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Buying on the net



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 16th 04, 06:19 PM
DRS
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Default Buying on the net

I've been happily buying stuff on the net for years. Only once did anything
ever go wrong and that was easily rectified thanks to a responsive vendor.

Until this year, that is. This year I've bought heaps of bike stuff on the
net - or tried to, in some cases - and it's been one frustration after
another. Well, I had one purchase go right, so credit to Rick Shapiro of
Gear-To-Go Tandems(http://www.gtgtandems.com/) where credit is due, but the
rest have been nightmares. What is it about bike shops that they can't do
business on the net properly? I mean, in one case I had to get the local
BBB involved, and I've never had to resort to them before.

If they don't want to do business with people outside the US or Canada then
fine. Just be up front and say so. But they should not say they take
international orders and then stuff their customers around.

My current nightmare is with Performance. A while back I wanted to buy some
stuff from Nashbar but didn't because they don't use USPS and that's a deal
killer because of the outrageous courier costs of UPS and FedEx. I read
somewhere that Nashbar and Performance were owned by the same people or
organisation or whatever, so I asked Performance if they used USPS for
international orders and they said yes. No worries. I ordered some stuff.
But the order confirmation email said ground shipping, which wasn't right
according to my understanding, so I went to Performance's web site to try to
track my order status before checking with them, only the system couldn't
find my order. I duly fired off an email to customer service saying there
was a problem with the system not finding my order and would they please
check its shipping method.

After much delay it turns out the *******s cancelled my order. Only they
didn't have the decency to tell me. If I hadn't queried them I'd still be
blissfully waiting for my package and that's just not right.

It turns out they can't automatically verify my credit card billing address
with my bank. They didn't alert me to this problem. They didn't offer to
work with me to resolve it. No, they just cancelled the order and left me
hanging. The *******s.

Now they say if I want I can order again but I have to pay with an
international money order drawn in US funds. That costs me more and I'm not
ordering from them for the privilege of paying more. It's not the only
option either. There is an alternative, one I've had to use once before,
which is to fax a photocopy of my credit card to them. It's an unduly
paranoid pain in the arse but it's doable. I will not use a money order.
Stuff them. I have a perfectly good credit card issued by the second
biggest bank in Australia and apart from anything else I'm not giving up the
protection it offers me. When it comes to security it's not all about them.

Why do they have to make it so hard? What is it about bike shops that they
are so clueless about doing business? I'm absolutely serious, I have never
had any problems like this with any vendor in any other market segment on
the net. It's only bike stuff. I won't bore you with the details of how
other vendors of bike stuff have stuffed me around in ways great and small
but I am absolutely fed up with their stupidity. Unfortunately
organisations like Performance get away with being bureaucratic and
unresponsive because they're on the other side of the world from their
international customers. It's a shame.

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  #2  
Old September 17th 04, 01:34 AM
tspoon
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Default

DRS wrote:
....

Why do they have to make it so hard? What is it about bike shops that they
are so clueless about doing business? I'm absolutely serious, I have never
had any problems like this with any vendor in any other market segment on
the net. It's only bike stuff. I won't bore you with the details of how
other vendors of bike stuff have stuffed me around in ways great and small
but I am absolutely fed up with their stupidity. Unfortunately
organisations like Performance get away with being bureaucratic and
unresponsive because they're on the other side of the world from their
international customers. It's a shame.

I would recommend Airbomb. I had stuff sent to New Zealand and they
never charged postage. Perhaps their prices include this, or they may
have screwed up in my favour. Not sure but will definitely try them again.
  #3  
Old September 17th 04, 02:20 AM
DRS
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Default

"tspoon" wrote in message

DRS wrote:
...

Why do they have to make it so hard? What is it about bike shops
that they are so clueless about doing business? I'm absolutely
serious, I have never had any problems like this with any vendor in
any other market segment on the net. It's only bike stuff. I won't
bore you with the details of how other vendors of bike stuff have
stuffed me around in ways great and small but I am absolutely fed up
with their stupidity. Unfortunately organisations like Performance
get away with being bureaucratic and unresponsive because they're on
the other side of the world from their international customers.
It's a shame.

I would recommend Airbomb. I had stuff sent to New Zealand and they
never charged postage. Perhaps their prices include this, or they may
have screwed up in my favour. Not sure but will definitely try them
again.


Thanks but no thanks. They actually had one of the items I want and it's
even a touch cheaper than at Performance. But there's no way I'm paying
US$43 postage on a US$27.50 item.

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  #4  
Old September 17th 04, 06:18 AM
SuperSlinky
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Default

DRS said...

Why do they have to make it so hard? What is it about bike shops that they
are so clueless about doing business? I'm absolutely serious, I have never
had any problems like this with any vendor in any other market segment on
the net. It's only bike stuff. I won't bore you with the details of how
other vendors of bike stuff have stuffed me around in ways great and small
but I am absolutely fed up with their stupidity. Unfortunately
organisations like Performance get away with being bureaucratic and
unresponsive because they're on the other side of the world from their
international customers. It's a shame.


I would say part of the problem is that they just don't have much
experience with international customers, especially Australia. Consider
the size of the markets, then consider how many people from Australia
actually order from them. IME, the bike business is amateur hour
compared to almost any other businesses. The pay is low and it isn't a
large or fast growing market. Consider bike mechanics. The only
qualification is that somebody hires you to be one. If ordering from
them is a real money saver for you, if you are persistent with them, you
may find someone who really knows what is going on and you may get
justice. You might consider asking your bank for advice on international
ordering.
  #5  
Old September 17th 04, 11:52 AM
DRS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"SuperSlinky" wrote in message
t
DRS said...

