Poor Ribble Cycles Customer Service

pete54

Hi,

My new wheels arrived from Ribble this morning like this:



The delivery guy said the packaging was inadequate and I can't get the wheels back in the box without pushing the hub back thorough the hole. The box is too narrow.

I sent Ribble an email first thing, and another later to chase up. Finally, I rang and just got a message saying that they weren't providing a telephone service on Thursday 6 January, even though it's Friday today. Is it normal for Ribble to shut their Customer Services down like this?

The end of the hub is scuffed, but I'm more worried about any other damage that may have occurred. I don't want to send the wheels back as they don't have any more in stock and they cost more elsewhere.

Karl2010

Ribble are very very dificult to get on the phone.
Send them an email and they will get back to you "eventualy".

customer service is a bit slow.

pete54

Thanks. I was thinking of buying a frame from them, but I don't think I'll bother now.

hugo15

If I was the delivery guy I would say that too!

I've had two sets of wheels recently from Ribble in the last year both in the same type of box as yours without any problems. Both sets had plastic discs in the hubs to stop the hubs coming through the box. Did yours have them?

ADIHEAD

hugo15 wrote:

If I was the delivery guy I would say that too!

I've had two sets of wheels recently from Ribble in the last year both in the same type of box as yours without any problems. Both sets had plastic discs in the hubs to stop the hubs coming through the box. Did yours have them?

+1

My Bracchiano's were fine and had caps on them. We buy from Ribble because they're cheap! I got 2 chains today and a cassette, all in plastic bags, the cassette loose and all the cogs mixed up!

Couldn't give a monkeys though as I saved £7 per chain and £10 on the cassette compared to CRC. They've gotta make savings somehow.

Suspect they forgot to put the caps on your wheels then? They'll swap em for you I'm sure. I sent a light back to them that broke 11months after I bought it. They didn't reply to my email, acknowledge receipt of the light. But they did credit my account without query.

They're fine but if you want service, buy from your LBS or Wiggle and pay more......

pete54

hugo15 wrote:

Both sets had plastic discs in the hubs to stop the hubs coming through the box. Did yours have them?

Only on the end that didn't come through the side of the box. They must have forgotten the other one.

ADIHEAD wrote:

They'll swap em for you I'm sure.

They don't have any in stock to swap them for.

ADIHEAD

Suppose you either wait for more stock, or pay more somewhere else then. Hard I know but remember they're a bargain basement shop, that's how they cut costs.....

I'm assuming you say they don't have stock as you've checked their site, they may be able to get the one wheel replaced sooner. It may be they can get the hub replaced by the distributor/manufacturer? If you can wait I'd give them a chance to sort it out and see what they say.

pete54

ADIHEAD wrote:

I'm assuming you say they don't have stock as you've checked their site, they may be able to get the one wheel replaced sooner.

Yes, I checked the stock level on their website.

Anonymous

Can't say much about their after sales service as I haven't brought yet. But on the couple of occasions I've sent them emails about the bike I want to buy they've replied very quick in deed.

If I send a email in the evening I normally get a reply the following morning.

sturmey

If the wheels are still serviceable and the damage is light and cosmetic I would politely ask them via email for some goodwill compensation and tell them that you will keep the wheels. Lot less hassle for them than if you sent them back so they will probably oblige.
Depends on the price you paid for them but I would ask for £20 minimum or 10% of value of wheels whichever is greater.

pete54

sturmey wrote:

If the wheels are still serviceable and the damage is light and cosmetic I would politely ask them via email for some goodwill compensation and tell them that you will keep the wheels. Lot less hassle for them than if you sent them back so they will probably oblige.
Depends on the price you paid for them but I would ask for £20 minimum or 10% of value of wheels whichever is greater.

Thanks for the advice, I was thinking along those lines. Hopefully I can get a response out of them

I have put the wheels on my bike and they seem ok, but will give it a ride tomorrow and see if anything breaks. The freewheel seems eerily quiet, but maybe that's just how it's supposed to sound (they're Pro-Lite Bracchianos).

CarbonCopy

Prolite freewheels are extremely quiet.

top_bhoy

Just before Xmas I had reason to email Ribble relating to an order I had received. In under 30 minutes to my laptop here in Oz, I had a reply and within a week everything was resolved. Yes they stuffed up initially but so what, it has never happened in all my previous orders so I'm happy to cut them some slack. This in my opinion is great customer service - resolving the problems with minimal fuss and inconvenience. One email was all it took.

We are all too quick to bag companies (and I am sometimes the worst) so when good service happens it should be recognised so I emailed them back to thank them and compliment their customer service..

