CWC Lockdown SALE!

[Thomo]

...what this lock down has taught me is that I'm also an idiot who spends way too much money...

 

 

I've crossed that bridge a couple of times too.

[eddy]

 

 

Except this... https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/dual-suspension-mountain-bike-frames/404552/specialized-camber-grom-small

 

I reckon riding trails on a 24 inch bike and not sucking would be RAD!

 

 

Is it too big for you to do Epic on ?

[Jewbacca]

Is it too big for you to do Epic on ?

The scary thing is that the bike is only 12mm shorter than my old small SIR9. The other heights and lengths are all pretty much identical. This is just slacked in the front...

 

I reckon with a 70mm stem I could get a really comfortable riding position. I'd back myself to get a solid mid field place on it.

 

My biggest issue is that decent 24 inch rims and tires would cost as much as the frame and fork!

 

(I'm still hella tempted though)

Edited May 26, 2020 by Jewbacca

[DieselnDust]

I want to ask you guys.

 

Has what is going on with CWC at the moment, caused damage to your relationship with them?

 

The apparent confusion of emails, no returns of calls, and general bad comms suggests a lack of customer service (and one might suspect a few others things).

 

But at what point will you guys say never again with shop (or supplier) because of a breakdown of trust or principle.

 

Or will you always be willing to spend your hard earned money at the right price?

 

 

 

Generally they are my last resort before typing in www.chainreactioncycles.com whom I have supported since 2001 at various points when local supply was a complete and utter joke.

 

My go too stores are always my lbs's; Bridge Cycles, Bikemob, Williams Bike Shop, Olympic Cycles.

When CWC has a great deal then I will jump because at the end of the day keeping as much money in my account as possible while meeting my need is important. On balance I spend more of my cycling slush fund at the LBS's before jumping to CWC. I've just had too much bad service in the past to bump them to preferred bike shop.

 

With the last order they met expectations. With the previous three they were well below expectations

[Chris_]

I want to ask you guys.

 

Has what is going on with CWC at the moment, caused damage to your relationship with them?

 

The apparent confusion of emails, no returns of calls, and general bad comms suggests a lack of customer service (and one might suspect a few others things).

 

But at what point will you guys say never again with shop (or supplier) because of a breakdown of trust or principle.

 

Or will you always be willing to spend your hard earned money at the right price?

 

I think the size of CL matters. Places like Incredible Connection, or Game - not a seconds worth of good service but the size of their offering and often reasonable price kind of forces your hand assuming you don't have time to really mission around.

 

Also, my frequented/closest LBS's are deathly expensive and small, but with awesome people, so after a chat I'll sometimes embarrassingly skulk away to CL.

[ChrisF]

Is CWC not the same as CL ?

 

From my perspective, the constant sales where a few hubbers picked up pricing discrepancies. Throw in the sales not having stock and you get recommend something a little more expensive and there is plenty of stock of the pricey item. Then when I go into the store, I get treated terribly and service takes forever. Of the many times I went in, I got the impression that the good customer service is only for the big money spenders. The final nail was I bought a bicycle and it turned into a terrible experience. All of this is of course my own opinion and experience, since many other folk have had amazing experiences with them. Just not me.

 

All this led me to me no longer trusting them, nor wanting to support them. As long as there are other cycling stores in the western cape and other online stores on the planet I will not spend a single cent in that store or on the website again.

 

I live 4,9km from CWC ... actually checking it on one of my morning rides.  And our office is about 1km from CWC.

 

Due to their wide range of tools and accessories I often window shop there, even made the odd purchase there.

 

difficult to comment fairly on the service levels .... As I often window shop there, I mostly get a "welcome wave" from the sales island, and carry on walking on my own ...  things gets more interesting and a lot more unpredictable when I am looking for something specific to buy ...  I then walk up to a salesperson and ask for help with the specific item.  Some totally different experiences follow ....

 

- when you ask for item you saw on the website expect total chaos ... as the "shop" and the "online" units are totally different units !!!  OFTEN the shop staff dont even know of stuff that is available on-line, nor of special prices ..... lots of patience while they go searching in the back and you may get what you were looking for ... dont be too surprized when you get shown a more entry level and unboxed item than what was shown on-line.  When you then specifically ask for the "Shimano bleed kit" (for example), then you get shown the original unit, in a completely different price bracket.

 

- when I went in to buy my first dual suspension bike .... let's just say untrainer casual labour cost them a sale !!

 

- buying my second dual suspension bike they did not distribute the brand, fair enough.  Still got absolutely no sales expertise to consider other options ....

 

- Bought an e-bike in February .... was in CWC at least 3 times looking at there range, again the experience of a salesman reading the model and price off the tag .... NO advise ....

 

 

I KNOW I am not alone in this, as I often seen people asking for assistance, to just walk out the door without being helped ....

