View Full Version : A BIG +1 to Wiggle
OtayBW
08-19-2014, 06:06 PM
I ordered a crankset from Wiggle this past Friday a little reluctantly, not knowing when then might ship. Very good price, and free shipping to boot, so I went for it. There was a little trouble on their check out page accepting the correct address (a formatting thing) and so I e-mailed customer service to let them know that there might be a problem and to give them the correct address.
Long story short, they e-mailed me back promptly acknowledging and correcting the address and they later gave me a tracking number. I see now that the crank was shipped yesterday (Monday) and they tried to make delivery today.
Overnight free shipping from the UK. Not too cottonpicking bad! Wiggle is OK in my book!
rnhood
08-19-2014, 06:14 PM
In general, the UK mail order outfits are very good - price, support and delivery. I've purchased two sets of Dura Ace wheels (different outfits in UK) and have been very pleased with both. I prefer purchasing locally but sometimes the exchange rate is just too alluring.
OtayBW
08-19-2014, 07:26 PM
I hear you. I prefer doing business locally myself, but this was too good of a deal to pass up.
My only othrr experience with a UK retailer took almost 2 weeks to ship, so this was a very pleasant surprise.
charliedid
08-19-2014, 07:59 PM
Wiggle:
Killing the American bike shop, one grey market order at a time.
Dustin
08-19-2014, 08:13 PM
Wiggle:
Killing the American bike shop, one grey market order at a time.
Question is, why don't the manufacturers responsible for creating the grey market do something about it?
Anarchist
08-19-2014, 08:13 PM
I wanted to replace the crank on my wife's bike.
The LBS said it will make no difference to her shifting problems and will cost $400, why bother?
I ordered the crank from Ribble, $165. Delivered. Shifting problems completely solved.
I don't give a crap about the LBS for this level of difference, and the owner is a friend of mine.
bcroslin
08-19-2014, 08:27 PM
Ordered a set of CX-70 cranks for my CX bike from Ribble - $138 shipped. Arrived in 5 or 6 days. It would have taken weeks to get the same cranks from the LBS and they would have been nearly double.
I don't know how they do it and I'm sure at some point its going to come to an end but I'm going to take advantage of it while I can.
charliedid
08-19-2014, 08:41 PM
Question is, why don't the manufacturers responsible for creating the grey market do something about it?
I (we) wish I knew. Shimano has made an attempt to deal with pricing...but it's just not a huge concern to many manufacturers. There has always been a market for "overstock" etc but it was not such a problem. Mail order has been around forever.
I can buy at retail from Wiggle Ribble etc. for certain things cheaper than normal wholesale, and at times better than pro-deal. Bike shops need to start selling their own brands and get OEM pricing if they want to do anything but fix flat tires.
Crazy
charliedid
08-19-2014, 08:42 PM
I wanted to replace the crank on my wife's bike.
The LBS said it will make no difference to her shifting problems and will cost $400, why bother?
I ordered the crank from Ribble, $165. Delivered. Shifting problems completely solved.
I don't give a crap about the LBS for this level of difference, and the owner is a friend of mine.
Depends on the shop.
moose8
08-19-2014, 08:47 PM
I bought an alfine wheel there a few years ago and it wasn't packed well and arrived with a dent in the rim. When I called and spoke with someone they sent me a much better packed one and then told me just to keep the one with the dent because it cost too much to ship back so I ended up with two alfine wheels. I was pretty surprised especially since it wasn't cheap.
ultraman6970
08-19-2014, 08:47 PM
Free next day? wow
jimoots
08-19-2014, 09:14 PM
Someone on here said something along the lines of "buying on the internet is great, until it sucks".
Gush about Wiggle today, you'll be sooking tomorrow. Trust me.
don compton
08-19-2014, 09:59 PM
Someone on here said something along the lines of "buying on the internet is great, until it sucks".
Gush about Wiggle today, you'll be sooking tomorrow. Trust me.
