AMFJ

Maybe I'm just lucky but my local shop has ordered a few things for me--and they all came in exactly when they said they would. I've never felt my local shop lied to me, ripped me off, or was remotely unreasonable.

My local shop doesn't have a way to order over the web. That would be sweet, but I get over it.

Most people I speak to on rides (local and otherwise) also have really positive things to say about their local shops. It's only on this forum do I hear about local shops out to ruin everyone's cycling experience. Weird.

blt

As an Amazon prime member, I can say that this isn't always true. My son decided on a book with which to do a biography report, I placed an order that would be fulfilled through Amazon and be shipped via the 2 day shipping that is free for Amazon prime members. It didn't arrive. The tracking number seemed to indicate that it had stalled and then vanished. A quick call to Amazon, and the book was reshipped overnight, arriving only 3 days later than I wanted, only slightly delaying my son's report.

About a week after it should have arrived, I got a package from 500 miles away. My package had accidentally been shipped to someone else, she knew who it belonged to through the packing slip, and she kindly forwarded it on to me. I donated the extra copy to the school library.

I never understood how this happened, but the bottom line is, stuff happens.

RT

I recently had a great experience with an LBS, getting my recycled wheel build done a week ahead of schedule. Sadly, I also needed some liners for the commuter (that's what the wheels were for) and the Stops Flats was the only brand in the store. It was $20, and they looked like Mr. Tuffy, an inferior brand in my experience. I ended up going to Wal-mart and got some Slime, my preferred liner, for half that price.

Here's my thinking. The minute I pick up my wheels and mention I need some liners, work with me. I will not beg you to give me an online price for your product, but for Pete's sake, you just built me some wheels! What better segue to liners than wheels (except maybe tubes or tires, but it is no stretch)?

The LBS (generally) is inferior when it comes to selling product. They can sell and warranty a bike, build you wheels or host your group ride, but everything from stems to saddles to tubes to tools helmets to tire liners to pumps are OVERPRICED. The subject has been beaten to death in this forum with BDop punctuating the topic.

If you love your LBS so much you are willing to overpay them to keep them in business, take 10 hours of your week and ask them if you can work there. We all purport to know so much in here, and I believe we DO know a lot. It ain't arrogance, it would be giving something back to your community bike shop to help them sell product with the knowledge we possess.

Hallelujah, holy ****! Where's the Tylenol?

blt

And I've never had a problem with stuff ordered through my favorite LBS coming in on time. They tell me what happens, it happens. "We'll order on Monday. It will get put on a truck. It will arrive late in the day Thursday. You can get it first thing Friday, we'll call if something goes wrong and it doesn't come in Thursday." Or, "We don't order much from them, here's what they promise for delivery, but we don't have enough experience with them for us to promise you that, we'll call when it arrives." Or whatever else they should tell me. So far, it has all been good.

That's not to say I've never gotten mediocre LBS service, but when I do, I don't go back.

RJM

Life is too short, no reason to get the blood boiled over a few days wait.

milkbaby

Ehhh... one mistake and not a big one, no biggie IMHO. I hope OP doesn't get fired the one time he/she makes a small mistake at work...

rangerdavid

rangerdavid

I'm kinda wondering why you can't find a Romin on line? I've bought a black one and a white one on line, in a 155 width.

WHOOOSSHHH...

Can anyone find, and send me a black 2012 Specialized Sworks saddle in 143? Thanks in advance!!

MikeyBoyAz

My LBS will typically be Very competitive about orders online... I can tell them what I saw it for and if they feel like it (99.99% of the time so far) they will say, "Sure, I will just tack it onto the order I am placing tonight. It should be here Thursday or next Tuesday." best of both worlds if you as me. They have been 2 days late before, but others have arrived the next afternoon.

sounds like an issue with Specialized, not the LBS

island rider

Not in my experience. At all. Sure, things happen, but I have NEVER had them happen with anything ordered through Prime and fulfilled with Amazon. I could total up the number of orders, but it's in the thousands over a number of years. I'm sure there is an element of luck there (hell, a freak weather pattern could screw that all up), but I've seen their order fulfillment system from the inside, there is much more than luck involved there.

On the other hand. If I absolutely, totally need something by a given date. I make sure I get it in my hot little hand in exchange for payment - in person.

island rider

Was that Amazon, or the shipper? It seems odd that the packing slip would have the proper information but the mailing label wouldn't.

Savagewolf

Seems kind of off to slam the shop for such a minor inconvienence. I've done quite a bit of business online and in person for a variety of products. Every now and then items come in late, particularly during holiday events.

In your case, there are a number of things that could of, and maybe did go wrong. Maybe the order was delayed from the sending company due to the holiday or other reason. Maybe it went out of stock temporarily. Maybe the order just got misplaced. It happens. It happens with any service, online or not.

