Problem with shinybikes.com???

[Jeff N.]

Several weeks back I placed an order with shinybikes.com for a Campy Super Record RS group. A week or so after that, they told me that the groupsets were due to be in stock in two weeks. It's been 5 weeks now, still no delivery and no word. I've emailed inquiries to them almost daily with no response. This morning I even called their UK number. Phone just rang and rang. Anybody else having problems with them? Or know what's up? I've made many orders with them in the past with no problems whatsoever. Jeff N.

[kramnnim]

I think there's a "bank holiday" in the UK today...not sure if they would close for it.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Did you receive an email with a tracking number, from ParcelForce?

My experience with shinybikes is no communication for a few days, then out of nowhere a msg that the order shipped, pretty lame tracking, then all of a sudden, it's on my doorstep. My last order was a Campy group, and some bars, 2 weeks and 1 day from order placed to delivery. Everything was in stock, though.

[4Rings6Stars]

I think there's a "bank holiday" in the UK today...not sure if they would close for it.

Yup, my firm's UK offices are closed today... so to the OP - maybe try calling them again tomorrow morning.

[Jeff N.]

Did you receive an email with a tracking number, from ParcelForce?

My experience with shinybikes is no communication for a few days, then out of nowhere a msg that the order shipped, pretty lame tracking, then all of a sudden, it's on my doorstep. My last order was a Campy group, and some bars, 2 weeks and 1 day from order placed to delivery. Everything was in stock, though.In my experience with them, sometimes I get an "order shipped" notice, sometimes I don't. This time: nothing.:confused:

[Lionel]

Also ordered a SR RS group, it took a long time but I got the delivery email early last week. They had promised 2 weeks and it took something like 5 or 6. Still have not seen the group as I am in France now but it was received last Friday.

Communications is spotty there.

[wooly]

Purchased a DA9000 group from them a couple of weeks ago. Came within a week to the west coast. Realized they sent the wrong front derailleur so I emailed them last Thursday. Still no word from them. IMHO Ribble has better customer service.

[Lionel]

Ribble has better customer service but they do not have SR RS :)

[leooooo]

They have the worst customer and shipping service compared to the rest of the European sites. However they occasionally do have the best prices.

Took almost two months to receive a package once. I only place orders during the winter time with them now and hope the package is delivered by spring.

[Lionel]

Actually I think I ordered 4 or 5 groups from them and it always showed up in less than a week. In the SR RS case I think they just over promised on when they would receive it from campa.

[Jeff N.]

Actually I think I ordered 4 or 5 groups from them and it always showed up in less than a week. In the SR RS case I think they just over promised on when they would receive it from campa.

OK, so maybe I should just hold my breath and wait.

[Lionel]

OK, so maybe I should just hold my breath and wait.

Just checked it, I had ordered on 3/14. Today is a holiday in the UK BTW.

[Jeff N.]

Just checked it, I had ordered on 3/14. Today is a holiday in the UK BTW.I just checked and that's the same day of MY order!

[Ryun]

I ordered my colnago from them
Poor communication and suddenly showed up

Planet cyclery shows the rs group fwiw

[Lionel]

I just checked and that's the same day of MY order!

That's funny! it should show up... But harass them, I did.

[oldpotatoe]

Actually I think I ordered 4 or 5 groups from them and it always showed up in less than a week. In the SR RS case I think they just over promised on when they would receive it from campa.

Ya think they get these from Campagnolo Italy?

I imagine they take a little bit more indirect route to these UK discounters than Campag to MO place. Last I heard thru some place in Ukraine(yep)...

[Lionel]

i have no idea of where they get it from but they are a legit campagnolo reseller

[oldpotatoe]

i have no idea of where they get it from but they are a legit campagnolo reseller

Take a serial number off a Campagnlo component you got from them and I'll have Campagnolo NA a search of it's path and whether or not you have a warranty thru Campagnolo or thru Shineybikes.

'Legit' in that they sell a lot of Campagnolo at otherwise wholesale prices, or 'legit' as a recognized and authorized Campagnolo reseller? Hint, don't ask SB, I know their answer.

[yngpunk]

Ya think they get these from Campagnolo Italy?

I imagine they take a little bit more indirect route to these UK discounters than Campag to MO place. Last I heard thru some place in Ukraine(yep)...

Interestingly, Ribble Cycles is listed as a Campagnolo Pro Shop:

"Worldwide Pro-Shop Project

Professionalism, reliability, competence, and advice: this is what you’ll find when you visit a designated CAMPAGNOLO PRO-SHOP.

What are the Campagnolo Pro-Shops? The Worldwide Pro-Shop Project was developed to provide customers with consistently efficient service that is always in step with the evolution of the Campagnolo range as it grows in performance and technology.

