Originally Posted by Hiro11

The above is totally unsurprising and a great example of why new cyclists should never purchase from BD (or at least not without the help of an experienced cyclist):

1. The bikes are shipped as they would be to a shop, not as they would be shipped for retail from a direct sales company. They are shipped assuming there will be a somewhat skilled mechanic at the other end. They take a few minutes to assemble if you have some knowledge of bikes, but if you're new to bikes it could be a struggle.
2. BD doesn't lie about their specs as some people accuse them of doing, but they do spec to a price. You really need to read and understand the entire spec sheet before buying to understand exactly what you're going to get. Again, they don't lie so read carefully.
3. BD is a "drop ship" shop: the bikes are sent directly from the manufacturers and BD has nothing to do with that entire process. If you buy from BD, expect zero after-sales service and expect returns to be a total pain if not impossible. Know exactly what size you need and don't plan on calling them with questions, they will not help you.
4. BD frames are all stock catalog models from Taiwanese OEMs. They are generally good quality frames but they have no frills and they are generally several years behind the "state of the art". This may not matter to you, but don't expect to be getting a Tarmac SL7 competitor or whatever from them.

Only if you're OK with all of the above should you buy from BD. If you are OK with all of the above and choose the BD model carefully, you can get a solid deal.