I’ve ordered a mountain bike and accessories from Evans cycles, they’ve always been great for me the in the past when I’ve bought bits from them and so they were first choice when looking to buy a new bike. I shopped around anyway but due to the coronavirus most places had sold out of the bikes I wanted, no surprise really given the lockdown, extra free time everyone has and the good weather.
Before I ordered I checked their ratings on google and on their own website and they were still listed as reputable, their COVID-19 updates looked reasonable too stating bike dispatches were up from 1-2 days to a 10-14 day lead time from being ordered. Doesn’t sound unreasonable. I ordered the bike, a week later Evans dropped their lead times to 3-7 days, my bike then went out of stock on the website saying they’d never get that model in that size back in stock ever again. I thought I was ok though because mine was allocated to me in their stock system. Couple of days later I get an email saying my bike is being built then on Wednesday it updated again to say dispatched and I’d get a tracking number through pretty much immediately.
Friday, today, still no tracking number and I could reasonably expect this is the first possible day that it could be delivered. Also my accessories are still listed as waiting to be picked from stock (they are in stock...) but the website states accessories are dispatching in 3-5 days from ordering. So I did some digging to find out which couriers they use and landed on their Facebook page where it all appears to have kicked off in the comments. The last post from Evans was the 4th May with nearly 800 comments on, customer after customer who have ordered from Evans and not received their items, items have been damaged, call centre is shut, no one replying to emails, orders taking 5+ weeks to arrive, customers trying to cancel orders and buy elsewhere, people sending in complaints to BBC watchdog.
I don’t mind the bike being late, I don’t even mind if it’s a bit damaged provided I can fix it and get out on it, then I can sort it out with Evans when their staff are contactable again. But what I’m really bothered about is the amount of people who have had items go missing, I’m not waiting another year to get back on a bike because it probably won’t happen
I’m off to chain reaction cycles for a plan B and I’m glad I bought from Evans on a credit card!
Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
- Orange Cola
- Posts: 2232
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:56 pm
Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace
- Orange Cola
- Posts: 2232
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:56 pm
Re: Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace
Re: Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
I used Tredz, I think from a mention on here, and they were great. Courier saying when the delivery will happen within a 2 hour window. Good emails, well packaged and a useable free gift etc.
I’ll definitely be using them again.
Dave!
I’ll definitely be using them again.
Dave!
- Orange Cola
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- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:56 pm
Re: Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
Well I’ve had to take your advice there. Evans state accessories are a 3-5 day lead time and will dispatched separate to the bike, I ordered a few necessary items to get the bike going such as an air fork pump, they are yet to even be picked from stock. The bike actually turned up on Friday and Evans systems are still saying it’s awaiting collection from the courier, and I’m still awaiting the tracking information
I’ve now ordered parts from elsewhere as you’ve suggested, tracking say they are due to turn up today! I’ve also managed to borrow a pump and a few other bits to get me going. I have no hope I’ll actually see the rest of my Evans order...
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace
- integrale_evo
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- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:58 pm
Re: Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
They must be sending some bikes somewhere, we've been doing about 10 times their normal packaging delivery over the last couple of months...
Cheers, Harry
- Orange Cola
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Re: Not checking a retailers Facebook reviews before buying
Reading the complaints it appears some bikes have gone to the wrong addresses and been signed for, therefore bike is marked as delivered but the customer is without a bike and no one is answering the phone at Evans or Tufnells. Some are being returned to Evans as damaged but sounds like they’re so deep in it no one is looking at returns at all.integrale_evo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:30 am They must be sending some bikes somewhere, we've been doing about 10 times their normal packaging delivery over the last couple of months...
Mustang GT 5.0 V8 -- Jaguar F-Pace