And we haven't had bad experiences with LBS's. I could write a book.:eek:
Admiral Ackbar
08-19-2014, 10:17 PM
I love wiggle, mostly because i honestly don't have the money to support my lbs, it honestly kind of makes me sad coz it feels great to support local business, but i simply cannot be spending 2x + the retail price on things that i can get shipped from the uk or europe for a fraction the price.
charliedid
08-19-2014, 10:23 PM
I love wiggle, mostly because i honestly don't have the money to support my lbs, it honestly kind of makes me sad coz it feels great to support local business, but i simply cannot be spending 2x + the retail price on things that i can get shipped from the uk or europe for a fraction the price.
And the truth is, most LBS don't really blame you. It's a crazy, not very level playing field right now, but when someone can get a discount like that.
I just wish it were a bit more fair. It's hard to compete but we do it where it makes sense. Buy any accessory from us worth $20 or more, and we install it for free on the fly.
The world has never been fair, but...
d_douglas
08-19-2014, 10:43 PM
Wiggle:
Killing the American bike shop, one grey market order at a time.
No doubt. As someone who just bought an entire SLX group for $280 (less brakes), I simply cannot turn my back on those kinds of prices. Bike shops charge what they need to charge to pay the bills and for their kids soccer camps, but pricewise, there is no match. I imagine that my same group would be close to $1000 if I simply asked a bike shop to order it in for me.
I feel bad when I roll into my shop with a new _________, which they know I purchased online, but it's te only way I could afford the parts at this point in my life. I did opt to have some wheels built ($1000 or so) at my fave LBS a year ago and it did feel good to pay people that I know vs a company in the UK .
All hail the LBS!
thirdgenbird
08-19-2014, 11:32 PM
Wiggle:
Killing the American bike shop, one grey market order at a time.
In my experience, a lot of shops are killing themselves. Wiggle/ribble keep me afloat.
-The lbs has very little in stock
-We are one day shipping from QBP and I still get parts faster from the UK, the lbs sits on orders for weeks.
-they turn down service work on bikes they don't sell (some of those people started coming to me)
-I called at least 6 shops and none of them had the tools to face a bb shell. One said they did and after a 60mi drive I learned it was not true. Another mechanic said he could do it at home and quoted over $200 (just to face)
-Two weeks ago, my wife stopped in and asked for velox rim strip and they didn't know what that was
On the flip side, I've been to some great shops in other areas of the country. If you have one, count your blessings.
Ordered a Columbus Minimal 1" fork; fork arrived in 4 days (to CO);
fork crown was faulty, wouldn't allow race to be seated; Wiggle said
return it; I did & they gave full refund + my $65 shipping fee.
I'm on their list for a fork from the next batch from Columbus.
dave thompson
08-20-2014, 12:13 AM
In my experience, a lot of shops are killing themselves. Wiggle/ribble keep me afloat.
-The lbs has very little in stock
-We are one day shipping from QBP and I still get parts faster from the UK, the lbs sits on orders for weeks.
-they turn down service work on bikes they don't sell (some of those people started coming to me)
-I called at least 6 shops and none of them had the tools to face a bb shell. One said they did and after a 60mi drive I learned it was not true. Another mechanic said he could do it at home and quoted over $200 (just to face)
-Two weeks ago, my wife stopped in and asked for velox rim strip and they didn't know what that was
On the flip side, I've been to some great shops in other areas of the country. If you have one, count your blessings.
That's the second most stupid thing I've heard.
Llewellyn
08-20-2014, 01:06 AM
Someone on here said something along the lines of "buying on the internet is great, until it sucks".
Gush about Wiggle today, you'll be sooking tomorrow. Trust me.
After being gouged by Aussie bike shops for years, I'm prepared to take the chance.
I've done dozens of transactions with Chain Reaction, Ribble etc and never had a problem. Aussie LBS's can cry all they like - they had it all to themselves for a long time, and made a killing. No sympathy here.
velotrack
08-20-2014, 01:20 AM
That's the second most stupid thing I've heard.
Dumber than not knowing about velox tape.
