IMO the OP took the time to ring and check stock with them. They could have sent someone into the warehouse to visually check, if they wanted. Given the presumed margin on those wheels, what's 5 minutes' work for a poor warehouse worker on minimum wage?
If the answer he was given on the phone is no better than what he can see on the website and is (for all the reasons listed above) potentially inaccurate, a) WTF is the point of any sales people and b) he should have been told that on the phone call.
I'd be annoyed too. Just one of those things - not much you can do.
As said above, you cannot compare a high street shop to an online retailer. If people phone me in my shop, yes I can check if I have the item. If you call our online helpdesk somewhere in England (and not in the same place as the warehouse) you may get the answer CRC gave you. CRC sell 15million items a year (according to earlier link) so a 98% accuracy leaves a 300,000 error rate (the place I work aim for 98% stock accuracy for the reasons mentioned earlier, theft damages etc). Even a 0.1% leaves 15,000 wrong stock figures. No one is perfect.
I wouldn’t have ordered due to the very large sums of money involved
How much have you lost? The cost of returning a wheel, if you decide not to keep it?
John Lewis manage time get it right. My nearest store is 50 miles away, they have frequently rung the store and asked people to go and actually reserve the stock.
That’s you ringing the shop where the stock is held though, so they can hold the item and say it’s in stock. If you rang a JL in Bristol, asking if the Manchester Shop has a thing in stock, it might not be quite so accurate.
Now I know that I will avoid using again
Until the next great deal?
🍿
Hope you can move on with your life OP.
Thoughts & prays OP 🙏
TBF the OP has come on here asking AIBU...sticking the "first world problem" boot in is a bit harsh/thick.
I think he's just (chosen to be) at the sharp end of the price war culture we've probably all contributed to in buying online...
Interesting thread. Folks with no posting history coming on to stick the boot into someone being negative about CRC.
FD chalk it up to experience. The chances are the person you contacted is working from home atm so they wouldn’t be able to physically check and the warehouse are probably running a reduced number of staff to adhere to social distancing and all this at a time where we’re hearing there is a massive demand for bikes and parts, so there’s no chance of them having the time to go check every stock enquiry that comes through. So yes your expectations were unreasonable.
That seems to be the way bike shops work. Lie through their teeth about having stock when they don’t. Then hope they can order from distributors and get it to you before you notice.
Not really. You need to know which ones do work like that and the only one I know does that is Tredz but even they now give a hint (i.e 7 days mean they don't actually have ti and hope the distributor does)
I have used CRC and Wiggle for 10+ years and have 100% found them correct when they say in stock so would put this down to an error.
Get refund, buy elsewhere, just one of those things. It is just a bike wheel after all...
"Aye sure, i'll just pop into the warehouse and open the box to make sure..."
You seem pretty convinced you aren't being unreasonable...
The fact it's now showing in stock again on their website suggests they couldn't initially find it, assumed out of stock, cancelled your order, and marked it out of stock. Then it turned up and they've relisted it. I'd be tempted to try again. CRC and Wiggle have always been brilliant and really what t do you have to lose now, if it's still an error they'll refund you?
“Aye sure, i’ll just pop into the warehouse and open the box to make sure…”
Presumably they have a method of identifying if something is on a shelf when someone, you know, buys it?
Not really. You need to know which ones do work like that and the only one I know does that is Tredz but even they now give a hint (i.e 7 days mean they don’t actually have ti and hope the distributor does)
Oh no, I’m well aware that’s how they work, but they’re still being dishonest when they say it’s in stock and it isn’t. In my case the item was showing as “in stock order now for despatch in 4 days.” But in fact it took 10 days to despatch.
But then I searched for the cheapest option so apparently that means I shouldn’t expect honesty.
Presumably they have a method of identifying if something is on a shelf when someone, you know, buys it?
And they did . They identified it wasn't and let you know.
Once you have bought it is a good time to invest the time to find out.
If they responded to every can you physically check the stock speculative email that very rarely turns into a sale......the price would go up.
It's not about being honest it's about having expectations inline with paying lowest dollar and expecting a.minimum wage call centre worker to go over and above ......
As others have pointed out the aspect you need to question if you can be so inclined is why it's showing stock again....
Maybe I just have to high an expectation all companies being honest.
They're not being dishonest, their system made a mistake. Being disappointed and frustrated is quite reasonable, accusations of "lying" and "dishonest" are silly. Expecting them to sort out your shipping to Germany is unreasonable.
Being disappointed and frustrated is quite reasonable, accusations of “lying” and “dishonest” are silly
Agreed - you don't come over too well in this imo. Much worse than CRC/Wiggle.
When customers go straight to verbalising in these terms over something like this it leaves nowhere to go for genuine dishonesty and lying and does none of us any favours. Back in your box.
IMO the OP took the time to ring and check stock with them. They could have sent someone into the warehouse to visually check, if they wanted. Given the presumed margin on those wheels, what’s 5 minutes’ work for a poor warehouse worker on minimum wage?
I worked for Evans Cycles for a while including a stint in their Epsom warehourse (short staffed around Christmas time). It was vast (and that was before they moved to the even bigger Gatwick warehouse). It had a specific picking system, forklifts, a winch system for one of the racks...
You did not go in there to "just check something". It certainly wouldn't have been 5 minutes, it could have been 30 including needing a forklift or a racking ladder.
Computer says yes, you have to assume that computer is right but as mentioned above (several times...) there will be occasions where it's either not right or it is right and the wheel is in stock but you get it down and it's damaged or missing a part or something.
And all of this is before you get to the current Covid situation where it's very likely that "office staff" are WFH, social distancing is in place etc.
CRC are awful, I’ve stopped using them since the wiggle takeover.
I can certainly see why you’d be annoyed about this. Probably a case of buying from a more reputable company next time.
