Chain Reaction Cycles - Your Honest Opinion

addivllangirb

Urghhhhhh where to start with CRC.....

They have some excellent bargains and at times the service is very very good. But at the minute my feelings towards them are far from positive, of my past 5 orders in the past 9 months, 60% of them there is now a significant issues with.

Order 1: Pair of heavily discounted but instock flip-flops over 6 weeks to dispatch and deliver, only dissertation writing stopped me complaining heavily.
Order 2: Selection of items ordered over a discount weekend, money taken on the Wednesday no sign of items being dispatched, following Monday (8 days after order placed) phone up to chase to be told order is just sitting there and hasn't been processed. Finally receive order on Wednesday afternoon, order initially looks good and complete, however on closer examination one of the new XT pedals ordered has at sometime been fitted to a bike then appears to have been disassembled and had the spindle and seals removed and refitted improperly. Email them that afternoon about said fault and wait - heck I even provided a phone number and invited them to call me. Come Friday afternoon and having not heard from them I ring them again, and after being passed round an amount and left on hold for 5+ mins, am told I can keep the set I have a new pair will be in the post that day and a voucher will be sent for money off my next order. By way of explanation they point to having received 44,000 orders the week before. Needless to say Sunday morning I receive an email with a £10 voucher in. Still haven't seen a new set of pedals though... They will be getting a call on Friday.
Order 3: After the above debacle I might have left it a while before trying them again, but the need for a new tyre and a headset spacer meant I had to buy from somewhere and given the arrival of a £10 off voucher I thought might as well use it. Money left the account on Tuesday and as of this time no sign of the goods being dispatched.

After all this I'm beginning to wonder what my other options are and whether its worth paying more for the chance of seeing what I ordered in a reasonable time frame...

vmgscot

I have only been a mail order customer of CRC since mid 90's (first order was 'zochi bomber lites - remember them?) and had very few issues... any have been sorted well to my satisfaction. I have noticed the time to 'process order' and ship as gotten longer in recent year... no longer always shipped same day as ordered.

I use all the ussual suspects and find Merlin the best service but poor range of stuff. Just tried Rose for the first time... impressive processing/shipping.

Anonymous

The best are the smaller ones. UK Bike Store, On One / Planet X, Superstar, BikeTart, Dotbike, Next Day Tyres. All been next day and no extra cost in shipping, good communication. Big orders at On One even come via one of the better smaller couriers that give a delivery slot on the day.

WHS, LLB, Merlin, Wiggle are the others I've ordered from in the main and no problems with them really. Wiggle are usually next day, sometimes the day after.

.blitz

Just remember before the Internet you had to:
* cut out an order form from a magazine
* write down your name and address & the stuff you wanted.
* get a postal order from the post office
* put it all in an envelope, stick a stamp on it and post it
* wait at least 28 days before anything happened.

Think about that the next time you click on 'buy now'.

delcol

urghhhhh uk bike store they the ones who sell you faulty goods then dont warrenty replace them...

Northwind

deadkenny wrote:

The best are the smaller ones. UK Bike Store, On One / Planet X, Superstar,

Out of your list... UK Bike Store took an order for a part from me and said they'd have it in 3 days. A week later, they said they'd have it in a week. A week later, they said they'd have it in a week. And a week later... Oh, you guessed? So I cancelled it. So then about 6 months later, they suddenly charged me for the part and decided to send it to me! OTOH every other time I've dealt with them, they were good.

On One- decent, as long as they know what they're selling- products turn out to be not quite what it says on the website. No intent to mislead though I don't think, just disorganisation. Other highlights like sending out Carbon 456s with the wrong dropout bolts so they can't be built, for months- I had this in July, took 2 weeks to sort, in August it was still happening to people. Again, just disorganisation/incompetence.

And Superstar would need their own thread tbh. Good when they're good, awful when they're bad.
"This part doesn't work"
"OK, here's the instructions to service it"
"OK, serviced it, still doesn't work, I'm sending it back"
"You must have broken it when you serviced it! But it's fixed now"
"It was broken before I serviced it, you spaz, that's why I serviced it! And it's STILL BLOOMIN BROKEN"

2 months to get sorted and they still owe me P&P for the 2 returns.

So what I'm saying is- everyone has their ups and downs.

Chunkers1980

I just used to phone Merlin up and order based on the price listings in MBUK.

Anonymous

Northwind wrote:

So what I'm saying is- everyone has their ups and downs.

Indeed, and few people post threads saying how wonderful their experience has been, only how crap.

