deepakvrao

Wonder when the US online retailers will start complaining. They must be losing a lot of business.

CeeDotA

This is typical. I've ordered that same 105 group and a Tiagra 4700 group that was packed the same way. I thought it was to minimize shipping charges by not sending everything over in their individual boxes. On research, it's probably because Shimano and the rest sell them parts that way as they're OEM builders as well.

dr_lha

Yes, my 6800 groupset I ordered from Merlin came like this. When it's on the bike you don't really notice the lack of boxes.
Honestly, there are very few US retailers that even sell groupsets, which is the main thing you can save money on from the UK. Not sure why this is? Perhaps they realize there's no point in even trying to compete with UK sites.

aubiecat

The thing about Ribble is they switched over to a new website, inventory, shipping, account system about a month ago. It has been a total cluster.
I ordered $500.00 worth of parts from them in early February and it got here in 4 days.
Ordered again late February soon after the website switch over. I had to email, Facebook message, etc. to get a response. They said the software didn't make the correct currency conversion. So they refunded PayPal and I just told them I'd order again later.
So I wait two weeks and order again. Still the website doesn't update or send out conformation emails. After a week of waiting patiently I contacted them through the website contact form, email and Facebook. Got an immediate response from all three saying it was shipped the day after order. So after 10 days the order shows up on my door step.
The order that I cancelled is still showing as processing and the order I just received is still showing as processing. My past orders don't show up in the new system.
Ribble has been around a long time and they are usually very good at customer support. I'm sure they have figured a work around till they get the bugs worked out but the software switch over was a clown show.

Vinnems

I don't think a lot of bicyclists are price sensitive. If they were, I doubt there would be many bike shops left around.

TimothyH

Got a Morevelo jersey and cap from Wiggle in about ten days.

dtrain

Yup - that's OEM and Ribble for you. But $311?! There you go. Ride that group like you stole it.

TCR Rider

I've received orders from PBK like that. At first I thought it was fishy but I learned it's not that unusual.

anotherbrian

In several years of ordering from Chain Reaction Cycles, I don't think I ever received anything in retail packaging. An order from Ribble last December for a crankset came in a sealed bag with a label "OEM000323", a barcode, and "CRANK ULTEGRA 6800 175MM 50-34 OEM" and a date (of manufacture?). Obviously that one came right out of a crate straight from Shimano. My recent, and first, Evans Cycles order had a Di2 front derailleur and XT shifters in retail boxes.

The UK mailorder businesses have been doing their thing for at least a decade+. I remember considering ordering from PBK around 2005, so I don't think American retailers can do anything about it. It does seem American mailorder is a lot closer to UK mailorder now, at least for the XT M8000 MTB parts I've been looking for recently.

Velocivixen

I ordered a Selle Italia Diva Gel Glow saddle from Wiggle in February. I paid about $7 for basic shipping (no tracking). It arrived EXACTLY 4 weeks from the day I ordered it. Here is the condition of the box upon arrival. I could easily put my hand inside and remove the saddle without even cutting the tape! If small item would have been in there they would have fallen out.

I emailed Wiggle with the photos. I wasn't angry, as the saddle was on it's original cardboard retail piece and inside an open ended plastic bag. I just wanted them to know that perhaps they should consider improvements to their boxing procedures. They reviewed the photos and apologized to me. They said that soon all shipments to the US would automatically come with tracking.



IMG_7573 by velocivixen, on Flickr


IMG_7574 by velocivixen, on Flickr


IMG_7570 by velocivixen, on Flickr


I have ordered single items from them before and it only took about 5 working days or so to receive and boxes have always been in great condition. So I'm not sure what happened here but it was alarming.


I ordered a set of 10-speed Shimano 105 brake/shifters from Chain Reaction and they arrived inside thieir usual Shimano retail boxes just like you'd buy at a local bike shop.

Joeyseven

Thanks for the info on Ribble.The first order I made with Ribble in early February was received about 7 days latter.
My last and second order I did with Ribble was around 2/26/16.Have not received any updates.
I did email them about A week ago asking for A update.No response.

So now I have to file a dispute with my credit card and never order from Ribble again.
Just to many other online bike stores that I have ordered from without any problems.Merlin,CRC and few others get my $$$.
All they had to do was send A simple email telling what was the hold up.

deepakvrao

Same here. They sent me a mail saying that the stuff I had ordered was not in stock and that they would refund my payment. No refund, no stuff, and no reply to my e-mails.

