Forum Replies Created
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C.Gregs wrote:I was refused a
I was refused a return on a pair of bib shorts I purchased this summer from their Prudential Ride London stand at the excel after they developed a tear in the pad (let the jokes ensue) after 2 months of light wear.Is that something worth pursuing?
I think the warranty on manufacturing defects is 12 months, so I’d say so. Castelli were great at organising a replacement set of armwarmers through the UK agent when the stitching came undone after 3 months of use. Even though they were purchased in Switzerland.
crikey wrote:Man continues to
Man continues to sulk.No, I’m pro-actively engaging with the retailer, distributor and manufacturer to resolve the issue and will advise when it is, either way.
Hopefully others will benefit from this in future. It’s clearly an issue for this particular retailer to get right, as pointed out other major brands/retailers don’t have a problem with exchanges/refunds on products that don’t work out. If you personally like risking your cash and think the Distance Selling Regulations or other consumer legislation is not needed, feel free to accept poor CS.
Noting this isn’t a ‘hygiene’ issue – the item in question could have been a light, or GPS, or shoe. The retailer could have been anyone. ‘Fit for Purpose’ isn’t a literal use of ‘Fit’.
Chuck wrote:KiwiMike
Man learns life isn’t always fair; sulks.Person doesn’t get fundamentals of customer service, brand loyalty, economics in a competitive market, or indeed UK/EU Distance Selling Regulations. Posts comment.
Well, his line is basically the same as Wiggle’s, and since it was recently reported on here that they have become the UK’s biggest cycling retailer I’d say they’ve got a pretty good grasp of the fundamentals of customer service, brand loyalty, and economics in a competitive market.
I don’t doubt the ability of individual CS reps or team leaders to make errors of judgement, nor for currently-dominant retailers of commodity products to quickly fall from grace and ultimately go broke. ‘Big’ ≠ ‘Right’.
crikey wrote:Man learns life
Man learns life isn’t always fair; sulks.Person doesn’t get fundamentals of customer service, brand loyalty, economics in a competitive market, or indeed UK/EU Distance Selling Regulations. Posts comment.
bendertherobot wrote:What did
What did you say when returning them? Surely you just reattach the tag, stick them in the bag and select “wrong size.”I could have washed them thoroughly, put the tag back on (Castelli ones are held in place by a safety pin) and returned as ‘unworn, size wrong’.
Instead, I was honest and explained everything in detail.
That’s what it gets you.
I don’t think it’s reasonable, havnig worn them to send them back.I ordered two pairs of tights from Wiggle wore one & found it was too short after a ride. I send the second, unopened one back & got a replacement.
Having done that I left a review on the tights & mentioned the sizing chart was too small and the advice I got from their on-line char was wrong. They just read the same chart I guess. The review was denied as being “against guidelines”, but no further explanation given.
So you followed the rules, lost out on cash, they denied you the chance to warn others, and you *still* think they are right? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome, much?
As unconstituted said above re. returning boots, the outdoors industry has a model in place here. Why should I accept that because it’s my arse not my foot, that things are different? No-one’s going to try to resell *anything* that’s used.
Retailers should have the confidence to back their products and help conscientious consumers when things go wrong. Plenty of firms have policies where they allow returns up to a year later, no questions asked. Case in point: NorthFace: a one-year, no-quibble used-kit return for a full refund. *THAT’S* good CS.
http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/contact-us/return-policy/
You don’t see NorthFace going broke, or hordes buying their kit to return after one hillwalk.
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An update: Wiggle CS have offered a 75% refund. Still not happy with that. I haven’t done anything wrong. I trusted a much-loved brand and a frequently-used retailer to give me a usable product.
So got a reply from Wiggle
So got a reply from Wiggle CS:“Unfortunately we do not accept back items that are returned as unwanted after having been used.
This is simply an issue where the incorrect size has been chosen, and as stated before we allow customers to try the garments on before use to get a feel for the product, but as you have now returned the product not in a resellable condition we cannot provide a full refund for the product.
Please note that we are unable to accept that these are not fit for purpose, simply because they were not right for you after one use.”
I have repeatedly advised them that the sizing, according to their size guide, is absolutely spot on. And that they felt just fine standing up or in fact even sitting on the bike. Was genuinely looking forward to completing my Castelli winter kit of Nanoflex arms, legs and Gabba.
So by every metric, they should work. The fact that they didn’t, to the point of being painful after 40 miles, is why I say they are ‘not fit for purpose’. Neither Castelli nor Wiggle say these shorts are designed only for a certain type of posterior, saddle or bike-fit posture.
I’m impressed there are so many people who consider losing £80 after conducting extensive research and playing precisely by the size rules to be such a non-issue. Maybe if you IM me your debit card details I can share the love.
OnTheRopes wrote:Could you go
Could you go int a local bike shop and expect to take a pair of shorts for a 20 mile ride and then expect them to take them back? Or if you go into a outdoor and spend £200 on some really nice hiking boots do you think they would let you walk round town for a couple of hours before making a decision?
Simple answer is no.Having purchased a lot of boots over the years, you try them on, make sure you have toe room/suitable width, and that there will be a period of breaking in during which it pays to get them wet then go for a long walk, apply lots of proofing, etc. That’s a tried & tested process. I’ve never had boots need to go back. I’ve also never read that bibshorts need ‘breaking in’.
Any retailer that took back used items I doubt would be in business long and I think you are being unfair to expect it.…as opposed to a retailer who is prepared to see a £500/yr customer walk away for ever, and tell all their friends not to use that firm either? Repeat business is built on trust. The consumer has a choice. Any business that doesn’t recognise that won’t be in business for long.
As for small claims I assume you did read the T&C you signed up to?The EU distance selling regulations state a product must be fit for purpose, and no amount of after-the-fact T&C can remove fundamental consumer rights and seller obligations.