 

 

 

It is just another "shop" ... when the sales-staff are up to the task on the day I will buy from them, failing which we have more than 10 other shops in close proximity ....

 

 

 

just a thought .... most of us have said our final point of purchase is price driven .... which limits the staff's salaries ..... so just maybe "we" are complicit in the skill level of the staff ...... Obviously the counter argument should be that the motivated salesperson will put in the extra effort, and will impress his clients and build a core clientele, like Raymond at another store.

 

 

All considered, I will again buy from CWC.  But I dont have any warm and fuzzy feelings about them based on my experiences with their sales-staff over the last few years.

[ChrisF]

The scary thing is that the bike is only 12mm shorter than my old small SIR9. The other heights and lengths are all pretty much identical. This is just slacked in the front...

 

I reckon with a 70mm stem I could get a really comfortable riding position. I'd back myself to get a solid mid field place on it.

 

My biggest issue is that decent 24 inch rims and tires would cost as much as the frame and fork!

 

(I'm still hella tempted though)

 

Build it up PROPER ....

 

Once the SPUR series are up and running again, there are always parents looking for something "better" than standard for their beloved future champion rider ....

[Jewbacca]

Build it up PROPER ....

 

Once the SPUR series are up and running again, there are always parents looking for something "better" than standard for their beloved future champion rider ....

Yeah.. I have a set of Hope pro4 hubs looking for a home....

[Slowbee]

Yeah.. I have a set of Hope pro4 hubs looking for a home....

Well hello .. Jewie .....

 

but please dont tell me you work at cwc or cl

 

Price ? I am to scared to make this large font in case wants become needs.

[Chris_]

I think the size of CL matters. Places like Incredible Connection, or Game - not a seconds worth of good service but the size of their offering and often reasonable price kind of forces your hand assuming you don't have time to really mission around.

 

Also, my frequented/closest LBS's are deathly expensive and small, but with awesome people, so after a chat I'll sometimes embarrassingly skulk away to CL.

 

No sooner did I type this I bought a bike on their ridiculous sale!

 

   

[Jewbacca]

Well hello .. Jewie .....

 

but please dont tell me you work at cwc or cl

 

Price ? I am to scared to make this large font in case wants become needs.

hahahahaha

 

I'm hanging on to them in case my current rat bike mis matched wheels annoy me enough to splash out on some rims.

[Quagga]

I want to ask you guys.

 

Has what is going on with CWC at the moment, caused damage to your relationship with them?

 

The apparent confusion of emails, no returns of calls, and general bad comms suggests a lack of customer service (and one might suspect a few others things).

 

But at what point will you guys say never again with shop (or supplier) because of a breakdown of trust or principle.

 

Or will you always be willing to spend your hard earned money at the right price?

I stopped going there months ago because of this.

 

Not sure if you remember my thread about them texting and driving. Well that was the last straw for me. 

I have actively looked for stuff elsewhere and even waited for a week for a part and paid more rather than go there.

[stringbean]

CWC order, or Cyclelab.?

Or is Engela (CL) dealing with both now.?

Last reply from Engela said they waiting on suppliers.

No response from next enquiry.

yesterday email they said they can’t find my order and are busy looking into it.

All I know I’m 10k down and they can’t even find my order now let alone if the agents actually even have stock.

Really poor service from CWC/cyclab

[stringbean]

I’m sorry but if online shops take your money and don’t even know if agents have stock then they are running a scam

[Furbz]

CWC.

the online contact us is never answered. i've tried a few times now.

the phone line option 3 for online sales goes unanswered and just drops.

 

the only way is to call the shop (use option 1) and talk to someone there who will then get in contact with online sales.

the sales person who helped me out gave me a call back later in the day saying they had found all the parts to my order - likely only because i called.

 

but that finally got my order our the door

[Slowbee]

CL has done plenty of damage to my relationship with them long before their merger with CWC. I won't put a foot in their store or even consider buying from them online.

 

CWC I have had two not so lekker experiences. Not enough for me to say I will never buy from them again (also had plenty good experiences). But I have had enough brilliant experiences with a certain other online store (especially now during lockdown) that I always try them first.

 

I know CWC = CL, but in my mind there is still some distinction, although it sounds like CL's not so great service ethos is rubbing off on CWC.

 

Let me just add, price is most of the time the determining factor in a buy. I don't mind spend a few extra bucks to support my store of choice, but when CWC have one of their big sales it's hard to ingore.

I guess this is it, for everyone.

 

We all need to decide with who and on what we will spend our money.

 

I do not like the way they handle themselves and so choose not to spend any money there. No matter how good the "sale". Would rather pay more to my local LBS and wait a few extra days.

 

I guess at some point, your principles can be bought. Maybe not now, but some time they will be. (this is not related to CWC or CL but business in general).