A work of warning about Planet X

jimbomay

Firstly this company has a good reputation. They are known for building good bikes and so take what I say in balance with all the positive things that are said about them. I will keep it factual.

Planet X SL Pro Carbon with SRAM Red Groupset.

Bike ordered August 10th. Due date 2nd week of September.

The due date slipped and slipped until I had a build date of Wednesday 20th OCTOBER with next day delivery.

Email to inform me that there was a 24 hour delay.

I booked off Friday and waited at home. No bike or contact. I emailed them at lunch time and they told be it arrive on Monday 25th.

Bike turned up today. I did not get any email or text from DPD (the courier) as suggested by Planet X to tell me what slot for delivery the bike had.

Bike turned up. Generally as per spec. However I opted for the extra SLK carbon light chainset. They sent it out with the standard option. They also neglected to include the Time pedals I ordered.

Communication has been poor, although I would not say terrible.

Factual stuff over, now my rant... feel free to ignore this bit!

Im dying to ride this bike. I really thought I would get some late summer riding in. No chance. I arranged for a biking weekend in Wales to christen the bike with my mates this weekend, booked accommodation etc. but the last minute delay and poor communication meant that I ended up in Wales on my old bike. And as I presume I am now going to have to somehow send it back and wait for them to change the chainset it could be a lot longer still until I actually get to ride the bike.

Also given this bike is over a month and a half late the communication and apploagies have not been very fortcoming. (They could have at least thown a spare set of inner tubes in as a good will gesture? Is that too much to ask?)

I hope I have kept this relatively fair and factual. Im sorry to be writing this as I would most definitely prefer to have been writing how I have just had an amazing weekend riding a new great value bike amazing bike.... you will have to wait a bit longer for that one!

Jamie

andyrr

Doesn't sound the best experience ever - re chainset - couldn't you get them to ship the corrcet one to you and you swap it over else they get you to take to a shop for them to do it and they pay for that (would only take minutes) ? There is as much risk of damage to the bike getting it sent to then from P-X as there is for a relatively cheap item (the chainset) being removed by someone other than P-X themselves.
Best to phone them and tell them what you want (being reasonable and realistic) instead of having any more ranting on here.
My guess is that the drop on their quality of service could be down to the recent rush that they've brought on themselves with their great offers and have been rushing a bit too much.

giant_man

You should also send your rant to Planet X direct, or contact them by phone, telling them you've posted on here, you never know, you may get something from it.

As Andy above says, their great offers usually bring on unfulfilled or late orders, this isn't the first time I've heard this .....

amaferanga

Phone them. Its always easier to sort these kind of things out if you talk to someone, particularly if you can talk to the right person.

Funnily enough though when I went to collect my Nanolight it also had the Gossamer chainset and not the upgraded one I'd paid for, but they swapped it out there and then.

Gazzaputt

Shoddy is all I can say on this.

My online bike buying experience with Wiggle and Canyon were both exemplary.

Wiggle informed every step of the way.

Canyon were the German efficiency you'd expect!

redddraggon

Gazzaputt wrote:

Shoddy is all I can say on this.

My online bike buying experience with Wiggle and Canyon were both exemplary.

Wiggle informed every step of the way.

Canyon were the German efficiency you'd expect!

Have Canyon improved then? There used to be nothing but bad stories about them.

jimbomay

I have been in touch with them all along, most of the time by email as it is difficult for me to make personal; calls during work hours.

I have emailed them there and Im hoping they will reply today at some point.

I will keep you informed.

Buckled_Rims

I ordered 3 (smaller) items in middle August and they arrived very quickly. So I suspect they didn't have the frame or components to build your bike, rather then have the man power to build it up (August/September) is always IMO a bad time to buy anything as theres too many staff on holidays.

Having the wrong chainset is a real bummer and the one I'd be most angry about. I could cope with delivery delays, non appearing pedals, etc, but an essential component being wrong is a bad mistake on their part.

I'd ask for a full explanation and how they're going to rectify it. I'm pretty certain they'll be decent and admit the mistake, but I can imagine you're gutted and disappointed.

Gazzaputt

redddraggon wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

Shoddy is all I can say on this.

My online bike buying experience with Wiggle and Canyon were both exemplary.

Wiggle informed every step of the way.

Canyon were the German efficiency you'd expect!

Have Canyon improved then? There used to be nothing but bad stories about them.

Canyon were excellent. Emailed me at every stage of the buying and delivery process. Replied to queries within 24 hours and couldn't have been more helpful.

