shundaroni

Just doing a little preemptive questioning in case I need this information later...

I recently (June 17) visited a somewhat-local bike shop and ordered a Fuji Roubaix Pro. The price was great, the owner was a nice guy, and I felt comfortable doing business with him. On top of that, I knew his mechanic from high school, so we started off on the right foot.

I was told several times that it would be in and built by 4PM on June 19. Things seemed great, and I wrote him a check and he took my phone number in case he needed to contact me.

The trip from my house to the dealer is a little over 50 miles, so I headed out today with high expectations despite the cost of gas. I get there, and the bike isn't in yet. I'm understanding, but clearly a bit peeved. As confident as he (and his coworker) was about having it ready to go by 4PM today, I was thoroughly convinced. Turns out, not so much.

So I say, "Fine. When can I expect it?"

The new answer is "Definitely tomorrow."

So, 100 mile round trip is down the drain, and I'll be making it again tomorrow.

Now, here is where I need the advice. If the bike isn't there tomorrow, I'm intending to cancel the order and pick up the Cannondale down the road that I was offered last week for a great price. In the event that this comes to pass, since I've already handed them the check, do you foresee any potential problems for me? Clearly I'm not returning the product (as I haven't even received it), so their return policies don't apply. I was provided with no written cancellation policies.

So what is your opinion? As a shop owner, how would you handle the cancellation?