phredette

I tested and bought a LHT 3 weeks ago from Harris Cyclery (a 3 hour drive) -- and ordered a tubus rack, ortlieb panniers, a moustache bar with tape, and a brooks saddle. Plus lights. The bike has basically been ready for 2 weeks, though they ordered the saddle and panniers as they didn't have the kind I wanted in stock.

Is this normal, to wait this long for a saddle and panniers? The shop carries these brands, I would think that they would order them and they would come in fairly quickly.

I also have asked 3 times for an invoice with all of the above with costs attached. Nothing.

I'm getting a little testy, or should I be more patient?

Looking for your infinite wisdom,
Phredette

jesspal

Did you pay for anything yet? If not tell them you want the bike as is and you can get the saddle and panniers yourself. Although this is could be a PITA. It is so frustrating to wait for a bike, I had to wait two months for my bike, but in the long run it was so worth it.

heckler

If the ordered it, I would give it time since it is out of their hands.

If they are slacking off and delayed ordering it I would be cranky.

My Shop gets most things 3-5 days after ordering.

jesspal

Yeah when you order things online on your own you usually get them within 3-5 days. It should take them an hour to install the parts and boom your bike is ready. Perhaps they order in bulk and are waiting for a large shipment of parts.

Wogster

Although a shop may carry an item in stock, many shops, in areas that get winter weather, let stock get low before reordering. When you carry a brand, you often make big orders once in a while, rather then ordering items individually, this saves on shipping costs. The person who places the orders may have planned a larger order from that supplier, and tacked your items onto the larger order. Costs are changing on a regular basis, they may not want to invoice until they have firm prices on everything you want.

Neil_B

Depending on delivery times and availability of the item, it can be a long time for any business to receive a special order. From my experience on both sides of the counter in a number of different retail businesses (books, music, luggage and leather goods), there could be any number of reasons for a delay: lost order at the supplier, damaged or recalled item, item discontinued, etc. The shop should be able to give you an explanation.

As for the invoice, they probably don't want to give you one since they don't know if they will have the items you ordered.

phredette

Yes, I put down a $600 deposit, which is what they asked for, about half of what the stock bike retails for.

OK, I will try to be patient and generous of spirit, but I'll call Tuesday.

For them waiting to do a big order to save on shipping etc: if it were my bike shop (and remember this is a shop that does a large mail order business), I would ask the customer if they might want to pay extra shipping charges if it were that big a deal. In these economic times, I might well go ahead and eat the extra charges to have a happy customer. But I'd at least ask. And if they *had* asked me, I would have probably gone for the extra charges, if they were reasonable. They never said that I'd have to wait for their spring order.

As for the invoice request: they have already done the rack, fenders, lights, bar and taping. They regularly carry the saddles and panniers, so they have at least a good estimate of what those are going to cost. They can clearly mark the invoice as an estimate. But I really have no clue as to what they charge for labor etc., and I really would like to know this in advance, which I have communicated 3 times with no response. I guess I don't get it?

I don't, however, want to wait 2 months for this bike!!
Sorry I sound like such a grouch....

Phredette

Neil_B

An invoice and an estimate are two different things. Have you made it clear to them it's an estimate you want?

As for the shop allegedly waiting for their "spring order", I find that hard to understand. A shop should be able to get parts in 3-5 business days. It's more likely that the supplier/manufacturer is out of stock.