CWC selling used components as new

[Hairy]

+1 on me for this one - I ended up having to take a walk to a clothing retailer and ask them to take it off as CWC is 40mins away from me. Weird how something can still be packaged with one of those huge tags on 

nothing really strange ... happened to me with a Cape Union Mart Back Pack too .... writing this off to human error under work pressure.

[DieselnDust]

lol... if you think about that "annoying" first month with a new bike when everything stretches, beds in, slips and creeks a bit, small setup adjustments every time you ride, first 50 ish  hour fork service etc etc and you have to basically do a 'full service' on the bike even before it got properly dirty....it sortof makes sense that something can be "better than new"

 

edit: also...going by how some bikes are assembled and sent out these days you are probably better off taking it apart and putting it back together again, checking all the nuts and bolts and newton meters and play and threadlock and grease and carbon paste and chain lube....   

 

 

good bike shops do this as a matter of course. Its one of the reasons I enjoy building my own bikes up from new frame out of the box to complete with parts that I want. 

[eddy]

Interesting how sentiment drives the mood on the internet.

 

A year or four ago, in a thread dedicated to singing CW's praises I described how their Greenpoint store tried to rip me off. 

 

Someone told me what a d@@s I was to p!ss in the soup, and then 8 posters took it upon themselves to k@k me out.   One even called for my post to be deleted.  

 

It seems that CWC no longer walks on water and it is now possible to point out facts that paint them in a less than saintly light without being condemned for it.

[TheJ]

Many years ago I bought my wife a set of (new) Mavic track wheels, the Eclipse model of memory serves, from CWC. It arrived with clear tyre lever marks on the rim, a sliiiight buckle in one of the wheels and scratched decals on the one hub. They insisted the wheels were new, but agreed to send me a few "free" track sprockets as compensation (essentially an admission of guilt in my eyes). Nice.

Edited June 11, 2020 by TheJ

[Schnavel]

It appears that the Cycle Lab business model is doing wonders for CWC...

[Robbie Stewart]

Well their service has always been OK not great and not completely s#&t.

Last week I went there for a warranty claim and was told I needed to take it to the workshop to have them check it out. No problem go to the back only to be told I need to book it in also no problem.

Made a booking for Monday and dropped it off Monday morning early got the little booked in sticker cool.

Tuesday I get a call asking me why I didn't bring my bike in on Monday as my appointment.... Short while later I get a sms bike is done.

Drive back get a invoice for something I didn't ask and was most definitely not needed but thinking OK if they say its sorted and tested.

Get out side as I put my foot on the crank before even properly on the bike I noticed the issue still there. Back to workshop asking about the warranty claim and then being told I never said anything about a warranty claim and that there was other issues that's what the invoice is for... So I was told it should be solved by the weekend so let's see.

 

Okay. Let me be blunt. You are clearly so used to bad service you fail to spot it when it hits you square between the eyes. [edit - not meaning to disrespect you]

 

That level of service is guaranteed to lead to the closure of any well established business, no matter how much they trade on a long past good name.

 

In what other industry would anyone presume it to be acceptable to get such horrendous service and then still be met by the original problem after paying for something which was not discussed, and then to add insult to injury get a snotty retort and more time having to wait?

 

I am not even talking about expenses incurred in driving back and forth and having to wait for repairs which should have been done already.

 

No sir, that is what is commonly referred to as sh 1 t service in anyone's books. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Robbie Stewart

[babse]

 

**unless something is so cheap I can't resist

hows those look pedals treating you? 

[matthieup]

Okay. Let me be blunt. You are clearly so used to bad service you fail to spot it when it hits you square between the eyes. [edit - not meaning to disrespect you]

 

That level of service is guaranteed to lead to the closure of any well established business, no matter how much they trade on a long past good name.

 

In what other industry would anyone presume it to be acceptable to get such horrendous service and then still be met by the original problem after paying for something which was not discussed, and then to add insult to injury get a snotty retort and more time having to wait?

