Cycling Express - New online shop to compete with UK....

[athomp1]

I thought I would give Cycling Express a go and support local. I also needed some wheels quickly and having used Cell in the past thought a local online shop would get them to me in two or three days.

Anyway the wheels took two weeks to arrive despite their website stating they were in stock. I have used the wheels about 10 times and have had two broken spokes which I have fixed, I am 70kg so weight is not the issue. When I rang and said I would like to exchange them I was told "it was bad luck" and it would be up to the distibutor as to whether I was granted an exchange or credit. This despite their 365 returns policy. Apparantly as soon as something is used this policy does not apply.

Whilst technically they may be correct as to the legal nature of me wanting an exchange the whole level of service and attitude is terrible and I definately will stay away in future. Dealing with wiggle in the past they take your returned item and replace it immediately no questions asked, no telling you to wait and see what the manufacturer or distributor decides.

[AUbicycles]

Hi Anthomp1
Cycling Express are pretty good to us on BNA as an advertiser and sponsoring some of our initiative, though feel your constructive criticism is fair.

On face-value, we as consumers look at 365 Day Returns policy and equate it with warranty. It would be exceptional to keep an item unopened for up to a year. So yes - this type of promotion seems to be a tangible benefit when it infact is not.

--

Regarding the 'no questions asked exchanges', this differs from retailer to retailer. Retailers who accept everything 'no questions asked' plan on getting most of it covered by the brand and for the rest have their losses covered by the sheer volume of sales. With Wiggle I have had one matter referred first (based on photos I provided) and first after a few follow ups and then the brands OK did I get a replacement.

I hope that your matter works out for you - the brand is in their right to fix - though you can ask for an explanation and certainty that it would not occur again, I agree it is unsettling receiving a brand new product that quickly shows defects.

[vander]

I get they support the website but its not good enough when they have no customer service at all.

[AUbicycles]

Sure, no argument there.

[ozzymac]

Hi Anthomp1
Cycling Express are pretty good to us on BNA as an advertiser and sponsoring some of our initiative, though feel your constructive criticism is fair.

On face-value, we as consumers look at 365 Day Returns policy and equate it with warranty. It would be exceptional to keep an item unopened for up to a year. So yes - this type of promotion seems to be a tangible benefit when it infact is not.

--

Regarding the 'no questions asked exchanges', this differs from retailer to retailer. Retailers who accept everything 'no questions asked' plan on getting most of it covered by the brand and for the rest have their losses covered by the sheer volume of sales. With Wiggle I have had one matter referred first (based on photos I provided) and first after a few follow ups and then the brands OK did I get a replacement.

I hope that your matter works out for you - the brand is in their right to fix - though you can ask for an explanation and certainty that it would not occur again, I agree it is unsettling receiving a brand new product that quickly shows defects.

I am intrigued by the comment about CE being good for bna etc.

What has that got to do with someone making a complaint about them?

It seems you are insinuating that forum members shouldn't comment about businesses that support the forum.

Maybe the forum should just find sponsors with a better business attitude.

I have noticed it mentioned previously about ce supporting the site etc and I think it's irrelevant to be brought up in a complaints section of the forum.

Cheers

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 2

[Gashead]

Anthomp1,

The response for Cycling Express is simple wrong and does not conform to the Trades Practices Act. You (the customer) has entered into a contract with Cycling Express (the seller). Part of that contract is the provision statutory conditions and statutory warranties.

The ACCC has an excellent brochure covering this topic (http://transition.accc.gov.au/content/i ... efunds.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) but to summarise the main statutory condition that will apply:

Goods must be of merchantable quality – they must meet a level of quality and performance that would be reasonable to expect, given their price and description. They should also be free from defects that were not obvious at the time of purchase.

An example is "One of Sharon’s new shoes loses its heel the first time she wears it outside. The shoe is not of merchantable quality."

So, would we reasonably expect a set of new wheels to break 2 spokes when they have completed only 11 rides, I think the answer would be NO.

Where Cycling Express may be getting confused is the following:

"Who must provide a remedy?
Sellers – Each sale is a contract between the seller and the consumer. So if the seller breaches the contract by providing goods that do not meet a statutory warranty or condition, it is their responsibility to provide a remedy.

If a seller has to return goods to a manufacturer for assessment or repair, the seller should arrange delivery.

The law allows sellers to recover the cost of the remedy from the goods’ manufacturer or importer, if the problem was related to a manufacturing fault."


