Dispute with retailer

slowbike

your dispute is with the retailler - didn't you use a card to purchase from them?

bianchi_dave

Slowbike wrote:

your dispute is with the retailler - didn't you use a card to purchase from them?

Yes, but they already refunded the full cost of the wheels - they are not withholding anything from my card payment to them.

They've not even had the decency to acknowledge my last message so I'm happy to name, in the hope it prevents others being stung -

TRI UK in Yeovil

Certainly amongst the worst customer service I've experienced. But don't just take my word for it -

http://www.220triathlon.com/forum/triathlon-gear/tri-uk/12309.html
and
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.triuk.com?languages=en&stars=1

Tbf every company will have the odd bad review, but I for one will never darken their internet door again

Beatmaker

Triathletes. That explains it.

andy9964

Sadly, their returns policy states

If a full refund is required or you require an exchange, we need to be informed within fourteen (14) days after the receipt of the order. The order must be then returned to us within fourteen (14) days after we have been informed of the cancellation/exchange, however you will be responsible for the cost of returning the goods to us. If a return is payable to you we will process the refund as soon as possible and, in any case within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the original order back to us.

andy9964

DP :?

andy9964

Sadly, their returns policy states

If a full refund is required or you require an exchange, we need to be informed within fourteen (14) days after the receipt of the order. The order must be then returned to us within fourteen (14) days after we have been informed of the cancellation/exchange, however you will be responsible for the cost of returning the goods to us. If a return is payable to you we will process the refund as soon as possible and, in any case within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the original order back to us.

Edit: Just read the bit earlier stating this, and as said, faulty goods should be exempt

chippyk

I got blocked from following them on Facebook for posting a photo of a Sports Direct bag. Remember, these are coming to a town near you soon, please support your LBS. iI’ve had a ride in Mike Ashley’s helicopter, he doesn’t need another.

slowbike

Andy9964 wrote:

Sadly, their returns policy states .....
Edit: Just read the bit earlier stating this, and as said, faulty goods should be exempt

TBH- it doesn't matter what their returns policy states - the Consumer Rights Act trumps anything they write - Ts & Cs can only ever be over and above the CRA.

pgmabley

I'm in a similar dispute with Wiggle, it's ended up with the County Court.

They haven't responded yet, they have until Sunday (so tomorrow in reality), I can apply for judgement next week. On their past communication performance, this could end up being likely!

neilr4

Really?

Never heard of anyone having a dispute with wiggle before?

bianchi_dave

pgmabley wrote:

I'm in a similar dispute with Wiggle, it's ended up with the County Court.

They haven't responded yet, they have until Sunday (so tomorrow in reality), I can apply for judgement next week. On their past communication performance, this could end up being likely!

Would be interested to hear how it goes. PM if you prefer? Cheers

gabriel959

neilr4 wrote:

Really?

Never heard of anyone having a dispute with wiggle before?

I am in one with them too, at the moment it is still in the small claims court with them to respond. Their customer service has, unfortunately gone downhill and I won't buy anything else from them, whatever the outcome.

cycleclinic

Never take wheels to the post office. Just because the cost is covered does not mean you should waste money interparcel could have sent it by dpd for a tenner fully tracked next day. The op should have phoned the retailer before committing to them spending £50. If you want them to treat you fairly treat them fairly too. That goes a long way.

This is a case of, returned because you did not like the hub design. Fair enough that's the buyers right but no return postage is required to be paid under law.

Where the retailers has messed up is saying return the wheel. They should have said we can take the wheel back. If fault is found we will refund reasonable postage costs and repair replace or refund. Given there was no fault then a refund is appropriate as the buyer will have the same issue again if resent. A customer that is not happy the first time round tends not to get happier with time. That should have been explained now while the retailers customer service may not be spot on that does not mean they should pay for everything either. The op is falling back on his rights. Rights generally come with responsibilities though, that is only fair.


I have been in this unhappy situation before where a customer as returned a wheel for a fault that turned out to be there own qr not clamping the wheel properly. I did not refund the £50 that parcel force charged, I offered to because I made the same mistake and said send it back without being crystal clear about liabilities but the customer did not want it. now I have to make sure if a wheel is coming back I specify the carrier and how much I will refund if there is a fault. Sending a courier round has it own problems if the customer is not in that's a tenner wasted.

If the op cant refit an end cap (which can and do fall off as they are meant to be easily removed on a number of hubs) then the op should be be willing to pay for a mechanics labour. This is the sad fact the op does not want to hear. The op is not taking any responsibility for how things have gone sour and wants someone else to pay for his choice of courier and the fact the end cap needed pushing on.

I have get this a fair bit. Some customers sadly when they find a fitting issue blame the product first and say so too. Asking for help rather than assuming the product is at fault is a better plan. I often have to spend time going through instalation to resolve there problem and I generally do. I rarely get a thankyou though see what I mean by if they are not happy first time round that can't be changed easily.

The retailer sells you the goods not the fitting service or the knowledge required. Please this is the thing that underscores all online retail from any vendor. I spend alot if time giving away free knowledge that in any other industry would be charged for but this is retail, the customer want the extras for nothing. Nothing is free in this world someone is paying somewhere. If the retailer is paying you can bet that is passed onto everybody else either in price or a reduction of service for someone else. Now is that fair?

mallorcajeff

As shiznit says couldnt agree more. Id just put it down to experience but £50 postage is mad. £15 at the most insured via dpd. I sold some speakers last week small bluetooth ones and royal mail wanted £46 dpd were £8

bianchi_dave

thecycleclinic wrote:

This is a case of, returned because you did not like the hub design. Fair enough that's the buyers right but no return postage is required to be paid under law.

