www.bonvelo.net is bogus

vladx

Hi all,
I am new to cylcing (road) and wanted to purchase a new bike off the net as there seems to be better deals. Went to a site Bonvelo online bike store (Bon velo online bike store), www.bonvelo.net, which stock last years products (mainly Cube and Beone) I purchased and paid for a 09 Blizzard (Beone)which had alot of good reviews about it ($1100US plus delivery). The contact (email) there was very helpful with specs etc.. It has now been 3 weeks and no bike! I rang the number they had on the site and was told it was disconnected. I have emailed them many times without reply.

Please be warned, do not make any purchases from Bonvelo bike store.
vx

ilm_zero7

i dont think 'd be too keen on ordering a mail order bike from Indonesia - have they taken any money yet - if not I'd look closer to home I think

vladx

Unfortunately, they've got my hard earned!!!. Hopefully my bank will be able to recover it.
The funny thing is that, searching the internet, i could not find any reviews about the site (good or bad). I did think twice about ordering from Indonesia though but the site looked legit and the "contact" seemed to know his stuff. Oh well, you live and learn. I guess i have learned this time!!lol
vx

markyboy2005

Its in Indonesia?

You have probably been scammed mate - is there an address? I can maybe check if its a real address.

I don't want to jinx you.....but is the address in a city called Surabaya? I hope not as there have been a number of bogus web scams from false locations in that city......

Let me know if I can help.

markyboy2005

Okay just checked the address is on there. I'll send one of the guys in the office out to see if its a real place/shop/warehouse and then I will let you know.

Give me 24 hours.

daviesee

Prime reason to use a credit card instead of a debit card when buying on line.

Money is much easier clamed back.

Sorry if you have suffered a loss.

mattward1979

Totally sucks!!

Hope you get your money back.. Lot of cash to dissapear into the ether.

tlw1

markyboy2005 wrote:

Okay just checked the address is on there. I'll send one of the guys in the office out to see if its a real place/shop/warehouse and then I will let you know.

Give me 24 hours.

One of the big guys

markyboy2005

unfortunately in Indonesia.....I am one of the biggest....

tlw1

markyboy2005 wrote:

unfortunately in Indonesia.....I am one of the biggest....

vladx

@markyboy 2005,
thanks buddy, That would be really helpful mate. Hopefully nobody else gets scammed. I have written to Beone and Cube. Their products are featured quite prominently on their website. Hopefully they can stop the site from advertising their products.

@daviesee
I did a bank trasfer to their bank account. Fortunately, in Australia we are somewhat protected (apparently) by our laws. I have arequested a transfer cancel from my bank and hopefully they can recover the money.

cheers everyone for your comments.

vx

nferrar

Bummer but agree with the others about mail order from places outside of the US & Europe (and even then you're taking a risk), there have been a few people posting here in the past about scam sites.

markyboy2005

Just a little local feedback:

1. Customer service here is usually really bad. Not through lack of effort, but through lack of understanding of what westerners expect.

2. Indonesian buisness practices are very very risk adverse. There is a real chance they have no stock and only buy when you order. Causing delays.

3. Bank transfer- again due to fear of fraud etc, Indonesian businesses almost never do card not present transactions. You should hear me on the phone trying to buy flights with even big companies like Emirates.

Not saying you have not been scammed, but there may be genuine reasons for delay and you might be okay.

My secretary is trying to call them at the minute. I am in meetings right now, but I'll pop on later and let you know if we have found anything.

Cheers

vladx

Thanks again markyboy,
Hopefully, they come through with the product and i can retract all my comments.....and send them a case of beer! LOL
vx

markyboy2005

They wont drink it as they are Muslim(probably)....best you send it to me!!

Ben6899

Fingers crossed this all works out.

markyboy's help sums up what I love about these forums!

markyboy2005

Hi Vladx.....its not looking good I am afraid.

We have phoned Telkom and tried to trace the number and address. The number is fake and the address has a company called PT Bumi Sehat there. Its basically a Pharmacy for Pregnant women or something like that (they have a web page).

I have also done a little research and found the following:

What's at that address

http://www.urbanesia.com/bumi-sehat-apotik

Company owner details

http://www.hktdc.com/sourcing/manufactu ... onvelo.htm

Yahoo Answers (Someone else Scammed)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 726AAwWUZA

There is another Phone number in the company owner details link, you may want to phone that and see where you go.

Look at the Yahoo Answers page and you will see that someone else is saying they have been scammed by these guys

One of my drivers is on his way there with a camera to see what is physically at the location, he will also ask a few questions and see if he can find an owner or another number or something.

Personally, I am not holding out much hope at the moment, but lets see what happens.

I'll let you know.

markyboy2005

Sorry, its a scam, there is nothing there........

he ho.....chalk it up to experience.

gregster10217

I have to say I'm very impressed, markyboy, with the help and effort you went to in helping a fellow cyclist in an hour of need.
Well done you, nice to know that there are people still out there prepared to help.

giant_man

gregster10217 wrote:

I have to say I'm very impressed, markyboy, with the help and effort you went to in helping a fellow cyclist in an hour of need.
Well done you, nice to know that there are people still out there prepared to help.

+1 - absolutely! Well done markyboy2005, so helpful in this chap's plight, well done man!!

markyboy2005

well shucks fella's, cheers.

Just a shame about the outcome......

kingderham

That was good of you Markyboy2005, i cant believe vladx did not do his homework before ordering on line,if hed phoned them up before placing order, he would probably have found out the line was disconnected and then never placed the order.If iI buy online i phone the company before placing order and check bike radar forums for other peoples comments on internet shops to use, i have learnt that dave hind gets some good but more bad comments so wont use them, Wiggle and Chain reaction cycles get a lot more good reviews than bad so i use them and have never had a problem with either.I also ask the cyclists i cycle with who they use.

vladx

Markeyboy you've been great hlep mate. Oh well you live and learn i guess. Thanks for going to the trouble to find out for me, really appreciate it. Ill have to be very careful next time i buy stuff over the net.

cheers.
VX

Matt the Tester

markyboy2005 wrote:

Sorry, its a scam, there is nothing there........

he ho.....chalk it up to experience.

very helpful mate! genuinely nice

stolen_by_bonvelo.net

Thanks for this first thread on that thief!
I have also lost my money with them so we need to ensure that other can find easily this issue on internet. I have started to create facebook acount as well as tweeter account to populate this reality about bonvelo.net everywhere on social media.
Secondly I will also post as you did here on other bike, vtt, mtb forums in Europe to spread up that scandal :twisted:

In that way we can be more referenced on search engine like google and be first or close to first position in organic results when people searchs for info about Rianti and Bonvelo.net

willbevan

markyboy2005: Fair play for your help!

vladx

Hey stolen by bonvelo,
im still fuming about Bonvelo.net. Now i will have to settle for a lesser bike. But as markeyboy mentioned we goto suck it up and move on.
I might start a thread on here to get people to list bogus websites.
vx

markyboy2005

I have sent them an email explaining I am in Jakarta and would like to come and have a look before buying - probably wont go anywhere, but if greed gets the better of them, I may get somewhere.....for some reason I can't let this one go!!

Will update later.

vladx

You're a legend Markeyboy!! You'll have to pm me your physical address so i can send you a bottle of South Oz 's finest!

stolen_by_bonvelo.net

I double thanks from vladx to Markyboy2005 for this support for the bike community. Thanks to this thread it's already visible on first page of google results associated to this bonvelo.net scam!

lewishamilton

Top lad markyboy!

If they agree to meet, take a baseball bat with you...and a camera!