In this perspective, human contributions and experience are essential to ensuring an effective and highly professional service to customers. This is why the Pro-Shop personnel are constantly updated and in close contact with Campagnolo through training courses, technical updates, communications and information on the new products and their proper maintenance.

The selected retailers, immediately recognisable by the special window sticker with an annual stamp showing current validity, represent Campagnolo professionalism at the local level and enjoy preferential treatment for handling returns under warranty and for acquiring spare parts."

http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/proshop/index.jsp

[Jeff N.]

Then I'd have to guess SB's "special window sticker" must've worn off!

[djdj]

I can't speak to SB, but I've had good (though limited) experience with Ribble and Wiggle. I'd rather buy my Campag in the US and local, but when someone like Ribble can beat the pants off of the US prices, like by several hundreds dollars on a wheelset (with bags, tags, factory certifications, etc.), it is hard to resist.

Campag NA needs to abolish its price maintenance policy or lower the set prices to allow the LBS to be competitive. It is driving customers to look overseas. The "no US warranty" argument does not persuade me when we are talking about products, like Campag, that are likely never to fail during the warranty period.

[RedRider]

The SR RS just recently showed up at US distributors. The 8 piece group has a US msrp of $3475... What are the UK esellers selling it at?

[Ralph]

Looks to me like you're getting about what you're paying for. Good price and spotty service. And I've dealt with them before also. Now I mostly deal with Velomine.....their website, not their E Bay site (5-10% higher). Pay a little more, but deal with some US guys.

[oldpotatoe]

I can't speak to SB, but I've had good (though limited) experience with Ribble and Wiggle. I'd rather buy my Campag in the US and local, but when someone like Ribble can beat the pants off of the US prices, like by several hundreds dollars on a wheelset (with bags, tags, factory certifications, etc.), it is hard to resist.

Campag NA needs to abolish its price maintenance policy or lower the set prices to allow the LBS to be competitive. It is driving customers to look overseas. The "no US warranty" argument does not persuade me when we are talking about products, like Campag, that are likely never to fail during the warranty period.

Campagnolo NA is part of Campagnolo Italy and sets no prices, either wholesale or retail. Campagnolo Italy needs to control is distribution and shut off wholesale re who have retail outlets that sell direct to the consumer. They get their margin regardless. The issue isn't prices in the USA, it's A level playing field controlled by the manufacturer, whether it be LOOK, Vittoria, Contindntal, Campagnolo or various other European manufacturers.

[bobswire]

Campagnolo NA is part of Campagnolo Italy and sets no prices, either wholesale or retail. Campagnolo Italy needs to control is distribution and shut off wholesale re who have retail outlets that sell direct to the consumer. They get their margin regardless. The issue isn't prices in the USA, it's A level playing field controlled by the manufacturer, whether it be LOOK, Vittoria, Contindntal, Campagnolo or various other European manufacturers.

Campy is not going to bite the hand that feeds it, otherwise they'd never survive competing against the other two who dominate the OEM market. The LBS are between a rock and hard place for DIY'rs in the internet age. Personally, If I could afford the luxury of buying high end components at my LBS I would. Then again high end shops seem to be thriving.

[1centaur]

Are there retailers in Europe who sell Campy at about US retail prices? How do they compete with Ribble, et. al.

I was under the impression that US distributors charged a mark-up that made US prices uncompetitive with Euro high volume pre-VAT prices. With VAT at 20% in many locations, and consumers only having so much income, I thought VAT played into the difference.

As for a shinybikes warranty vs. a Campy warranty, I guess we'd have to compare the time and resolution for various warranty claims between the two. Until then, all we have to judge is price, and hundreds of dollars for almost no likelihood of a warranty claim is an obvious winner.

[bluesea]

For mechanical groups I basically don't care about warranty, given the prices at Shiny, Wiggle, Ribble. Not that I wouldn't press them to take responsibility.

I had a 3-4 mo. runaround with Shiny over a Record headset. After lots of unanswered email inquiries, They immediately issued a refund once I gave a courtesy seven day warning before a CC dispute.

Still went back for a Chorus Groupset for a now postponed project.

[zmudshark]

The SR RS just recently showed up at US distributors. The 8 piece group has a US msrp of $3475... What are the UK esellers selling it at?
About $1100 less :eek:

[Jeff N.]

The SR RS just recently showed up at US distributors. The 8 piece group has a US msrp of $3475... What are the UK esellers selling it at?Works out to around $2500 total, shipping and all.

[oldpotatoe]

Campy is not going to bite the hand that feeds it, otherwise they'd never survive competing against the other two who dominate the OEM market. The LBS are between a rock and hard place for DIY'rs in the internet age. Personally, If I could afford the luxury of buying high end components at my LBS I would. Then again high end shops seem to be thriving.

