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Moral of the story: Don’t buy anything from a Mike Ashley affiliated store.
Basically this.
Welcome to free-marketeering Buccaneer Britain. World-beating global trail blazer.
Indeed https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/buying-a-bike-from-evans-2/
But I do feel for the staff - including this forum's favourite and best (IMHO) bike designer/product manager (No, not the one named after a crag).
I used to use Evans a lot - order online and pick stuff up in my local store. But after the OP's experience and other equally damning reports I would not use them again unless I was absolutely desperate. The Guardian's consumer column took up a customer complaint and had this to say:
"I would not buy anything from this company unless I could pick it up, there and then, in person. When a company the size of Evans – it has 50 stores – can’t be bothered to get its press office to investigate letters like this, it says to me that it doesn’t place any value in talking to its customers." https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/jul/20/i-feel-ive-been-taken-for-a-ride-by-evans-cycles
They blamed the takeover of Evans by Sports Direct for the poor service. It is a pretty scathing comment but it seems you can't even rely on getting proper service there and then in the shop.
I don't blame the shop staff, this is company policy to take people's money and then don't give a ****.
Thank you @BlakeC for alerting us to this shitshow. I hope you get your money back.
Somethings are more important than money.
Spot on. Don't waste too much time with them. Thanks again for taking the time to alert us.
Thought I'd give this a bump
Bought some shorts in store but decided that they were a little small. Took them back for a refund and was caught out. No refunds. Only exchange or credit note.
Only £35 so not end of world. But that will be the last purchase for me from Evans.
I'd a similar experience in Evans.
Hot day and in passing I thought I'd pick up a couple of gels. Looked for the favs and couldn't see any so just picked a couple of yucky blackcurrant(instead of yucky orange).
As the guy was serving me i noticed they did indeed have yucky orange, it was just tucked far back in the stand. Same make, same cost i asked if i could simply swap them over.
The teller wouldnt do it, said i needed to fill out a returns note on the receipt with my name, address, phone number and email. I said stuff you, snatched back my tenner and walked out.
Clearly this is just to gain your details so they can then sell them on to their 'trusted' third parties.
i have a warranty claim in for my Norco Optic which is going through Evans (thankfully Tredz will be Norco dealers in future), but its been an absolute joke from the start. The most unhelpful bunch of people on the planet. Customer service are robots. I get they are under orders from above, but its just so frustrating.
As many have said, they wont get another penny of my money. And once my replacement frame finally turns up, i wont step into their shops again.
Such a shame that a half decent bike shop (store dependant) has gone down the pan.
I’d a similar experience in Evans.
Hot day and in passing I thought I’d pick up a couple of gels. Looked for the favs and couldn’t see any so just picked a couple of yucky blackcurrant(instead of yucky orange).
As the guy was serving me i noticed they did indeed have yucky orange, it was just tucked far back in the stand. Same make, same cost i asked if i could simply swap them over.
The teller wouldnt do it, said i needed to fill out a returns note on the receipt with my name, address, phone number and email. I said stuff you, snatched back my tenner and walked out.Clearly this is just to gain your details so they can then sell them on to their ‘trusted’ third parties.
We know, you told us that in this very thread 11 months ago 😀
Staff are bloody useless and spend al their time as a group huddled around someones laptop.
They're paid MW or as near, treated like shit, poorly trained and not valued at all. What would you do if you were in their position? Give a shit? I wouldn't. Most likely they've been given orders to not refund anything (in contravention of the actual laws on retail etc), and are fearful of reprisals if they don't follow them. People are on such tight margins, they can't afford to lose their jobs. Better one irate customer or two, than trying to pay your rent and bills with zero income. The problem invariably isn't shop staff, it's those higher up. So take your argument to them.
Moral of the story: Don’t buy anything from a Mike Ashley affiliated store.
Very much this. I had a good (quiet) chat with a SD employee a couple of years ago, and I really do get why they just don't give a ****. They're just getting on trying to survive. Empathy is key here. I really would be 100% behind all of Mike Ashley's staff just ripping the entire company off for whatever they could get; that **** deserves far worse.
