Re: Informed opinions wanted



R

Roger Zoul

Guest
Bob Ray <[email protected]> wrote:
:> I'm curious to read people's opinions on a recent experience I had
:> with a local bike shop (Now Sports on Lexington in St. Paul, MN).
:>
:> I bought an '04 Jamis Quest there last week for my wife. The sales
:> person and I agreed on a price ($1150). We both agreed that the price
:> included swapping out the cassette for an Ultegra 12-27 at no
:> charge. I paid for the bike and we wanted to leave it there so they
:> could complete the change but he insisted that we take it with us so
:> she could ride until the cassette arrived.
:>
:> Two days later, I get a phone message telling me that he checked with
:> the owner and would have to charge me $30 for the new cassette. I
:> called the owner (assuming that he would stand behind the original
:> deal) and was told that they intended to charge me the $30. He said
:> the sales guy had made a mistake and that, apparently, I was
:> expected to pay for his mistake.
:>
:> I could have returned the bike but, in the interim, my wife had
:> become attached to it and no other shops in town had a replacement.
:> I paid the $30, got the new cassette, and was generally treated as a
:> bad sport for even complaining about it.
:>
:> I should mention that buying the bike was extremely unpleasant there
:> even before the dispute (kind of like buying a new car from a bad
:> dealer).
:>

NEVER buy from a LBS if the experience is unpleasant beforehand. NEVER>

:> They had the bike (last year's model) marked at $1399. As far as I
:> can tell, this is $100 over the MSRP. Then, I couldn't get a price
:> out of them for the bike ("how much were you planning on
:> spending?"). I consider that a reasonable question if a customer
:> hasn't selected a bike but not as a reply to "how much do you want
:> for this one?"

Lots of things at my LBS are over the MSRP. I don't buy them unless I'm in
a crunch for something or it's something that doesn't cost that much or it's
something I really want NOW. I mean, you do have to keep the LBS in
business, right?

:>
:> I've had great experiences at other bike shops around town (Erik's,
:> Trailhead, County Cycles) but my wife really wanted the Quest and
:> they were the only shop that had last year's model in her size. I was
:> surpised that they were not willing to stand behind a concluded deal
:> and were willing to toss customer satisfaction out the window for
:> $30 on a bike that expensive.

I would have left the bike and had the swap out done even if they insisted I
take it. That's just me, though. It just doesn't make sense in my head to
use the bike like that. Of course, the other question is do you really need
to the upgraded part....you could always have just added it in down the
road....
:>
:> What do you think?
:>
:>
:> Bob