TimothyH

There used to be a thread where experience with different online retailers could be posted - delivery times, customer service, etc.

I can't find the thread and so here is a new one...

TimothyH

Sigma Sports

https://www.sigmasports.com/

Based in England. I don't hear much about them but prices on sale items are often very good.

I ordered 7Mesh bibs on Oct 10, 2018 and they were delivered to suburban Atlanta on Oct 15. These bibs are $200 everywhere and Sigma has them for $110 USD.

They charged $12 shipping which is not consistent with their Worldwide Payment and Delivery page which states no minimum spend and two days for USA orders. I'm going to send them an email and ask why I was charged for delivery.

They shipped by DHL which has been troublesome for me in the past. This is not a Sigma Sports issue however.


-Tim-

Gconan

Wolftooth. I bought their morse cage water bottle holders. Good product. They shipped the next day got to me very quick.

Sy Reene

Ok.. I've ordered from CC, ribble, PBK, Merlin, AMZN, Excel,bicyclebuys, treksuperstore, all4cycling, Chain Reaction, and probably a few manufacturer-direct sites, etc.. everything I've ever ordered delivered, in a timeframe that I wasn't disappointed with.

indyfabz

Rapha shipped my wonderful base layer promptly and in nice packaging. Still have not taken it out of the package. They also included a return label in the event I needed to exchange it.

Troul 

Believe it or not but eBay has been positive for buying thru big shot vendors.

Igotdibs

I've ordered from Jenson and Chain Reaction Cycles. No issues with either.

mcours2006

eBay, Amazon marketplace, Chain Reaction, Wiggle, Ribble, Pro Bike Kit,...all have been good...well, there was this one time with CRC when I ordered a set of studded tires, and after the delivery window had passed I inquired about my item and they told me they were out of stock. Well, heck, thanks for letting me know. I ended up ordering another set from them just because they had them and were the cheapest compared to anywhere else. But I was not happy about it.

Spoonrobot 

I'll never order a complete bike from JensonUSA ever again.

They held my bike order for two weeks so their mechanics could perform the "Built Tuned Tested" assembly checklist that I told them I didn't want and didn't need. Ended up being two guys putting sloppy checkmarks on a crumpled piece of paper, shooting a ton of grease into the seattube that caused the seatpost to slip, required a ton of time to clean out properly, as well as messing up the limits on the rear derailleur so badly it shifted directly into the spokes as I was running my first function check.

The also repacked the bike in a completely different box and much of the packing material was not appropriate for the style of bike. If I ever order a complete bike again it will be worth the premium to get it from anywhere else.

wipekitty

Merlin - no problems! Received my order in slightly over a week. Tracking was a bit behind the actual location of the items.

Wiggle - always great. I generally receive my orders in around a week. Last time, I paid the ~$7.80 for fast shipping, and the order came in two days, without issues, from DHL.

Pro Bike Kit - Haven't placed an order in some time, but in my last experiences, shipping was a bit sluggish - 2 or 3 weeks.

FWIW, I'm located in the upper Midwest and most packages have to hit both Chicago and Minneapolis before coming back in the middle to me.

woodcraft

Biketiresdirect- order most frequently. Good sales.
Pro Bike Kit- Good, slow shipping
Excel- Rarely order not great pricing occasional sale
Wiggle- Good
Ribble- OK
Performance- Good for supplies, ship to local store
Nashbar- chains, cassettes, etc.

canklecat

Satisfied with Nashbar, Jenson USA, Black Bibs and Amazon when they handle the fulfillment. Nashbar's free shipping usually arrives sooner than expected.

Mixed bag with independent vendors selling through Amazon and ebay. Several instances of incorrectly described products. But the prices were so low it wasn't worth complaining or asking for a refund or exchange.

Most delivery problems I've experienced had nothing to do with the retailer. Usually it's a FedEx problem -- FedEx seems to get it wrong more often than right. A large envelope they claim to have delivered directly to me almost a month ago just arrived today. The seller had already replaced the item. It's a phone SIM, not a bike part, so I'll just discard it since the seller had already deactivated it. But I've had similar problems with FedEx handling the final delivery on products from all kinds of sellers, from photography to bikes.

USPS was a problem a few years ago but they've straightened out those problems in my area. Seems to have been a regional issue, with too few experienced letter carriers, and too many temps who burned out quickly and didn't last more than a couple of months.

UPS has been reliable.

Machka 

Here:

POSITIVE experiences with cycling-related businesses

Metieval

I've spent way too much money online!!!!

but I have saved lots too... LOL

DomaneS5

Good dealings with.....

Aerotech Designs
Nashbar
Amazon
eBay
Jenson USA
Backcountry
BikesDirect

TimothyH

Sigma Sports sent a nice reply to my email. I misunderstood the shipping information and there is a $12 flat rate charge from England to the USA. The flat rate charge will go away in a few weeks in favor of free shipping with minimum spend like most other retailers.

I'm very satisfied with Sigma Sports and will order from them again.


-Tim-

puma1552

I ordered shoes from PBK, I had two shipping options - free shipping which wouldn't even include ANY tracking at all and was based on something absurd like 12-20 business days, or for the modest price of 20 ****ing dollars could have FedEx tracking and an 8-12 business day window. I opted for the latter because I was going on a trip just past that window, and of course, it came on like business day 13 which luckily was the last day before my trip. Not 8, 9, 10, 11, or even 12. $20 to ship something small to Minneapolis with a nearly 3 week delivery date is absurd.

Shoes are fine though, thank god they fit.

Kedosto

Domestic: Universal Cycles. They're just about the best in the business (IMO). With expanded locations to the midwest and east coast they're positioned to spread the love nationwide. Highly recommended.

International: Bike-Discount.de. They have all the cool stuff we really need for the "bikes as transportation" crowd here in the US. Think dyno hubs, dyno lights, folding locks, fenders, guards, etc.

I've purchased items from many online vendors over many years and nobody comes close to the selection, price, delivery, and customer service of these two.


-Kedosto

ChrisWagner

Good overall. It's easier to list the trouble vendors. The only issues I've had is with a couple of Chinese businesses through Banggood where they get the money, claimed they shipped and the package never arrives. They offer to resend which I decline and get my refund from paypal. The only vendors that get my CC# are paypal & amazon.

kimguroo

Machka 

Also, if I didn't mention them in that list above ...

Chain Reaction Cycles
Wiggle
Torpedo7
Pushys

I look up stuff at Avanti Plus, but go into the shop to get it.

JessicaSinclair

I had a problem with a dealer called Reid where i purchased a bike from back in 2015 - i bought a medium size when i came to pick it up they had a small prepared for me ... i told them i ordered a size M but the guy told me it's too bad that's the bike i paid for so it's either take it or leave but no money back .

Anyway 6 months transpired I met a different guy there and he told me to bring the bike back - he gave me full refund and told me the other guy was sacked 3 months ago.

bruce19

My "go to" has been Competitive Cyclist. Prices are decent and the gear is excellent. But, their customer service is really, really good. Shipping is amazingly quick and they pay for returns if needed. I have even been assigned a customer service rep that I can call. I have also used Excel and the Colorado Cyclist with good results. Another good site, for Assos only, is Swiss Iconic (Assos factory store).

autonomy

Wiggle has been great for me and it looks like they have a US return address. I've been treating them as 'no-return' merchant because stuff I buy would probably cost more to ship back to the UK than the cost of the item.
Happy with Merlin too though shipping is a bit slower than Wiggle. Sometimes their prices are better. Returns are definitely out of the question.

KJK