chipcom 

Why don't you ask the LBS owner why he/she wants to charge you shipping, getting the answer from the horse's mouth and possibly negotiating something?

Miles2go

Nope. There were no misunderstandings with the shop. I was dealing face to face with the owner and I'm far from worked up or angry. Just seeing what people think as I'm in no particular hurry to buy.

PaulRivers

I've never been asked to pay extra shipping charges for a special order bike at a bike shop. Just adding my 2 cents.

Cyclist0383

Perhaps 'bringing one in' means something different to him. There is no reason not to ask him to clarify the final price of the bike.

AlmostTrick

I've been asked to pay for shipping for special order parts at the local bike shop. They also said that if I could wait until they placed their next order from that particular distributor (which in this case would be several weeks) I would not have to pay for shipping. It seemed fair to me.

Panthers007

You - OP - wanted to know if tacking shipping/handling charges onto a bicycle was the usual practice. You have your answer: No.

We told you this was, in different terms, a highly unusual situation. Order the bike from the shop - or don't. But if you want to save a few dollars - call around to other shops. The shop in question will probably assemble the bicycle (without your permission) for you ($$$). And the owner will likely add the cost (X2) of gasoline he burned to get to work this week ($$$).

Tally Ho! <Honk! Honk!>

Little Darwin

As far as earlier posts talking about going to the BBB and the media... please don't. The shop has been straight with you so far, being honest about cost. It is my understanding that the BBB is there to ensure that businesses are ethical, not to keep costs low. I would also not bother the media.

If they had advertised something they didn't produce, or tried to charge you something after the fact I would feel differently.

If times were better, the company may be better able to absorb the cost... but why ask us? You should ask the shop owner, he would be the best one to answer the question. I wouldn't hesitate to ask a shop owner if something like this has always been their policy or if it was necessary because of the economy.

Miles2go

"Why ask us?" Why talk about anything on a forum? Same same... we have a broad base of experience to draw from and someone else can learn from this thread.

I've now called about five other shops and none will charge more than suggested retail for these bikes, even if they don't have them in stock.

Further discussion with the shop owner in question only confirms that he can't give me a total out the door until I commit and see what the shipping will be. The path of least resistance takes me on to the next retailer.

Cyclist0383

Did you ask the original shop what their 'out the door' price is?

Panthers007

Out-The-Door covers, as was stated, up to the MSRP. Plus local & state taxes. MSRP = Manufacturers' Suggested Retail Price.

Read: The manufacturer does not add on the cost of shipping. Shipping is included in the MSRP.

Wordbiker

Perhaps I look at things differently because I've ended up friends with the owner of every bike shop I've frequented, usually receiving a discount or even cost, not demanding for it. The only shop that didn't offer me one couldn't, due to a bad lease that required them to pay almost all of what little profit they would've made to the landlord. I understood and still frequented the shop.

Perhaps you folks that are trying to leverage prices down and catch bike shops up in technicalities to gain free items or service just need to work on your approach more. Any small business owner knows to focus their effort on relational and repeat customers rather than transactional customers.

chipcom 

Just like any good customer knows the long term value of a good relationship with good people and is willing to pay a few bucks more sometimes to keep it healthy.

Sucks to be us and actually have a good relationship with our LBS.

Cyclist01012

If you come into our local LBS and want something we do not normally stock and can wait till the normal weekly order is placed, no shipping. But if you want something ordered now, say the day after the order was placed and you want it right away then of course you should pay the shipping.

If you want a special order bike and it is not something the shop normally carries and it is not coming in truck freight with a bike order. Then yes you should pay the shipping costs. It is not cheap to have a bike shipped cros country. If I owend the shop I would also ask you to pay for the bike up front, so I dont get stuck with it when it comes in and you dont want it.

Miles2go

I missed the part about "leveraging prices down" and "catching shops in technicalities", I'm in neither of those camps.

Move to a new, distant town and start over. I'm new to the area and it was my first time in this shop. That said, two of the local bike shop owners are some of our best new friends. Neither of those shops carry the brand in question. At the new shop, the owner is showing me photos of his kid and some rides they've done within five minutes of our intro, carrying on about our past racing days and so on. This shipping deal isn't courtesy of any action on my part.

These times are tough and my gut is beginning to tell me that perhaps the shop in question is struggling. That would explain a lot and there are some other factors that in hindsight point in that direction.

Wordbiker

That's understandable, and if my statement didn't apply to you, it wasn't directed at you....just the folks that got up in arms about your issue.

The funny thing about small businesses is they're run by human beings. Humans often have quirky different ideas than other folks, but they're entirely within their rights to run a business any way they see fit. They may lose some customers, but those may not be the customers they're catering to anyway.

I tried to shed some light on how things work on the other side of the counter to hopefully allow some to understand that unless you actually run a business, you really can't make assumptions about how it works...especially how you feel it should work for you as a consumer, which is generally speaking all in your favor. Sorry, not all restaurants are Burger King and you can't always have it your way, but, if you can strike a fair compromise with someone that is willing to be honest and open with you (even if that takes a bit of honesty on your part) then that's about the best anyone can ask.

