Chain reaction delivery service - playing games?

sandy771

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

cat_with_no_tail

Few points:

Shipping the following working day is not bad especially when you consider the fact it's free.

No it's not a scam, take your tin foil hat off for a second.

CRC are probably the biggest online cycle retailer in the UK, they'll have literally thousands of orders to process each day for all over the world. I'm sure they aim to process orders same day, but if they miss the cut-off there is very little they can do.

They've recently moved warehouses (again) and are probably still trying to get settled properly.

CRC are consistantly one of the best online retailers I've ever dealt with. Not just of cycling websites, but everything.

I will accept cash payment or bike parts as payment for the endorsment.

cooldad

Scam?

bails87

I've never had any cause to complain about CRCs delivery.

I ordered three things the other day, one from Susperstar (arrived yesterday), one from Wiggle (arrived early this morning by courier) and one from CRC that was apparently dispatched yesterday morning and will hopefully arrive in the post today.

If it comes tomorrow then it's no problem, I didn't pay for delivery after all.

delcol

crc have always been good with me, i had a few items missing from orders in the past but they always sent the missing parts straight away..

i ordered some parts on friday eve the order page said estimated shipping monday..
monday morning postie gives me my parts. then i get an email of crc telling me the order has been dispatched.
i received my order before i i got the dispatched email.... and i got free delivery and saved £12 with the happy12 code.....

kenan

Ordered somthing on Sunday and it turned up this morning, however the item I ordered Tuesday turned up Wednesday ?!?

Northwind

Are you paying by paypal? Could just be a coincidence but every paypal order I've done with CRC seems to take 1 day longer.

kenan

Yeah I did. I sell item on ebay and then spend the proceeds on the bike

sandy771

Paid on credit card - have ordered 5 items over the last few months, all in stock, one item took 5 days and the rest have taken 2 days from order - all ordered well before the 3pm cut off time. None of them were dispatched the same day, so never arrived on the next working day.

I order a lot of stuff from what was Dabs and that almost invariably arrives the following morning if the order is placed before 6pm - this is also a free service.

When a web site states that their free service will normally be dispatched the same day if ordered before 3pm I would expect that to happen most of the time, not none of the time. The service may still be very good compared to the competition, but they are not, in my admittedly limited experience, living up to their advertising.

.blitz

Chain Reaction have a list of people they don't like

sandy771

.blitz wrote:

Chain Reaction have a list of people they don't like

Dind't take me long to get on it then

omegas

my last 2 orders came the next day, your orders might of been dispatched same day and on a flight to the UK, the rest depends on how good your Royal Mail service is locally.

The Rookie

bails87 wrote:

If it comes tomorrow then it's no problem, I didn't pay for delivery after all.

Of course you did, it was just baked into the item price......

Simon

cat_with_no_tail

The Beginner wrote:

bails87 wrote:

If it comes tomorrow then it's no problem, I didn't pay for delivery after all.

Of course you did, it was just baked into the item price......

Simon

Yet they're still able to do it cheaper than everywhere else.

mak3m

sandy771 wrote:

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

i have highlighted the problem for you

sandy771

mak3m wrote:

sandy771 wrote:

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

i have highlighted the problem for you

sandy771 wrote:

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

I have highlighted the bit you didn't read

omegas

sandy771 wrote:

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day.

Means nothing I have had items delivered and fitted to my bike and my order still has not been processed.

Anonymous

.blitz wrote:

Chain Reaction have a list of people they don't like

Indeed. I'm on it.

Sure, it's free shipping, what do you expect blah blah.

I expect when they say, order before 3pm for an in stock item and we ship the same day to be actually mean they stick it in the post the same day! :mad:

Fine if it takes RM another day or two to deliver. But no, order well in time, a day later, sometimes two, they ship (occasionally have to prompt them after a week). Then I have a guaranteed two days for RM to deliver.

I've no idea how people in mainland UK manage to get their stuff next day after ordering. I can understand two days as it takes a day to hop over from NI.

As for conspiracies, making you pay for the premium deliveries can't be one of them as these actually take longer!!!.