The internet for my shop was never more than a subject to bitch about on Friday afternoon club with a cold beer. I was high end in the sense of being a 'pro' shop and all that means service wise. In 13 years we had one or two people that bought a frame from us and brought a group for us to put on, from wiggle or PBK or where ever. Maybe 750+ new bikes.

I did have a couple who wanted me to warranty their UK MO thing. I sent a few in, either because of number missing or path it took, warranty refused.

I would hate to be a mid/lower tier dealer, not one of the big boys, where Internet sales do hurt. Their margin on bikes suck already.

But there are at least 2 maybe 3 Mailorder places in the USA who are owned by a distributor. Shimano saw this also and went from 16 distributors to 6, I think, precisely because some were selling direct.

But previous post, having the LBS reduce their margin w/o the distributor doing the same means LBS go under. Distributors hold all the cards and get their margin regardless....that's the issue IMHO. Just look to see MO places in the USA that sell at wholesale prices.

[oldpotatoe]

Are there retailers in Europe who sell Campy at about US retail prices? How do they compete with Ribble, et. al.

I was under the impression that US distributors charged a mark-up that made US prices uncompetitive with Euro high volume pre-VAT prices. With VAT at 20% in many locations, and consumers only having so much income, I thought VAT played into the difference.

As for a shinybikes warranty vs. a Campy warranty, I guess we'd have to compare the time and resolution for various warranty claims between the two. Until then, all we have to judge is price, and hundreds of dollars for almost no likelihood of a warranty claim is an obvious winner.

Distributors in the USA buy stuff from Campagnolo Italy at a certain margin. Like a LBS, they mark it up a 'minimum' margin to stay in biz and don't make a pile of profit. Distributors are not charging a markup that makes LBS prices 'uncompetitive'. They are using a margin to stay in biz, just like a LBS.

UK MO are owned by distributors in a lot of cases, how they can charge wholesale prices. The laws are such that a manufacturer can't cease supplying a distributor for selling way below any kind of MSRP, like they can in the USA.

[Lionel]

Take a serial number off a Campagnlo component you got from them and I'll have Campagnolo NA a search of it's path and whether or not you have a warranty thru Campagnolo or thru Shineybikes.

'Legit' in that they sell a lot of Campagnolo at otherwise wholesale prices, or 'legit' as a recognized and authorized Campagnolo reseller? Hint, don't ask SB, I know their answer.

I asked campy if they were an authorized dealer, answer is yes. Not interest in the detective work. As for the warranty, I never had to use it on any campy part, ever. I've been using campy for 25 years.

[oldpotatoe]

I asked campy if they were an authorized dealer, answer is yes. Not interest in the detective work. As for the warranty, I never had to use it on any campy part, ever. I've been using campy for 25 years.

Not trying to make you a detective either..Campagnolo in NA or in Canada?

[Anarchist]

Not trying to make you a detective either..Campagnolo in NA or in Canada?

Last I checked Canada was in North America.

Has that changed overnight?

[Vamoots58]

I literally just got off the phone with Fraser at SB. I do really like the guy, and i got a great deal on my C59 frameset (Colnago DOES recognize them as an official dealer). Crazy thing is when i ordered the frameset, it shipped from Belfast on thursday and was at my front door Saturday am in NY. I've been waiting on a Colnago stem from him to start the build and there have been frustrating delays. I have a slightly different sense of urgency than he, but I will likely continue to do business with them. Also have had nothing but great experiences with Ribble.

[oldpotatoe]

Last I checked Canada was in North America.

Has that changed overnight?

Cute..I guess as an 'anarchist', you wish it to be so... But there are 3 Campagnolo service centers in Canada, whom 'some' consider Campagnolo info sources and to whom somebody who buys a Campagnolo gadget from say..shinybikes, would be where that thing would go for warranty consideration...for you

[Jeff N.]

I literally just got off the phone with Fraser at SB. I do really like the guy, and i got a great deal on my C59 frameset (Colnago DOES recognize them as an official dealer). Crazy thing is when i ordered the frameset, it shipped from Belfast on thursday and was at my front door Saturday am in NY. I've been waiting on a Colnago stem from him to start the build and there have been frustrating delays. I have a slightly different sense of urgency than he, but I will likely continue to do business with them. Also have had nothing but great experiences with Ribble.

I TOO just got off the phone with Fraser, and sure, he seems to be a really nice guy. I didn't rag:mad: too hard on him. He said the delay was that they were waiting on the 175/39/53 "chainset" to come in and that it "just came in today", and that my Campy SR-RS order would go out today. We shall see.

[oldpotatoe]

I TOO just got off the phone with Fraser, and sure, he seems to be a really nice guy. I didn't rag:mad: too hard on him. He said the delay was that they were waiting on the 175/39/53 "chainset" to come in and that it "just came in today", and that my Campy SR-RS order would go out today. We shall see.

