Totalcycling.com and other foriegn suppliers

[greatwhite]

Hi All,

 

Sent an info request for a XT group to Totalcycling.com on the 1st of this months and got a response only today AND they only answered half the question.... very weak customer service in my opinion (in the same time frame I have email chainreaction back and forth a few times re the same thing as well as local suppliers).

 

What experience have others had with foreign suppliers in terms of customer service and response to queries? (Did I just catch totalcyling on a bad day?)

 

 

[shaunh]

I have had the same thing happen to me, but their prices are why they are so popular.

Their price on the complete XT gruppo with Hydra Brakes is really fantastic!!!

[rock]

send an email to a local shop and see how long they take to answer!

[madmarc]

u can't complain about the service cause there aint none to compalin about

[Guest Big H]

Try www.chainreactioncycles.com They have a much larger product range, you can specify your own custom wheelset online and they have a good query response time..... 2 to 3 days. Also phone them if it is urgent. Expensive but if you are in a hurry it is always a good option. If you order the order take almost a week to arrive in RSA. Just be carefull as the goods are posted by Parcelforce (Royal Mail) to SAPO in RSA. A parcel form one of the several orders with them once got lost in the SAPO system and was delayed by a few days.

[Climate]

I've made purchases on numerous occasions from Total Cycling (as well as others also mentioned in this thread) and gotta say, never had a problem with shipping or content. If you need to do homework, walk the pavement locally ... the only way to justify the risk of going the import route, is finding a price that is better by enough!

[Athena]

online shops are not ther to answer your queries, there there for you to buy the stuff you know you want, if you want advice go to your local bikeshop thats partly what you pay for

[Racer X]

Not true, most online shops, have regular ones attached to them. They should thus treat as any LBS should.

[GregSalomon]

Hi all.

I have nothing but praise for chainreactioncycles.com.

 

Earlier this year I purchased a couple of 2007 Kona Zing Deluxe bikes, one for 1000 pounds(keyboard broke, no pound sign) and the other for 900 and they both retail for 1800 pounds.

 

One of the frames cracked after I'd had it for 5 weeks ( I didn't notice the crack, they did ) so I sent the bike back with a letter telling them to either give me a full refund or send a brand new bike within 3 weeks.

 

I spoke to the Chainreaction bike guy 3 times over the phone and the guy was so helpful and friendly I couldn't believe it.

 

The thing is, as far as I'm aware they had no legal obligation to give me a full refund after 1 month.

 

I've used cyclestore.co.uk(International delivery) and they have the occasional bargains but they buggered up a product exhange and I got the impression via email that I was dealing with kids.

 

 

[AndreZA]

Greg, did you send the frame back on your account?

 

 

[GregSalomon]

Hi Mampara.

 

Yes, when I noticed the rear wheel rubbing occasionally on one side of the rear seatstay I sent the complete bike back to Chainreactioncycles in Northern Ireland from Scotland without contacting them first. I included a firm sounding letter along with the bike and they contacting me the day after they recieved the bike.

 

 

[Guest Big H]

Ah Greg is in the UK where they can make use of Royal Mail that is stil an efficiently run organisation. Nightmares if it had to happen through SAPO and too costly use a courier. A previous poster said that you MUST KNOW what you are buying as exchanges involves extremely difficult logistic. Many people are to lazy or have too much munny floating about to really worry about finding out about the product and pay the premium to go the "softer" way.

[The Guy in Pink]

I have had good service from Total cycling, after phoning the man man Mike. Get past the Irish accent if you need to talk , otherwise e-mail Mike .  He is an old roadie, ( Like me he is addicted to the retro Rolls saddles)  Maybe they is not into servicing the mountain bikes, for that Chain reaction are better. 

[markStockton]

 

Try www.chainreactioncycles.com They have a much larger product range' date=' you can specify your own custom wheelset online and they have a good query response time..... 2 to 3 days. Also phone them if it is urgent. Expensive but if you are in a hurry it is always a good option. If you order the order take almost a week to arrive in RSA. Just be carefull as the goods are posted by Parcelforce (Royal Mail) to SAPO in RSA. A parcel form one of the several orders with them once got lost in the SAPO system and was delayed by a few days.[/quote']

 

How much tax / duties do you normally pay to SAPO?

 

[greatwhite]

Just to set the record straight: After I sent a snotty email reply, moaning about response time, I got a reply the next day apologising for the delay, the lady in question had been on leave for 2 weeks (although management should have arranged an alternative solution in that 2 week window). All the other questions were answered at the same time.

 

Big H: I tried chainreaction in the same time frame as I stated in my original post. They don't supply a complete XT group yet, only part and they were about 40pounds more as a result. They did respond and tell me that they are working on a MTB group option, but were trying to sort all the options (crank length, brake types, control lever types etc - the options are actually quite extensive). I have used them before and they have been good.

 

A note to all on chainreation - your 1st delivery will take 2-3 weeks, because they wait for over a week on the SA credit card payments to make sure its not crooked.

 

I know CWC were doing the XT group for R5500 a while back and tried them, but the guy who replied there told me they didn't have in stock and when pushed still wasn't prepred to give me a time when they could get it and a price - his response time was quick in all cases though.