General Cycling Discussion - Upset @ my LBS... what should I do?

I just got back into riding my bike for exercise, commuting, etc... When I went to the LBS I had a good idea what I wanted/needed & had helpful salespeople to get me set. A few things have really stuck in my craw though, and now I feel jipped.

#1: I got an '07 Trek su200. It's the bike I knew I wanted before I walked in the store, they just so happened to have it in my size, and it was on sale. The MSRP is like $499, and the sale price was $429. I put it on layaway, along w/ a few other necessities, and got it out last week. Now that I look at the reciept, I payed $449. Not a big deal, right? My dream bike, in the color I want, still for $50 under retail. So I go their cite & look up their bikes to doublecheck the price, and they have it listed on clearance for $399.

Now, I'm all for supporting local businesses, but that just seems absurd to me. Am I wrong?

#2: When you buy a bike, they give you a 20% off coupon for the next time you buy accessories. I went in, ordered a helmet, lock, & lights, & payed them. Again, I look at the reciept when I get home, and I didn't get my discount! I spent nearly $150 bucks locally instead of $100 online, which is fine, but when I'm told I get a discount I damn well expect to get it.

Will I be out of line bringing my reciept in & expecting things settled?

#3: When I ordered the helmet & lock they had to special order it. I was told it would take 5 business days for my purchase to arrive. It's been 10. I went in late last week when I was told it should be in, and they didn't seem to want to even check on the status.

Now, the weather here is AMAZING & I TOTALLY want to start biking to work, but I can't because I don't have a lock or helmet. Should I stop in a 2nd time & say something? If so, what?

All-in-all, this store has everything I could need, and they've always been good when I've come in with a bike emergency, but I feel like I'm being screwed over. This LBS is 1/2 block from my house, with the next closest one being 60 miles, so if I decided to spend my money elsewhere I'm pretty much screwed for convenience. However, I don't feel I should be giving my money to a store that is ignoring their own prices & coupons.

Any advice?

Go in and talk to the boss. Calmly. Explain your problems and show your receipts. Also, print off their advert showing the lower price on the bike.

Remember, if you don't let them know about the problems you are having you can't expect them to make it right.

I agree with Bill, go in and calmly explain the situation and what you would like to have done to remedy it.

I'd go in and talk to them about it. The cashier may have just forgotten to hit the coupon button. The manager might bend over backwards for you, since you've clearly boughten a few things with them, and should want to keep your business.

But depending upon their response, you might not want to go back again. My LBS is a place that I don't go to--I didn't like the service that I got there, and a friend didn't like the service he got there either. Luckily, there are a couple on my normal commute, so I'll give them some business instead. Not all shops are created equal.

People make mistakes, and if given the opportunity will often correct them...

BTW - I am beginning to think that whining to others on the internet when there are other obvious solutions, like this, is closely related to gossipping... Please tell me that you honestly didn't think of talking to someone in the shop, I'll believe you. :rolleyes:

Needing a little encouragement to be brave enough to walk into the shop with a complaint is fine... but for that we need a lot fewer details. "I didn't get the posted price, and it is even lower on their web site, what should I do" would be more than enough. ;)

Now, go chat with the people at the shop and get it straightened out.

Go on, you can do it. :)

I truly hope you get some of your money back...

At my LBS, I have noticed the opposite. A few times I bought something and discover a 10% discount when I look at the receipt later. So, I would sugest that we both check receipts before we leave the store... I may have missed an over-charge somewhere too...

Edit: On your last point, I have had longer delays than I wanted... But, a bike shop isn't always high volume, and their suppliers won't typically ship for a single item or two without hitting the shop for huge shipping charges, so the shop will wait until they get several items on their shopping list. It is a pain, but I like my LBS, so I put up with it.

In the future, look at the price when you pay it.

For the present situation, you may not have anything to complain about with the reduction to $399, but things should be adjusted to the price you agreed to pay when you ordered the stuff.

Remember, if you don't let them know about the problems you are having you can't expect them to make it right.

I agree with Bill, go in and calmly explain the situation and what you would like to have done to remedy it.

+1

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'm gonna go in with my reciept & explain everything.

The only thing that makes me uneasy is the owner/manager. Whenever I go in the staff bends over backwards to help me & answer questions, but if he's the only person I could only get help if I walked around with $100 bills falling out of my pocket.

In the last 4 years I've spent $1500 there, gotten decent service, but never really felt my business was *appreciated*. I realize they sell $4000 bikes, but for a relatively poor college kid $1500 is a lot of money.

If this was a restaurant or electronics store I could just go to their competitor across the street. But this is the only LBS in a 60 mile radius, & I don't want to have to resort to shopping online & teaching myself bike repair, but I REALLY want this fixed.

Going in a talking to them is a good idea, with receipts, etc.

Learning to do your own maintenance and repair work is a very good idea. That way you can do most of your own work in case, for some reason, they are not available. You can still visit them for parts and accessories.

Seriously, just talk to them. You can't expect the cashier to by psychic and *know* your'e supposed to get your 20% discount. Next time check your receipt before you leave, or better yet tell them you're supposed to get a discount BEFORE it gets rung up.

In particular, it is very much standard practice to offer a customer a sale price if a sale happens right after a purchase and/or is incorrectly not coded for. This is an extremely usual request, no different from returning a jersey you got as a present because it didn't fit.

You'll be fine. Don't worry too much about the owner.

He may smile a lot more at people with lots of money, but if you go in with a positive attitude and some humility, he'll probably do the right thing. If not, then you are unfortunately not going to make it better with anything you do.

From what I have read on the forums, shops don't tend to make the most money on the bikes anyway, it is the other stuff that you have bought there. He may smile at moving inventory, but it is probably not what keeps his business open.

