Wiggle returns - now charging?

Wheelspinner

Flasher2 said:

Wheelspinner said:

Long (ok, very long) post, but sorry.


Think about that next time you order stuff. Please.

To put this on the consumer is a cheap shot, people are only using what the business offers to them, why should I care what it costs them?

Personally, the only stuff I ever send back is poorly sized cycle clothing, now here's a thought, why can't WiggleCRC group (with their turnover of in excess of £400million) get all the manufactures to have standardised sizing across the board, (they can't even get their own DHB brand standardised) now that would certainly help minimise returns, (for me anyway).

It is absolutely not a cheap shot at all. Buying (cheaper) online instead of using your LBS is the main reason you no longer even have the option of using an LBS now at all. You - the consumer after a bargain deal - killed them.

And if you haven’t figured out yet that the *only* person covering the costs of the product and service offering from Wiggle is YOU - the consumer - then you’re pretty naïve. Sorry! You have always paid the costs of delivery and returns handling, it was just covered by Wiggle in their profit margin calculations on product costing, not itemised separately on the invoice. Now it isn’t, because they know they don’t have to any more.

In metaphorical terms, the business model for them was always to get the consumers by the balls. Now they have, and they’re starting to squeeze. 😀

pblakeney

WS has summed up my point, even if it took a shitload more words. 😉 We are to blame. We caused this inevitability.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

pblakeney said:

There used to be a thing called "shops" where people would walk in and try clothing on before buying. Ah, the good old days. 😉

Unfortunately no shops within 40miles of where I live that keep a reasonable stock and range of cycle clothing and shoes, so not much choice these days.

Flasher2

Wheelspinner said:

It is absolutely not a cheap shot at all. Buying (cheaper) online instead of using your LBS is the main reason you no longer even have the option of using an LBS now at all. You - the consumer after a bargain deal - killed them.

That's assuming you ever had a LBS to go to, many don't/didn't have that luxury, interestingly, I did when I was a kid growing up in Portsmouth, it was called Butlers in Highland Rd, have a guess what it became............yep Wiggle, It didn't instantly start as the massive business it is now, it grew with the expansion of online retailing, and the massive growth in cycling as a sport.

Back in the day 'exotic' cycle kit was never found in your LBS, it was only to be found in adverts at the back of Cycling Weekly and mail ordered, there was no market for the kind of cycle equipment/clothing found today, LBS's made their money selling Raleigh Shoppers/Choppers and fixing your 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub!

pblakeney

vincesummerskRoxcBTr said:

pblakeney said:

There used to be a thing called "shops" where people would walk in and try clothing on before buying. Ah, the good old days. 😉

Unfortunately no shops within 40miles of where I live that keep a reasonable stock and range of cycle clothing and shoes, so not much choice these days.

Read the posts between my original and this one.
Online shoppers are why LBS's are closing.

daniel_b

I have 2 LBS's, and 1 not far away.

LBS 1 I have bought 3 bikes off, a helmet and some spare parts, as well as a couple of bike fits.
Additionally next month I am utilising the C2W scheme to spend £3.5k with them on a groupset.

LBS number 2 I have used several times for servicing, bb changes and wheel truing.

The slightly further away bike shop, who specialise in the make of bike I ride, I'll be paying to change groupsets (with the one bought from the other lbs) and install an integrated handlebar/stem plus some handbuilt wheels.


In 2021 I had to head down to the coast to pick up a bike, as Hargroves were the only shop in the country that had one left in my size and the colour that I wanted.
I wanted to get this from LBS 2, and originally that was agreed, however due to them being a small store, and there not being much stock around, they basically got shafted, and given zero stock - so the guy ended up telling me to get one from where ever I could.

Similarly I bought a gravel/commuter bike from Balfe's through c2w, ordered last September, collected this August.

I think I give a reasonable portion of my business to bike shops, and where possible, local ones.

MattFalle

If LBS' have what I want at a price that I deem acceptable I'll buy from there

If they don't I'll get online

There's no real science to it tbh

That fella who is saying that it's a cheap shot to put a returns fee on the customer is living in some random parallel universe. Its a business.

Flasher2

MattFalle said:

That fella who is saying that it's a cheap shot to put a returns fee on the customer is living in some random parallel universe. Its a business.

That's not what was said.