Admittedly they are slow in updating the order status online but if you email them to query (include the order no. in the subject line), I've always found rhem to be prompt.

allez24

Ordered some goods twixt xmas and new year, was informed it would take 1-3 days to be delivered. Still waiting. Have mailed them and tried to ring. Zilch. Very dissapointing.
A lesson has been learned.

northpole

pete54 wrote:

sturmey wrote:

If the wheels are still serviceable and the damage is light and cosmetic I would politely ask them via email for some goodwill compensation and tell them that you will keep the wheels. Lot less hassle for them than if you sent them back so they will probably oblige.
Depends on the price you paid for them but I would ask for £20 minimum or 10% of value of wheels whichever is greater.

Thanks for the advice, I was thinking along those lines. Hopefully I can get a response out of them

I have put the wheels on my bike and they seem ok, but will give it a ride tomorrow and see if anything breaks. The freewheel seems eerily quiet, but maybe that's just how it's supposed to sound (they're Pro-Lite Bracchianos).

Not sure I would have gone public with the fact that I had put the wheels on my bike, particularly if it turns out that there is nothing wrong with them.

Have to say I have used Ribble a few times and have been extremely impressed at their ability to post things out quickly. Don't lets forget that December has been a complete nightmare for the postal service due to the unprecedented weather conditions - just ask the chairman of BAA how he found it (if he bothered to look)....

Peter

neeb

If the wheels run completely true and the bearings feel smooth, there will almost certainly be nothing wrong with them. The cosmetic scuffing will be invisible when the wheels are fitted and is the sort of thing you would get from normal use anyway.

Freewheels vary a lot in the noise they make depending on the design as well as the type of grease used.

Appalling packaging from Ribble and really annoying, but if it was me I wouldn't consider the hassle of returning them to be worth the effort and would just take a deep breath and forget about it.

Definitely worth trying for some compensation from Ribble however, and hopefully by drawing their and other people's attention to it you will give them reason to avoid this mistake in future...

pete54

After politely asking for a £20 refund, Ribble have agreed, so this matter is now concluded. As mentioned above they do eventually reply to your emails.

Thanks for all the advice.

aussie_bruce

I've just bought for the first time from Ribble....ok it was just a couple of Michelein Pro Race 3 tyres but they came exactly when the company said they would, properly wrapped up etc........i know there's thousands of people on online forums saying how bad they are at the customer service thing....it's a pity as I was considering oredering a bike from their bike builder service....anyone got any experience of this ?

navrig

I've bought a few things from Ribble inlucing one of the audax bikes.

All deliveries have been on time and well wrapped. The bike was well setup until I knocked the rear mech and it tangoed with the rear wheel spokes. Getting a replacement hanger from them was difficult but given that this was 10 days before Xmas 2009 perhaps they could be forgiven for being hassled.

Once I got their attention by email and phone they sent a replacement (free of charge).

I am just about to place an order for a new bike with them too. Two phone calls so far and they have been answered and my questions dealt with.

So they get a thumbs up from me.

rolf_f

aussie_bruce wrote:

I've just bought for the first time from Ribble....ok it was just a couple of Michelein Pro Race 3 tyres but they came exactly when the company said they would, properly wrapped up etc........i know there's thousands of people on online forums saying how bad they are at the customer service thing....it's a pity as I was considering oredering a bike from their bike builder service....anyone got any experience of this ?

The special edition bikes are better value but less options. I ordered a bike from the special edition section. I picked it up in person - they had forgotten to set the brakes up European style which was no problem for me as they could sort it while I was in the area but it would be more of a bother if you'd got it in the post.

So, maybe not entirely the best organised firm in the world but I've never had any problem with them at all - communication has always been spot on for me. I do wonder if their slightly dodgy reputation is still deserved.

revvers

Hello bought frame , gear set from Ribble. Arrived yesterday, all great, good value. have bought loads of stuff before and never had a prob. Even spoke to lads on the phone for advice and found them very friendly and helpful. Just wanted to add a bit of balance

canamdad

Last Friday, I placed an order with Ribble that was delivered the next day, Saturday. That beat the email confirmation of shipping that didn't arrive until Monday! No complaints there!

sturmey

They are definitely getting better. Stock levels are generally good and component prices consistently low.
Website still needs a few tweaks. Proper full frame geometries are sadly lacking for a number of the aluminium frames and my experience has been that an email enquiry does not always yield the correct information.

giant_man

I have had no problems with Ribble have to say. They do pack stuff a bit strangely at times but I can forgive them that, good service all the time imo.