Anyways, it's not good to assume about all local shops. Find a good one and you're set for problems that can't always be solved through the internet.
buddybikes
08-20-2014, 05:47 AM
This issue goes back as long as Nashbar and such began advertising in Bicycling. Bike shops killers are REI and such bigger box retailers that even do service.
biker72
08-20-2014, 06:01 AM
QBP is one day shipping. We order on Thursday and get delivery Friday. Shipping should take only one day assuming QBP has the part.
We get free shipping because of our volume.
Some smaller LBS may have to wait a week or so to accumulate enough orders for free ship.
That said, one day free shipping from the UK is phenomenal.
oldpotatoe
08-20-2014, 06:20 AM
Question is, why don't the manufacturers responsible for creating the grey market do something about it?
Why indeed...
charliedid
08-20-2014, 07:15 AM
In my experience, a lot of shops are killing themselves. Wiggle/ribble keep me afloat.
-The lbs has very little in stock
-We are one day shipping from QBP and I still get parts faster from the UK, the lbs sits on orders for weeks.
-they turn down service work on bikes they don't sell (some of those people started coming to me)
-I called at least 6 shops and none of them had the tools to face a bb shell. One said they did and after a 60mi drive I learned it was not true. Another mechanic said he could do it at home and quoted over $200 (just to face)
-Two weeks ago, my wife stopped in and asked for velox rim strip and they didn't know what that was
On the flip side, I've been to some great shops in other areas of the country. If you have one, count your blessings.
Oh, I fully agree.
I wasn't actually saying that Wiggle themselves, alone are doing it. We have dug ourselves into a hole with pricing in this world.
We get plenty of business from people after the fact, when they didn't realize what they bought was not compatible etc. That said I think most people would agree that buying retail from Wiggle for parts destined for a manufacturers bicycle at below what QBP sells it for is just a little bit out of balance.
I'm not saying Brick N' Mortar stores don't need to compete with the reality of online pricing and next day delivery. We do, and some will survive and adapt and some will die just like always.
Wiggle can't install it for free in Chicago from the UK and you can't test-ride a bike on Amazon. You can only buy it, test-ride it and return it...FREE SHIPPING!
Anyway, people don't need half the ····· they buy anyway, including me. :)
charliedid
08-20-2014, 07:20 AM
That's the second most stupid thing I've heard.
Indeed.
People come in all the time and ask "Do you work on XYZ brand of bike"?
We will work on any bike (non-electric) that we think is safe to ride.
I don't get that.
Just wait until Shimano opens their "bike shops"
charliedid
08-20-2014, 07:21 AM
This issue goes back as long as Nashbar and such began advertising in Bicycling. Bike shops killers are REI and such bigger box retailers that even do service.
Kind of.
Netdewt
08-20-2014, 07:25 AM
Someone on here said something along the lines of "buying on the internet is great, until it sucks".
Gush about Wiggle today, you'll be sooking tomorrow. Trust me.
I love buying on the internet, but anyone who does it must realize there is a risk vs price cut balance. All the cheap prices come with additional risk.
I don't go to many real stores at all actually. It's what happens when you have very little free time.
I try to support whatever "local" shop I can, but my closest is Erik's, and they are only good for so much. Ordering parts through a shop can be a huge hassle.
bcroslin
08-20-2014, 07:43 AM
Ribble is so cheap that a friend of mine who is a buyer at a LBS orders Campy and Shimano components when QBP is out of an item.
And as far as not wrenching on brands that a LBS doesn't sell, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard and that shop is not long for this world. My LBS does a hell of a business fixing new Treks and Specialized bikes that roll out of the concept stores. Neither branded store seems to be able to employ decent mechanics for any length of time. When the owner of my LBS first told me this I thought he had an axe to grind but I've seen Trek after Trek in the mechanic's bay with a sticker from the Trek store down the street so I know he's right.
unterhausen
08-20-2014, 08:12 AM
This issue goes back as long as Nashbar and such began advertising in Bicycling. Bike shops killers are REI and such bigger box retailers that even do service.
for the most part, Nashbar was just an annoyance back then. Yeah, people would come in and talk about what they needed for a half hour and then say they were going to buy the part from Nashbar. I still think it's mostly enthusiasts that are going to the internet and they don't really impact the LBS all that much. The thing that impacts the LBS is people not riding and not buying bikes. It's a hard business to be in, and I suspect that's true of the internet side as well.
