Evans Cycles - nowt good to say about them!
Many years ago, I visited their Gatwick hub where one of them tried to sell me a 15" WSD full susser (I am 5'10" and 200lbs)
I pointed out that it was WSD bike but he insisted and actually argued with me until I pointed out the great big WSD icon with the bike in their catalouge.
That was then and this is what happened this week...........
Sold my old Cannondale to a workmate yesterday. I had stripped it down to the frame to retain the parts but he wanted the whole bike so I built it back up again but didnt have time to reset the gearing (VGC XT/LX parts) so I advised him to take it into an Evans in Central London.
First Evans told him that the gears were shot, needed replacing and servicing (why do you service new gears??)
Second Evans told him that the rear derailleur needed replacing
Third Evans told him the Hope M4's were shot and needed replacing (I had replaced the spacer washers with new washers and they were marginally out hence a tiny bit of rubbing on the disc) and that the gears were knackered.
The same third Evans eventually rang him today to say it was the chain that needed replacing and said the gears were fine 😯
All very strange considering I had bought the bike from a bike mechanic who used to work at Cycle Surgery and was perfect before I stripped it down and rebuilt it with the same parts so, at most, surely it would only need to be reset!?
Amazing how all three Evans gave different diagnosis on the 'problem' of the gears skipping.
Upshot is I am down £40 on the agreed price as i wanted him to be happy with the bike.
Compare that to my LBS in Benfleet, Essex who spent a whole Saturday trying to fix an old pair of Tektro brakes on my wife's bike before admitting defeat and not charging me a penny!
Use Evans ever again? Not on your life!!
Ben
Sorry but got to ask but why did you advise him to take it to Evans in the first place?? Sorry had to ask as now doubt somebody else will in a moment and slightly less politely probably as this is STW..
..bugger by the way
ive moved to brentford just as the ****ers have bought out the lbs on the high street
mcdonalds of the cycle world
Why exactly was it you suggested going to Evans in the first place? I'm guessing London town is just about big enough to have one or two other bike shops.
You should see the "new" saddle they sent me today!
I'm awaiting their response to my email before I post pictures on here...
a big problem with london is that every bike shop, especially the non-chain lbs will have a 7 day wait till their mechanic can look at it!
I'm awaiting their response to my email before I post pictures on here...
Screw that....post pictures 8)
Stuart_c - On behalf of STW you are letting us all down with not showing this picture. Correct etiquette plays no part here. Do the right thing 😉
kimbers - where are you in Brentford then? I cycle through it every day, 3 times so far, and when I've finished some work in about 4 hours time I shall be cycling back through it again. (apart from the bit where the water main burst last week obviously)
Patience fellas, patience...
I fully expect to be fobbed off by them, at which point I'll let you all see what they think is acceptable to send to a customer.
8)
Mostly had very good experiences but there was one curler recently. I went to pick up a warranty replacement road frame that they insisted on rebuilding otherwise it would invalidate my warranty. First of all they weren't happy to put the brakes back on euro style, the gear cables were crossed under the downtube, (odd but easy to sort out), but when I wheeled the bike to the car it was obvious that there was something very wrong with the steering. Very stiff. They put the headset together incorrectly but wouldn't have it. I tried to explain (nicely) to the idiot that the steering should in fact be silky smooth and light just like the one's on bikes I randomly picked out in the show room. Still wouldn't have it. What happens when I come to a corner then, says I. "There's no problem with the steering sir, you just use your strength to turn the handlebars". At that point I left dumbfounded.
im off ealing road- by the drive thru- then just behind the footy ground!
The glasgow one seems okay but its different for each shop - all down to the staff and emplying folk that really know nothing about bikes!
Personally I think Evans have their uses.
I visited the Gateshead one for the 1st time recently. They were the only shop in the North East with AM40's in my size - one benefit of the size of their stores in that they can actually carry stock unlike too many lbs.
They also price matched the best online price I'd found - £24 off rrp.
I certainly left happy
kimbers - no problems with popping out for a pint then?
Brentford was nice and quiet at 4am today on my way home from work.
Evans stores vary lots, tho' I've found that there are some good guys in the Manchester Deansgate store (ManchesterTrev on here is one, I think).
Best bit is calling up to confirm they have stock, then printing off a price match and making a same day purchase. All the advantages of internet shopping and all the advantages of real time same day purchases. Win win!