I just go by my personal experience basically, so Victor Meldrew I may be, but from experience I'll prefer other than CRC if delivery time is important. Still they have their place due to low prices (and a low price makes anything popular, even if the service or product is crap). Suppose I should be paying a premium to support my local LBS though.

andyrm

Ordered plenty of times from them and never had a single problem. But my viewpoint may be slightly clouded in that I work in an industry that is heavily reliant on third party delivery services so am probably more accommodating if there is ever a delay. Not that I can actually ever think of any delays though TBH. I am aware that so called "first class" by the pikey post nicking Royal Snail normally means 3-4 working days these days, so always accommodate that and if I need something urgently, pay the extra for Special Delivery on the next day AM service.

Kaise

So the concensus is generally good with the odd grumble, i must just be unlucky at the minute i think

I have a bike delivered that was damaged, chips/scratches etc, after a few very helpful phonecalls backward and forward we settled on £100 giftvouchers in compensation.

Trying to spend the vouchers has been difficult though as i ordered some 5.10 impact trainers and some azonic shorts, chased them about it today and the guy, again very very helpful, said that the 5.10's were nowhere to be found in the warehouse and the quickest thing to do is cancel the order as i wont see them this side of xmas.

frustrating but at least he was honest with me, and thats all i want a company thats "transparent" and actually tells me whats going on.

Overall i am happy with the customer service side of things but the delivery and dispatch need sorting as thats the niggle i currently have,.

delcol

just got (just delvered now) our crc order it was placed on sunday.. dont know if everything is in it though as it's our kids order and will have to wait untill he gets home from work to check it.

andyrm

Thebigbee wrote:

I think it might be a blip but also take into account that The Royal Mail is an utter joke nowadays.

I remember a time when we used to get our mail in the morning and a second delivery in the afternoon. We are lucky if we get one delivery at between 12-2PM now. Do posties not work in the morning anymore?

I also remember a time when paying for 1st class post it got there the next day or in 2 working days. That doesn't happen now. Posted my old dear a birthday card that didn't arrive until a week later!! No Saturday deliveries for first class. If any company needed a kick up the ass and needed to be privatised this is it.

Agreed. If ever a company needed forced privatisation, all staff made to reapply for their jobs on modern terms not the anachronistic union driven joke of a contract they currently have, Royal Mail is it. But that's another thread altogether...........

delcol

spoken like a true tory....

when has privatisation worked.. it just makes the fat cats fatter and dicks the people, look at the state of the railway network, since that got privatised.

Kaise

Kaise wrote:

So the concensus is generally good with the odd grumble, i must just be unlucky at the minute i think

I have a bike delivered that was damaged, chips/scratches etc, after a few very helpful phonecalls backward and forward we settled on £100 giftvouchers in compensation.

Trying to spend the vouchers has been difficult though as i ordered some 5.10 impact trainers and some azonic shorts, chased them about it today and the guy, again very very helpful, said that the 5.10's were nowhere to be found in the warehouse and the quickest thing to do is cancel the order as i wont see them this side of xmas.

frustrating but at least he was honest with me, and thats all i want a company thats "transparent" and actually tells me whats going on.

Overall i am happy with the customer service side of things but the delivery and dispatch need sorting as thats the niggle i currently have,.

Ok so i might have to eat my words on this one, just got a call from CRC, they have found all the items for my order and are posting it today and are giving me £20 as a gift voucher because they have kept me waiting so long

So let me work this one out;
£1250 Bike
£23.99 Pedals
-£100 online discount
79.99 5.10 impacts
44.99 Azonic Shorts
-£15 online discount
-£100 Compensation gift vouchers (bike arrived damaged)
Total spend = 1183.97 + £20 gift voucher!

I've still spent less than the bike originally cost and i have Pedals, Shoes and Shorts plus still got money to spend! wtf


CRC - ta very much!

Anonymous

delcol wrote:

look at the state of the railway network, since that got privatised.

It sucks or can be okay depending where you live and how rich you are true. However I'd rather even the crapiest parts of the privatised network than the old slam door deathtrap, always on strike, miserable experience under British Rail. The network would be falling apart by now with little maintenance or upgrades. Though prices would be cheaper.

Royal Mail is much the same. It needs a kick up the backside to make it realise that people and businesses depend on the mail and it should be run as a business not as a right of employment.

Still, can keep it public, but just allow competition (unions won't like that) and get the Germans in delivering mail to the door. Then see how RM lasts.

Dick Scruttock

Rick Draper wrote:

Ordered some aero bars yesterday evening, I have opted for the parcel force 24hr delivery. Still says processing on the site but I have had this before and they have been dispatched and the status has just not been changed. Guess I will find out tomorrow though!

