Wheever

(Tl;dr, after being really nice about loaning me a demo saddle, my LBS has screwed up everything since when it comes to getting the saddle into my hands, and I'm about to say screw it and get it off the web.)

I'm having a problem with my LBS. (a different LBS than in this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...re-issues.html, in case anyone is keeping score.) I demoed a saddle, and they just let me take the demo saddle for a week, without even asking me for my credit card or anything, and are generally pretty cool about stuff. (I'm in there all the time.) After spending some time with the saddle, I decided I wanted it, and called them up and told them to order it for me, even though I knew the saddle would, of course, be a lot more expensive through them than online.

So, they told me they were going to order the saddle the next day, monday, and I should have it Friday, and that they would call me and confirm the price of the saddle with the carbon rails. I didn't hear from them monday, so I called Tuesday, but it turns out that they are closed tuesdays and wednesdays in the off season. So I called them Thursday, and they still hadn't ordered me the saddle. This LBS is local to my Girlfriend's weekend house, so I am only able to pick the saddle up on weekends. They guys at the LBS knew this. So they said they were going to order the saddle--which they ostensibly did Friday, and it should come monday and they would ship it to me. None of this happened, but they did finally get the saddle to me the following saturday.

But here's where it gets really irritating: the saddle was defective! The rails were slightly bent and slightly twisted; almost 4mm narrower at the front of the rails as at the rear, and the left side was 1-2mm lower than the right. (This was not shipping damage! The saddle was pristine, otherwise.) so I called them and emailed pictures, and they said they would talk to the distributer...that was last Saturday. They were basically closed all last week but for Friday, and when I called them to see what was up, the guy basically said "oh, I never heard from them. Let me call them and call you back." And that's the last I heard. Left a message for the guy today, he didn't respond.

So here's the deal: after being generously lent a demo saddle, I didn't want to be that guy that then goes and buys the product online for $60 cheaper. If I had, I would have had the new saddle almost three weeks ago; instead, I am stuck with a defective saddle and no time frame for when it might be replaced. I'm ready to mosey over there tomorrow, return the defective saddle, ask for my money back, and go buy it online, where I will probably have it wednesday, and if I have a problem will have a replacement in less than a week.

Am I just being an impatient dick? Do I owe it to them to let them take another couple of weeks to straighten this out? I was trying to do the right thing and support my LBS, but this is starting to feel like no a good deed goes unpunished sort of a deal.

Thanks for letting me vent, and do please tell me what you might do in the situation.

dcsix

No, you are not being impatient, but you do owe them one more chance, because stuff happens, this is where you live (offseason) and I don't think online sources will let you just have a saddle to check out. They should sort it all Monday and have it for you this coming Friday.
The world has been spoiled and a little wrecked by Amazon, et al, and brick and mortar stores provide service-they also take some time off at holidays and the offseason-don't hold this against them. One more week, one more chance. You could just as easily have gotten a defective product ordering online.

dvdslw

I know from personal experience that its easy to get mad at your lbs, been there, done that! But, these are your neighbors and people you see face to face so give them a chance to straighten things out. You went in with good intentions to support a local business and paid extra to do so now its their turn to show some appreciation. If they continue to drag it on then its go time but be persistent and keep pressuring them to get you a replacement saddle.

Lazyass

I managed a store that was basically like a bike shop, except it was for motorcycle parts and accessories. Sounds like your shop just plain dropped the ball. Their merchandiser or whoever is responsible for ordering parts and dealing with distributors was either off on Monday or didn't do their job. And if they were off then whoever was in charge of the store should have been able to order it. You don't just not call in orders on a Monday, that's the biggest day because of all the weekend orders a store gets.

Then when you had a problem with your saddle, the merch or whoever probably called the distributor, couldn't get anyone on the phone and then failed to keep following up. Because you don't wait for a distributor to call you back, they never do. If they knew there was going to be a delay because of communication issues they should have called you to let you know.

They just dropped the ball. It happens. It may or may not be habitual for this store. If I was the manager I would be chewing employees asses, apologizing to you profusely and giving you some kind of discount.

Nachoman

If you weren't already riding your saddle of choice, I would say it might be a big deal.

rms13

Exactly. Hard to follow all the rambling in the post but sounds like you are still riding the demo until they get a replacement for the one you ordered? Plus you are also getting angry about time it took but you also said they were closed last week for holidays. Honestly this is the price of doing business with the LBS and why I don't do it anymore. I might buy something that is in the shop but otherwise I'm not going wait 10 days to order something that I can order for less and have in 2-3 days

Wheever

No, they asked for the demo back after a week, when they said my saddle would be in in a couple of days. I'm still riding my old saddle. So they have my money, and I have a defective saddle I can't even get into the saddle clamp.