I took a female friend into Evans at Reading as she wanted to buy a bike on the bike2work scheme. I went with her for some support. The tool at the shop was trying to sell her an 18" (I think or 19") frame, she said she felt stretched out and he was like "yeah the position looks okay"! I queried this saying WTF, she is 5ft 4" like me and I explained I rode an XS Giant, 15" Cube and 15" Kona (I think!). He said "well it depends as all bikes geometry is different and whether or not she likes it". He then went on some willy waving mission about cycling, length of time riding etc. TUrns out he'd been MTBing about 4 months and only got the job in Evans as he was unemployed and they were training him up. He bigged himself up that he went out night riding with some ridiculou elevenybillion mega watt light ... what so it isn't really night riding then if it's that super powerful?? He felt pretty small though when I told him I'd been DHing in Morzine every year for the last 7, had MTB'd Morocco and enjoyed night riding with some piddly Petzel head torch!!
Other than that online I'd always had good experiences from them. But hey Mr MC will be along later to tell you the latest corker from the muppets that are Evans!!!
So you weren't willy waving and bigging yourself up?.....
thinks evans is only useful if you know exactly what you want and they have it in stock and you do a price match to crc or wiggle etc
Not really ChunkyMTB I just hate blokes who think they are the dogs boll*** when it comes to MTBing, but because I'm a girl I get treated like some pathetic fluffy girl that doesn't know anything. When it was quite clear I did. Sorry but it winds me up oh and there is far more MTB background I COULD willy wave about. 😉
Rootes1 that's part of Mr MC's complaint, buy it as says "in stock" 10 days later no news, e-mail them and they say "we don't have it in stock and won't until 11th Sep" so why show it on the internet as being in stock then??
Still don't understand why people complain about the people who work there (I don't work there by the way). If you're going in with a friend and you're a biker why do you need help from someone there? If the person has a voucher they don't 'have' to have help - if you're an expert biker can you not assist in the purchase? It's pretty easy to say 'no thanks' when an assistant approaches asking if you need help. At least he got himself a job and paying taxes I guess...
I'll leave you to your awesome MTB background you could willy wave about 😐
Would it still be willy waving if you're a girl?
What's the female equivalent?
F*nny flashing?
erm...that's all I could think of... 😳
Rootes1 that's part of Mr MC's complaint, buy it as says "in stock" 10 days later no news, e-mail them and they say "we don't have it in stock and won't until 11th Sep" so why show it on the internet as being in stock then?
easy to see if they have it in stock by walking into the shop..
then if they have what you want on the shelf and you know one of the online places has it in stock it, price match it..
easy for me though as there are 5 of so evans in easyish reach
(Mr MC posting)
I assume chunkymtb you like me are male and havent had to put up with 20 years of patronising, condescending macho atttitudes from male bikers and shop staff? The example given is of an employee inexperienced in both the business and the field, trying to sell clearly innappopriate equipment to a customer on the assumption that the customer knows less than him. And as the customers happened to be a pair of attractive women, why not show off whilst your at it? Dropping into conversation that she'd ridden in morzine is hardly willy (or booby?) waving, more a subtle attempt to hint to the member of staff he had at least one experienced rider to deal with and he may wish to change his approach. If I'd have been MC I would have been far less subtle or polite.
The friend (actually a new colleague who didnt know MC well) assumed that the staff would be knowledgeable and MC tagged along as a second opinion.
If she hadnt evans would have mis-sold a clearly too-large cycle, and in a few months time no doubt the cycle community would be -1 female member.
Edited highlights of my experience with them;
ordered Joplin post 2 weeks ago, shown in stock, payment taken.
a week later send them a chase up email having seen or heard nothing.
told it is on back order, due Sept 11. They ignore my request for a refund.
Email them sept 13 saying please either ship the post or refund money.
They reply morning of 14th to say post is now due in on the 17th.
I ask for refund.
they reply same day to say post is now "ready to ship"?! Odd as they dont have it in stock.
I am waiting for a response for request for a refund. I'd hate to have to deal with them for a warranty return if this is how chaotic their customer service is, Id rather (and now wish I had) paid an extra tenner to someone like CRC where I have had repeated good customer service.
Evans seem to be trying to be both LBS-knowledgeable and Halfords-scale and it clearly isnt working.
to the OP(?)-brilliant tag by the way.
It's taken me a couple re-reads to understnad who (or what) Munqe-chick is!!
Is it a dude or is it a chick?
The penny finally dropped, it's both (but not a pre-op transgender kind of way)!
I know marriage is all about sharing and sh!t but does that have to extend to log in names, after all they are free. 😉
In response to why I advised him to take the bike in to Evans was because he knew where they were and I assumed (wrongly) that they would do ask requested - reset the gears!
Clearly this was beyond their capabilities!
Judging from the above responses, it doesnt seem as though they have many friends on here, save, perhaps, for buying the odd bits n pieces.
Indeed, my work chum reported to me that they offered to send the bike off for a full service - apparantly they outsource this?? A basic service!!??
Gawd help us from the Evans of the world!