MattFalle

Flasher2 said:

Wheelspinner said:

Long (ok, very long) post, but sorry.


Think about that next time you order stuff. Please.

To put this on the consumer is a cheap shot

oh.

carbonclem

I never buy from an lbs. Just not convenient or the way it works for me. I don't think I've ever had to return anything either ... I just get to know my size and get on with it.
Paying to return stuff is absolutely reasonable and three quid is probably less than fuel/parking to go to a town or some public transport.
I've seen my daughter and wife buying all sorts of stuff online and trying it on at home then returning most of it and the whole process makes me cringe on various levels.

akh

I don't think competition is too bad online. Sigma Sports and Tredz (even though the latter is owned by the dreaded Halfords) seem to be increasing their presence, their prices are often as good or better than Wiggle.

The problem is more the way the internet seems to give rise to monopolies, not the business model itself. It's only the same concept as mail order, just slicker.

I bought my last groupset from a physical store, but I spotted it on their website and only collected in store. The few local shops which are still doing OK have all diversified in some way, whether it's also having an online store, opening a cafe, specialising in a certain product or service, etc.

MattFalle

akh said:

I don't think competition is too bad online. Sigma Sports and Tredz (even though the latter is owned by the dreaded Halfords) seem to be increasing their presence, their prices are often as good or better than Wiggle.

The problem is more the way the internet seems to give rise to monopolies, not the business model itself. It's only the same concept as mail order, just slicker.

I bought my last groupset from a physical store, but I spotted it on their website and only collected in store. The few local shops which are still doing OK have all diversified in some way, whether it's also having an online store, opening a cafe, specialising in a certain product or service, etc.

dreaded Halfords

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

mega

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😍

Flasher2

MattFalle said:

Flasher2 said:

Wheelspinner said:

Long (ok, very long) post, but sorry.


Think about that next time you order stuff. Please.

To put this on the consumer is a cheap shot

oh.

Yes, in reply to WS's previous post where he was pointing out that the consumer was at fault for all the evils of online shopping.

MattFalle

nah.....

MattFalle

Flasher2 said:

MattFalle said:

Flasher2 said:

Wheelspinner said:

Long (ok, very long) post, but sorry.


Think about that next time you order stuff. Please.

To put this on the consumer is a cheap shot

oh.

Yes, in reply to WS's previous post where he was pointing out that the consumer was at fault for all the evils of online shopping.

anyhow, the consumer is 100% definite at fault for whinging about this ("why should I care what it costs them") and WS is 100% correct.

JimD666

With no LBS in easy reach (and the one that was here and now closed, treated customers as an unfortunate side effect of running a shop) using Wiggle (tredz, Rutland etc etc) is pretty much mandatory.

Hence I find the tenner for Wiggle+ for the year is a bargain. As always YMMV

ibr17xvii

JimD666 said:

With no LBS in easy reach (and the one that was here and now closed, treated customers as an unfortunate side effect of running a shop) using Wiggle (tredz, Rutland etc etc) is pretty much mandatory.

Hence I find the tenner for Wiggle+ for the year is a bargain. As always YMMV

If they included free returns in Wiggle+ I'd subscribe.

JimD666

ibr17xvii said:

JimD666 said:

With no LBS in easy reach (and the one that was here and now closed, treated customers as an unfortunate side effect of running a shop) using Wiggle (tredz, Rutland etc etc) is pretty much mandatory.

Hence I find the tenner for Wiggle+ for the year is a bargain. As always YMMV

If they included free returns in Wiggle+ I'd subscribe.

Will double check but fairly sure they are

JimD666

From the T's&C's:
Free returns are only available on orders placed after your Wiggle+ membership has been activated.
There is no limit to how many times you can use your free next-day delivery and returns.

Been a while since we've needed to return anything so can't remember the exact process. May need to get to a collect+ type site.

daniel_b

Yep was pretty sure free returns are included.

They use a service called rebound for their returns, separate site, this generates the label for you, and then you just need to find your nearest drop off place.

ibr17xvii

JimD666 said:

From the T's&C's:
Free returns are only available on orders placed after your Wiggle+ membership has been activated.
There is no limit to how many times you can use your free next-day delivery and returns.

Been a while since we've needed to return anything so can't remember the exact process. May need to get to a collect+ type site.

Great shout mate thanks for that.

I had a look but couldn't see anything.