So, Cycling Express can reclaim costs from the manufacturer, but whether they do or not is NOT YOUR PROBLEM. It is Cycling Express who MUST provide a remedy (i.e. replacement of goods or refund).

So, what can you do? The ACCC recommends the following:

Step 1 - Approach the business with your concerns
Step 2 - Make a written complaint (the brochure from the ACCC even has a sample letter)
Step 3 - Consider over action:
* Tell your state or territory office of fair trading
* Take legal action in a court or tribunal

So Anthomp1, I would now send them a written complaint.

[Ignoto]

The response for Cycling Express is simple wrong and does not conform to the Trades Practices Act. You (the customer) has entered into a contract with Cycling Express (the seller). Part of that contract is the provision statutory conditions and statutory warranties.

The TPA is no longer the applicable source of law for these types of matters. The Australian Consumer Law/Competition and Consumer act came into force at the start of 2011. The general principles i.e. Misleading and Deceptive conduct are the same as the TPA with some minor changes.

The following is a link to updated guides by the ACCC - http://transition.accc.gov.au/content/i ... mId/969419" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But you're pretty much on the money, speak to the ACCC or Office of Fair trading.

[athomp1]

Thanks for the advice. I agree and feel the seller of the goods should take some responsability for items they are selling online instead of putting it back on the distributor. Good service which I have experienced from overseas sites would provide me with a timely solution and then take it up with the distributor afterwoods.

Whether the trade practices act backs this up Iam not sure, I think technically they are within their rights to repair but that doesnt mean it is good service and probably works against them in the long run as repeat business and word of mouth etc is crucial.

[jackthelad]

I have noticed that CE still hasn't filled the gaps on there webpages
regarding mtb gear from the same manufacturers as the rd gear,
Sram etc high end prices etc
Give up looking after 3 webpages though, after little search results
After seeing this post is past 30 pages, bit worried about ordering from them anyway now
Probably stick with c r c, ProBikeGear or Bike24 for mtb gear for now,
John

[MichaelB]

(AT) athomp1

I feel your pain, but at the same time, if what you had happen at 'most' LBS's, you'd receive the same, "bring it back, and we'll send it off". Some will do better than that, and those get repeat custom.

You mentioned that you broke a spoke and fixed it yourself twice. This would allow the company to say that you voided your warranty, but that would be poor form from them.

At the end of the day, it's still not good, and CE have done themselves no service when as has been mentioned, some of their pages don't have the required info. I've also struck this on the bigger sites as well, so they are not alone in this sense.

As regards to the speed of supply. We have gotten so used to as a current society, getting everything so quick. I am one of thosxe that enjoy a quick turnaround, but i think we have been spoilt by the speed at which the Wiggles, c r c etc can deliver. Aus Post do themselves no favour when it takes longer to get something from Melb to Adel, vs UK to Adel. Whilst 2 weeks to get the wheels is not brilliant, it's not excessive. It's taken me a week sometimes to even find a price for an item, let alone get it.

CE do OK, they are improving, but the benchmark is set high in a crowded market place.

[evangelion]

Hi Guys/Gals!

Can anyone that has bought a bike or for that matter anything else of this outfit state when they received confirmation that their product was shipped and tracking numbers etc? ie approximately what time of the day was it?

Did anyone receive said info later during the night (as opposed to during their office hours)?

Thanks

[AUbicycles]

Ozzymac, thanks for your question, actually answered this a few posts earlier. It is about striking balances, one is keeping the site funded and the second is a where we can accomodate genuine criticism which doesn't go too far to cause us to be blackbooked.

Interesting comments on expectations of online retailers, perhaps the bar has been set high that online we expect faster and direct action and reaction whereas in a local bike shop we accept the wait.

[ozzymac]

Ozzymac, thanks for your question, actually answered this a few posts earlier. It is about striking balances, one is keeping the site funded and the second is a where we can accomodate genuine criticism which doesn't go too far to cause us to be blackbooked.

Interesting comments on expectations of online retailers, perhaps the bar has been set high that online we expect faster and direct action and reaction whereas in a local bike shop we accept the wait.

I think the difference is that if you go to a bike shop you see what you want isn't in stock and you are then told a time frame for it to be in stock.

Online you buy something on the premise that it is in stock as they are currently selling it so you are expecting it to get to you within a certain amount of time.