You can just issue a chargeback on the credit card. Then your card issuer take it up with Evans. They'll credit you back while they request evidence from Evans.
I had a not so great experience with them a couple of years back. I bought an Exposure light which never showed up as they had inventory issues with their website (showing in stock, clearly wasn't). Ashley then took them over. No light. No money back. I'd bought a discount voucher to pay for the light.... so it wasn't really clear how do get my refund. Eventually I got a credit note. And paid a lot more for a different light. BoC's.
We know, you told us that in this very thread 11 months ago 😀
Its often said history repeats itself. Who am I to question history 😆
I wouldn't have left the store without my money back. You weren't even asking to return a product fir a fecund as you had not recieved the item yet. You just wanted to cancel the transaction before it was complete.
As others have said, the store should have informed you the product was not 100% before taking your money.
@bridges - whilst i agree the staff are getting a raw deal, i dont think that excuses poor work ethics. I understand all the staff might not be bike encyclopaedias, know about all specs, parts, models etc, but i would still expect to get a 'level' of customer service.
Its not the customers fault that they chose to work at Evans, so why should they get poor service? Same goes for any job really (in my opinion). It says more about the person and their work ethic.
Its not the customers fault that they chose to work at Evans, so why should they get poor service?
It's also the customer's choice where they shop.
Any staff member can get beat down and demotivated by poor management, it's not a lot to do with work ethics. Cause and effect. Plus, anyone who's worked in retail knows how a percentage of customers can be very difficult to deal with, and that's not something to palm of as 'just part of the job'. If a company doesn't support you in supporting the customer you get it from both sides and it'll fall apart. People have bills to pay and not many options.
I understand all the staff might not be bike encyclopaedias, know about all specs, parts, models etc, but i would still expect to get a ‘level’ of customer service.
For MW? With **** all proper training, or support, or any care whatsoever from an employer whose only consideration is to maximise profits regardless of actually giving a **** about other human beings? Really?
Its not the customers fault that they chose to work at Evans, so why should they get poor service? Same goes for any job really (in my opinion). It says more about the person and their work ethic.
Feel free to go and work for Evans, on MW, treated like shit by an employer who sees you as instantly dispensable and replaceable, in order to just survive. Perhaps whilst you're there, you can help transform their customer service into something you'd find acceptable. Let us know how you get on, won't you?
whilst i dont doubt that evans must be awful to work for and being on minimum wage must suck, but to give all employees a 'free ticket' to not care about their job, to not care about the customers (which in-turn keep them employed), to not have any cares about the line of work they are in, well it just doesnt sit well with me.
If i entered a shop and was looking for help, i dont want to be ignored, treated poorly or barely receive any customer service.
I guess its down to each individual and whilst it cant be easy, i would like to think you would try and make the most of it. You know, cup half full kind of mentality.
But yeah, if by some weird twist of fate i get a job at Evans one day, i will be sure to let you know how it is. And likewise, if you ever work there, you can let me know how it is? Or how badly you are happy to treat customers because you know... your employer is a bit of a dick.
whilst i dont doubt that evans must be awful to work for and being on minimum wage must suck, but to give all employees a ‘free ticket’ to not care about their job, to not care about the customers
Its not a free ticket - its understanding why this happens
We know, you told us that in this very thread 11 months ago 😀
Nope the 11 month ago incident was for a tub of electrolytes and 20 quid was involved rather than a tenner…😂
whilst i dont doubt that evans must be awful to work for and being on minimum wage must suck, but to give all employees a ‘free ticket’ to not care about their job, to not care about the customers (which in-turn keep them employed), to not have any cares about the line of work they are in, well it just doesnt sit well with me.
Well boo hoo. Ever considered it might just not be all about YOU, though?
If i entered a shop and was looking for help, i dont want to be ignored, treated poorly or barely receive any customer service.
Nobody does. Likewise, staff don't want to be treated like shit all day, every day, either.
