[Closed] LBS rant and wtd classified question

Maybe another beer would help?

It was probably cheaper at CRC than they could get it trade. Did you want to pay more?

Why do you care where they order it from? You presumably chose to order it from the LBS, not CRC, it's not like it's a different product.

surely they didn't do me a favour I'm lost as what the point was.

You went in, asked for a part which they didn't have so they ordered it for you.

If you didn't want to return to the shop to collect you could have politely declined their offer and sourced / ordered yourself.

Im unsure why you are annoyed they ordered from a shop? Did they charge you more than the CRC price for the item?

I was supporting my LBS if I had wanted to go to bloody CRC I could have done it next day delivery

So much for supporting your local outlet eh?

I'm not annoyed I just assumed they would order it from the distributor and not received a grey import mech in a bag and yes it was 59.99 not 51.49 as per the CRC site.

I understand your sentiments but you still have backup from and are giving your support to the shop.

Perhaps the knew you;d want it quick, so it's cheaper for them to order from CRC than to pay the distributor's price and pay for next day postage. Perhaps the disty were out of stock. Who knows. Ask them.

And as for your second point - yeah probably lots of people who want something for nothing!

You sure it was a grey import ?

Come on, name and shame!

Yes, I'd be annoyed although I'm not too sure why.

I was supporting my LBS if I had wanted to go to bloody CRC I could have done it next day delivery

And you did support them. Don't get the issue. CRC are commonly cheaper than trade.

You supported your LBS to the tune of £8.50. If you were supporting them to keep them going, then why does it matter? In fact they might well have got it at less than trade price, so your support helped them more than if they'd bought it from the usual supplier.

Provided you get the same warranty support from your LBS then I don't see the problem. If you have a problem with the product and they don't help and just refer you to CRC, then yes, you've been ripped off. If you don't like the service then speak to them and explain your point of view. If you're still not satisfied then take your business elsewhere.

I fully believe in supporting LBS, but as with any retailer they have to earn your custom. I understand the challenges LBS face from the likes of CRC. But there alot of bike shops with staff who are unhelpful and who don't appear interested unless you are spending vast sums of money. I have experienced terrible service from a LBS. We don't shop there anymore and I know other riders who have had similar service. If they go out of business I won't feel too bad. Luckily we have other options close to where we live / ride and where possible I will always buy from LBS if I feel like a valued customer. There are some great examples of LBS being a key part of the bike community.

I don't think they'll be getting rich on less than a tenner, and it's saved you a job. If it's there it's there... who cares where it came from. Used to use a lbs in Birmingham who would order off crc in front of me quite happily, if he makes a profit so what they're a business and that's what they're there to do...

I ordered something for a customer yesterday, the supplier has it reduced on their website for £50 which is trade. Customer wanted to buy it off us rather than direct even though I had told them they could get it cheaper online from the manufacturer, so I phoned to order and the company wanted trade plus vat and post. So I ordered it direct online and saved the £20.

Who do you rant at... The customer who knowing they could buy cheaper online still ordered from us, me for making a profit knowing the customer could buy cheaper online, or the supplier for expecting us to hold stock whilst selling direct to our customers at less than we can buy it for? I'm sure the bike trade is no different.

Never mind, one of these days the universe is going to suffer heat death and nothing much will exist any more.

Does it have any warranty impact? If they've bought it as a CRC customer does that mean it's effectively used when they sell it to you? (I have no clue, this isn't some sort of STW Leading Question Bullshit)

I'll second that one, how does warranty work on a second hand part ?

If it was a shimano part Madison will price match CRC (or any official dealer) for your LBS so not sure why they did that

Did you get the little bag of sweets ?

rOcKeTdOg - Member
If it was a shimano part Madison will price match CRC (or any official dealer) for your LBS so not sure why they did that

What's the limit for free postage from Madison these days? Could also be out of stock?

Warranty won't be affected for the customer, and I suppose the LBS just chances it and returns the faulty item to CRC?

As RD says, Madison will price match.

