Bonthrone bikes

handle
handle Posts: 12
edited June 2007 in Campaign
Has anyone had any experience, good or bad, with this company when buying online? I'd like to know whether my experience with them was a one-off-having-a-bad-day kind of thing, or whether they have a reputation for appalling customer service.

Comments

  • The Roadster
    The Roadster Posts: 579
    I think you'd have more luck with this on a cycling forum rather than this lunatic infested rant fest.
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    Thanks Roadster, you may be right. Chose this forum due to wanting to get on my "Soapbox" about the awful customer service from them and have a rant of my own. Might change it now. cheers.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    The only thing I know is that they went out of business a few months back and then reopened again

    Non Omnis Moriar
  • bonj
    bonj Posts: 2,242
    I bought my bike from there, service was fine, although I picked it up rather than had it delivered. Their directions back home to avoid the roadworks around Luton were spot on.

    <font size="1"><hr noshade size="1">These are our cars. They drive down our streets. <b>But the psycherlist is waiting...</b>
    Support the MBA.
    Claim back your illegal bank charges - DO IT, IT WORKS!

    </font id="size1">
    <font size="1"><hr noshade size="1">These are our cars. They drive down our streets. <b>But the psycherlist is waiting...</b>
    Support the MBA.
    Claim back your illegal bank charges - DO IT, IT WORKS!

    </font id="size1">
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    How about ordering online? I bought a bike basket online from them which is supposed to be quick release and universal fitting. It doesn't fit at all in any way whatsoever, isn't useable or serviceable and I want to send it back. Their response is that it's nothing to do with them if I bought the wrong item online, and if I send it back they will charge me 40% restocking fee. I also spoke to their staff before ordering to check it was suitable and had everything needed for fitting etc. and their response was they don't know who I spoke to but its totally my responisbility! Must be the worst attitude I've come across in a long time and does not good whatsoever for peoples faith in internet shopping. I've have told them that unless I get a full refund Im reporting the matter to Trading Standards. I wonder why they went out of business!!!!
  • Waggers
    Waggers Posts: 26
    Hi handle

    I bought a Giant XTC3 from them a couple of years ago. Ordered it in person but asked for it to be delivered as I couldn't get it home that day. Long story short it didn't arrive and after a week and about 20 phone calls to the courier and the shop I had to get a mate to drive me up there to collect. In my experience customer service was very bad. Good bike though!
  • dbg
    dbg Posts: 846
    I bought a LeMond from them which arrived fairly quickly, they had a deal where you got 10% of the bike value in bits from the store and that took ages to sort out. Worked out in my favour in the end though as I ended up being refunded for something I'd already received!..must tell them.......sometime.

    He was an awfully big marine
  • steve23
    steve23 Posts: 2,202
    i bought some socks from them a while ago, 8 weeks later they arrived. i tries ringing them, email, but they replied to nothing.

    i will never use them again.

    _______________________________________________________________________________________
    If You Can't Cut It With The Big Dogs, Then Don't Pi$$ Up The Tall Trees!
    You Know It!
    www.gofiddygo.com
    _______________________________________________________________________________________
    If You Can't Cut It With The Big Dogs, Then Don't Pi$$ Up The Tall Trees!
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    Seems that my experience is fairly typical then. So can we send out a big DON'T USE BONTHRONE BIKES! to everyone and maybe they'll get the message. I just wish I'd checked them out before ordering. Lesson learned! I'll definitely have a word with Trading Standards about them and see what I can do. They're definitely breaking the rules.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">So can we send out a big DON'T USE BONTHRONE BIKES
    bought some socks from them a while ago, 8 weeks later they arrived. i tries ringing them, email, but they replied to nothing.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
    What I said was they went out of business a few months back and then "reopened again"
    As far as I know there is nothing wrong with the company NOW they must have had some trouble and now it is sorted, the guy with the socks that must have been the same time I ordered some t-shirts took a long time to arrive as the shop was closed