I guess its down to each individual and whilst it cant be easy, i would like to think you would try and make the most of it. You know, cup half full kind of mentality.
But yeah, if by some weird twist of fate i get a job at Evans one day, i will be sure to let you know how it is. And likewise, if you ever work there, you can let me know how it is? Or how badly you are happy to treat customers because you know… your employer is a bit of a dick.
I've worked plenty in retail, which is perhaps why I can empathise with others. Like many, I started off full of enthusiasm and willingness to do a good job, but inevitably, after only a very short time, I realised I was nothing more than a drone to generate profit for other people who really, really didn't give a flying **** about my welfare, or that of my colleagues. So; like most others, I stopped giving a shit and concentrated on just how little work I could actually get away with, how I could actually make the drudgery bearable. I'd always try to treat people with respect, and expected the same in return, but if someone was giving me shit about something I had no individual control over, I'd quickly stop giving a shit about them or their wants. Much of retail is all about a race to the bottom; maximise profits, minimise shits given. Ergo, it's a bit daft to expect much of people who are undervalued, underpaid and treated with a complete lack of respect. This is the society in which we live. I always try to treat shop staff with respect, and generally, I find I have positive experiences, but if someone really can't be arsed, I really can't blame them. Empathy.
Culture creep is a well established phenomenon in organisations - in the instance of Evans, if you've got minimum wage staff in really insecure working conditions, scared to step outside the status quo for fear of their job, then by definition things will slip. I've been in companies where this has happened and jumped ship as inevitably it ends badly - but not everyone is lucky enough to have the luxury of doing that.
If I was a retail worker there in these uncertain times, I'd 100% not be doing ANYTHING to risk putting my head above the parapet in case of reprisals. Regardless of my own work ethic, standards, self motivation etc, all I would be thinking about is keeping the bloody job so I can pay my bills.
So yeah, I fully empathise with the Evans staff - it's a top down issue that won't fix without serious desire, effort and investment from board level. Until that happens, I'll certainly not be giving Evans any of my money.
You can just issue a chargeback on the credit card. Then your card issuer take it up with Evans. They’ll credit you back while they request evidence from Evans.
Most banks have a minimum amount for charge backs (£50+ish), under that it'll be the bank giving a refund not the retailer's bank.
Nope the 11 month ago incident was for a tub of electrolytes and 20 quid was involved rather than a tenner
Ah yes, that was it. I remembered it was some sort of product like that but couldnt remember for 100%. I will state i have a very poor short term memory(more than likely the drugs, though thankfully I've managed to kick that part of my life) and couldnt be sure, for sure if you know what i mean. But the crux of it is the same.
Thanks though for that input 😉
God my memory is really poor sometimes.Far too many examples i base experience and pathways on. But cleared up now.
@bridges - thankfully as strangers talking on the internet, we know nothing about each other, but if you did know me, you would know its not all about ME. But when someone enters a shop, customer is king. It is about YOU. With the caveat that the customer isn't breaking Rule No 1.
I fully sympathise with anyone who works in retail, dealing with the public. We all know the general public are horrible creatures. I suspect this highlights that I haven't worked in retail for over a decade and when i did, it was for a small company that had a decent set of morals. Regardless of where i shop tho, i would still hope for some level of service. Obviously you don't always receive it, but such is life.
Imagine if someone didn't know Evans were a crap employer and experienced a disgruntle worker, without the insider knowledge we have. It would be a pretty naff retail experience.
But anywho, we all have our different approaches to life. 😀
If anyone comes out with the useless "customer is king/customer is allways right" I immediately stopped giving them good service haha
thankfully as strangers talking on the internet, we know nothing about each other, but if you did know me, you would know its not all about ME. But when someone enters a shop, customer is king. It is about YOU.