Could have been many reasons. Minimum order charge from Madison, not being able to wait long enough for a consolidated shipment to cover said charge / carriage, on credit hold with Madison.

Fact is the OP got a part he ordered at the price he accepted in the time he wanted it. It won't be a fake, it was supplied as requested, the shop made some funds - if it didn't have the CRC reciept in there wouldn't be a problem.

Yes it's a tad annoying that the shop used CRC, but it isn't as though you couldn't have done so yourself. If it came in an plastic bag with Shiimano stickers on upside down then I think you'd have a reason to grip.

So you bought something for CRC price but get LBS support. Not sure what the problem is? Would you rather they'd ordered it from the main distributor, waited a few days and then paid more for it?

I'm not annoyed I just assumed they would order it from the distributor

They did... CRC.

Presumably He didn't pay CRC price, he paid a mark up. He was happy with this mark up, but only if the part had been ordered from somewhere other than CRC.

what njee said.

If Madison charged the LBS $45 posted for the same part he'd have been as happy as larry with his LBS for making £15 rather than peed off they made £8.50.

[edit]

I shall be quizing the store manager at Sainsbury's about the supply chain for my baked beans later.

What's the limit for free postage from Madison these days?

All Shimano is carriage free from them.

Good to know

A few things at "yes it was 59.99 not 51.49 as per the CRC site."
I would say that is NOT less than trade price (14%ish off) (Also no mention what it is, as only 14% off I prob say it not Shamino)

So a few things why they ordered it on line,

It is a brand/supplier they don't deal with so easier to get it in.
Their supplier has nil stock,
P&P/min order levels.
Maybe the part has a "standard" and the only one they get/know it fit.

So instead of saying sorry can't get that brand/nil stock, it be a xx weeks/we need to put a order together it be xx weeks/do you know what size/length/etc

They just ordered it in to keep you riding ASAP. [b]not bad service to be honest[/b] and all for £8.50 that prob does not cover the man hours to order, book in, account paper work etc.

One of my local bike shops has recently:
1-installed a £50 bottom bracket when I wanted at £15 one (without asking)
2-sold me a helmet as new, then when i adjusted the straps it had obviously be worn a little bit (there were some sweat residues)
3-sold my a whole new headset when all i wanted was the bearings

Item two was an impulse buy for the wife before going on holiday the next day, item three was for a brand of bike that they sell.

Poor service and in future I'll go to another LBS for when I need local support.

Most shops won't carry spare bearings for every variation of bike they stock, it would often involve having a huge amount of money tied up in rarely bought items. Unfortunately headsets are seen as pretty much disposable unless you have something particular posh.

My LBS has ordered things from web dealers, it was cheaper than they could buy at cost....delivered over night, why wouldn't they?

The industry is really getting to the stage of stitching any smaller single owner/ store shops in favour of the big chains or web stores. A good LBS is worth it's weight in gold, and personally having seen people come in try on shoes or ask questions for 20 min then see them google the same thing and buy them on line following the "free" advice* only to turn to have cleats fitted, or bike adjusted which they've bought on line I'm surprised people don't get told to take a jump. I know the OP hasn't done this, bit of a personal rant.

*Im talking bike fit, shoe cleat position, frame advice on geometry ( this place does custom frames) One guy who took an hour looking at custom moulded insoles shoes high end road shoe, bought them on line and expected the shop to do the fit for free.

A few things at "yes it was 59.99 not 51.49 as per the CRC site."
I would say that is NOT less than trade price (14%ish off) (Also no mention what it is, as only 14% off I prob say it not Shamino)

looking at the CRC site, the only thing at £51.49 is a M8000 rear mech, RRP £89.99.

if you take trade plus VAT you'd be looking a quite a bit more than the CRC price.

I'd be cheesed off in the same situation op.

Me too - if they'd taken the receipt out and I was none the wiser that's different BUT to hand over the box complete with CRC ticket in there that's too much cheek for me.