Even got a Ritchey Carbon WCS seatpost instead of the alloy one it was supposed to have been delivered with.

Best part was that at the price the frame and fork were a steal.

dave35

Put it down to bad luck, Planet x's service is usually second to none.
I enquired about a frame size which was answered within 24 hours, ordered the frame etc. on saturday/recieved e-mail from their courier stating the exact time they would deliver on the day-and it was there as expected.
Realised i'd forgot to order a part so orderd that on the monday and same as before it arrived right on time.
Wiggle are normally o.k but when i ordered something that said due in stock 2-3 days it took 5 weeks before i finally cancelled the order without any communication from them at all.

Ribble rider

I have nothing but praise for them.
Bought an SL Pro carbon from them in May and was notified by email every step from order to building to delivery.
I recently had a rear Planet X Model B rear wheel disintegrate, literally. I emailed PX, with some photos to prove what had happened and Ian Cammish returned my email within hours and has arranged for a replacement to be sent when they are back in stock.
Bought clothing, bike and parts from them and found them to be quick and extremely professional in comparison to some of the other bigger suppliers.

hopper1

giant mancp wrote:

You should also send your rant to Planet X direct, or contact them by phone, telling them you've posted on here, you never know, you may get something from it.

As Andy above says, their great offers usually bring on unfulfilled or late orders, this isn't the first time I've heard this .....

I doubt there's any need to tell PX as they use Google alert!
No doubt PX Dave will be along to smooth things... :roll:

reformer

Bought clothing, bike and parts from them and found them to be quick and extremely professional in comparison to some of the other bigger suppliers.

I agree, one of the best online stores I've dealt with.

singlespeedexplosif

I have nothing but praise for them. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
+1

warrior4life

Ive bought 3 bikes and 4 sets of wheels from them over the years, lots of other bits as well and the only problem i have was with Dura ace 1380's. Said they had them in stock but had to wait 6 weeks,
They kept me informed though and answered all emails.

Im sure if you get in touch with them they'll sort everything out, they are a great company.

dru

Sounds like you had a bit of bad luck, also maybe - just maybe you were a bit too keen with booking the weekend away with the lads to christen the bike.

The service I received for mine was brilliant.

I ordered mine PXSL Part Red AFTER yours - something like the 14th of August. By that time most 'optional extra' such as the chainset had gone' therefore you could argue that mine was a simplier build and was in the 'easier' queue to make once the correct sized frame had come in.

I too was keen as mustard to get my bike, therefore I badgered PX for a date. They expalined and sent out an email saying what the system was and explained clearly about the date proceedure and when bits were coming in and scheduled etc etc

I wanted the bike delivering to Bike Science in Bristol to get a Retul fit, so I was chading them for a date (so I could book the session in with Andy)

They were realistic, they said that the bike was due to be built on the 20th, to be shipped on the 21st, so to not book any session before the 24th. This would give a 3 day window for any delay.

This delay could have been during the day of the build, the day of the shipping (boxing despatch) and the day of delivery (courier) or all of the above.

As it happens my bike was delivered with no issues on 22nd September, therefore the retul fit I'd booked on the 27th was safe.

It just sounds as thou you were a bit too keen and due to one factor or another the bike did not turn up on the exact date you'd had hoped for and that px had originally given.

It's a pity that people think that they should be compensated for a delay etc - I would however remind you, that you did order a bike that retailed for £1599 or whatever for the tiny sum of £1099 (excluding upgrades) on the basis that they would be built and supplied about 6 weeks later etc etc

With respect to your pedals then again, I just think that was bad luck, why were they not shipped at the time of your order?

At the time I also ordered a few other bits and peices from PX and they arrived the next day.

I've had limited experience with PX, but the service I've received from them has been first class, including numerous phonecalls and emails about compatability issues with freehubs and wgheels from compag to shimano etc etc all of which did not end up in orders placed etc etc.

That said I've also received good service from Wiggle, CRC and Evans when I've ordered from them too.

Oh P.S. The bike rides fantastic! - well worth the wait

sturmey

Still waiting for them to discount the Stealth frame and forks since they are so old hat now.