My theory is they have in house labelling for regular Royal Mail post and a big lorry picks the stuff up. Premium stuff they probably have to send someone down to the local post office and queue up with the OAPs getting their pensions, so takes much longer to post

It's still Wiggle's fault though

cooldad

I got you on their list as punishment for DK time.

Torres

Always had excellent service from them, I've had a few problems but they've gone above and beyond to sort it and I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend them.

It might be because i'm a technophobic ape, but I'm still very impressed I can buy something from Ireland and it'll be at my dorr within a week; especially considering they don't charge postage and the prices are already pretty damn low.

mak3m

sandy771 wrote:

mak3m wrote:

sandy771 wrote:

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

i have highlighted the problem for you

sandy771 wrote:

I have ordered a few items from CRC recently and have always taken their free Royal Mail delivery service. When talking to their very helpful (in my experience) customer services staff they tell me that a order placed before 3pm will be processed that day and should be delivered the next day.

I have however noticed that all my orders have been processed on the following day. Is this justthat CRC are very busy or is this a scam to get you to pay for one of the more expensive delivery services?

I have highlighted the bit you didn't read

nope stand by that

Royal Mail is your problem even if CRC processed same day on the first class system next day delivery is not garunteed its 1-2 days so why bust a gut for a free service

If you want it next day, if you want it after 1pm, if you want it delivered to your cousins work address with a four hour delivery window pay for it to be shipped. If you want it free take a ticket and wait and moan about it on interwebz

sandy771

mak3m

noooo. They tell me on ther web site that orders placed before 3pm should be delivered the next day. When I get my "order has been dispatched" email (the day after order) then the order DOES come the following day so Royal Mail are doing their thing very well - I really have trouble why you think RM are at fault here.

The problem here is that they are not dispatching until the next day.

two orders this week - email history:

Monday 1147 order placed
tuesday 1402 order dispatched
Wednesday about 11am order delivered

Wednesday 1137 order placed
thursday 1357 order dispatched
friday - still waiting but I expect it sometime this morning

If someone wants to advertise that deliveries normally come the day after they are ordered then that should happen most of the time or they should change there advertising as it is misleading. They should not advertise a next day delivery if they cant get it out of the door on the same day.

I accept that they do offer good CS (i have seen it), I accept that their prices are good.

I dont want to make this an anti CRC thread because that isnt my stance its just that for the majority of stuff I order online (and for my business that is a quite alot) if a supplier offers next day delivery then I almost invariably get it, CRC are bucking that trend.

Anonymous

mak3m wrote:

If you want it next day, if you want it after 1pm, if you want it delivered to your cousins work address with a four hour delivery window pay for it to be shipped.

Don't do that!

They definitely won't ship it until the next day if you pay for next day delivery, so you'll get it "next day" from the point the dispatch.

Talking from hard learned experience and many people's advice saying the same.

i.e. Don't pay for next day! It won't be. Stick with free, you'll at least get it in the same time, and for those who are lucky you may get it next day.

oodboo

As I'm not paying for delivery then I don't really mind if it takes a couple of days. If I need something the next day then I'd pay the extra and make sure I got the order in in time.

I've placed three orders with them this week, all over £100 (don't tell the missus). One arrived yesterday and I'm expecting the other two today.

I really don't see why people are always complaining about free services, unless it's really taking ages to arrive. Pay for something and I think you've got a right to complain.

Finally I always think it's better off taking it up with the retailer (in this case CRC, but I am generalising) before crying on a forum. Once it's resolved then yeah, discuss on a forum if you think you've been wronged but at least let the retailer resolve the issue before you bitch to the world about it.

Rant over.

sandy771

oodboo wrote:

As I'm not paying for delivery then I don't really mind if it takes a couple of days. If I need something the next day then I'd pay the extra and make sure I got the order in in time.
...
Finally I always think it's better off taking it up with the retailer (in this case CRC, but I am generalising) before crying on a forum. Once it's resolved then yeah, discuss on a forum if you think you've been wronged but at least let the retailer resolve the issue before you ***** to the world about it.

Rant over.

You are paying for delivery - its built into the price.