Just remember, he can't charge you extra for what you have already bought, and most likely won't turn away your business in the future (unless he is a true psychopath). So, you won't be any worse off for going in... All you can lose is a few minutes of your time, and the potential gain is some money back.

Good luck. Let us know how it went.

As a side note, I just realized (because I happened to look earlier today) this is my 4,000th message on BikeForums. :)

I frequent a LBS that alot of people I know simply don't like. Sometimes it's just personality - I don't consider the LBS staff & owner my "friends" - I have a business relationship with them. The owner likes to educate his customers (whether they are interested or not), which turns many bikers off. I have learned more than I EVER need to know about various bits and pieces and structure and failure and material and style and... whatever - of MTBs, and I don't mind listening to the guy - eventually he'll tell me what I need to know!

They should fix it all if they are at all reputable. Sounds like a big shop, so they should be more than willing to remedy the sale and after sale situations. If not, I would not go back, and I would tell as many people as possible to stay away.:mad:

It's also possible the discount does nto apply to "special Orders"

but like others have said, go in with a polite and freindly attitude, it never hurts to ask.

In particular, it is very much standard practice to offer a customer a sale price if a sale happens right after a purchase and/or is incorrectly not coded for. This is an extremely usual request, no different from returning a jersey you got as a present because it didn't fit.


Spend some time in a retail store -- any retail store -- after Xmas. Lots of savvy shoppers show up w/receipts of everything they purchased as gifts before Christmas, and they ask for (and receive) refunds on the difference.

You mentioned something about the website price. This must be a chain. I promise you they deal with this every day.

I am just fascinated that the OP only found out he was jipped on the sales and discount when he went to check the sales receipt at home! Huh???? Isn't it standard practice to ask the price to be paid before handing over the cash or the card, and querying it there on the spot if there is something amiss?

Support your LBS as much as they support you by shopping online next time.

I get a discount and am known by name at a LBS. Despite that, I still have to remind them every time. My suspicion is the discount doesn't actually exist until I ask for it.

The solution is obviously to set the place on fire at night. That'll teach em.

So you put something on lay-away and are upset that it went on sale months after you agreed to the purchase? Try saving up first then looking for deals. Cash talks, BS walks.

Ziemas,

On their website, it has a list of all their "Clearance" bikes, all of which are last years' models. It says "Last updates 1/15/08", which was 2 weeks BEFORE I went in. Could I have paid cash upfront? Yes, but I wouldn't have been able to do it until 3 weeks later. Instead of waiting 3 weeks & risk the slim chance they sold a 2 year old model, I put $250 down & paid it all off in 30 days instead of the 60 they give.

Everyone else,

Yeah, I should have checked the reciepts right away. I'm a moron for waiting.

I went in yesterday & picked up my lock & helmet, which arrived a week later then they said it would take. No biggie. I mentioned the reciept issue, and the salesman said that the 20% discount only counted towards ONE accessory, which is BS because the first salesperson said it counted towards ALL, and the coupon says "Good for 20% of all accessories on next purchase". So I got my $60 lock for $48, when I could have gotten it online for $40.

I'm all for supporting local businesses, but I'm not happy in the least. I'll go in to get the free tune-ups & whatnot, but unless I NEED a part or accessory THAT DAY, I'm going to be spending my money online instead.

I'd rather spend less money & get what I order when I'm told I'll get it, then to give my money to a business where the only thing in the store that are in sync are the clocks.

Ziemas,

On their website, it has a list of all their "Clearance" bikes, all of which are last years' models. It says "Last updates 1/15/08", which was 2 weeks BEFORE I went in. Could I have paid cash upfront? Yes, but I wouldn't have been able to do it until 3 weeks later. Instead of waiting 3 weeks & risk the slim chance they sold a 2 year old model, I put $250 down & paid it all off in 30 days instead of the 60 they give.


It's not at all surprising that you paid more when buying something on time. They took the risk of you not coming through with all the money on time for a small percentage, and in return they saved a bike for you which they very likely could have sold to someone else in those three weeks. It sounds like a win-win situation to me.

I've had what seemed to me bad service at about half the bikes shops I've visited, and had a great experience with the other half. I hear from my car-owning friends that it's the same with car mechanics. That's why I try to fix my own problems. On the other hand, I realize that a bike shop does not make a big profit off most sales, so I respect them when I do go in.

Interesting thread. I knew I was fortunate to find a local shop who would hold a 2007 while I paid for it. They allowed me to pay on my time (I made an aggressive plan) with no extra charges by them. My first accessory purchase was all 20% and lifetime tuneups.

I'm only writing this to say those shops are out there. While you may have had a bad experience I'd be inclined to voice my concerns. But the fact remains, for me anyway, if I feel they don't appreciate what I spend (be it a little or a lot) I'll go somewhere else. End of story. And if they are rude, I also have no problem mentioning online sales before I leave and what it has done to brick and mortar shops.

Try checking your receipt before you leave the shop. Also, pay attention to price tags and that shenanigans. Don't just walk into the store and say "I want that and that and one of those too...oh and I like that, gimme two" and then blindly hand the cashier the amex. That would be all kinds of dumb.

I support my LBS as much as I can, for they are located relatively close to my workplace. I give them the first opportunity at my hard earned dollars, but if they have to order anything or not familiar with a product, I don't even hesitate to purchase online. I have made some mistakes while ordering online, making an LBS more disireable when returning an item, but so far, I've been fortunate in being able to use just about every item on one of my bikes, just may not end up on the bike I intended the part for. When making a purchase, don't be shy or assume, ask how much a item costs before swiping the credit card, a whole lot easier that trying to get a refund on overcharges.