Might buy one then...

simonaspinall

I've had a similar experience with the communication issues with Planet X - Although the price and quality of the items + the speed of shipment really was excellent. I ordered shinao ultegra build hubs + DT swiss rims, handbuilt and next day delivery x3 for £225.
They were sent with 105 hubs on which I was a bit p*ssed about. Dave did apologise for that and pointed out I was getting a good deal as the rims alone are about £50. I only found out about the hubs when I took them out of the box and he said I could take them as they come or send them back for a full refund. A true Yorkshireman to the end!

It's also good to know you can pick up the phone and speak to the bloke in charge who'll actually be able to do somethig rather than a customer services person.

I'd give an 8 out of 10, though have only bought wheels and below in cost, not a full bike.

wildmoustache

Mistakes do happen. It's pretty poor from them for sure. Taking a day off and booking a trip away - a bit risky IMO - means some of your £££savings made going through P-X have gone up in smoke.

BTW, I'd rather have a Red chainset (is that what you have fitted) to the SLK.

ugo.santalucia

I tell you what I would do...

try and get the other chainset delivered, while retaining the current one. Ride it and surely they won't ask for it back. I would then keep the current setup for the winter and upgrade the chainset only in spring when the roads are dry... chainrings wear very quickly in winter

cougie

My orders from Planet X have been very smooth - no problems at all. Sorry to hear you've been unlucky.

Zachariah

I just noticed the spelling mistake in the thread title...My brain automatically read it as 'word'...

dmch2

I've been wondering if the OP will notice and correct it since about the 3rd time I saw the thread. Didn't notice the first couple of times either...

jimbomay

dmch2 wrote:

I've been wondering if the OP will notice and correct it since about the 3rd time I saw the thread. Didn't notice the first couple of times either...

OP - is that original poster - is that me? If so I realised after I released the post but didnt know I could change it!
UPDATE
so here is how its panned out.
Planet X were very apologetic and we spoke about the best way to sort this out, choosing to send the new chain set out. I had it sent to my work address but unfortunately I then had a job out of the office for two weeks!
I finally picked up the chainset on friday and in the absence of the correct tool to remove the bottom bracket and also wanting the 'shop fresh' feel choose to get my local bike shop to change it over. I picked up the complete ready to ride bike today and I have to say it is superb. I grabbed a quick ride and it is a fantastic ride. I am praying for a dry weekend so i can really put it through its paces.
I said originally that I want to keep things factual and hopefully I have. Hopefully you have read all the post too and you would have noticed that 95% of them are very positive.
Im normal quite a lucky guy, but this time around I think that I got hit with bad luck.
Overall I got a top spec bike at a really good price. Planet X are a good honest bike shop and I fell foul of bad luck, maybe brought on my a bit of a rush to get a bike out.. but all the same, they have since done their best to get things sorted.
I think the reviews speak for themselves and I would go back to them again:)

dru

Glad to hear it's all been sorted out..... I'll help pray for Dry Weather for you to go spend some time out on the new steed

daveplanetx

Had a quick look into the order - its partly a cock up with the mis-picks but partly due to cyclescheme issues .

- order placed on the 10th aug on BTW , but voucher not send in until 09 sep so the bike order fell into the oct batch as by the 9 september delivery was clearly october .

- email sent on the 10th of oct giving a build date of the 20th. Then was sent an email on the 20 th saying there had been a slight delay on the build and that would receive an email when his bike was dispatched , dispatch email was sent on the 22nd.


Cyclescheme is a difficult one to process efficiently - there is quite a high (20%) drop out rate , so customers place an order and consider this to be when the order will be processed , however most vouchers take about a month , and 20% are never completed . Hence in this case the clock didnt start ticking regarding delivery until 10 September - by which time we had used up our allocation of carbon frames for september and couldnt import any more frames until October (we can only import 299 pcs per month).

Anyway - all in all still not good enough and the mis-picks shouldnt have happened so sorry for that .

Scrumple

double doo dahh

Scrumple

Sounds reasonable to me. There is always going to be a quibble at some point with a popular and busy bike store. I don't think people need warning about the good guys, even when they slip up.

Shjt happens.

As for the OP apologising for the spelling error - just edit the first post and make it right!

ShutUpLegs

A work of warning to you, watch out for sticky keyboard buttons 8)

Tail end Charlie

I've used Planet X four times recently, once for a complete bike and the rest for clothing and other bits and bobs.
On every occasion they've been spot on. Updated as to receipt, dispatch and delivery. The courier they use (DPD ?) are great aswell, they turn up when they say they will or leave the stuff where I request.
Always best to speak with a shop/ store about problems, but I've not had any with Planet X.

Anonymous

DPD are the tops!