If issues like this arent brought up on a forum you dont hear of similar experiences such as deadkennedys and you you dont get a sanity check when others tell you to wind your neck in. Its the modern world and a discussion on a forum such as this will do far more to get a suppkier to get their act together (if they need to) than a phone call that they can reasonably safely ignore,

I just expect people/suppliers to do what they say they will do - find it strange that others think different.

EH_Rob

Surely if you really want something there and then (or the day after) you should go to the shop and expect to pay more as a result. When you buy stuff online there is always a chance that there will be a problem with the delivery. Whose fault that is generally varies, and there usually is no way of finding out.

I've never tried the 'quicker' delivery options. It is nice when stuff turns up quickly, but if it doesn't then it doesn't - unless it's a consistent problem don't cry about it. If it is a consistent problem then buy your stuff from somewhere else - that's the best way to get a retailer to get their act together (presuming it is their fault...).

As has already been pointed out, they don't just sit around waiting for your personal order - they have thousands per day, the vast majority of which I'm sure pass with no problems whatsoever. They'll always be a small proportion that don't though, and if yours is one of them - unlucky.

Anonymous

oodboo wrote:

I really don't see why people are always complaining about free services, unless it's really taking ages to arrive. Pay for something and I think you've got a right to complain.

The complaint is over their promise to dispatch the same day if you order before 3pm. This includes for free shipping.

They don't!

I accept the RM delivery time of a couple of days from the point of dispatch, it's just when factoring in how long it will take when ordering I end up having to assume I won't get the order within a week from CRC. I can rely on RM (surprisingly!) but I can't rely on CRC.

Brian-Mc

From CRC website

If you order before 3pm Monday-Friday and all your items are in stock, we aim to provide same day dispatch.

and

When will my order be dispatched?

We aim to provide same day dispatch on all 'In Stock' orders that we receive before 3pm CRC Time, placed online or ordered by telephone, Monday -Friday. Any orders received after 3pm CRC Time or during the weekend should be dispatched the following working day. Unfortunately there are a few things that mean this may not be possible:

• You may have items on your order that are currently not in stock
• Bikes take a little bit longer as we want to ensure they arrive with you in perfect condition, and so will take the time to inspect them before delivery
• Custom wheel builds will not be same day dispatch as we'll take a little bit of time to build and inspect them
• The availability of one of your order items may have changed from when you purchased – if this is the case we will be in touch by email to help you find an alternative

I've never had issues with CRC and have always found their despatch times reasonable. They aim to provide same day dispatch, but don't guarantee it.
The Special delivery options guarantee next working day delivery or a full refund of any postage charges paid, BUT this may be the next day from dispatch.

Read the small print to avoid dissapointment

Stu Coops

sandy771 wrote:

Paid on credit card - have ordered 5 items over the last few months, all in stock, one item took 5 days and the rest have taken 2 days from order - all ordered well before the 3pm cut off time. None of them were dispatched the same day, so never arrived on the next working day.

I order a lot of stuff from what was Dabs and that almost invariably arrives the following morning if the order is placed before 6pm - this is also a free service.

When a web site states that their free service will normally be dispatched the same day if ordered before 3pm I would expect that to happen most of the time, not none of the time. The service may still be very good compared to the competition, but they are not, in my admittedly limited experience, living up to their advertising.

Get a grip your buying bike bits not life saving equipment a two day turnaround is acceptable as it's FREE

mak3m

sandy771 wrote:

mak3m

noooo.

I accept that

Ive just got a downer on RM anyway.

But I doubt with a free royal mail service there is any correlation between the dispatched email and the royal mail, it will just be an auto service if you get it earlier you are happy if you get it within two days your happy.

Anonymous

Whatever the case, it's Wiggle's fault anyway, and they ship same day :P

Most other bike stuff I order ships same day on free shipping. I know then it will turn up a day or two later.

Anyway, I know where I stand now with CRC. Allow at least a week for ordering and don't rely on them to get something by a specific date. If that's okay, then fine.

If something's broken at the start of the week and I need a fix to be able to ride by the weekend, I'll look somewhere else.