And here's where we differ. Sure, the retail environment is based around the customer's needs and desires, but the real, Human side is that the shop workers are not actually there solely for YOU; they need to eat and survive like anyone, and YOU really are some way down their list of considerations in life. Hate to break it to you. If you go in with such an arrogant, selfish attitude, then quite frankly you deserve the amount of respect you're giving others. ALWAYS consider the situation as US, and you'll have a much happier time. You have a moral responsibility to offer respect to whomever you are dealing with, whether they are serving you, you them, or whatever. Try to bear that in mind. As I said; empathy.
If anyone comes out with the useless “customer is king/customer is allways right” I immediately stopped giving them good service haha
Too ****ing right. Anyone comes out with shit like that, I treat them with the contempt such a prima donna deserves.
Imagine if someone didn’t know Evans were a crap employer and experienced a disgruntle worker, without the insider knowledge we have. It would be a pretty naff retail experience.
Then it’s on the employer to make sure its staff have no reason to be disgruntled.
whilst i dont doubt that evans must be awful to work for and being on minimum wage must suck, but to give all employees a ‘free ticket’ to not care about their job, to not care about the customers (which in-turn keep them employed), to not have any cares about the line of work they are in, well it just doesnt sit well with me.
It might not sit well but your view of the world seems skewed. You get out of people what you put in, with a factor that's based on what they start with (you don't employ them if they don't have the basics) and how you put 'it' in (you'll get more out if you're a good coach). Only a poor leader blames their people. I think it's a really hard job on both sides.
Remember a lot of people will have been working for companies before changes like this happen and that change is generally more of the SD type than Timpsons, and rarely anything they have any control over. Frustration is not being able to improve your lot isn't it? Not much else that demotivates more effectively. You can be on MW but under a good management in a good environment, it's good work and you'll be motivated.
And likewise, if you ever work there, you can let me know how it is? Or how badly you are happy to treat customers because you know… your employer is a bit of a dick.
I'm talking generally up there ^ as I've had retail experience, but I have worked at Evans though not in the shops themselves. There are (or were) so many really good people working there, I've met enough of them in and outside the shops. Good shop staff will always help a customer where they can, it's about empathy with a fellow rider / person. But you can only push people so far and everyone has a different tipping point. If you pass that point yet still have to pay rent, what do you do? Don't blame the staff, they won't have started out that way. Half the time they aren't even able to do what they'd like to do for you because of processes in place.
i think i have painted myself in somewhat of a dim light here. I am certainly not one of those folk who think the store staff need to bow down to me. When i say 'customer is king', thats what we are told by society. I always treat people as i want to be treated.
If i approach a store worker for help and they appear to not have a clue, i say thanks and move on. If they seem knowledgeable then i will pick their brains and have a chat. I have experienced both of these workers in Evans previously.
It feels like a lot of the comments are based upon the assumption that the customer is being a dick/awkward/argumentative. I am running under the basis that if a person goes into a shop (be it Evans or elsewhere), acts accordingly, then i believe they should receive some standard of service. Regardless of whether the business owner is a dick or not.
Hate your job and boss? that's cool, doss about all day, wipe bogeys on the canteen wall, hide in the store room all day on your phone, but at least have the decency to be professional when you are dealing with a customer. Again, assuming the customer is a normal, reasonable human being.
thats what we are told by society
Who's 'we'?
I do get where you're coming from; I always tried to start out being respectful to whoever walked through the door, but sad fact was, a lot of customers were dicks. They probably didn't realise they were dicks, such was their own lack of self-awareness. But they were dicks nonetheless. Ergo, they didn't receive my fullest attention or best service. Life's too short to work for MW AND have to bow and scrape to people being dicks.
I was surprised to see the Evans Gatwick warehouse had closed down, thought it would be quite profitable with it being in a lower rent, out of town location with plenty of parking, and pretty much all the stock you could wish for. Although I'd already boycotted them for reasons such as poor stock levels in high street branches and then charging for store collections rather than restocking the shelves.
Very happy to see the place had been taken over by Balfes Bikes, bit weird though as they have kept the Argos style setup so you get a 10 minute wait for the socks you want whilst browsing the bikes you don't need. It feels like Evans still.