Online Bike Shops - discussions and recommendations

[Kromhout]

Hello

For interesting sake how long does it take for a small package from Chain Reaction Cycles to arrive in Cape Town via SA Postal service .......  (Mistake)

It was send by C.R.C. on the 29/10/2019..... The only info via SA Postal Service (website, E-mail & Phone) is  ON ROUTE.

Thanx

[ChrisF]

Hello

For interesting sake how long does it take for a small package from Chain Reaction Cycles to arrive in Cape Town via SA Postal service .......  (Mistake)

It was send by C.R.C. on the 29/10/2019..... The only info via SA Postal Service (website, E-mail & Phone) is  ON ROUTE.

Thanx

 

Delivery from SAPS ..... anything from a few weeks to never ....

 

 

couple of other threads about this recently.  Some people getting their stuff in 10 days, others waiting months before getting it, and sadly way too many that never get it.

 

 

Personally I have lost nearly nearly R10k due to items "getting lost" at the Gauteng sorting centre ....

[Kromhout]

 

 

Delivery from SAPS ..... anything from a few weeks to never ....

 

 

couple of other threads about this recently.  Some people getting their stuff in 10 days, others waiting months before getting it, and sadly way too many that never get it.

 

 

Personally I have lost nearly nearly R10k due to items "getting lost" at the Gauteng sorting centre ....

Thanx Boet...

Sorry to hear about your loss. If my parcel is gone its only R500..

Is there not a different way not to use the SA (F@#*%g) Post Office.

Edited January 1, 2020 by Kromhout

[shawnvan]

 

Thanx Boet...

Sorry to hear about your loss. If my parcel is gone its only R500..

Is there not a different way not to use the SA (F@#*%g) Post Office.

 

Just thought I'd respond to this, as its not everyday one gets to say good things about our wonderful SOEs.

 

I purchase online regularly, both local (I love Evobikes) and overseas (primarily Bike24).  Unfortunately, I have to buy quite a lot of things overseas as I tend to build my own bikes with specialist / rare / high-end parts that most local online shops don't stock, or do so at 2x the price I can get form overseas after taxes.  I must have purchased from Bike24 at least 10x over the last 5 years.

 

Every single parcel from them comes via DHL / SAPO (SAPO handles customs clearance and final delivery on our side) and are always delivered on time or ahead of the 11-13 day (total days, not "business days") advertised by Bike24.  

 

In fact, I recently tried the Aramex Global Shipping program (to get past the geo-blocking on Sram and Shimano parts ).  I made two orders on the same day - one delivered normal via DHL /SAPO, and the other via Aramex / Germany.  I received my SAPO parcel this morning (and would have yesterday had I been in office when they came to deliver).  Still waiting for my Aramex one, it should arrive today or tomorrow...

 

Last time I had a parcel via SAPO, the delivery guy even called me ahead of time to check that I would be there to receive the parcel and to get the VAT money ready, which I was hugely impressed by.

 

Anyways, I just wanted to say that, in my experience, SAPO has been great and I never have any hesitation ordering through them, although I suspect they have a special arrangement with DHL... packages from China are a different story altogether... 

 

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I think SAPO deserve a lot of credit and their service seems to be getting better over the past few years.

[Eddy Gordo]

I always use SAPO. The tax rates are way better, suppose it makes up for the waiting time. Generally anything from europe takes quicker than anywhere else.