Had my first real negative experience of online shopping this morning – something which would have been impossible in a store.

Ordered some new wheels last week, they were not shown as being out of stock, I'd assumed I had paid for them, but then yesterday I got an e-mail notification that they were out of stock and then this morning I got a call from their customer services to tell me that the manufacturer had dramatically increased the prices and therefore they had to charge me more money as at the price I was paying they would actually be making a loss.

Apparently since they haven't actually taken a credit card payment yet, they are perfectly within their rights to change the price. I very strongly but calmly made my point, namely the damage the experience has on my opinion of their service/company, and the likelihood of me ever using them again, and eventually they dropped the price ever so slightly and threw in some tyre sealant for free, but it still leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

I'm not going to name the store, I've looked into it and what they are saying is indeed true, and the guy I dealt with did what he could to resolve a bad situation, just thought I would have a little whinge about it. However in the current financial climate companies need to understand how important customer service and retention is. If they were out of stock, it should have said so on the website.

Ultimately, it's not the actual price that bothers me so much as the manner in which it happened.

Anyway, whinge over, anyone else had this experience? Have I just been very lucky with my online shopping to date?

ed

The only problem is they didn't show out of stock.

Provided you had the option to cancel the order because of the price increase then I don't see what it's got to do with poor customer service.

then this morning I got a call from their customer services to tell me that the manufacturer had dramatically increased the prices and therefore they had to charge me more money as at the price I was paying they would actually be making a loss.

This sounds pretty fair to be honest. Prices have gone up – in a shop if you had walked in they would have said:

"We don't have any left – we are getting some more but they cost more – you still want them?".

However in the current financial climate companies need to understand how important customer service and retention is.

However in the current financial climate companies need to make money

Sorry but I think the shop have acted correctly.

its a bit rich of you to demand that he make a loss on something he is selling you!

If i was him i would have refunded you and said sorry, we are getting them back in and the price has gone up.

In a shop, he would have either taken my money for goods at a set price, which is what i had assumed had happened when I made the transaction (the crux of my point) or else told me they were out of stock, at which point I could have made a decision to go elsewhere.

Maybe I should have replaced the words poor customer service with poor customer experience.

In a shop they'd have told you that they could order them in if you gave them a deposit, then once they'd got them in (probably 6 months later in my experience), they'd say 'ooh, they'll cost £20 more' and you'd be screwed.

Joe

Tangobravo – Subtle difference but I’m asking him to make a loss on something I thought he’d already sold to me at a certain price.

You should never make a promise to somebody you cannot / will not keep.

Also not forgetting that they need to now order them from the manufacturer which means I may not get them before the weekend.

But they hadn't sold them to you, had they?
I think they gave you excellent service, as they didn't just charge your card the extra, and actually called you to explain the problem.

Pretty good of them, really. It's just a shame the website wasn't updated fast enough – but that happens.

Moses' point is the key here. Until the goods are exchanged for payment, there is no contract. A price is an invitation to treat, not a guarantee. You were under no obligation to buy at the increased price – heck, they even went to the trouble of calling you and letting you know. And then you had a good old whinge at them for their trouble. Sounds like the shop was scrupulously honest to me. Let us know who they are – I'd certainly buy from them.

LOL…you're are missing my point, and based on your tone, likely on purpose. I'm talking about perception here not reality.

Funny, I wonder how many of you would be so accepting if it had happened to you?

We are talking nearly £100 more than the original price. If someone had automatically processed a payment at that level after a 'bought' at the original cost, I'd have done a lot more than whinged at them, believe me.

I’m really not an unreasonable person, I’ve still gone ahead and bought the wheels, I haven’t made this a personal vendetta against a specific store or even named them, I just wanted to share one of the possible pitfalls with online shopping. I’m 33, I shop online all the time and this is the first time this has ever happened, so excuse me for being a little surprised.

Lesson learned, I’ll go back to using chain reaction exclusively. Once bitten twice shy.

Is this the standard – man comes on to whinge about something, gets flamed, and sulks?

Are you serious?!

God bless the internets.

What makes you think Chain Reaction would have done differently?

What makes you think Chain Reaction would have done differently?

Exactly what I was thinking! If the price goes up, the price goes up, it doesn't matter who it is, they're not going to sell for a loss.

I think the shop acted entirely reasonably.

Roval Traversee Trail??

It wouldn’t have happened in the first place because they have a stock counter, unlike the other store. A simple out of stock notice would have solved all of this.

Plus I’ve bought literally hundreds of individual items in dozens of transactions on CRC over several years – built several bikes from component-up etc. and never had a single problem, including inevitable returns.

I actually take more offence at being accused of sulking than of being charged more money 🙂

Maybe aP is still sore from the skyride thread 😉

Anyway, I’ve said my bit, everyone clearly disagrees but it really doesn’t change my feelings on the matter and my likelihood of ever using that retail store again, which at the end of the day is what matters. I was only sharing it here to see if this was something which happens often.

Cheers
ed

Why, of course you were. There, there. 😆

Lots of online shops don't have an active stock count count.

>I actually take more offence at being accused of sulking

>but it really doesn’t change my feelings on the matter and my
>likelihood of ever using that retail store again

That comes across even more like a sulky teenager :p

Is this the standard – man comes on to whinge about something, gets flamed, and sulks?

Pretty much. All this thread is missing is an argument about internet law (when does the contract start?) and someone going on about how superstar would have sent him the stuff for free with a £50 note apologising or simply sent someone round to set fire to his house! 😉

Not at all, simply matter of fact. Why on earth would I subject myself to that risk again when there are other perfectly good tried and tested options? Stop trying to get a rise! 😉

I’ll go back to using chain reaction exclusively

I wouldn't buy wheels from Chain Reaction, nooo way… it's a lottery with them, some are okay (at best), others very bad

Maybe aP is still sore from the skyride thread

Yeah, yeah, yeah 🙄
What goes around comes around eh?
But then again, unlike then (when I was having a couple of pints) I'm taking a small break from calculating percentage deliverable payments against an external timeline which doesn't actually match my programme.

🙂

Hehe – I currently have my head so firmly shoved up the backside of a cash flow forecast I’m not sure I’ll ever remove it.

Aaaaaaannnnyway….turns out today is swings and roundabouts day, just sold my Vespa for £150 more than I was expecting, which cushioned the blow of the wheels somewhat.

Also my bargainous Fox 36 Float RC2’s just shipped, which makes up for pretty much anything in my book!!!

Cheers
ed

Was it Bike Pedlar? If so, a pattern is starting to form…

We arent forcing you to buy it and neither were they. And to be honest it looks like they will be glad not to have to serve you again 😈