PepeM

Last time a shop ordered something for me I was there on the weekend and my item (a saddle no less) was there on Tuesday. same price as online too. Not all shops are the same.

OP: That 'LBS' does not sound very 'local,' which seems to be causing some issues. They seem to considerably reduce their operations during the off-season and you can only go there during the weekend, so your stuff got through the cracks. You should bring the defective saddle to them and ask them to lend you the demo saddle until they rectify things for you, if they refuse then I think it is fair to ask for a refund if that is what you would rather do.

Maelochs

Interesting range of responses.

Seems to me that you could keep the saddle you have (the loaner) because it is already almost exactly what you want, and give them one more chance. Off-season and holiday is a reasonable excuse at this specific time. Holiday is over, though, and if they don't really get to it and work it out immediately, thank them and get a refund.

I was originally going to say "screw them" but thankfully some wiser posters added better ideas.
Thanks.

Maelochs

So, the obvious answer is ... get a new girlfriend, closer to a better bike shop.

Problem solved.

Wheever

Lol! Why didn't I think of that? You are the King Solomon of BF!

Wheever

I don't have the loaner anymore.

Wheever

They are local to where we are most weekends. And they are literally the only bike store in town. They do reduce their operations, but last I check there were these things called "telephones" that could be accessed pretty much anywhere. Sigh.

Wheever

Well, they gave me back the demo. I told the guy that we won't be up until the weekend after next, so he has two weeks to straighten it out, and then I want a refund. As much as I'm irritated to not have my saddle, I think that's fair.

Maelochs

I'd say that's about perfect.

colnago62

Having to return something bought online can frustrating too sometimes. If you want to exchange without having to buy the item again, you need to send the product back, which takes a week. Wait for the reprocessing and then wait for the company to send the product back to you.

PepeM

I would say that is a good resolution. Glad it worked out.

yooperbiker

I think you need a bad experience with an on-line retailer to bring you back to the real world. You could have just as well gotten a late delivery of a defective saddle from an on-line retailer, and would likely have an even harder time getting the problem corrected, sending emails that are not answered etc.

Wheever

So far, my experiences with, say, Performance bike and Amazon have been flawless--which is not to say they will always be, but point taken. (Edit: I forgot Excel Sports. A package once disappeared entirely and they queued up the order for a replacement basically without asking ANY questions. Then the package appeared (it was misdelivered and someone brought it by) and when I called excel to tell them they were all "we already sent you the replacement. Why don't you just keep it?!"

Wheever

Oh boy. Check this out: Now the distributor is trying to say it's somehow my clamp that's the problem. The fact that the rails are measurably bent 3-4mm in the front, and the left side of the saddle measures 2-3mm low (with the rails flat on a tabletop,) and that both my SMP Glider and the demo SMP Drakon fit my clamp fine doesn't seem to factor in. Is logic just not taught in schools anymore?

Sigh.

[Edit: Yes, I've sent pix of the above bent rail to the LBS, and they forwarded them to the distributor. They're just putting me off for whatever reason.]

Lazyass

I don't know why they're telling you a distributor said this or that. A distributor isn't a manufacturer. The shop should simply order you a new one and take your defective one back. Your shop sucks.

Wheever

He's trying to get the distributor to send a new saddle. (Selle SMP only has one distributor in the USA.) Yes, they do suck. I'm getting that now.

Lazyass

All your shop has to do it order it. The merchandiser calls the distributor and tells them to send part number XXX. Simple as that. They would just return the defective one to the distributor. There is usually one day a month scheduled for all returns would be shipped back. Distributors don't care about defective parts, they would just send it back to SMP, and the person who takes the orders is probably some girl who knows nothing about cycling. He/she sits behind a computer, looks up the part number and if it's in stock she will place the order to the warehouse, who boxes it up for UPS. If your shop wanted to talk about something technical they would call SMP directly. I know how the game works. I think your shop is giving you a line of BS.

Wheever

I wouldn't be surprised.

Maelochs

I'd say you have given the shop all the benefits of all the possible doubts already, and it is time to tell them to either get you a working version of the saddle you want immediately, or give you your money back.

It is not your fault that the saddle is defective. The shop OWES you a working saddle---you paid for it. They need to give you one. Whatever problems they have with the distributor or manufacturer are all their problems. Even if they have to eat the cost of the saddle--that is Not in any way Your problem.

You paid for a good saddle, they have an obligation to deliver said saddle. Everything else is extraneous. They need to deal with their own stuff AFTER they give you what you paid for.