Primo Cycles Cambridge – Not Impressed

I’m sure some people will have had very different experiences, but I wanted to share mine, particularly as they have been so poor with my girlfriend.

In November last year my other half saw Primo (www.primocycles.co.uk) advertising some Brooks Alpe D’Huez saddles on their website. She knew I had been after one for a while (I missed out when they first came out) and so ordered me one as a Christmas present.

December came and went, and no saddle showed up. Primo had already taken the payment via Paypal, and had sent an order confirmation email but she had received no communication aside from that.

Having been away overseas over Christmas we came back to the UK and she called them a number of times to be told that they were tracking one down, and that if they couldn’t find one they would contact her. They also claimed that they had sent her further emails to the same address, but mysteriously these never came through (as it was her work email address she also spoke to the Head of IT who confirmed that the emails had never hit their servers).

It’s now March, and I have spoken to them today to receive a “oh, sounds like that should have been refunded. I’ll try and sort something out” from a chap on the other end of the telephone.

When there are some many examples of good customer service, particularly in the cycling industry (I draw attention to Ritte, Rapha, CRC, Wiggle, Planet X, Putney Cycles, Ribble and On Yer Bike – a chap at Rapha once deducted my postage and dropped my jersey off as he worked out I lived nearby to him) I am surprised at the poor service delivered by Primo, and the sheer lack of communication.

My girlfriend has yet to receive a refund, but I assume that they are doing something now. In the meantime I just wanted to let my fellow cyclists know about our experience.

Enjoy the sunshine.