Ben
I bought a pair hope m4s off them years ago in a sale. When they arrived they'd quite clearly been attached to a bike (scuffs where they'd been removed) and one of them had a gunmetal top cap rather than black. I complained via email and got no answer, I didn't send them back as they were cheap and wasn't too fussed, just alarmed that their online advert made no mention of 'used' only 'reduced'. I've not used them since and wouldn't ever again.
Gist of this thread is Evans are shi** won't be shopping there again, oh and that I'm a "she" (not transgender, waiting for an op or a "thing"). Occasionally Mr MC posts as "Mr MC" as his account has never worked and STW have never sorted it out. So not a problem that we both use same account. Happy days 😉
I've had mixed experience of dealing with Evans. I've been using their shops since the late 80s, when all they were were a 2 or 3 shop business. I've bought at least 3 bikes from them and recommended them to friends who've bought bikes and kit from them. At times I've had the best service I could hope for from their staff, at other times I've walked out in disgust.
My nearest Evans is Canary Wharf, who seem to have decent knowledgeable staff. Mind you, it's sometimes amusing to deal with some kid who's younger than the time you've been riding mountain bikes for! My local branch have been helpful and courteous. Contrast that with the Waterloo Bridge road branch, where some bored spotty knob told me they could 'teach me how to change an inner tube' when I returned one that had split along the seam. Patronising ****.
As a company, they've embraced the business model the market has demanded. Mail order, chain store model with locations in prime retail spots, large range and choice. And they're successful because of this. The same has happened with Cycle Surgery; sold out to another company, but not before they'd built up from one tatty shop in Spitalfields market.
They're not 'local bike shops' any more than they are corporate retail outlets. Do you expect Tescos to give you impartial expert advice on their range of yoghurts?
We're all guilty of helping create the model Evans have adopted. No use moaning about it now.
Always had great service from the branch in Nottingham, they did drop the ball on one occasion but rectified it more than adequately.
Nearly always been able to squeeze minor repairs in which has saved a weekends riding, cut seat tube free of charge (bike bought elsewhere), replaced chain for the cost of a chain etc. Not encountered any condescending attitudes despite being of the female persuasion. Can't complain really.
My lbs is great too, but Evans opens late and on Sundays.
Oh yes, Evans. Mega hassle over my Ride2Work bike.
They are patronising and condescending to women - which would be kind of amusing if it was so bloody annoying - as they clearly don't know one end of a bike from the other. One of the staff I had the misfortune to deal with was a fixie rider (skinny jeans etc) - when I said the gearing on my new bike was fundamental to the purchase as I have a big hill to go over, he actually sneered. I asked him if he had ridden over said hill, he was forced to admit he didn't even know where it was.
The mechanic who was asked to fix my rattly disc brake said it wasn't possible to fix it, and that "...they all do it". He had no answer when I asked why the rear brake did not rattle, despite it having done the same amount of miles over the same roads as the front brake.
The same mechanic, on being asked to adjust my Alfine gears, made them worse, a problem which I later rectified (upon advice from your goodselves) in about 3 seconds flat, with one hand, as I was eating my breakfast with the other hand. He proudly informed me he was Cytech trained! God help us.
I could go on, but I will spare you all.
I fully expect to be fobbed off by them, at which point I'll let you all see what they think is acceptable to send to a customer.
I've had this from them before... got sent used goods having ordered over the WWW. And boy, do I mean used (as in "fit for the bin"). And I've lost count of the peeps I know who've been flogged silly-size bikes by their idiot staff.
Just don't!
Use the Crawley store for fiddly jobs (crown race removal etc) and never had a problem with that side of it, manager is a good bloke and knowledgeable but won't force his opinion on you unlike the little twunt with whom I to argue in order to buy an ISIS BB.
So yeah, some staff good, some bad.
Use the Crawley store for fiddly jobs (crown race removal etc
Yeah tricky job that hitting something with a hammer.
He proudly informed me he was Cytech trained!
Proves the point that it's just a bit of paper, go on a course for 2 weeks and you're a fully fledged mechanic........ don't think so, it just means that they should be able to assemble a cycle safely.
Elfin, I only bought a bike there because I was tied in to Evans' scheme via my firm. The feedback was so bad (not just from me) that HR are going to look for an alternative provider for next year.
I visit when they have a sale, that's all.
I wouldn't worry too much about Evans!
They've grown too quick and have the largest amount of longterm debt in the industry......they were the only larger UK retailer last year to make a loss too!!
I suspect contraction on the horizon!!
Elfin
"They're not 'local bike shops' any more than they are corporate retail outlets. Do you expect Tescos to give you impartial expert advice on their range of yoghurts? "
If Tesco dealt mainly in yoghurt and nothing else, then yes, I would expect them to give me expert advice.