Grey imports are no problem, so long as it came from within the EU. EU law and free market invalidates the whole concept of market protection and grey imports within the EU and you get the same rights and statutory warranty as anything bought anywhere within the EU (though you might not get the bonus warranty rights we get in the UK).

Another benefit we lose post Brexit 😉

However you might get an OEM model from online retailers vs retail model from LBS. Chances are it makes naff all difference, but it may not have come in a box that you're going to chuck away anyway and LBS may have already chucked (and might have held on to or lost the little bag of spare parts and instructions).

They did it on purpose because they don't like you.

Ha ha... that's f'ing silly - OP I'm with you on this. Can't quite see what the other STW types rolling their eyes are on about here.

If I bought something from an LBS - which came at a premium price with a CRC invoice left in the box, I would feel truly like the P was being taken. IME, the great majority of LBS's tend to take the massive P at the slightest opportunity*, so it doesn't really surprise me.

The least they could've done is think to remove the receipt from the box, faaarckers..

* This, apparently, is their 'business model' which we should all be diligently supporting.

^^ The OP was given a price for a product he agreed to pay which was then ordered for him - where from and how much margin is completely irrelevant .

I rang the importer yesterday to find out about my 2 year warranty on Xt ,as that was niggling me

I will have to take it back to the shop who will then have to send it to CRC as the proof of purchase is from both shops grrrrr.

They would not discuss warranty of grey imports which this is OEM stock retail stock comes in retail boxes.

As some mentioned I was happy to pay a price based on it being bought from the UK official distributer ,if I had wanted to jump through hoops of something went wrong I could have ordered direct.

I am off to the shop today to see what they say.

The mark up is called "stupidity tax".
If your too lazy to look on the biggest parts suppliers website in Europe, maybe even the world, then more fool you.

I can't see how it's cheeky, op was too lazy to go online and research his own part, went to shop and asked them to get it, shop will have reserched best quickest place to buy, and ordered the part, it will have to go through their books and be 'handled' so there's an admin overhead.. that's providing a service..which surprisingly shop's charge for.

Would you ne happier if they'd sourced the same part somewhere else and it cost more and took longer to arrive?

Bizarre.

I will have to take it back to the shop who will then have to send it to CRC as the proof of purchase is from both shops grrrrr.

Well yes, your contract of sale is with the retailer, the LBS in this case, so they would need to handle warranty issues, they are legally obliged to, the distributor or manufacturer or any other middle men, CRC for example may help you directly but they are not obliged to as you have no contract with them.

Dont CRC own hotlines? So others parts will also come from CRC anyway

Dont CRC own hotlines?

Not sure how this affects Shimano?

What do hotlines bring that is useful?

philxx1975 - Member
They would not discuss warranty of grey imports which this is OEM stock retail stock comes in retail boxes.

Grey imports they consider it's come from outside of the home market. Within the EU, so long as it's sourced from an EU country, the law says it's the same as being bought in the same country and there's no such thing as a grey import. If it's been sourced from outside the UK but within the EU and they kick up a fuss, challenge them as they're breaking EU law. Still though your first port of call is with the original retailer really for any warranty as your contract is with them.

OEM is tricky however as technically OEM stock shouldn't be being sold as retail. They are to be supplied to manufacturers as a component to build with. CRC and the like get hold of the stock cheap and flog to end users.

Not sure on the law there, but still once it's been sold to you I think EU warranty laws should still apply just the same.

Many try to wash their hands of responsibility, mostly because they object you've gone through channels that are out of their control so they haven't been able to artificially fix a high price.

I don't see a problem.

If it goes wrong your contract is with the LBS.

I'd just go for a ride if I were you.

I don't see a problem.

Not sure how this affects Shimano?

Nothing directly, but as CRC and Hotlines IIRC are the same business some LBS will have accounts with them. IF madison are out of stock or high on pricing for the product then they will go through other distribution channels.IN this case CRC to get YOU what YOU wanted,

At the end of the day you walked into a shop and got what you asked for.

How many warranty items have you sent back to Madison directly? None you say? So it's a theoretical issue, as the issue is exactly the same, you return it to your LBS.