Overseas online shops-comparison.

[stackie]

So... I needed to get some replacement bits after a crash. Amazing differences in service.

TotalCycling: Buy Deda Deep bars ( kind of hard to find these days) and SLR saddle in white. Add on a pair of campy skewers also since they have a nice price. Email back no saddle in stock. Entire order holds or ship without and saddle sends later with another shipping fee. Grrr. Skip the saddle. Get order. Shallow bars. Grrr. Customer service says to send back economically with tracking. I go to post office. $54 to send tracked. $22 untracked. For $62 handlebars. I do the right thing and go home. Email them. They say to send untracked then. I ask them to ship new handlebars now and wait for return. They say will not ship replacements until they receive incorrect pair. But I can order and pay shipping again. Seriously? I ask them if they really mean this. They repent and say they will refund shipping on new bars. I start to order and now realize I can now get the bars at better price from Wiggle with free shipping. Done. Tell total cycling to forget it.

Pushy's: Order Sidi shoes. Don’t show. Get request for feedback from Pushys. I track package and it’s stuck in LA. I email them. They apologize profusely and institute query with Australia and US post office. I get note that they are stuck in customs. OK. Cool. You guys do the legwork, treat me with respect. I’ll wait a bit. I’m happy with them.

ProBikeKitUSA: order SLR saddle in white with free shipping. I get daily emails from them telling me they are working on it until it ships three days later. You guys are doing well.

The kicker of it al? I finally get an email from TotalCycling saying they’ve received bars and will process refund. Ten minutes later I get automated email from Wiggle saying they are processing my refund. What? I guess TotalCycling and Wiggle are related somehow. TotalCycling must be for people who are dumb enough to pay shipping so they figure are also dumb enough to be treated like dirt.

Jon