Problems arise when online stores don't actually have items in stock but still accept your payment and don't bother telling you it's currently not actually in stock.

Thus some online retailers get a bad name from lack of service etc and I don't see why people shouldn't know which ones are going down hill more than up.

Cheers

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 2

[AUbicycles]

Yes - the "in stock" when it isn't is is not good. With local bike shops sometimes you still have to call, and then when you go in after being told something is ready and it isn't - that is annoying and reason enough to look for a more reliable one.

[evangelion]

No one has bought anything from them or got any experience?

[AUbicycles]

Sure, I have purchased a few times (private) and it was all good.

[Ross]

I've had a few orders with CE and generally haven't had any problems. But, to be honest I mainly still buy from o/s shops such as Wiggle/c r c etc because they are usually cheaper.

I always allow plenty of time to recieve stuff if buying over the internet, even if it is from within Australia. It's not the shop's fault if Aus Post take a week to deliver something from one side of Sydney to the other. Though I guess it could be good if the online Australian shops offered (for a price) an alternative express courier service for people that want their stuff in a hurry.

I understand that carrying inventory (stock) is very expensive for a shop and it's hard to stock everything for everyone as there are so many different peoducts available to suit many different applications and budgets and don't really expect thrm to have everything in stock. Therefore If I want something in a hurry I will go to LBS and buy it there, if they have the part in stock.

[scotto]

Hi Guys/Gals!

Can anyone that has bought a bike or for that matter anything else of this outfit state when they received confirmation that their product was shipped and tracking numbers etc? ie approximately what time of the day was it?

Did anyone receive said info later during the night (as opposed to during their office hours)?

Thanks

I recently had delivery issues. The auspost tracking showed shipment the day of the order, and arriving in Sydney the next day. It then took 13 business days to go from chullora to seven hills to Baulkham hills. Sam from ce was aware and communication was excellent. When I suggested couriers instead of auspost , he said they've had more issues in the past with couriers than auspost !.
Anyway, I was happy

[rheicel]

Just want to share my experience to you guys, shopping online at Cycling Express:

First: I ordered some cycling jerseys, lubes, and pump a while ago. The good: Cycling Jersey quality seems to be a better bang for my buck. The bad: Delivery took almost two weeks. They issue refund on some items as they no longer have them. They came in a giant box, seriously, I thought it was the bicycle that I ordered a week before this order, lol!

Second: I ordered a Verite 105 Road bike which is supposed to be delivered mid-march. It was on Sale for $999.00 so I waited patiently. The good: Cheap, but I never got it. The bad: I sent 3 enquiries, no reply at all. I called the last week to cancel my order. There was a lady there by the name of **** and she said she will cancel the order for me. I am under the impression that this bike store is too busy because until now, I still did not get my refund!

I usually get orders from c r c, Wiggle, Merlin, and Evans in week time. I am sure, these overseas bike stores have more customers.

To sum them up, shop at Cycling Express if
1. You are not in a hurry (patience sometimes pays off)
2. You know you will not need after sales support or returns (why bother)
3. You want good local discounts
4. You support Australian Companies
5. You have a big bin do dispose the big giant box that will come with your order.

[evangelion]

who did they use as a courier within the Melb Metro area?

received a tracking number but no idea with whom......

[rheicel]

who did they use as a courier within the Melb Metro area?

received a tracking number but no idea with whom......

I think they only use Australia Post.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[danny the boy]

who did they use as a courier within the Melb Metro area?

received a tracking number but no idea with whom......

There has been comments posted around here of tracking numbers being given which have turned out to be false. I ordered a couple of things from them mid December and got a despatched email a few days later, parcel arrived over 3 weeks later. Good Luck!

[jamesn184]

If I was going to buy a bike from them I'd rather go into their store in Melbourne

[MDL]

Had a look at the cadel bars on Friday. $1.99

Now the 10% off for the weekend the standard price has gone up to $2.45

Go figure.

MDL

[tony.montana]

Hi,

My experience with Cycling Express has been poor are well.

I ordered this, http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/com ... sions.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; on the 5-Apr-2013.

After numerous emails asking where is was, on the 22-Apr-2013 I got a parcel from Cycling Express but it was not what I had ordered. I've emailed Cycling Express explaining this but I have had no response (refund/return/explanation etc) from them.

I was contemplating on getting a 2013 Azzurri Forza RL from Cycling Express but now, I just don't feel confidant.