CeeDotA

I don't think that's any neglect on the part of Wiggle/Ribble/etc. Much more likely it's neglect on the part of the courier. Twice I've ordered groups, and twice the shipping box has come looking like it was run over by a truck. I have noticed the smaller the item, the less likely it's going to come in a smashed box.

Also, I ordered brakes (or other smaller, single items) from the UK retailers, and they do come in the retail boxes. Just never when it's a complete group.

Velocivixen

@CeeDotA - yeah, I agree. Likely rough handling from the courier. It was delivered to me through the US Postal Service, so who knows where, along the line, it ended up like this. I almost thought it had been searched at Customs or something.

deepakvrao

Well, finally the items got delivered, even though their website says 'processing', and they said the stuff was not in stock.

aubiecat

Anything I've gotten from Ribble was double bubble wrapped or double wrapped in cardboard. They know the package will be drop kicked all the way from England.
I ordered a set of Ultegra 6800 wheels from Merlin and the shipping carton looked like it had been strapped to the top of the airplane that brought it over the Atlantic.

aubiecat

Looks like they got their software to a certain point and decided it was too much trouble to work the bugs out. They went for tea and didn't come back.

Joeyseven

Ribble really drop the ball with this change over on their website.I do not mind waiting for my orders.But they should have responsed quicker about what was going on.As spring break this week and holidays are coming up.

I received A email today saying my order was sent on 3/3/16 but no tracking info on A order placed on 2/26.

But my first order from Ribble in Feb. was received in about 7 days.

garciawork

Just to throw out some more Ribble info. I placed my first order with them on the 20th, still shows processing but I emailed them and received tracking info showing it was shipped on the 23rd. So, yes, don't trust the site, shoot them an email.

Vinnems

Update on ordering with Race View Cycles:
I ordered a group set from them (Campagnolo Athena 11) back in early February and received most of my order about two weeks later, which is pretty standard for free UK shipping. Everything was there except for the cassette and brakes. They told me they would be shipping them them at the end of the week, which would've been 2/19. Well, I don't know if that ever happened, because two weeks came and went in regards to free shipping. I received the parts Saturday 3/26! They came in a shipping bag, still in the original Campagnolo boxes. So I'm happy they came through.
I wasn't happy with the lack of communication, though. I emailed them last week to see if the parts ever shipped and never got a reply. I mentioned in the email it was fine, I could wait for the parts because I have plenty of spares to use in the meantime. I wasn't going to be mad, so I was hoping it would bring out the truth. But that's all moot now.
I didn't know until after I ordered that apparently Race View Cycles has a pretty bad reputation. Most was speculation, it seemed, that they were a previous shop that was scooped up by another company and that their practices would continue. Honestly, I think they are not bad. In the end they came through, however I would prefer more communication.

rms13

Bought 2 Schwalbe One 700x28 for $64 from Ribble. Ordered on a Friday, arrived two Friday later. Exactly two calendar weeks so not the fastest shipping ive had from them but still good deal

Sy Reene

Not sure if it's due to the new website and such, but have noticed Ribble's Bike Builder is pretty screwy now for pricing. I believe it used to be that the components you could select would be priced in the bike builder comparable to what they sell for by themeselves. Now, if you pick a bike, and select eg. Chorus groupset (substituting for Sora), it's roughly +$1300, when the Chorus groupset costs less than $1100, and considering that the Sora groupset probably goes for another couple hundred. Same with wheels.. a Zonda upgrade goes for $450 etc.. In other words, you could buy an additional whole new second set of components for less than to have them built onto the bike build.

Tycho Brahe 

Have a new bike arriving in ten days (yay!) and I need to get pedals and some bottle cages. Never ordered from the UK since I can always find decent prices in the US. Love waiting for sales on Chain Love (now Steep and Cheap).

Want to get Ultegra pedals, but they are sold out on Competitive Cyclist and Planet Cyclery. Should I give CRC (or another UK store) a shot? I have some mountain bike pedals that I can use in the meantime, but I rather install the right pedals from the get-go.

I would just get them locally, but I do not own a car and cannot easily get to the LBS. Ironic since I live in an urban area in one of the world's biggest cities.

NILS14

I'm in Quebec, I ordered a Speedplay grease gun, 3 Continental tubes and a 3T Stylus 25 Team seatpost from CRC on March the 19th, chose free shipping without tracking, and everything arrived on April the 7th. I didn't have to pay any duties or taxes...so far.

TCR Rider

I've had good luck with Bike Tires Direct domestically. YOu might want to give them a look.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/