.

[hajis]

After Sigma Sports advised the following: "After 12.00pm GMT on 28th December 2018, we will no longer be able to ship Shimano product outside of the EU.", I decided to hurry along my purchase of a Shimano R8050 Di2 groupset, and found a great deal from Merlin Cycles.

Ordered 26th December.
Despatched 27th December.
Arrived 2nd January.

Well packed, good delivery service from UPS.

$1635 - Groupset
$83 - Customs entry fee
$145 - Goods and Services Tax
$10 - 'Security Fee' - Whatever that is.

Would happily use them again.

[Airies]

Velogear Velogear Velogear..... Don't go near them. What a shocking experience..... Velogear
Close to 20 years I've shopped online using Wiggle no dramas. Well I thought I'd try Velogear.. Their website looked scmick and good reviews ( on their site). I ordered a pair of gloves and 2 pairs of bib nix. A couple of days later advised by email that the Knicks were no longer in stock. So I was offered refund or option of an upgrade for other nicks. I stupidly chose the upgrade. A couple of days later advised items would be sent. 5 days later items delivered to front door. Open the package gloves yes Knicks ( shorts instead of bib) and no sight of additional Knicks but highlighted on invoice as being in package. Sent more emails and their response was to send original tracking number with no response re: my queries having sent photos of invoices, goods received. I've threatened to go to consumer affairs. It's been close to 2 weeks since my initial order was placed. It's only once I looked elsewhere that I saw other people's experiences with this shoddy, unprofessional mob.... buyer beware do so at your own risk... Should have and will go back to Wiggle

[mikesbytes]

Chain Reaction. Ordered on Thursday using standard free post, arrived on Thursday. Not bad at all, no need to premium postage as Brit mail and Aussie mail have done OK

[Paddles]

Yep, I had a faulty tyres experience with Velogear that put me off them. They ended up doing the right thing but it was a little painful.

On the other hand, I just bought a pair of shoes from Pushys and they were everything I would expect from an Australian online retailer, on my doorstep within a few of days and no fuss.

[MichaelB]

..On the other hand, I just bought a pair of shoes from Pushys and they were everything I would expect from an Australian online retailer, on my doorstep within a few of days and no fuss.

Had a couple of Warranty issues with Pushys, and albeit not the quickest, all resolved well and comms were good. Them and BikeBug are starting to become the go to sites now