 

I am not even talking about expenses incurred in driving back and forth and having to wait for repairs which should have been done already.

 

No sir, that is what is commonly referred to as sh 1 t service in anyone's books. 

 

They won't close. They're like the bike supermarket vs your local butcher or deli.

Ask most non cyclist where to go for bike related stuff, at least in the northern suburbs, and they'll say CWC.

[Robbie Stewart]

They won't close. They're like the bike supermarket vs your local butcher or deli.

Ask most non cyclist where to go for bike related stuff, at least in the northern suburbs, and they'll say CWC.

 

They will only survive as long as the folks in Durbanville and surrounds are happy to put up with bad service. In saying this, I hope their service levels improve to the point of reversing this thread to one of praise. 

 

But sadly too many threads of this nature are popping up at increasing regularity. 

 

I don't wish them ill, and have no desire to see them fail. I am just not willing to support bad service any longer, even if I am not the direct victim. And working very closely with Supermarket retailers, I can very much vouch that bad service is hugely frowned on in the industry,and those stores that persist inevitably do not survive. 

 

The retail market is very price conscious, and people are quick to moan that their favourite product X is being charged way more than market value. Point in case was all the incidents of supposed price gouging accusations back when lockdown started. People were moaning about products coming out of a promotion cycle and returning to pre-promo prices and making wild and unfounded accusations of price gouging.

 

But in the cycling industry, we are accustomed to paying way more than we should be, and the sellers know this and will exploit it, even at the expense of bad service delivery. 

 

Comparing a store like CWC to a Checkers or Shoprite is a bit far fetched don't you think?

[Wayne pudding Mol]

hows those look pedals treating you? 

that is why I had to be careful what I said, no more moving pedals off one and onto the other.  I see a new set costs more than the 2 I bought

[matthieup]

They will only survive as long as the folks in Durbanville and surrounds are happy to put up with bad service. In saying this, I hope their service levels improve to the point of reversing this thread to one of praise. 

 

But sadly too many threads of this nature are popping up at increasing regularity. 

 

I don't wish them ill, and have no desire to see them fail. I am just not willing to support bad service any longer, even if I am not the direct victim. And working very closely with Supermarket retailers, I can very much vouch that bad service is hugely frowned on in the industry,and those stores that persist inevitably do not survive. 

 

The retail market is very price conscious, and people are quick to moan that their favourite product X is being charged way more than market value. Point in case was all the incidents of supposed price gouging accusations back when lockdown started. People were moaning about products coming out of a promotion cycle and returning to pre-promo prices and making wild and unfounded accusations of price gouging.

 

But in the cycling industry, we are accustomed to paying way more than we should be, and the sellers know this and will exploit it, even at the expense of bad service delivery. 

 

Comparing a store like CWC to a Checkers or Shoprite is a bit far fetched don't you think?

 

I didn't mean to compare them to Checkers or Shoprite, but they don't sit at the same level as your LBS.

I see them as a more mass market focused. Even though they stock good brands and products, I would like to see the proportion oof their business done with more entry level products, like Titan, Kids bikes etc... I wouldn't buy a high end bike from them for example, but I have no issue poping in to grab 2 bombs and some chain lube

[Me rida my bicycle]

Okay. Let me be blunt. You are clearly so used to bad service you fail to spot it when it hits you square between the eyes. [edit - not meaning to disrespect you]

That level of service is guaranteed to lead to the closure of any well established business, no matter how much they trade on a long past good name.

 

In what other industry would anyone presume it to be acceptable to get such horrendous service and then still be met by the original problem after paying for something which was not discussed, and then to add insult to injury get a snotty retort and more time having to wait?

I am not even talking about expenses incurred in driving back and forth and having to wait for repairs which should have been done already.

 

No sir, that is what is commonly referred to as sh 1 t service in anyone's books.

