LBS sold my bike!
 

Or, at least the one I wanted. I went in yesterday to check out the last 2009 caad9-5 they had. The owner/fitter wasn't there(as he was supposed to be), so the guy put my name down for the bike (no deposit, he said I'd be fine), and told me to come back tomorrow.

I get a call today saying that they sold the bike, and that they can offer me $100 off on a 2010 caad9-5 to $1299. Should I take it? I really wanted the white/red color, but is the 2010 worth it? Should I look for a used one?

Take the 2010, I hate buying a new car and then a month later seeing the new model on the road.

How much was the 2009 model? We need to know or else the $100 off the 2010 ($1299) is meaningless.

No deposit and just a verbal agreement? It was never your bike to begin with. Buy it from another LBS where people won't try to play games with you.

uh, yeah, take the 2010. It doesn't sound like they really screwed with you, or actually promised anything. Someone comes in, wants to pay for old stock, they're gonna sell it.

A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush, your bad.

Take 2010, it's a bicycle not a tattoo.

Oh, I know it wasn't my bike without a deposit, it's just kind of annoying that they said to not worry about it and to come back the next day.

They're offering a 2010 for 1275 and 15% off accessories. The 2009 was going to be 1199.

Take the 2010.

another one here for the 2010 or going to another LBS to check for an '09

if you actually put down a deposit it would be another issue, but they may not have thought you were that serious of a buyer.

Nice. (can i borrow the expression and replace the word "bicycle"?)

Go for the 2010. I am in the same boat, but with Giant Defy Advanced 1. It turns out that my 2010 model will have have the new Shimano Ultegra group that replaces the current Ultegra and Ultegra SL plus some more improved features. All this at original agreed priced of the 2009 model.

Sure... I was actually referring more to the bicycle shop having cash in hand rather than the OP having a bike in hand but why not.

Go for the 2010. And the price actually increased $100 for 2010, so make sure they honor the $1299 price rather than $100, $100 off would bring you to $1399.

You mean the LBS is to take the word of someone who puts no money down and hold the bike rather than sell it to the person who comes in with money in hand? I take it that you have never worked at a bike shop. :rolleyes:

Well, to the doubters, the grey really is a good look for the 2010 Caad9-5. It looks really sharp with red pedals. :D

Red pedals will help you pedal faster.

No offense to what others are saying.

If you had the bike 'on hold' and they said that you didn't need a deposit, then I would hold them to it.

I think that they should give you the 2010 for the same price as the 2009 version. No offense to the shop, but if they said they'd hold it for a day, then they should hold it.

If you didn't come in that day, then it's your bad. I would be pretty upset if they did this and didn't offer the next bike for the same price unless the specs are very different.

Then go look for one. 2009 was the best looking year for a painted CAAD9.

Yes, it that's what they promised to do.

The no deposit newb is bikeless :(:(:(:(

You might be upset but that's not how the world works. If you want something of value (refrain from selling the bike) you have to give them something of value (deposit).

I don't know how your world works, but in my world telling someone you will do something than not following through is a way to burn bridges and lose customers. Plus the "no deposit, it will be fine" comment implies to some degree than he was willing to offer a deposit and was told not to worry about it. I would be upset too, but clearly they know they are in the wrong hence the $100 off deal. You need to decide if $100 is worth their mistake to you. (myself being a cheapskate it certainly is)

Absolutely. I don't know what kind of bike shops you go to but around here if I am going to make a major purchase I'd like to know that the item is in stock and available to put on hold (obviously not for several weeks but just enough time for me to go pick up the item).

Kwitcherbellyachin'!

No, they shouldn't, and I'll explain why below.

See above. Then see below.

Exactly.

Okay, here's how it works: if you really want something that badly, put some money down on it. This is the real world, not happy-customer fantasy-world. Have any of you ever worked in a bike shop, or for that matter, any retail establishment that deals in high-value, low-margin merchandise? It seems unlikely, because you apparently have NO IDEA how many people will ask a merchant to hold something for them, walk away and never come back. Only an idiot would refuse a sale because some guy yesterday who didn't make a deposit said he really wanted to buy it and would come back tomorrow. If your other guy had put $100 on it and left his information, fine - "Sorry, it's been claimed," is an acceptable response in that situation. But if there's no money down, it's far from guaranteed that the first guy will ever come back. When faced with one customer who will "definitely be back tomorrow" or another customer who is going to write a check right now, who do you think you're going to count on? If your answer is the first guy, never go into business. In fact, you shouldn't do your taxes yourself. Hell, you probably shouldn't have your own checking account.

For all of you guys making a big noise about the LBS "losing customers," and "customer service," remember that you are not the only customer they have to care for. This seems to be way over most peoples' heads, but there it is. When given the choice between the potential customer who may or may not ever come back and the actual customer who is prepared to hand over the credit card right now, which do you think the smart business owner will choose? Again, this should be obvious. If you have not put money down yet, you are not a customer yet. The shop should, by all means, make every effort to attract you as a customer and make you want to buy from them, but doing so at the expense of their bottom line would be idiotic. If real bike shops treated everyone like some of the dopes here on BF think they deserve to be treated because they might, possibly, someday buy a bike there, there wouldn't be any LBS's left in business anywhere. Thinking that you should be guaranteed the bike you want because you left a verbal promise to come back is incredibly self-centered and ignorant as to the reality of the bike shop world. Hundreds of people promise to come back. Most of them never come back, either because they talk themselves out of it or go online. The potential customer that comes back is the rare exception. Only an idiot would let a guaranteed sale go because of a verbal promise.

By the way, OP, none of this is directed at you. It sounds like you understand how it works. And I really do feel for you - it's a bummer. What was the chance that someone would come in within 24 hours and buy that bike out from under you? I think it's great that the shop is offering you that $100 discount on the new bike. I'm sure you know that it's more than they have to do. I hope you understand that asking to be sold the 2010 bike at the cost that they sold the 2009 for would be unfair and unreasonably. Trying to get your business with a $100 discount on a brand-spanking-new, hot-off-the-line bike is really nice of them. They could undoubtedly sell that bike at full retail to someone else. I would take it.