If the shop you dealt with was indeed charging half the shipping cost due to the economic pinch, you'd have to weigh whether the shop's other benefits (good policies, exceptional service, great product representation, lively riding or social scene, fair pricing on other needed items, your favorite brands, convenience to home, etc.) outweigh the cost difference. It could mean that the shop isn't being run efficiently and by choosing the wrong policies to institute and uphold it will inevitably go under. Heck, it could even mean that it's the best run shop in town and will stay in business specifically for charging for their costs rather than giving it away due to (perhaps erroneous) consumer expectations. The consumer just has to vote with their feet and the truth shall be seen in time.

Ironically enough, this exact subject was featured in this month's NBDA newsletter...and the opinions ran the gamut from...well, the same spectrum of opinions seen in this thread.

baldsue

Here's my experience: I special ordered a bike from my LBS. They split the shipping charges with me. I walked out the door with a bike that still cost less than MSRP and they threw in a different stem for "free". When the LBS special orders parts for me, too, I think they include a shipping charge. I think that typical MSRP factors in shipping charges so the merchant can actually make a profit.

CCrew

I see it all the time in the DC area. Stores that have multiple location charge $25 to transfer a bike between stores.

-R

Retro Grouch 

I'm surprised at how emotional some people get over questions like this. To me it's just a straight business deal.

OP wants a local bike shop to bring in a bicycle that the shop has previously decided not to carry on their floor. The shop says "I'll do it, but only if you'll pay an additional fee." The OP is free to either accept or reject the deal. What's dishonest or unethical about that?

How badly does the OP want the bike? How badly does the LBS want to sell the bike? Who takes the risk that, once the OP actually sees the bike, he still wants to buy it?

Wordbiker

Keep in mind the Veruca Salts of the world wanting an Ooompa Loompa...Now!

bhkyte

I have ended up usually not buying bikes from my LBS, even when I try to gave them the chance to compete for prices. However I get alot of work done there and spares and they are fine with this. I would only buy elsewhere if a bike is around 40% cheaper.

I have never been charged for special orders and I have returned items I have not used for a refund later despite this being not in the shops interest or within my legal rights. IF you have a relationship with a person providing a service it is a two way street. If he wants to charge me for something we simply talk about it. I trust them, they trust me. Perhaps I am lucky in having known a person for so long. Man I am old, AREN'T I !

Little Darwin

How I feel about things with a shop I have an established relationship with are different than a new shop...

I have to admit, if it was my usual shop asking to split the shipping, I would probably be more accepting than if it was my first dealing with a shop.

I am a creature of habit, and do like the shop I have been going to for the past few years. And they don't hesitate to send me elsewhere if they don't have a hard to find item.

Miles2go

Just to touch on your last question: Of the six other shops that I talked to (all of them offering to bring the bike I want in at no additional cost to me), two of them asked that I make a deposit prior at the time I order.

A second note is that most of these bike shops, including the one in question normally stocks this bike but it is popular enough that I haven't caught one on the floor yet. I assume that the four shops that aren't even bothering with the deposit figure that they'll be selling the thing soon enough anyway.

Good breakdown of the situation though RG; business and consumer decisions that are nothing to get bent out of shape over.

Cheers.

Pscyclepath

Or there's the expereince of a local shop, where a customer had them order a very nice, high end mountain bike for him, then disappeared. Over a year later, that bike is built up and still sitting on the showroom floor. Once burned, twice shy, in many people's experience...

the_doctor

I do not live far from you. I have to tell you that in Massachusetts, LBS are equivalent in size to many motorcycle shops. Yes, they sell that many dollars in bicycles. I know of two bicycle shops in the area which have salesmans incentives ie commissions.

If you are not aware of your requirements and ALL OF THE MODELS AND BRANDS out there, then they will snow job you.

If the guy is going to charge more than MRSP for the bike then I would walk away. Only 2 of the dealers around here advertise around sticker. Most put stickers below MRSP.

rarebird

if the LBS does not carry that brand then there may be additional costs to provide it to you. Choosing to charge for the service of contacting a distributor and arranging the purchase and delivery without intentions of then carrying that brand would not be unfair at all. You are asking for a special service, few businesses would fail to account for that these days, and why should they?

a little bike shop means rent, stock, service, sales, business hours and an inventory of tens of thousands of items when you include parts needed for service and thousands of dollars worth of tools at a minimum. It's an expensive undertaking to serve your every cycling need.

whereas an online shop provides -no service- beyond shipping to you from a stock that is usually assumed to be immutable by the customer, many do not and cannot even provide technical specifications for the things they sell. And what is required to run an online shop selling bike stuff?

a crappy computer, an account with fedex or something and storage space in your mom's cellar. walla u r n biznes dude

but yea I'm sure they are just trying to scam you, selling you a bike that has a tiny markup compared to most consumer goods and then charging you for providing a special service particular to your needs, ****ing thieves i hates them!