CRC used to be the fastest and I used to get things next day. Now they have become the worst. I ordered a whole heap of stuff 6 days ago and everything else turned up Tuesday / Wednesday. CRC order still not here.
I appreciate you can pay for delivery, but they sometimes don't ship your order until 3 days after you have placed it when you use free delivery.
Rubbish
yep - finding stuff taking over a week on free delivery. Merlin on the other hand managed next day.
Now tend to check all the other online shops before I go to CRC unless I know i'm not going to need it for 2 weeks.
Yea, I've stopped using them. Wiggle, Merlin and Ribble are all more reliable. Plus the CRC website is awful.
Yep. You often get despatch/tracking info on same day as order, and they obviously hold back on actually releasing your order to the postal service for a few days... Then tracking is active and delivery takes two days.
Wiggle, ...more reliable. Plus the CRC website is awful.
Wonder how long the merger will take to bring Wiggle standards down to CRC's level...
For balance, ordered wednesday afternoon, dispatched thursday morning, arrived this morning.
The irony of of the situation is that Wiggle own CRC?
I have noticed using the free postage that it can take a few days to turn up or even get picked up by royal mail but I ordered tyres, sealant and a dropper about lunch time yesterday and for the grand sum of £2.99 they arrived this morning.
The uptake for the paid delivery service is going to be crap if your free service is too fast.
If you pay your £2 it's quick.
Pretty good here this week. Ordered Sunday pm, despatched Monday, arrived Tuesday morning.
On the other hand, the brake pads ordered were actually out of stock - had an email through to say sorry though (and a refund), with a voucher code as well. They're still on the site as in stock and available....
I ordered a helmet last week on Wednesday afternoon, arrived Friday.
Ordered four items Tues, small bits arrived Weds, bigger boxes yesterday.
Disgusting.
three deliveries to austrlaia, each one took four days
They don't promise it'll be delivered quickly so I'm not sure I could complain tbh
Yeah for free delivery I'm not complaining... well not too much. Latest order took 6 days until it arrived. Quite like their website, not many of their competitors allow you to combine the filters which can be very useful when looking for specifc standards of wheel or chainset etc.
Yeah for free delivery I'm not complaining
They used to do free delivery that would reliably turn up in 1-2 days.
Based on this year's orders so far, If I order free delivery from CRC I have about a 75% chance of it landing in around two days. The outliers are generally around 4-5 days. I think it's luck of the draw, and tbh I suspect it's RM letting them down.
Bear in mind that anything you order from CRC is coming across from Ireland by ferry before anything else so there's an automatic advantage vs Merlin...
They used to do free delivery that would reliably turn up in 1-2 days.
Would that have been before the Royal Mail was privatised?
Yea, I've stopped using them. Wiggle, Merlin and Ribble are all more reliable. Plus the CRC website is awful.
... but uses Wiggle's website in preference? Merlin and Ribble while having exemplary service standards both have pretty oldskool sites too (although more functional that Wiggle)
Personally I don't see the issue with CRC's website. Seems logically organised and functional to me...
Agree CRC's need look site sucks nuts 😯
Back in the day (probably 10-15 years ago 😯 ) CRC was pretty well always next day free delivery, it was ace.
It's not even like the competition getting better has made CRC look bad - CRC had it nailed over a decade ago, wonder how they managed to drop the ball so badly?
Didn't they chop a bunch of staff? Even two years ago the free delivery was often next day
My last frame from crc took over a week to arrive. I made the mistake of paying for next day delivery from them years ago, it took them 3 days to dispatch the oder
Yeah, the free delivery certainly isn't worth the money you pay for it....
If you want something next day, order by the cutoff, pay for next day, and in my experience you always get it.
Otherwise, expect it in under a week ish. Not really sure what the complaint is tbh. It's not like they claim free stuff will be with you next day, it's pretty clear on their site it's expected to be 3 to 4 days.
I get that if you opt for free delivery then it's good business sense to make it slower than paid. What annoys me is when the online tracker says dispatched and give you a tracking number, which when you attempt to track RM has no record of. Last box of stuff I ordered was "dispatched" the same day but took 3 days to be traceable on RM then an additional 3days to arrive. Makes me think, like mentioned above, that they sit on the packages to slow down the delivery process.