Why do they have to make it so hard? What is it about bike shops
that they are so clueless about doing business? I'm absolutely
serious, I have never had any problems like this with any vendor in
any other market segment on the net. It's only bike stuff. I won't
bore you with the details of how other vendors of bike stuff have
stuffed me around in ways great and small but I am absolutely fed up
with their stupidity. Unfortunately organisations like Performance
get away with being bureaucratic and unresponsive because they're on
the other side of the world from their international customers.
It's a shame.


I would say part of the problem is that they just don't have much
experience with international customers, especially Australia.
Consider the size of the markets, then consider how many people from
Australia actually order from them.


How much is that a chicken and egg situation, though? How many people don't
bother because idiots like Performance make it too hard? Remember, not only
did they cancel my order but they never told me!

IME, the bike business is amateur
hour compared to almost any other businesses. The pay is low and it
isn't a large or fast growing market. Consider bike mechanics. The
only qualification is that somebody hires you to be one. If ordering
from them is a real money saver for you, if you are persistent with
them, you may find someone who really knows what is going on and you
may get justice.


Not by email, I won't. Emails are too easy to ignore (which is why I went
the BBB route on another occasion). If I knew who the head honcho is at
Performance I might send off a registered snail mail. I've done that
before. CEO's can't say they didn't receive it because it has to be signed
for and they generally don't like having their day spoiled by a customer
complaining about the stupidity of their minions, so they start an arse
kicking avalanche to make the problem go away.

You might consider asking your bank for advice on
international ordering.


As to that point, I have fired off a complaint to my bank (CBA, for anyone
in Oz) wanting to know why they're not justifying their outrageous fees by
providing 21st century services like verifying my credit card billing
address when overseas merchants enquire. This is 2004, after all, and it's
not rocket science.

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  #6  
Old September 17th 04, 03:27 PM
Karen M.
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Default

DRS wrote:
...If I knew who the head honcho is at
Performance I might send off a registered snail mail.


Gary Snook. (Least it was a few years ago. Did Nashbar buy
Performance or vice-versa?) Arni Nashbar was their founder.
HTH
--Karen M.
  #7  
Old September 18th 04, 05:25 AM
E
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Posts: n/a
Default

Well, I appreciate the heads up on Performance being tied to
Nashbar, as I almost started buying from them because of Nashbar's lousy
performance.
My current saga actually contradicts the poster who says Nashbar
doesn't ship by USPS. I ordered some items a month ago, as I have
frequently in the past. They shipped everything to me by FedEx, which
worked because I gave them my physical address (we don't have home USPS
delivery here and the boxes aren't tied to the physical either). Well, it
turns out that with my last (time-wise and future-wise) order, on a whim,
Nashbar decided to ship via USPS without giving me the option or even
notice. Long story short: I get an "undeliverable address" result when I
pulled a tracking report. So I call Nashbar's Customer No-Service and am
told that they just shipped it USPS, and the only way to ensure a
specific way for shipping is to call (which kinda defeats the idea of
web-ordering) but that they would ship it FedEx ground right away. Well,
a week later, I phone to see where my still missing package is. Now I'm
told that the person who put the tag on (to resend it) never sent it and
has been out sick. So now I have yet another promise to send my items. I
am not taking odds that they'll actually deliver. This is my last dealing
with them, that's for sure.

Eric
  #8  
Old September 18th 04, 11:33 AM
DRS
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Posts: n/a
Default

"E" wrote in message

Well, I appreciate the heads up on Performance being tied to
Nashbar, as I almost started buying from them because of Nashbar's
lousy performance.


I'm not sure of the details of the relationship or whether it has any
bearing on their respective business practices.

My current saga actually contradicts the poster who says Nashbar
doesn't ship by USPS.


According to their website they only use FedEx for international deliveries.
They also confirmed it to me via email. Your account is therefore
surprising. I have no idea whether it was a one-off or represents a change
in policy. It would be a wise move if it were, for using couriers is
stupidly expensive for international orders.

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A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?


  #9  
Old September 18th 04, 12:57 PM
ed
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

E wrote in message ...
Well, I appreciate the heads up on Performance being tied to
Nashbar, as I almost started buying from them because of Nashbar's lousy
performance.
My current saga actually contradicts the poster who says Nashbar
doesn't ship by USPS. I ordered some items a month ago, as I have
frequently in the past. They shipped everything to me by FedEx, which
worked because I gave them my physical address (we don't have home USPS
delivery here and the boxes aren't tied to the physical either). Well, it
turns out that with my last (time-wise and future-wise) order, on a whim,
Nashbar decided to ship via USPS without giving me the option or even
notice. Long story short: I get an "undeliverable address" result when I
pulled a tracking report. So I call Nashbar's Customer No-Service and am
told that they just shipped it USPS, and the only way to ensure a
specific way for shipping is to call (which kinda defeats the idea of
web-ordering) but that they would ship it FedEx ground right away. Well,
a week later, I phone to see where my still missing package is. Now I'm
told that the person who put the tag on (to resend it) never sent it and
has been out sick. So now I have yet another promise to send my items. I
am not taking odds that they'll actually deliver. This is my last dealing
with them, that's for sure.

Eric


Last week I received my entire order from Nashbar on time with no
problems. I have been ordering from them for years. My biggest
problem has been with Performance. They seem to mess up with the
shipping on a regular basis.

ED
  #10  
Old September 18th 04, 01:19 PM
Ron Hardin
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Default

Nashbar ships USPS sort of at random. I never know which it will be,
UPS or USPS. If it's UPS, I get it the next day; if it's USPS, maybe
a week. On the other hand USPS delivers on Saturday and UPS doesn't.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
 




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