Manufacturer, Retailer, Survey and Consumer Feedback - "Team Performance" scam at performancebike.com

I signed up for the "Team Performance" membership program at Performance Bike. Among the benefits are "members-only" specials.

I went to order a couple of things today, and went to the Team Performance section of the website. There it said that Descente and Castelli were "All on sale". So I clicked the link to the Team performance "specials".

I discovered 2 things:

1) Not "all" Descente and Castelli were on sale, contrary to their claim
2) The "specials" were not even "members-only". The same sale prices were available to anyone (members and non-members alike) through the regular sections of their website.

Is this "Team Performance" membership a scam? Is it misleading or deceptive advertising, or have they just screwed up somewhere? Does anyone have any experience with "Team Performance" not living up to its claims and advertising?

Cripes, I hope not. I have a membership too. I only use it for clothing and accessory items, but I'd hate to learn I'm being taken for a ride. :notamused:

It's worth further research.

Either way, you get 10% back, and other people don't. I cancelled my membership though, not worth it to me.

Performance seems to often raise their prices right before they have a 'sale'. There are many other online shops with better prices and selection that Performance.

I used to really like Performance/Nashbar, and buy a lot from them (they are the same company), but in the last 18 months or so they have really gone downhill, and they are the last place I will now look for something.

I just had a horrible experience at the Performance retail store last night in Beavercreek, Ohio. (Long post, sorry).

I got a Scattante SSR single-speed frame last month and I wanted to get a Forte carbon fork for it. The one with the aluminum steerer was on sale for $74.99 so I called them first to see if they had it in stock for a 1-1/8 steerer tube and they said they did. They got me the fork but when I examined it it the steerer tube looked too small. They kept insisting it was the right one so I stupidly took their word for it but when I dropped off my wife at the grocery store nearby I noticed the box clearly stated it was 1". I thought so but I wasn't sure since I didn't have a tape measure. To be fair they probably thought it would work with the larger headtube with a spacer but there was no spacer in the box and the ad copy didn't say anything about this fork working with both sizes.

After taking the fork back I simply wanted someone to measure the tube and nobody would do it! The morons who work there sent me back to the mechanics area to look at it. Not only would the mechanic NOT measure it, he had the audacity to say he didn't know if it was 1" or 1-1/8", wouldn't look for the right fork if it was in stock or not, and says he just installs parts the the other monkeys up front give him.

How in the hell does a mechanic, excuse me, "parts installer", NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 1" AND A 1-1/8" FORK!!!!!!!!! (I'm shouting, sorry, but this is too unbelievable!). So the parts installer whose name is "Tom", sent me back up front to ask them behind the counter. Now I'm getting pissed off. After all this rigamirole I finally asked them D-O Y-O-U H-A-V-E T-H-E C-O-R-R-E-C-T- F-O-R-K O-R N-O-T, Y-E-S O-R N-O?????????? (This sounds like a comedy routine!).

They FINALLY said they didn't have it so I took the fork back but I did get credited back on my debit card for the retail amount which was fifty dollars over what I paid for it thanks to their stupidity.

Well today I called the store asking for the store manager. It must have been the same idiot I dealt with yesterday since he basically took their side and then he said that they are not a bike shop but a retail outlet. HUH??? Wait a minute! They have a mechanics section that offers tune-ups, fixes bikes and installs parts. Sounds like a bike shop to me, how could they not be? How can you have three sales people who work the counter AND a parts installer and NOBODY knows the difference in fork steerer sizes? I just don't get it! Anyway they did NOTHING to try to help me in any way by offering me another kind of fork or ordering one.

I've been ordering parts from Performance since the mid-nineties and bought bike stuff from their retail store since they first opened last summer and I've never had any problems with them until now. I actually felt I was on the movie set of "Night of the Living Dead" or "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" because the employees were like zombies!!!

Anyway I told the store manager that it looks like I'm not getting anywhere with him and I will be contacting the corporate office, which I haven't done yet but I will, maybe by letter.

I was excited to ride this bike I got since all I needed was the fork and now I can't ride it thanks to their idiocy. I'll never deal with these stupid jerks again!

Stay tuned...

I just had a horrible experience at the Performance retail store last night in Beavercreek, Ohio. (Long post, sorry).

I got a Scattante SSR single-speed frame last month and I wanted to get a Forte carbon fork for it. The one with the aluminum steerer was on sale for $74.99 so I called them first to see if they had it in stock for a 1-1/8 steerer tube and they said they did. They got me the fork but when I examined it it the steerer tube looked too small. They kept insisting it was the right one so I stupidly took their word for it but when I dropped off my wife at the grocery store nearby I noticed the box clearly stated it was 1". I thought so but I wasn't sure since I didn't have a tape measure. To be fair they probably thought it would work with the larger headtube with a spacer but there was no spacer in the box and the ad copy didn't say anything about this fork working with both sizes.