Never had next day with CRC free delivery. Always minimum of three. Often more.
Worse is paying for next day delivery took longer. I always suspected because that involved sending a man to the post office to pay for next day delivery. It was next day from the point when the can be bothered to ship it, which wasn't same day (despite qualifying for that day cut off).
CRC is limited for me anyway. Essentials are fine if they're in stock but I only get a few things. Drivetrain bits occasionally, and even then sometimes I find them cheaper elsewhere. For other things almost always they don't have the size/colour/model I want in stock or it will be at full price. That's just the way they work though. They're a discount shop flogging off the stuff people don't want cheap to attract you in.
I actually find CRC's [list]website [/list]one of the best.
In fact I often use it to get a drilldown to a part number then use google to see if its cheaper elsewhere.
I was looking at forks recently... you'd think "filter by wheel size" is sensible/fundamental.... but it amazed me how many wouldn't allow this...
Delivery wise.... I'd guess it depends where you live.
I'm not far from Gatwick so Evans is usually fastest.... and the deliver to store is also convenient... I'm not sure I'd want to order from NI though!
I know I'm not alone in Superstar delivery drifting into months rather than days 😀
"We have these wheels made up and they are taking up space in the warehouse... grab a bargain"
1 week after order: "We are busy sorry about the delay"
2 weeks after order: "erm, we are making the wheels now"
3 weeks after order "erm we don't have any boxes to ship them"
Still ... £100 for a set of decent wheels....they were also described as "pre-built" which was a bit of a joke..(in fact the build was so bad it was really incorrect to describe them as wheels - well over 1cm out of true after 30 mins) .. TBH it would have been easier to get spokes, hubs and rims ... but ... £100 for a set of rims, hubs and spokes still isn't bad... I just wish they sent me them a month earlier without bothering to lace them.
I struggle with long sentences but I did a "search" on this page and zero results for "LBS" or "support". It's been nearly an entire day! Disappointing 🙂
FWIW I am rarely disappointed with CRC delivery times usually 2 working days I find. If I desperately need it asap I either pay for it or get it from somewhere I can be sure it'll arrive quicker.
[edit]LOL @ the auto-replace, haven't seen that before 🙂 [/edit]
I did a "search" on this page and zero results for "LBS" or "support". It's been nearly an entire day! Disappointing
It depends what you call a LBS in today's economy ....
Evans is "local" to me.... last year we were local to JE James.... when I bought some stuff .. we are reasonably local to Hargroves
I just got a helmet from Wigan... at the time I was in Lancs... (but it was £20 cheaper is the real reason).
I'll buy local when it's not £10-£20 more.... but I do have limits!
I would always go to crc first when looking for bike parts, but everything i have ordered this year has taken a week to get to me. I dont want to pay for next day and dont need to receive it the next day but i do expect to be seeing my goods in around 3 days. Gone right off them.
I keep saying we need an Amazon of the bike world. Or Amazon selling a lot more bike stuff. They sell some, though questionable sources when they're from marketplace sellers.
As a Prime subscriber it would be great to get standard bike spares next or even same day via Amazon, like I can with a lot of other things.
And yes, there is the LBS. Problem is they don't stock everything and it has to be ordered from their supplier, which is "a couple of days", and then sometimes longer as they're still waiting for delivery. And then there's the price. I like to support LBS, but sometimes prices are just insane for standard parts. Sure they can't compete with grey market and OEM stuff online, but for standard parts at RRP and even higher that almost everyone can get cheaper elsewhere (even in some other LBS), it's easy to see why people will look for cheaper. A decent LBS may get my business on big purchases though. Chance to test ride, warranty and support, follow up business.
Ordered from CRC Wednesday late evening with free delivery,received order today,Saturday.
I have always have good service from CRC, usually 2 or 3 days and when I go to local bike shop they haven't usually got the part in so they need to order it (does it get ordered there and then or in a day or 2 time ?) then by the time he gets it in and lets you know it is in a week has passed and you pay RRP. Plus with all the different 'standards' we have nowadays the chances of the bike shop having the part you want in stock are getting slimmer. Just my 2p worth.
and you pay RRPHow dare they!