 

have to say I did not pay the invoice I first took the bike out to test, its just something I have learned to do. As you said I am used to sh#tty service because most of the time you are dealing with someone who gets a salary every month doesn't matter how many people he helps or not. I did report it to management but these days that doesn't hold much water anyway as again you are talking to someone who gets a salary.

I use to get things done much quicker but I don't like being that person so as said I am trying the nice way.

[MORNE]

They won't close. They're like the bike supermarket vs your local butcher or deli.

Ask most non cyclist where to go for bike related stuff, at least in the northern suburbs, and they'll say CWC.

lol....im sure someone once said Edgars wont fold. Probably the same person with his whole retirement annuity in Steinhoff and Sasol....

What about the original cycle lab here in CT a few years ago? My point is, won't/never is an awfully long time if you consider that you are only as good as the last thing you did well...

ESPECIALLY in CT. So much choice here in terms of bike shops. they cant afford to be lazy and/or ****.

 

My father in law is a recreational cyclist at best. He took his old 90s bike to cwc ONCE for the exact reasons you mentioned (they are/used to be a household name in the north). it needed to get the V-brakes set, the crappy old 26" rubber replaced and the stone age gears set up again. nothing radical....something someone could have done in the parkinglot for him in 15min with a screwdriver basically and won him over for life. He knows nothing about bikes. But instead, the snotty floor staff(children) all but told him to take is old bike somewhere else because they cant work on stuff that old. needless to say....CWC is dead to him now.

 

cycle lab will probably realise soon enough that buying up the competition does not necessarily buy absolute loyalty lol. they failed here once...they can and probably will again if they don't try harder.

[Vroetelvarkie]

When are they doing the name change? 

[DieselnDust]

They will only survive as long as the folks in Durbanville and surrounds are happy to put up with bad service. In saying this, I hope their service levels improve to the point of reversing this thread to one of praise. 

 

But sadly too many threads of this nature are popping up at increasing regularity. 

 

I don't wish them ill, and have no desire to see them fail. I am just not willing to support bad service any longer, even if I am not the direct victim. And working very closely with Supermarket retailers, I can very much vouch that bad service is hugely frowned on in the industry,and those stores that persist inevitably do not survive. 

 

The retail market is very price conscious, and people are quick to moan that their favourite product X is being charged way more than market value. Point in case was all the incidents of supposed price gouging accusations back when lockdown started. People were moaning about products coming out of a promotion cycle and returning to pre-promo prices and making wild and unfounded accusations of price gouging.

 

But in the cycling industry, we are accustomed to paying way more than we should be, and the sellers know this and will exploit it, even at the expense of bad service delivery. 

 

Comparing a store like CWC to a Checkers or Shoprite is a bit far fetched don't you think?

 

 

Their service has been *** for years, a decade even but for some reason the cyclling community seems to love things to complain about. 

So no matter how bad or crap your service, people will pop in to see for themselves.

"Misery loves company"

"can't knock someones head for them, they have to knock it themselves"

"learn from experience but I'll go back for more of the same"

 

flip, heck I tell you if the  level of service they throw at the market was present in Europe they'd have been out of business looooooong ago.

 

we just love poor service delivery in SA.

government, stores etc etc and when we do get great service we will find the smallest thing to complain about and make that an issue. We're unique

Edited June 11, 2020 by DieselnDust

[Eddy Gordo]

Shoo! I shouldn't be surprised after reading so many complaints on the hub but to a certain degree I actually am. Whilst I've visited and shopped from the store on numerous occasions I suppose one can put up with not being greeted or offered service by staff who are literally a few meters from you, not receiving a quote from a guy who on so many occasions you have left your details with and have asked on so many occasions to get you a price on the items you need and want, but to put up with this sort of service is just totally unacceptable! Shame on you CWC, things need to change within your organisation soon and very soon, or it certainly won't survive in these unprecedented times we're in.

I have brought this up some years ago along with some other shops which people grilled me for doing. Not surprised they still the same. I have stopped buying from them. I use their website for a reference.