Update on this order. Received the email to say they had been dispatched at 7am this morning, checked the site and it said dispatched at 00.00 15/12/11 so was unsure if they were sent today or yesterday. Gave CRC a call and it turns out they said they were sent today. One of those things, just down to sheer volume of orders at this time of year i guess.

delcol

dk it might be ok for you rich southerners but it a shambles ooop here.

not that i use the railwaynetwork or any kind of public transport, might get mugged raped or pillaged :oops:

as for the germans they been trying to get in on the uk mail for years,, deutsche post buying alot of big name delivery compainies,,

freeagent

I've been buying stuff from them for the last 18 months, and have had some killer deals.
I seem to remember the service went a bit wobbly before last Christmas (had to wait 2 weeks for a Camelbak) but on the whole they've been great, and they are always my first choice.

cryocon

Thebigbee wrote:

cryocon wrote:

Mojo_666 wrote:

I have found CRC to be very slow and very unhelpful of late.

I've just had a similar experience. Only ordered from them once before, a couple of years ago, with no problem. Thought i'd try them again, but this time it took two weeks for my order to turn up (an instock jacket), and after three emails to them too. It wasn't until the last email where i asked for them to cancel my order did i then get an email saying it had been despatched. Coincidence? I'll stick with Wiggle from now on, never had any issues with
them.

So you are a regular customer of them... you ain't... but still found time to criticise them on the Internet.

Fair play. 3 emails. Did you try phoning them at all as they are well known for being slow to respond to emails?

And the point of your reply is what?

Anonymous

cryocon wrote:

It wasn't until the last email where i asked for them to cancel my order did i then get an email saying it had been despatched. Coincidence?

Missed that bit and just realised I had exactly the same.

In fact the email that came saying sorry they can't cancel arrived just minutes after the dispatch email turned up. Hmm.

To be fair after a further moan they did give me a credit.

addivllangirb

addivllangirb wrote:

Chopped

Order 2: [edited] Come Friday afternoon and having not heard from them I ring them again, and after being passed round an amount and left on hold for 5+ mins, am told I can keep the set I have a new pair will be in the post that day and a voucher will be sent for money off my next order. By way of explanation they point to having received 44,000 orders the week before. Needless to say Sunday morning I receive an email with a £10 voucher in. Still haven't seen a new set of pedals though... They will be getting a call on Friday.
Order 3: After the above debacle I might have left it a while before trying them again, but the need for a new tyre and a headset spacer meant I had to buy from somewhere and given the arrival of a £10 off voucher I thought might as well use it. Money left the account on Tuesday and as of this time no sign of the goods being dispatched.

After all this I'm beginning to wonder what my other options are and whether its worth paying more for the chance of seeing what I ordered in a reasonable time frame...

Right today I recieved a lovely email informing me that the instock tyre I ordered does not exist for delivery purposes,

CRC wrote:

Due to a fulfilment issue we are unable to include WTB Prowler MX Race Tyre 2011 26 x 2.3 Folding Black in your order at this time.

This about pushed me over the edge with regards to them and their service, so spoiling for a fight I got on the phone to them ready to lay into which ever poor person answered the phone. I thought I'd save myself a phone call and start with the missing pedals from Order 2, well turns out they are only missing thanks to Royal Fail, and to their credit CRC have said not with me by Wednesday they will send another pair. Onto the tyre - by this time the Northern Irish accent had taken hold of me (bloomin weaknesses....) and I was no longer spoiling for a fight - apparently they have a computer to stock discrepancy at the moment that is quiet wide spread and they haven't got any fit for sale. So what would I like instead, well I figured I'd try two cheap Mountain Kings instead which came to approximately £2 over the original tyre cost. The differential has been written off as a 'goodwill' gesture which I think was the least they could have done. Needless to say I do not want more vouchers that I have to spend with them. Should be interesting as to when this lot finally arrives...

For reference I'd estimate that my orders are aprox a tenth the size of Kaise's which just shows its not value based issues...

El Diego

I've used CRC a lot and not had any issues. My only complaint is the massive boxes they use for the tiniest of components.

weeksy59

USed them about 40+ times and never had a single issue with them.

Only minor irritation is the pricing thing, you see something that looks like a bargain... but is only for dwarves.

gazhurst

I've ordered from them about 10 times and until recently I havent had a single issue with them.

