£1000 on cycle to work
stueyc
Posts: 518
too much to choose from...help please
allez 2009 elite
cube attempt
focus cayo 105 2009
colnago primavera
bianchi c2c 2009 105
1885 2008 veloce
scott s30
allez 2009 elite
cube attempt
focus cayo 105 2009
colnago primavera
bianchi c2c 2009 105
1885 2008 veloce
scott s30
0
Posts
Every year people assume that it is one scheme that is universal. In fact, it is a way an employer can deduct wages to pay free of tax.
The "facilitators" charge for the service (reducing the headache of admin for the employees) and take a cut from the poor bike seller!
The sellers win in the end as sales go up, despite profit per bike going down.
Some major retailers have their own scheme (e.g. Halfords, or Wiggle). Local Bike Shops would go under if they had to wait each month for instalments, so the "facilitator" pays up front and takes the hit out of the profit from its fee.
SO... YOU NEED TO KNOW which scheme you are on! "Cycle to work scheme" is not the same as Halford's own. Your employer picks one... or if it is clever it just runs the initiative itself and cuts out the facilitator.
What confuses most is that one company (profit making) is called "Cycle to Work Scheme" which is NOT, I repeat NOT the same thing as the cycling to work initiative!!
Halfords wont sell any bike that is listed above £1000, Wiggle may sell it for £999 but they wont give one to Halfords for that (even if they did Halfords wont make anything from the deal if they sell it to you at £999!). Read the "actual price" before discounts.
Wiggle wont supply bikes to anyone but their partner shop near the factory. If you are under the "cycle to work" scheme (most small retailers use this) you'd have to buy the Cayo from the Wiggle partner store. The condition? You need to physically go to Portsmouth to pick it up (part of the contract between stores and "cycle to work").
I believe (not 100% sure) that Planet X were with "cycle to work" but fell foul of some of the rules.
So... you need to see who your employer has picked before you can even begin to make your shortlist !
"Cycle to work scheme" = anything your LBS can get their hands on if they have signed up with the company and pay them a fee per sale.
Halfords = any bike that they can source for under £1000 (they can advise as what you see advertised is not always what they have to pay. Focus bikes they can get are the cheaper ones in the range, NOT Cayo's).
Wiggle = anything they stock to £1000
Going over £1000 isn't an option unless your employer has paid for a certificate to allow this (wont bore you with details, but your employer will know).
Some LBS shops may allow a sale of a bike over £1k by creating £1000 sale on paper, and charging you the excess for cash - although this isn't "allowed" and is usually done face to face and kept between you and them! Don't be offended if they refuse as their contracts depend on it!
Cyclescheme stopped dealing with Planet-X in September, they cancelled my voucher after the bike was being built stating a "system incompatability" :roll:
With a little cajoling (like quoting the 200 bikes they had already provided for my employer) they agreed to honour my voucher, but there will be no more unfortunately.
The standard commission that the facilitators take is 10% as I understand it. As they will only sell bikes, even those on sale at greater than 10%, at full retail cost they an actually make more money on some of the sales and even for those that they don't I really think 10% discount for increased business brought to them. I think that LBS were finding it increasingly difficult to compete at the £700 to £1300 market with online etailers and what Cycle to Work has done has allowed them to compete better.
I finally came upon a Condor Agio, which takes full guards and a rack, if I need it. The full guards are needed for the condition of one of the lanes I ride along near work. To Condor's credit, they advertised that they could deal with Halfords, so they got my order.
My LBS said they were willing to fudge the quote on a Ridley Triton, but when it came down to it the quote didn't arrive. The Triton looked too chunkey and industrial compared to the Condor.
I ordered a Boardman last night from the Huddersfield branch of Halfords, if you ask for a guy called Kieran he's really helpful, seems like he knows what he's on about.
Halifax are censored .