Bike Forums - Buying experience from Rose Bikes for US buyers

In this new international market that we're all dealing with, lots of folks buy from UK and European sellers and have good results. Lately, I've been buying stuff from a German seller called rosebikes.com and I think that sharing my experience may be helpful to others.

first the good news. With the recently strong dollar to Euro exchange rate ($1.08) prices are really good, I think. On the Rose site, prices are quoted in Euros and so is the shipping estimate, but it also includes 19% VAT which they discount if you are in the US. So, add up the price in Euros with shipping, multiply by 1.08 and then by .81 and then add the 1% that your credit card company will ding you for an other than dollar purchase. You find prices to your door like:

Brooks B17 $82.50
Brooks Swift $95
Brooks Flyer $83.50
Mavic Open Pro $62
Record Headset Threaded $56
Record Headset Threadless $65

DT spokes 2.0 mm in packs of 20 $.2 to $.25 per spoke (available in 2 mm increments).
DT nipples in packs of 40 $.05 or so each.
B&M lighting -- very good prices.

Their prices on European products seem to be the best deals. Also, Schwalbe and Continental tires are good deals, though the products are actually made in Asia, as I understand it.

Every time I've ordered from them, what they bill is exactly what I have calculated. Also, they combine shipping so that, for example, if you buy two rims, they don't double the shipping cost. The total shipping cost shown before you close the deal is the actual shipping cost that they charge you -- no fancy screwing around like IRD does when you order a freewheel from them (never again).

Now, the less than perfect:

Their email communication is rather terse. Shipping takes about two weeks and there isn't any tracking. When the stuff comes, it's in USPS hands and probably you have to go to the post office and sign for it. None of these things has been an issue for me.

On my most recent order, I ordered some stuff requiring a larger box and also some packs of spokes and packs of nipples. They threw everything into the big box so the small packets were loose inside. Of course, by the time the box got to Houston, it had been broken and several small packets (two packets of spokes and two of nipples) were missing. Frustrating. I think they should have put the small items in a small box inside the big box.

So, it's not a lot of money, but I need my spokes and nipples and if they don't send them I have to get them somewhere else so I called them on the phone. Cost to call Germany about $.09/minute. I has on hold for about 15 seconds and then a German speaking lady picked up. I said I speak English only, she said something ending with the German word for please and put me on hold. About 5 seconds later a very nice woman picked up speaking very good English with a German accent. I told her my problem, gave her some ID numbers for the order and the items, she gave me an email address to send a picture and we parted friends. very professional interaction. A day later, I got an email saying my spokes and nipples were in the hands of DHL. Time on the phone total was five to ten minutes so not too bad or too expensive.

It's a bit frustrating and disappointing that the packaging wasn't as robust as it should have been, but every retailer is going to screw up shipping/packaging sometimes and, I think, the test is how they respond when something goes wrong. Given the nature of the transaction and everything else involved, I think they responded as well as anyone could -- I am happy with the end result. Just hope the replacement package doesn't take two weeks. But, if it does, well I've planned for that. Don't order anything from overseas that I need right away. Except for Wiggle, which seems to be faster than even Amazon. Don't know how they do it.

For good prices and fair dealing and for good response when something goes less than perfect, I would highly recommend rosebikes.com. I'm very happy and when I want to buy something, like a Brooks saddle, DT spokes, B&M lighting, I'll confidently buy from them again. Shipping is not as fast as Wiggle or most domestic shippers, but if you plan for that, it's OK.