I don't get next day delivery even if I pay for it.
I ordered something from Jenson USA last week.
Expected it to take a fortnight or so, it arrived in 6 days with standard postage!
I thought they were getting bad but ordered some stuff free delivery last Wednesday and it was delivered Friday. Ordered some more stuff Saturday afternoon and it was delivered this morning. Both parcels say Tracked 24 on them
Maybe they've read this thread?
The last 4 times I've ordered from them using free delivery its taken well over a week to arrive (8 days with the last order).
What do people not like about the CRC website?
I find it one of the best, very easy to navigate around.
I never use wiggle because of how un-intuitive it is to use.
Thats what I was thinking
I find it one of the best, very easy to navigate around.
And then you find that most of it is not in stock....
I've just spent a couple of hundred pounds on odds and ends such as new BB, cassette, helmets and knee pads - and only the BB's came from CRC as others were cheaper or had in stock what CRC did not.
Most annoyingly is CRC's way of leaving out of stock items on google shopping - 'ooh look at us, we have product x at 50% off.' No you don't. And you have not since last October.
You realise that a) you can select in stock only, and b ) there's a bit that crawls for process on Google, right?
In defence to CRC Royal Mail have changed their services in recent years. I've bought a couple of things on free delivery and they've dispatched it the same day only for it to sit in the depot for 2-3. Royal Mail will sit on it until the last day of their SLA unless they have to deliver something else locally so it's a bit hit and miss.
What isn't defensible is the fact they're now using Yodal for things now... took nearly two weeks for my Daughters balance bike to turn up, ordered well in advance which was lucky, driver said the Postcode took him to the wrong place two days in a row and we must have put it down wrong, explained politely it must be his system, the postcode on the box was correct, nope it was my fault, I didn't really care at this point but he kept on - I told him that we have no less than 4 deliveries a day to the address (work) and handle 100 individual parcels a week and we're kind of sure about the address but no, computer says no.
I quite like the collect+ system. Items go straight to my local shop rather than attempting delivery and then returning the package to the sorting office.
I've bought a couple of things on free delivery and they've dispatched it the same day only for it to sit in the depot for 2-3. Royal Mail will sit on it until the last day of their SLA unless they have to deliver something else locally so it's a bit hit and miss.
I guess we'll never really know whether it's royal mail sitting on it or CRC.... I've always assumed CRC as the tracking only ever goes live I assume once it has been loaded into the back of a RM truck from crc. The tracking only goes live a few days after the despatch email.
On the flip side of CRC's service, Hermes lost a free return, and crc refunded me within a day of me providing CRC with the Hermes tracking info.
I normally do free delivery unless it's something I need next day. However, I ordered stuff on a Friday and it came a week later by yodal, I ordered stuff on the Monday following and it came on the Wednesday. Wiggles free delivery is quicker as is merlin.
I'm going through this with CRC at the moment. Ordered on the 4th and took until the 8th to be dispatched via Collect Plus. Today is the 12th and still no sign, in fact it was sent to the wrong depot in Dagenham when I live near Edinburgh.
Really not great service and worse than I've ever had from CRC.
Looks like it'll be Wednesday at the earliest it'll arrive which is 10 days.
I've not bought any bike stuff for ages. Then placed two separate orders, selecting free postage.
Both orders have arrived next day. Emails from royal mail to confirm.
Seriously impressed.
Hmm, not impressed with collect plus.
Love the idea that I don't need to be in, but poor service for me.
CRC parcels were a week,and they kept delaying expected delivery date (to be fair to CRC they emailed to apologise).
Also paid for next day with another retailer, again they wait until it's supposed to be delivered, then send a message it's delayed...
Wouldn't use them for anything I needed anytime soon.
Parcelforce have always been spot on for me, but not always an option.
That's the postie just arrived with a CRC order I placed late on the 10th (Saturday). That was Standard (free) delivery.
Ordered Saturday morning, dispatched Saturday afternoon.
Arrived at my work in Aberdeen before 10am this morning (Tuesday)
Can't fault them at all.
a) you can select in stock only, and b ) there's a bit that crawls for process on Google, right?
a) that is three more clicks than needed, if their site only showed in stock items
b) you can as a google webmaster / google shopping client manipulate this to only show in stock items too.