After taking the fork back I simply wanted someone to measure the tube and nobody would do it! The morons who work there sent me back to the mechanics area to look at it. Not only would the mechanic NOT measure it, he had the audacity to say he didn't know if it was 1" or 1-1/8", wouldn't look for the right fork if it was in stock or not, and says he just installs parts the the other monkeys up front give him.

How in the hell does a mechanic, excuse me, "parts installer", NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 1" AND A 1-1/8" FORK!!!!!!!!! (I'm shouting, sorry, but this is too unbelievable!). So the parts installer whose name is "Tom", sent me back up front to ask them behind the counter. Now I'm getting pissed off. After all this rigamirole I finally asked them D-O Y-O-U H-A-V-E T-H-E C-O-R-R-E-C-T- F-O-R-K O-R N-O-T, Y-E-S O-R N-O?????????? (This sounds like a comedy routine!).

They FINALLY said they didn't have it so I took the fork back but I did get credited back on my debit card for the retail amount which was fifty dollars over what I paid for it thanks to their stupidity.

Well today I called the store asking for the store manager. It must have been the same idiot I dealt with yesterday since he basically took their side and then he said that they are not a bike shop but a retail outlet. HUH??? Wait a minute! They have a mechanics section that offers tune-ups, fixes bikes and installs parts. Sounds like a bike shop to me, how could they not be? How can you have three sales people who work the counter AND a parts installer and NOBODY knows the difference in fork steerer sizes? I just don't get it! Anyway they did NOTHING to try to help me in any way by offering me another kind of fork or ordering one.

I've been ordering parts from Performance since the mid-nineties and bought bike stuff from their retail store since they first opened last summer and I've never had any problems with them until now. I actually felt I was on the movie set of "Night of the Living Dead" or "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" because the employees were like zombies!!!

Anyway I told the store manager that it looks like I'm not getting anywhere with him and I will be contacting the corporate office, which I haven't done yet but I will, maybe by letter.

I was excited to ride this bike I got since all I needed was the fork and now I can't ride it thanks to their idiocy. I'll never deal with these stupid jerks again!

Stay tuned...

You really got lousy Customer Service! Call their Customer Service and ask to speak to a Supervisor, don't even bother with the first line and state your case. I went to get a fork and they do have one that fits 1 and 1 1/8 and then one that only fits 1". I don't blame you for being ticked off.

To be fair they probably thought it would work with the larger headtube with a spacer but there was no spacer in the box and the ad copy didn't say anything about this fork working with both sizes.


I have never heard of such a spacer. Does it even exist?

I have never heard of such a spacer. Does it even exist?

I have heard of a spacer but I've never actually seen one. And besides, that would defeat the purpose of having a 1 1/8th headtube.

I can certainly understand a salesperson who sells bike clothing and accessories maybe not knowing the difference between steering tube sizes and whether it's threadless or not but there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for someone who sells bikes and certainly parts such as forks, headsets, and stems (and someone who INSTALLS the damned things) for not knowing whether a fork is for a 1 inch of 1 1/8th headtube.

I worked in a bike shop in the mid-ninties when 1 1/8 threadless was somewhat new and even I knew the difference even though when I was hired I never even heard of this setup.

*EMBARRASSING MOMENT* - One of my first days there (May '96) I had to do a checkout on a newly purchased higher-end Raleigh mountain bike and the customer had to help me adjust the headset since I never have seen a threadless headset before (I had to get up to speed on them real quick!).:o

I have heard of a spacer but I've never actually seen one. And besides, that would defeat the purpose of having a 1 1/8th headtube.

http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=6576&page=ALLOY%20HEAD%20TUBE%20REDUCER

Team Performance = 10% discount in "points" on every single item, all the time. Next time you order, use your available points. It also = upgraded 2 day shipping and I have yet to see an order take more than two business days to reach me. As far as savings on individual items... that part is kind of ridiculous to me. I pay for the membership for the other two reasons. So no.. it's not a scam.

One caveat though... Performance charges tax, whereas many other online stores don't, so that 10% discount more or less is an exchange for paying taxes, and balances out. I still like the upgraded shipping though and the prices are always competitive with other places.

Whether it pays off in the long run depends on how frequently you order. I am out in a semi-rural area and order frequently, so it's worth it to me not to have to drive 50 miles to find stuff at retail (which would be Performance anyway).

I have had really good experiences with my Performance LBS in Beaverton OR. They actually swapped a bike for me and gave me all the the previous sale discounts I got on the first bike. I paid around 700.00 for the first bike after a 15% off sale but after riding it for a week and a half the fit was not right and it had lower end components on it. So I went back in to talk to them and told them I was unhappy and the GM and Sales manager made sure they got it right the second time. Needless to say I upgraded to a bike almost double the price but they had no problems and were very happy to please me. I also joined the Team Performance plan to get the 10% back. I got a decent amount of money back and got a team performance discount on a new seat. It was 10.00 dollars cheaper on the team website so I was happy.

I have nothing to complain about and my new bike is great.

Next time go to a real bike shop not 'an outlet.'

Next time go to a real bike shop not 'an outlet.'

+1

The one time I actually went to a Performance store was in Tucson, and 'outlet' describes it to a T. Arizona Bicycle Experts was so much better.