If I may ask, what did you pay for the group?

[Jeff N.]

Came out to $2422.19 total.

[oldpotatoe]

Came out to $2422.19 total.

Nice score. Enjoy it. ..$3475 retail..about $2200 wholesale.

[Tony T]

I did have a couple who wanted me to warranty their UK MO thing. I sent a few in, either because of number missing or path it took, warranty refused.

Did you send to Campy UK for warranty service?

[oldpotatoe]

Did you send to Campy UK for warranty service?

No, Campagnolo NA in Carlsbad since I was based in Colorado. If the gent wanted to warranty a UK based 'thing' via UK warranty center(there are 4 of them), he's gotta take care of that himself. But if a gent wanted to foot the bill, I would have packed it up, gotten an RA number and sent it off...sure, why not..BUT I think I would have known the 'answer'..

[Jeff N.]

Nice score. Enjoy it. ..$3475 retail..about $2200 wholesale.I'm sure I'll enjoy it...IF IT EVER FREAKIN' GETS HERE! -Jeff N.

[Tony T]

No, Campagnolo NA in Carlsbad since I was based in Colorado. If the gent wanted to warranty a UK based 'thing' via UK warranty center(there are 4 of them), he's gotta take care of that himself. But if a gent wanted to foot the bill, I would have packed it up, gotten an RA number and sent it off...sure, why not..BUT I think I would have known the 'answer'..

Well, if the gent insisted that it be sent to NA, then I see, but Campy is clear in their warranty that the part needs to be sent to country of origin for a warranty claim, so not surprising that the claim was refused (that you are based in Colorado is irrelevant). No different than if I purchased in USA, and moved to London — part needs to be sent back to USA

[Joachim]

These threads are like history, always repeating itself. Someone asks a question about UK mailorder pricing or shipping and it evolves into LBS something. Always. Even in multiple threads on the same day. So predictable :).

[Tony T]

These threads are like history, always repeating itself. … So predictable :).

I knew someone was going to say that :)

[oldpotatoe]

These threads are like history, always repeating itself. Someone asks a question about UK mailorder pricing or shipping and it evolves into LBS something. Always. Even in multiple threads on the same day. So predictable :).

Discuss or do not, there is no lurk.

With a Yoda accent.

Nothing new in bikes... Not really, for decades.

[Lionel]

I TOO just got off the phone with Fraser, and sure, he seems to be a really nice guy. I didn't rag:mad: too hard on him. He said the delay was that they were waiting on the 175/39/53 "chainset" to come in and that it "just came in today", and that my Campy SR-RS order would go out today. We shall see.

mine was 172.5 so the story sounds plausible.

[Jeff N.]

I knew someone was going to say that :)

I've been waiting for this thread to evolve into a Dura Ace vs. Super Record argument!:) Jeff N.

[cycleslug]

Just to add in, I have purchased from Shiny as well too.
Sometimes it comes really fast, (week and a half), others I had to call Fraser to find out what happened. And I'm in Canada.

Problem is when they don't have the product in stock they don't inform you of that and hold the shipment until stock arrives. Bad communication really.

I've had parts come in that were the incorrect parts too, but they did pay for shipping and replace the product. I must have spoke to the stock guy in the warehouse several times now. I think he's just too busy or something. Its not like wiggle, chainreaction or ribble where they have almost full automation on everything...
Oh well. sometimes they are the cheapest out there...

[zap]

UK MO are owned by distributors in a lot of cases, how they can charge wholesale prices. The laws are such that a manufacturer can't cease supplying a distributor for selling way below any kind of MSRP, like they can in the USA.

It would not surprise me if bulk purchases to get a few more points is part of the equation. It is in other industries and doubt the cycling industry is any different.

Restriction of trade is very much at play in the USA as well-one reason why prices are quoted MSRP. But some firms are better at channel management than others.

[Jeff N.]

Fraser just sent me the "tracking number". Things're lookin' up!

[crownjewelwl]

do they normally pick up the phone when you call?

i bot a stem 11 days ago (and my cc was charged)...and nothing so far

[Jeff N.]

do they normally pick up the phone when you call?

i bot a stem 11 days ago (and my cc was charged)...and nothing so farThey picked up when I called, yes. My stuff finally arrived. Admittedly,I'm not a very patient person. But I guess when you're dealing with some folks, it calls for all the patience you can muster up! I'll have to work on that.

[crownjewelwl]

They picked up when I called, yes. My stuff finally arrived. Admittedly,I'm not a very patient person. But I guess when you're dealing with some folks, it calls for all the patience you can muster up! I'll have to work on that.

well it's been 11 days and tracking number or nothing...i even read this thread before ordering!

[Jeff N.]

It'll come eventually. I've ordered several items from them with no tracking number ever given, then all of a sudden, s@#t shows up.