As for Amazon never being late...consider yourself just a lucky guy, then. They too are not perfect and sometimes send items late or even the wrong items. Of course you should expect better service from them then a bike shop, however. They business is almost completely based off of selling items online. Of course they are going to be more reliable than most brick and mortar shops.

By the way, next time you want to test ride a bike or it needs some major upgrade or repair...good luck with Amazon taking care of that for you.

robotkiller

Online portals are not typically an lbs' front end. You should have called them in the first place. You sound a little spoiled, frankly. Great service comes when you build relationships within the lbs - ie friend prices, free parts and advice, etc. Even comparing an lbs portal to Amazon, which has an industry leading supply chain and shipping infrastructure, is utterly insane.

billyymc

Sure, you'll have it on tuesday.

Nachoman

JustinNY

So I got a voicemail at 4:45 from my local LBS rep telling me that my saddle had in fact arrived at the shop today. It seems that they are simply unorganized with regards to online ordering.


I am spoiled, theres no doubt about it. I buy probably 80% of my products online, because they have what I want, at the best price, and deliver it on time or early nearly 100% of the time. If they dont, then they scramble to make it right

I agree, which is why I was excited to make a purchase from my LBS. In the end, it felt a little like the online buying portal is misleading to get customers to commit to a purchase without outright telling them what is stocked vs what needs to be ordered.

I will probably shop there again, but I wont go near the online system

McTufferton

According to you, they said probably on Tuesday. I take that as "it MIGHT be here Tuesday", not "it WILL be here Tuesday".

Edit: All is well that ends well. Didn't see his post above.

HokuLoa

Edit: In hindsight it was a bad day and I may have been a bit too edgy and critical. Meant no offense and don't need to ruffle feathers for no reason so nothing to see here.....
Do you realize how whiny you sound? No offense intended, really (I do mean that genuinely). But they told you "probably tues" and you turn that into "will be there tues." Then they send you an arrival notice (on tuesday and on time mind you) and you complain that they are disorganized with their shipping...???? You do realize that they quite likely are not doing the actually shipping themselves right?? Shipping comes, when the store has time they unpack and notify. That is how ship to store works. They did exactly as promised so what exactly is the problem?

Let me know when they actually break a trust or promise like saying "order by 4pm and it ships the same day" then failing to do that on a Friday despite a 12pm order time so the package actually ships monday and is received wednesday AFTER your event is over. Then you have a worthy complaint and a valid reason to shop a real local LBS for in stock items.

Glad it came on time though

fishymamba

+1 I have never had any delay with any Amazon prime order. Actually I don't think I have ever had a problem ordering online.

I did order a stem from my LBS today(first LBS order), the guy said it will be ready to pick up Friday, lets see what happens...

mechBgon

If you actually go to the LBS to order, or call the LBS to order, or even email the LBS to order, and order your item from the LBS proper, yeah... now it's the LBS's direct responsibility. It's not being drop-shipped to them from Trek/Specialized/etc via a web portal, they're actually ordering it themselves. I work at an LBS that set up a portal with Trek, and if you buy through Trek's portal and Trek ships your item to us, we're not the ones to point a finger at if shipping takes an extra day over a holiday weekend.

Precisely. Our own portal currently shows three featured items, two of which I guarantee we don't have in-stock. Browsing the product catalog, there's entire categories we have absolutely no stock of (BMX, for example). If you buy through our portal, you're not buying from us, you're buying from Trek. I'm glad to say it wasn't my idea, I'm just the mechanic.

mtalinm

also Amazon Prime member and have NEVER seen a shipment missed in five years. and now, free returns on lots of bike parts. and prices that are easily 30-40% lower than local. what's not to like?

the LBS can continue to make its money off of new bike sales + services, but parts/accessories I find to be generally better online. of course, it is evil to ask the LBS what part you need and then order it online (worse yet to ask their help when you have trouble installing!).

my local manager gave me a tear-jerker about how AMZN doesn't buy parts "legitimately" but gets them on the grey market when bike manufacturers are forced to buy more components than they will ever use on assembled bikes (e.g., Shimano channel-stuffs Specialized, who dumps the excess on AMZN). but that to me sounds like simple economics, not cheating

HokuLoa

Tell that to an LBS that is forced into the higher price and has to compete with the lower priced bulk that Shimano knows will end up on the component market rather than on a built ride as intended (hence the lower price to encourage manufacturer use). To me that IS cheating when you force two pricing schemes that you know will end up competing directly and unfairly. Much different if the supplier requires a fixed retail price for all authorized sellers of course...

mtalinm

thank you for the correction, HokuLoa. I was not thinking about the forced MSRP.

guadzilla

You had to wait a few days for a saddle??? That's a damn tragedy. The UN, Amnesty International and Greenpeace all should intervene on your behalf.

You should share this here