If the op cant refit an end cap (which can and do fall off as they are meant to be easily removed on a number of hubs) then the op should be be willing to pay for a mechanics labour. This is the sad fact the op does not want to hear. The op is not taking any responsibility for how things have gone sour and wants someone else to pay for his choice of courier and the fact the end cap needed pushing on.

The retailer sells you the goods not the fitting service or the knowledge required. Please this is the thing that underscores all online retail from any vendor. I spend alot if time giving away free knowledge that in any other industry would be charged for but this is retail, the customer want the extras for nothing. Nothing is free in this world someone is paying somewhere. If the retailer is paying you can bet that is passed onto everybody else either in price or a reduction of service for someone else. Now is that fair?

The point is the rear hub assembly was loose when I received the wheels. At the very least, when paying good money for a product I expect it to be usable and in one piece! The suggestion that I should have to pay a mechanic's time to install brand new wheels is simply ridiculous (imo) - no "special knowledge" is required if the wheels are in a usable state. Also, how could I be sure the wheels were assembled properly at factory, or if I would have had no further problem with them?

I get what folk are saying about Parcelforce - live and learn and I won't be using them for large expensive items again.

slowbike

thecycleclinic wrote:

Never take wheels to the post office. Just because the cost is covered does not mean you should waste money interparcel could have sent it by dpd for a tenner fully tracked next day. The op should have phoned the retailer before committing to them spending £50. If you want them to treat you fairly treat them fairly too. That goes a long way.

I agree - I wouldn't have spent £50 on delivery to return an item unless there really was no alternative - but thats because I work in for a distribution co.

thecycleclinic wrote:

This is a case of, returned because you did not like the hub design. Fair enough that's the buyers right but no return postage is required to be paid under law.

Er - no. The wheel wasn't assembled correctly.

thecycleclinic wrote:

The retailer sells you the goods not the fitting service or the knowledge required. Please this is the thing that underscores all online retail from any vendor. I spend alot if time giving away free knowledge that in any other industry would be charged for but this is retail, the customer want the extras for nothing. Nothing is free in this world someone is paying somewhere. If the retailer is paying you can bet that is passed onto everybody else either in price or a reduction of service for someone else. Now is that fair?

The retailer sells goods that should arrive fit for purpose - or with documents on how to assemble them.
I don't expect my wheels to come with tubes, tyres and skewers fitted - but I do expect the wheel to be fully assembled. If it came as a bundle of spokes, rim and hub then I would reject it as a faulty item (unless I'd bought it as components of course) Even if all the bits were there to build the wheel, I wouldn't be building it - that'd be like buying at TV set and receiving a load of components....

The issue the OP has really - is that he received duff info from the retailer on how the end cap was fitted - and having no local bikeshop to fall back on - the only available method of diagnostics was to send the wheels back to the retailer - which as the retailer didn't advise a cost effective method of doing so - or advise a limit on the return postage - and the wheels required a mechanic to assemble correctly - they are (IMHO) liable for.

cycleclinic

With wheels where the end caps are removed easily by hand it actually is not the case the wheel was not assembled correctly. As the op said it was removing the plastic widget that did it. He simply pulled without holding the end cap while he pulled. It does not take special knowledge that if you pull you might pull out more than you expect. No special knowledge is required to fit it you push it on. Also it is actually reasonable to expect a customer to have parts fitted by a mechanic. The problem is here you are all trying to be your own mechanic with none if the skills. You then want the retailer to pay for your mistake. This is everything wrong with modern retail.

You are all flat wrong in supporting the op claim and I think so in law too although the mitigating circumstances are the retailers hash job of there customer service. The retailer could have handled it slot better but the op should be getting parts fitted by a mechanic if he can't push an end cap on. Remember when you buy the goods you are not buying the fitting. If you buy a cylinder head online and then find fitting it harder than you expect do you then do you sent it back by the most pricey method and expect the garage to refund your carriage costs as well.

If the basics of an inability to fit an end cap and the lack of lbs in the op area, how did the op expect to service them. This means he is returning because the wheels are beyond his skills set to maintain. Fair enough. The retailer though should not have to pay the return carriage though. My logic is watertight.

Take for example campagnolo wheels. The bearing preloaded maybe set at the factory but it is important for it to be checked once the wheel is fitted. If the op had bought a zonda c17 and it has been delivered with a bit play then I would expect the fitter to set the preloaded like you are meant to anyway not return the wheels claiming they are defective because the latter is not the case. The ammount of prelosd needed is actually dependent on qr pressure which in turn is dependent on the qr used and the dropouts the wheel sits in. hense it cannot be set at the factory and just left.

Having said that I once had a shop fitting some wheels with record hubs and wheels came back because the shop could not sort out the bearing preloaded ( which in my book disqualifies themselves of advertising shop services) with cannot be set by me because it depends on qr pressure. Do I sympathise with the op in the sense that there are not many good shops about but this means you have to improve your skills something which you are showing a reluctance to do or accept they need development.

Some has to say this and correct the fuzzy logic in this thread.

dag_on_a_bike

All said & done, I would have just issued a claim in the County Court. If the retailer doesn't want to be fair, and you have taken reasonable steps to reach a settlement, it's difficult to see them a) incurring additional costs in defending a claim, and b) would not want a default judgment over such an issue.

I would still be minded to go this route, even for just the postage costs alone assuming that you have received a full refund for the goods.

That said, I'm comfortable with litigation, because that's what I do.