It is deliberate click baiting IMO.
That said, I still use them, delivery is fine, but I am increasingly finding cheaper elsewhere and quicker without the faff of what is in stock or not.
I think they claim 3-5 business days on the free delivery. My last couple of orders have taken the full 5. So not terrible but you definitely need to pay for the upgraded postage or try elsewhere if you want it in a day or two.
They're a bit cheeky with the updates - dispatched means that they've booked it with the courier not that it's actually physically gone anywhere.
[i]What do people not like about the CRC website?[/i]
CRC is the only bikeshop site I can't use it here (at work) - it uses some kind of Flash technology (I think) with the filters, so if I filter, it freezes, then I get a page not found and have to start again. Sucks.
It doesn't help that CRC are basically competing against the reputation they themselves had for fast free delivery 10 years ago. It feels like it was CRC that set the expectation that free delivery should be a viable option from online bike stores.
Presumably costs and competition have increased since then so they've been trying to wean customers off free delivery and onto their other delivery options. Not by offering a better service (as their old free service was hard to beat) but by degrading the current free service, which is not a way to keep customers happy.
The two times recently that I paid extra for delivery from CRC they or their delivery service messed it up so I ended up getting the delivery charges refunded.
I don't mind the website (hated it when it was first revamped so I guess I've just got used / immune to it).
The delivery has definitely slowed down to Wiggle levels and they've introduced the priority dispatch charge. It's a bit annoying but I guess I still remember the days when if you ordered by 3pm it was almost guaranteed to be with you the next day.
Its frustrating to receive the dispatch email with tracking info but for them nothing to happen for a few days.
They still seem to be the cheapest for the stuff that I'm ordering.
Paid the £2.99 delivery and arrived two days later, can't complain personally.
I do think amazon prime has ruined me though.
I forgot to mention - Rutland cycles is unusable to anything other than my fast work laptop, and even then it can take 30seconds to load. THAT is a crap site...
Ordered some sealant from CRC at 2pm yesterday, free delivery, arrived 12.05 today in a tracked 24 box - 22 hours after ordering. What do I win?
Same here. Ordered some axle adaptors Friday night, delivered yesterday using the standard delivery.
No sign of the forks I ordered at the same time 😐
Update: the forks have been processed at the National hub and are on their way to the delivery depot
Go CRC and Parcel Force
It used to be that their express service was often slower than their regular, because they only had so many staff working on express- the big "slow" pipe never blocked up basically and the fast small pipe often did. I think they've intentionally slowed down the slow service.
I think if it weren't for the fact that free used to be fast, I wouldn't care. I still never pay for fast.
a) that is three more clicks than needed, if their site only showed in stock items
Well, I'm on the other side of the fence, it's only 1 click (the tick box for 'in stock only') and I like to be able to see the out of stock items to know that they do actually sell said item (when it's in stock) and so i can set up reminder if I want, best of both worlds. If it was all hidden by default you'd never know they do/could sell you it.
Ordered on Saturday and got a despatch email on Sunday, Collect Plus tracking still says delivery booked 2 days later. First time I've unused the Collect plus option, is this the norm for it?
Ordered at some point late on Thursday night, may be even early Friday....dispatch notice Friday morning and arrived at 9am today. Very happy with that as free delivery. Always been happy with CRC service as any small issues i have had have always been sorted quickly and without fuss, that's why I keep shopping there.
I think it's still a very good service, helmet ordered Sunday night, free delivery, turns up this morning, good times.
To point the finger further at RM, the other week I sent a frame to London, and paid for 48hrs tracked, was dropped off way before last collection, it took three days to get there, when I queried it they tried to come up with some guff about collection times etc., I kindly pointed out I paid for 48hrs from dropping off,not when they can be bothered to pick it up, so if CRC don't have a RM driver due then it won't get picked up till they do, and then if it misses the cut off time at the depot then it'll take longer, my frame I posted sat in Preston for 24hrs, after it had been collected 16hrs after I'd dropped it off, where CRC are concerned as long as it turns up it doesn't bother me how long it takes as I've not paid for delivery.
Ordered 11th June at 4.30, delivered today, by the free service- that seems reasonable