    Non Omnis Moriar
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    As far as I know there is nothing wrong with the company NOW"

    Well, not in my opinion! Im not passing comment on why they went out of business, just what they are like now and in my experience, and that of others, their customer service is shockingly bad. I certainly won't either use or recommend them, but others of course may wish to do so, based on their good experience of them. I know good service when I see it and I also recognise bad manners, bad service, bad attitude, bad business practice, and I also know the Sale of Goods (Distance Selling) regulations too!
  • Ghost Donkey
    Ghost Donkey Posts: 914
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by The Roadster</i>

    I think you'd have more luck with this on a cycling forum rather than this lunatic infested rant fest.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Do you think they could replace the name "soapbox" with that. If I was drinking it would have been all over the keyboard.[:D]
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    Well sadly my rant is over. Id like to thank you all so so much for joining in. My thanks go to Bonthrone Bikes for providing the grist, my dog for providing the context, The Roadster for adding a humourous touch and everyone else for just being there when I needed them. I will visit from time to time and I hope to join in more lunatic infested rant fests, and maybe even have more of my own. Thanks once more, I love you all.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by handle</i>

    How about ordering online? I bought a bike basket online from them which is supposed to be quick release and universal fitting. It doesn't fit at all in any way whatsoever, isn't useable or serviceable and I want to send it back. Their response is that it's nothing to do with them if I bought the wrong item online, and if I send it back they will charge me 40% restocking fee. I also spoke to their staff before ordering to check it was suitable and had everything needed for fitting etc. and their response was they don't know who I spoke to but its totally my responisbility! Must be the worst attitude I've come across in a long time and does not good whatsoever for peoples faith in internet shopping. I've have told them that unless I get a full refund Im reporting the matter to Trading Standards. I wonder why they went out of business!!!!
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    there is a period of time in which you can refuse goods bought by mail order / over the web if they do not fit / are not suitable for thier intended use.

    if its advertised as universal fit then you can take it to mean it will fit any bike (within reason, ie not a childs bike) if not, then its been mis-sold
  • handle
    handle Posts: 12
    Yes thanks RVince, thats the point which I will report them to Trading Standards on. I also feel that a description of "quick release" means that it should be able to be fitted and released quickly and easily, not requiring a bike shop to do it for you. (Whats the point of being able to take it off quickly, if you then have to go to the bike shop to put it back on??? ) Another point on which the item was mis-sold. It just makes me angry that I have to go to the trouble of arguing with them, forking out for postage both ways (they are also refusing to refund postage costs, and as a gesture of goodwill I offered to pay return postage) spending time and money reporting them to Trading standards... I really do have better things to do... Honest!!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    by quick release it could feasably mean that there is a mounting bracket that is left on the bike in a similar way to my lights, there is a bracket mounted on the handlebars and one on the seat post, the lights slot into these easily and unclip quite easily (if it werent for my saddle in the way :P )

    anything that takes longer than a coupple of mins and requires more than perhaps one tool to remove and replace every time is not quick release

    a period of time to fit the bracket for the item to the bike is acceptable if its a one off fitment, after which the above applies.
  • ynyswen24cp
    ynyswen24cp Posts: 37
    had cuase to go into bonthrone quite a while back (several years), found the staff to be jumped up twerps. One stated that they knew what was good and bad in terms of kit because they read the mags, now some journos in some mags I trust, some I don't (thats a different thread though) but it hardly inspired confidence as a working method for evaluating product in relation to customer needs. I left with my head held high and hughty.
  • David001
    David001 Posts: 1
    Hi, Bonthrone sent me a wrong bike, so I did send it back to them....... They did recieved the bike more 2 months ago and I still do not have œ340 back on my account. Still calling, emailing and person named Gary gave me an answer. Your money has been sent little while ago. U can check with your bank. This happened 5 weeks ago!!! From that time NO ANSWER from them!! NO MORE BONTHRONE BIKES

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