A different matter if the item is faulty of courseThat’s what I’m saying they are. I accept definitions of ‘faulty’ may vary. All I know is that I’m £80 down with some shorts I can’t wear, having followed the size guide to the cm.
It is possible to tour
It is possible to tour off-road for about half of the South Island and camp where you like – did it 20 years ago. Roads like the Rainbow Valley, Molesworth Station, Above Omarama, Beside Lake Tekapo and other hydro roads, and the ranges around Queenstown can be linked up to make for a fabulous off-road network, with usually quiet backcountry roads joining them up. The Kennett Brothers MTB NZ book (Google it) is invaluable for planning a trip like this.
parksey wrote: Lezyne Micro
Lezyne Micro Drive… I had a slight issue in that the silicone mounting bracket wouldn’t secure quite tight enough on the seatpost to prevent it from slipping round as I cycled, but it’s been mostly cured by adding a rubber insert between the bracket and the post. I still need to keep an eye on it though.I’d guess you’ve attached it wrong – I did at first. The wee rubber tab sticking out of one end is supposed to go between mount and bike to stop exactly this.
Anyway, HUGE +1 for the Micro Drive. Having used a pile of lights this one is hands-down the best out there if you want:
USB cable-free charging
‘Stupid-bright’ daylight/dappled shade
Usable night-time/chain gang modes – the pulse one is very good
Small
Light
Easily removed.Genius.
Scoob_84 wrote:Both my bikes
Both my bikes run 105 (5800) and the difference in the performance between the two was huge. The newer of the two group sets shifted like a dog whist the older set was light as a feather. If you were blind tested you’d think they were different groupsets.The only difference between the two was that i was using 2 year old jagwire cable outers on the new groupset whilst the older set was set up with brand new cable outers.
THIS.
Swap out your cables every 1-2000km. It’s £10 worth of hardwear* and 20 minutes, max. for a vastly improved experience.
* a lot less if you buy in bulk.
Been using KMC 9.93 chains
Been using KMC 9.93 chains for years. Never had a problem with ’em. £9 on eBay.
OP, yes, it’s all your
OP, yes, it’s all your problem. Deal with it.
5 years ago I’d have been the
5 years ago I’d have been the first person to agree that stand-alone GPS was the way to go – as a former mobile network operator and manufacturer technology strategist, I have drawers full of now-obsolete GPS receivers, old phones, etc. Testing this stuff used to be my day job.Now GPS has gone the way of bike lights. Used to be £200 was the entry point for lights good enough to do 50km/hr on unlit lanes for 2+ hrs. Now it’s £20 or less.
As Dave / SB76 alluded, the conversation now moves to waterproofness and battery life – although increasingly battery clearly isn’t an issue for the vast majority of rides, and the Quadlock silicone ponchos or case things like p0cpacs mean you can happily take a £500 non-IP-rated phone out on the bars or in a pocket in a thunderstorm and be happy.
I’d not be surprised if the next iPhone comes IP rated. It used to be IP rating a handset added $100 to the bill and quite a few mm to the dimensions. As with GPS, 8+ MP cameras etc, it’s now almost a hygiene factor.
giobox wrote:
Long storyLong story short – you want Garmin level of accuracy over time on an iPhone, the battery life is gonna drop, rapidly. Hence the compromises in the quality of data most iPhone GPS logging apps return.
But I just don’t see this supposed compromise – every ride since we went on Strava, my friend’s 810 turned in basically the same distances and altitudes as my iPhone, more or less. It seems there’s a natural ‘noise floor’ for both platforms, but over 50km they are usually within a few 100m or so of each other, with neither one showing strongly over a super-accurately-calibrated wheel-sensor speedo. Let’s face it – Strava’s own map info comes into play in a big way anyhow. I’ve compared Google Earth, MapMyRide, Google Maps, Strava, Viewranger and a few others – they *all* vary, be it in pre-planned estimates or post-ride track analysis. There is no golden reference, even on climbs in the alps which have been logged and mapped to death over decades.
Basically, pick a platform and stick with it for comparison with your efforts over time. Like comparing yourself on Strava against others who may be drafting/just starting, comparing GPS platforms for accuracy is a mug’s game 😉
giobox wrote:The raw GPS data
The raw GPS data that comes out of a phone is rarely a match for a dedicated device like a garmin in my experience.Hmmm….this PhD bloke in GPS/GIS systems has looked specifically at iPhones vs. dedicated GPS units, and begs to differ: http://blogs.esri.com/esri/gisedcom/2011/04/22/comparing-the-precision-and-accuracy-of-locations-recorded-by-gps-vs-smartphone-part-2-of-2/
“This photograph … turned out to be only 6.21 meters away (this time to the southwest) from my position as recorded by the GPS receiver. Interesting! This means that the SmartPhone was indeed recording an accurate position”
…and this was 3 years ago. Chipsets and antennae have come on in leaps and bounds since then.
Every comparison I’ve done between my iPhone 5 and Garmin 810 tracks has shown next to zero difference. In 7,000km of recording through Hampshire’s often deep and winding, tree-shadowed lanes, I have never seen a single gap in the GPS track. And this is with the phone vertical in a pocket under 2 or three layers – not horizontal out front.
Mobiles and mapping apps are optimised for on-foot navigation. Footpaths are only a meter wide, at best. Using maps to navigate around London, you are shown on the correct side of the street. I use this every day to find client offices or meeting places. Apple / Samsung et al MUST deliver a location experience that is accurate to within a few meters, within a few seconds. WiFi is good for 100m, Cell triangulation for maybe 300-500m. But GPS is good for a few m. Most of the time, it works in cities. All of the time it works in the countryside (IMHO, waves 7,000km a year as proof).