When I first started buying/building bikes about 7 or 8 years ago CRC were the dogs do dahs, the had the stock, the had the best prices, they delivered next day and if there was a problem you could call a real person and sort it out - roll forward to today and there is a night & day difference.
I ordered some bars and matching stem last Thursday morning, both were in stock according to their system and waited with eager anticipation ---- and waited ----- and waited. You can't call them any more, the email response is typically 24 hours or more and when they did reply it was to say the bars are not in stock when the site still said they were in stock. No probs, just ship me the stem, I will get the bars else where, I replied. Yesterday CRC replied there is a problem with your order for a stem - not sure what the problem is but we will get back to you. I decided I had enough of this, cancelled my order by return email to be told sorry for the problems (fair enough)your credit card should be refunded in 3 - 5 days WTF !!!!!
CRC should only charge your card at the point of despatch, I'm ok with a pre authorisatrion ahead of despatch but not charging it for goods they say they have but in reality don't have. I will now only order from CRC if I'm desperate and cannot get the part some where else even if its costs a few quid more - lifes way too short to wasted waiting for CRC to return to their glory days.
you need an lbs.
Yawn,
If you want something urgent go to LBS
If you want to save some money and don't mind waiting, go to CRC
Simples!!
Saying that I've never had a problem with CRC, agreed they're not as quick as they used to be.
You can't call them any more
Eh??! I spoke to 2 nice people there only in the last week or so. Maybe it's just me that has a special hotline or something.
you need an lbs
+1
Ordered some bars from my LBS on Monday. Out of stock - have you tried getting bars for a 25.4 mm clamp lately? - but they had them on their shelf yesterday and offered to post them to me.
Post? LBS?
They're 150 miles away, "local" is relative. Going to go and see them on Saturday to pick them up in person instead. While I'm there I'll probably spend some more money with them on other shiny nice things.
It's a shame so many LBS have struggled to compete with online retail in recent years as people see bricks and mortar as "an outmoded business model". Yet these nay-sayers are happy to go in to try on the shoes (try that over the internet) then ordering from the cheapest online retailer. pffft.
They go in phases. I still think they are ace. LBS can be mucho worse.
To me CRC is like buying direct for the distributor, I often find if they don't have it then no one does (although I always look around and sometimes get lucky)
An LBS near me buys stuff from CRC for stock and customer orders, (and charges RRP) as its cheaper than he can get it from his distributor.
I think the OP makes a good point though; the primary reason I used to buy from them was availability and order fulfillment. Price was secondary but a bonus.
Availability is not quite as good as it used to be, though still a gazillion times better than an LBS. Order fulfillment though is the real problem. You used to be able to rely 100% on an order being with the you the next day if you ordered it before 2pm and it was in stock. That's definitely not the case any more. It can still happen, you just can't rely on it any more, and since the bike shops are now almost as competitive, given that I'll have to wait, I'd more often than not rather the LBS gets my money.
CRC should only charge your card at the point of despatch, I'm ok with a pre authorisatrion ahead of despatch but not charging it for goods they say they have but in reality don't have.
They can also charge if they have reasonable belief they can get the goods (i.e. if they believe their distributor has them in stock and will deliver tomorrow/next day) to you soon - it doesn't have to be on dispatch - they just can't take the cash when they have no idea if they can deliver.
Never had a problem with them to be honest, though it looks like they've sold their web servers just now.