I really needed a new set of bars and some other ancillery items before the first round of the Merida Brass Monkeys race a few weeks ago. As I didnt get paid until the Friday before the race I ordered from them and paid £25 for Guaranteed Saturday delivery. As I was on a late shift on the Saturday I waited in all morning for the post to come and when he did he had nothing. (I must point out that my order status was still showing as Processing however I've had this before and actually had the items before the order status has updated). I went to work at 1230 and left the other half at home to wait for the delivery...come 6pm still nothing so obviously it wasnt coming on Saturday.
Come Monday, I called them and was told that one of the items needed to be restocked although it was showing as in stock and that it hadnt even left the warehouse. To their credit, they offered to refund the postage, however, I felt that as I had wasted a whole day waiting which meant I couldnt seek alternative arrangements for the essential items I needed and then almost had to cancel the race which would have cost £20 itself, I deserved some sort of 'sweetner'. After being on hold for about 5 minutes, I was offered a £10 gift voucher + the postage refund and the promise that the items would be dispatched by Special delivery 9am immediately. 9am next morning and guess what....nothing. Another call and I was told that because I had changed the delivery address (as I was at work that day), it had delayed the dispatch. Another load of shouting etc and I was offered another £10 voucher which I then received along with the items on the Wednesday.

I used the vouchers on Tuesday along with a £50 voucher I got from the previous order. Its now Friday and I'm still waiting and my account status is still once again showing Processing.

Sorry for the long post but in summary, Wiggle or LBS will be getting more custom from me I think.

Ouija

gazhurst wrote:

I've ordered from them about 10 times and until recently I havent had a single issue with them.

I really needed a new set of bars and some other ancillery items before the first round of the Merida Brass Monkeys race a few weeks ago. As I didnt get paid until the Friday before the race I ordered from them and paid £25 for Guaranteed Saturday delivery. As I was on a late shift on the Saturday I waited in all morning for the post to come and when he did he had nothing. (I must point out that my order status was still showing as Processing however I've had this before and actually had the items before the order status has updated). I went to work at 1230 and left the other half at home to wait for the delivery...come 6pm still nothing so obviously it wasnt coming on Saturday.
Come Monday, I called them and was told that one of the items needed to be restocked although it was showing as in stock and that it hadnt even left the warehouse. To their credit, they offered to refund the postage, however, I felt that as I had wasted a whole day waiting which meant I couldnt seek alternative arrangements for the essential items I needed and then almost had to cancel the race which would have cost £20 itself, I deserved some sort of 'sweetner'. After being on hold for about 5 minutes, I was offered a £10 gift voucher + the postage refund and the promise that the items would be dispatched by Special delivery 9am immediately. 9am next morning and guess what....nothing. Another call and I was told that because I had changed the delivery address (as I was at work that day), it had delayed the dispatch. Another load of shouting etc and I was offered another £10 voucher which I then received along with the items on the Wednesday.

I used the vouchers on Tuesday along with a £50 voucher I got from the previous order. Its now Friday and I'm still waiting and my account status is still once again showing Processing.

Sorry for the long post but in summary, Wiggle or LBS will be getting more custom from me I think.

Yep. That pretty much sums up my last few orders from CRC. Hell, i still have an item marked as "Processing" from last year.

squired

Presumably they take on extra staff for the Christmas period who probably have a limited understanding of bikes and bike equipment. I can imagine a person who knows nothing about cycling wandering round a massive warehouse not having a clue what the thing he is supposed to be finding actually is.

gazhurst

After my first problem with them, I wrote and sent a fairly strongly worded email of official complaint. I quoted their 5 core values and highlighted 3 of them that they had failed on.

Once again, they have failed on at least one of them (endeavour to dispatch on the same day as order) and possibly 2 if any of the 3 three items I ordered have been delayed because they arent in stock.

Maybe I should pen another email of complaint and point them towards this thread...

Northwind

You hear that quite a lot about their express postage services... Never used that myself, their standard service has always been fast enough for me but if you're paying extra for express postage it's obviously for a reason, just refunding the postage doesn't really fix the knock-on impact. So that's not so hot.

gazhurst

Ok, quick update on my order...

Called CRC to find out if they can tell me when it will be delivered. So much for their promise to dispatch orders on the same day. I was told that my order is still being processed in the warehouse and the reason is purely down to the sheer volume of orders they have had over the last 3 weeks. I was told that they just werent ready for the amount of orders they have had and that it SHOULD go out over the weekend if not this evening and all items were in stock so theres no reason why it shouldnt.

I will try to give the the benefit of the doubt once again and see if it actually does get dispatched before Monday.

All I can say is it's lucky I'm not desperate for the order or that I'm glad its not a Christmas present i'm waiting for for somebody.

delcol

then when it finally does get shipped it will be stuck in a royalmail warehouse for days cause the uk has had the dreaded 2-4 inch of snow,,,,