BTW, I'm heading there again soon, can you recommend another good shop? Thanks.

Ziemas, what online places are better? I havent found any that seem to carry the selection that these guys do.

Thx.

Ziemas, what online places are better? I havent found any that seem to carry the selection that these guys do.

Thx.

I like AE Bike. Make sure to check out their 'Deal of the Day' section too.

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30

They are slow on the shipping.

I ordered the membership online, which is now $25 a year on 6/28/08. I rec'd the card in the mail on 7/11/08.

I have had nothing but GOOD LUCK at the Performance stores in SoCal. They always stand behind their products. On the flip-side, when it comes to tune-ups, or any maintenance for that matter, I have had nothing but BAD LUCK at LBS's. Doing my own maintenance now.

I've been a long time customer of Performance, but almost all of my business was online.

Then I found a store in town, and since I'd just picked up a new recumbent, figured I'd swing by to pick up some things I'd lost over years of not riding.

I went in and talked to the store manager for close to an hour. He helped me choose helmet, lights, and shoes. Friendly and knowledgeable, I was pretty impressed. He also signed me up for the Team Performance card (with the amount of stuff I was buying at the time, it pretty much paid for itself). I mentioned that I'd been shopping online from Performance for a while, so he made sure to tie my new card to my online account. He also mentioned that it wouldn't auto-renew.

A week or so later, there were some things I wanted to order, so went online. Got almost all the way through the order process, and it asked for my Team Performance membership number. Typed that in... no luck. Wouldn't accept it as being associated with my account. I sent an email asking for help. A few days later I got a confirmation email that my inquiry had been received and they'd contact me shortly.

Two weeks later, I sent another email. I referenced the earlier inquiry number. A few days after that, another confirmation email. Yeah. Not worth it to me to try to actually get this supported. I tried again a few months later, still with no result whatsoever.

Last month, my Team Performance membership automatically renewed. Just like the store manager said it wouldn't. So I'm going to call the whole thing a waste of time and money. I've canceled the Team Performance membership.

Also of note, every time I've returned to the store (whether it's for my own needs or with my friend who is just getting into bicycling), the staff has acted like I'm an alien. The outer space kind, not the out-of-country kind. While they've never been what I'd call rude, there's definitely an air of snobbery going on.

I'm in the market for a two-wheeler, but it certainly won't be from Performance.

This is why I decided not to deal with them. They seemed only interested in pushing what they wanted to sell. Same for Bike Line at the local store. Have bought four bikes (two for me and one for daughter and one for granddaughter) at LBS,
DUNBAR'S CYCLERY, in Wilmington, DE and their advise, help, service and attitude are top notch.

I upgraded my front and rear derailleurs this year and got an awesome deal at a Performance Store, they matched the online prices for an Ultegra RD-6600 and FD-6600 + I got a 15% off drive train discount...in all it paid for the renewal. Never had a problem returning anything there either.

Having said that, I'm not sure I'm going to renew my membership when it expires in October. I have pretty much everything I need for the time being.

Ive had excellent service from my local Performance. This spring I bought a new MTB, a Mongoose Cannan Elite....amlost 2k. I became a Performance member then, and it more than paid for itself on that purchase alone! With the "points" I got from that bike I got a new CamelBak, and a few other nice goodies. I had almost $180 in credit in points.

This summer I bought a Scattante carbon road bike. I got it home and rode it around the block. Went in the next day and saw the GT-R Pro road bike and fell in LOVE! Asked the manager if I could bring it back and exchange it...No Problemo!!! Brought the Scannate back, added a little cash and took home the GT. $200 in "points"

In the "Clerance" section I had been spying a Park work stand. It retails for $150ish, was on clerance for $125...and had been sitting there for a while. I got in good with the manager by this point...and told him "Man that thing has been sitting around for a while....noone is going to buy it, why dont ya hook a bortha up?"...I got it for $100.

Needless to say Ive been happy with Performance and have a good rapport with them. It boils to the individuals in the shop sometimes, not the company as a whole.

YMMV!

If you felt so confident that the fork was the wrong size...WHY DID YOU TAKE IT?

Team Performance = 10% discount in "points" on every single item, all the time. Next time you order, use your available points. It also = upgraded 2 day shipping and I have yet to see an order take more than two business days to reach me. As far as savings on individual items... that part is kind of ridiculous to me. I pay for the membership for the other two reasons. So no.. it's not a scam.

One caveat though... Performance charges tax, whereas many other online stores don't, so that 10% discount more or less is an exchange for paying taxes, and balances out. I still like the upgraded shipping though and the prices are always competitive with other places.

Whether it pays off in the long run depends on how frequently you order. I am out in a semi-rural area and order frequently, so it's worth it to me not to have to drive 50 miles to find stuff at retail (which would be Performance anyway).

You know that the reason for this is because they have retail stores in OH, right? Otherwise they wouldn't be required to collect tax. That's why the other online stores you are using (which , more than likely , do not have an in-state presence) do not charge you tax.