OtayBW
08-20-2014, 10:25 AM
At its simplest level, this thread is about exemplary customer service. That's where I'm hanging my hat in this discussion......
Seramount
08-20-2014, 10:41 AM
I'll go to a shop with money in hand and be told 'we don't stock that item, but can order it for you.'
sorry, I can order it online for myself and save money.
I understand that they can't keep every item in their inventory, but if they had what I wanted, they'd have made a sale.
just the way it goes...I gave them a shot, it didn't work out.
MattTuck
08-20-2014, 10:57 AM
Contrast that with my recent purchase from competitive cyclist.
I paid an additional $12.95 for their "3-5 Day Shipping" The package arrived 8 days later, but I wasn't there to sign for it, so it ended up being 9 days. I called to get the charge removed, since 9 days is no different from their free 5-10 day shipping.
The customer service rep said that "3-5 days is not guaranteed, just an estimated range during which it could be delivered." I asked him, if it took 8 days to deliver something when you pay for that level of shipping, why not just list it as '3 - 8 Day Shipping' as that would be more accurate, and help the consumer make a more informed decision about whether the shipping was worth the money. He then blamed UPS for the delay in shipping.
He did refund me the shipping cost. But I'd rather have had my order on time.
oldpotatoe
08-20-2014, 11:05 AM
I'll go to a shop with money in hand and be told 'we don't stock that item, but can order it for you.'
sorry, I can order it online for myself and save money.
I understand that they can't keep every item in their inventory, but if they had what I wanted, they'd have made a sale.
just the way it goes...I gave them a shot, it didn't work out.
Depends, what did you want? Something generic, like a chain or cogset?
If it's just time and money, the 2 big reasons, sure go online but ofttimes more than that.
I got told many times, 'I came by Sunday but you were closed', but I' m not gonna be open on Sunday.
You may have asked for the latest Campagnolo V2 charge port extension cord....but I wouldn't rush out and stock one.
I got tired of being the bike shop up the street Campy warehouse too.
Anarchist
08-20-2014, 11:27 AM
I prefer 25mm tyres. Tubulars.
The LBS carries 23 and 21mm Tubulars, because you know those are only for racing.
If I go to the LBS they will offer to order them for me. Problem is, I can buy 3 tyres from Wiggle for the price of 1 at my LBS, and have it sooner.
Chains - my LBS stocks Shimano and SRAM chains because that is what people in my locale want. Wipperman, KmC or Campag? We can order that for you. So can I, for half the price or less.
All I really buy nowadays is consumables; tyres, chains, etc.
I can get those parts for a fraction the cost from the Uk and they will be delivered to my door faster than the LBS will get them from their distributors.
thirdgenbird
08-20-2014, 11:54 AM
That's the second most stupid thing I've heard.
Indeed.
People come in all the time and ask "Do you work on XYZ brand of bike"?
We will work on any bike (non-electric) that we think is safe to ride.
I don't get that.
Just wait until Shimano opens their "bike shops"
No kidding. The first occurrence was a nice "online bike" with a broken sora front derailler. The guy had just bought a brand new bike for his wife from the same shop too. He has now gone from buying all of his accessories from the LBS to ordering online and having me as a mechanic.
oldpotatoe
08-20-2014, 12:37 PM
I prefer 25mm tyres. Tubulars.
The LBS carries 23 and 21mm Tubulars, because you know those are only for racing.
If I go to the LBS they will offer to order them for me. Problem is, I can buy 3 tyres from Wiggle for the price of 1 at my LBS, and have it sooner.
Chains - my LBS stocks Shimano and SRAM chains because that is what people in my locale want. Wipperman, KmC or Campag? We can order that for you. So can I, for half the price or less.
All I really buy nowadays is consumables; tyres, chains, etc.
I can get those parts for a fraction the cost from the Uk and they will be delivered to my door faster than the LBS will get them from their distributors.
What if ya wanted a 25mm tubular or shimano chain the LBS stocked?
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