In case anyone else comes across it, LCBikes.com is a SCAM

coopster_the_1st

I am looking for my first road bike and have come across this http://lcbikes.com/index.php?productID=141

Based on this, I can buy a brand new 2008 CAAD9 Tiagra for £463 with their 30% discount.

So where is the catch?

Has anyone ordered through this company before?

Am I missing a sales tax that will be applied to my order when it is shipped from Madrid?

Does anyone have any views on the 2008 CAAD9?

In other words, I am just looking to see if there are any catches to this before taking the plunge*?

*Unless the 2008 CAAD9 is a heap of cow droppings :?

giant_man

I've never known a US company offering 'free shipping' imo, you are going to get clobbered when it comes in this country somehow I'm sure. But yes it is cheap, what it's like compared to a 2010 model I don't know.

amaferanga

I'd assume that given that they're based in Spain then they'd be shipping to the UK from Spain. But then the do have a US warehouse for US orders....

JohnnyAllez

Drop `em a line and ask where it will get shipped from, if it`s the USA then factor in the import duty and VAT on the TOTAL. If it is Spain that there will be nothing extra to pay, part of the EU init

Slow Downcp

Looks like it's a Spanish company with a separate warehouse for USA orders, so should be from Spain. My worry is that it appears too good to be true.

plowmar

+1 previous comments.

But what caught my attention was '2008' why?, where has it been kept?
Can it be classed as new ?, and you can't exactly pop along and have a look at it can you?

After all for those that do such things, would you buy a two year old car as new, even if it had been discounted.

Lot of research to be done and only go for it if 110% sure, - I know 100% max !!!!!!!!

coopster_the_1st

Thanks for all the comments so far and yes the Spanish warehouse means no tax from the reading I have done from the gov VAT website

Slow Downcp wrote:

Looks like it's a Spanish company with a separate warehouse for USA orders, so should be from Spain. My worry is that it appears too good to be true.

Hence this post as I am very wary of things that seem too good to be true.

plowmar wrote:

But what caught my attention was '2008' why?, where has it been kept?
Can it be classed as new ?, and you can't exactly pop along and have a look at it can you?

After all for those that do such things, would you buy a two year old car as new, even if it had been discounted.

If I knew that was the case and it had only delivery mileage on it then yes I would consider it.

plowmar wrote:

Lot of research to be done and only go for it if 110% sure, - I know 100% max !!!!!!!!

That was the reason for this post here. Still looking at it and thinking about it. If I did go for it, it would be brought on credit card for the extra security that brings but I am a way off that at the moment.

Have sent them a message regarding if the bikes are pre-assembled. Hopefully, based on that response it should give me a better idea of what they are doing.

Will wait to see if there are further responses and will post what I decide to eventually do.

Slow Downcp

plowmar wrote:

+1 previous comments.

But what caught my attention was '2008' why?, where has it been kept?
Can it be classed as new ?, and you can't exactly pop along and have a look at it can you?

You often get old stock bikes being sold in the UK - Leisure Lakes, Evans, etc - at discounted prices.

The 30% discount applies to all pre 2010 stock so you can get a 2009 Cervelo Soloist frameset for $770 (around £500).

Beatmaker

Its seems a little dodgy to me, they appear to have 2006 Kleins in stock which I thought would have been snapped up when they were discontinued as a range.

Also, how do you select which size you want to purchase?

pastey_boy

read the testimonials, they seem a little bit made up, i would do more research although if you pay by visa your covered. they seem to have bikes that no one on the planet has plus when you google them not a lot of info comes up, you would think a company offering such superb deals would be rather widespead

coopster_the_1st

Beatmaker wrote:

Its seems a little dodgy to me, they appear to have 2006 Kleins in stock which I thought would have been snapped up when they were discontinued as a range.

OK. Have done my research and this looks 100% scam.

Have found these threads based on a company called EMBikes.com (notice the familiar name :idea: ). They use exactly the same sales text as LCbikes.com

http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomme ... &pagenum=1

http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/sho ... ht=EMBIKES

http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/sho ... hp?t=27965

So as the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true is usually is.

AidanR

I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole. Reasons:

1) If it seems too good to be true, it is
2) If they are based in Spain, why is the site only in English?
3) The domain is registered in the US, not Spain. And not where their "warehouse" is either.
4) The various security seals link through to the LCbikes website, not the websites of the seal companies themselves
5) TrustE, one of the security seal companies they claim to be with has no mention of them on their list of approved sites

nagfromberra

WARNING WARNING. This is a total scam and these creeps are still active. Thanks to other posters who alerted me to this. When the friendly customer service people at lc got wind of the fact I knew they were criminals they sent me a lovely email including this:

"If you do not stop those stupid slanders of yours concerning our business, you will be mowed down in your area by like-minded Russians. Be careful! You have been warned!

All your personal information are on our fingertips."

Whooo. "like-minded Russians"?

Splottboy

If that means shagging hairy women, drinking homemade it'll-make-you-blind vodka, driving a knackered Trabant and threatening the USA...COUNT ME IN !!!

nicklouse

Seen that site before, yes 100% scam

Domain Name: LCBIKES.COM
Created on: 11-JAN-10
Expires on: 12-JAN-11
Last Updated on: 25-JAN-10

Brian-Mc

Indeed very dodgy.
when you go to checkout, it isn't https.
The payment option include Bank Wire transfer, Moneygram and Western Union- the payment preferences of the scammer. also has the option for credit card, but again it's http only. Would you post your credit card details on an open forum? no i doubt it, so why would anyone pots them on an unsecure site
All the contact details on the site are very suspicious.
Steer well clear of this and those "like-minded Russians"

nagfromberra

I'd just like to reassure you all that the like-minded russians have yet to materialise and that I'm still all right. If these guys want to kill me they'll have to queue up behind all the psychotic Australian motorists who want to do it first.

nagfromberra

Yay! The www.lcbikes.com site has been shut down. there is some bogus error message there instead. And i never did get to meet those simpatico Russians...

flanners1

Now that was a surprise it was a scam...not