It is the same as any Bike Shop - they should only hire people who know something about bikes or have a proper mechanic on site.
The same with a fishing shop - I would little expect a fishing shop assistant to not know a fly rod from a carp rod.
Sigh, perhaps I simply expecting too much in this day and age 😳
Ben
It sounds like they're not training their staff very well. I've only been to one of their shops once but I was only buying some socks. The shop I got my bike from in Glasgow (not Evans) can be a bit hit and miss. Some of the guys really know what they're talking about and others just guess. I think this is a problem when a company gets too big.
It is the same as any Bike Shop - they should only hire people who know something about bikes or have a proper mechanic on site.
Do you know how much bike shop staff get paid? I do. I've worked in them. It's shit money for a mainly pretty boring job that to be quite honest I only did because I needed an income. Bike shops have a pretty high turnover of staff; gone are the days of some old bloke with sixty two thousand years experience under his belt. And as for 'training', I understand that what Evans give is laughable. So, you're expected to bring loads of knowledge you've gained yourself, and work for little more than minimum wage? Bollocks to that. You want staff to be knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic all day long? Pay them better.
Oh, but expect to have to pay much higher prices in shops though.
Most folk I deal with in Evans are ok. I don't expect them to be amazing, just to be polite and courteous. Mostly, they do that just fine.
Apart from that ugly spotty pretentious **** in Waterloo. He can get ****ed.
Just out of interest; how many people complaining about Evans have actually bothered to forward their complaints to higher authorities/head office? They're responsible for hiring/training of staff, so give it to them. Don't take it out on some poor bored sod on £6 an hour.
Unless he's that spotty ugly pretentious **** in Waterloo...
Don't take it out on some poor bored sod on £6 an hour.
Why not they're the point of contact at the time.
You're a paramedic aren't you? 😉
I agree completely with Elfin...Some little punk in the shop on minimum wage is not likely to know everything about bikes...I think any shop selling any kind of bike is doing a good job.If more people owned and used bikes the world would be a better place...
But I am sure it can be well annoying when things go wrong...
Thing is it's taken me 20 years or more to gain the knowledge I have now, and I'm by no means an 'expert'. So I don't expect some young lad to know as much as I do. And some of them probbly haven't ever felt a lady's bottom, so wouldn't have a clue as to how to recommend stuff like shorts and that.
Staff should be able to size a bike up correctly mind. Maybe this is where Evans' 'training' is lacking.
Some little punk in the shop on minimum wage is not likely to know everything about bikes..
I'd expect them to at least;
a - Know [i]enough[/i] to be able to adequately serve customers
or
b - Be willing to admit they didn't know and were just a shelfstacker before going to get someone who [i]did[/i] know [i]enough[/i] to be able to adequately serve customers
What happened with the lad in waterloo?????
Don't get me started mate...
Bought a tube there. Got it home, fitted it, pumped it up- BANG!
Split along the seam. Seen a fair few go like that, it's just a faulty tube. When I worked in bike shops, we'd replace them no probs- defective merchandise. Legally obliged to anyway.
This spotty, arrogant pretentious **** tried to suggest it was my fault, that I'd installed it wrong. Me, what's been fitting inner tubes when he was shitting his nappy. Then, with a smirk towards his colleagues, he said 'well we'd be quite happy to show you how to fit an inner tube'.
I won't tell you what I said next, as this is a family forum.
It is hard for staff too though...I am mates with a guy who works for them, and he had a chav walk in and ask 'do you have one of them s's...' to which he said ' s's, what do you mean specialized or somthing' the chav said 'nah man, I need one of them s's...'
Turned out after about 5 mins of chav talk my mate worked out that he wanted a rear mech....ahahahahaha....'one of dem s's blad...'
It is hard for staff too though.
Never under estimate the stupidity of clients.
Just out of interest; how many people complaining about Evans have actually bothered to forward their complaints to higher authorities/head office?
Yep - after they sent me home with a helmet with security tag attached (and facing a 40 mile return trip) they sent me a £20 voucher. They bought my forgiveness.
Right-o!
No response to the polite email I sent them yesterday. Does anyone have a contact email address for one of the bosses?
I'm going to show you some pictures of the "new" saddle they sent me. Since they can't be arsed to reply to me, I'll open them up to the judgement of STW.
Does that sound like a fair and reasonable thing to do?
Hey Elfin!
'Twas probably the same little sh!t that dealt with my poor chum!
"Your gears are knackered, mate, front and rear need replacing AND they need a service!"
Erm!!?? new gears AND a service ❓
BTW, Elfin, my dear Old Bean......you wouldnt happen to live in Essex and fancy a beer in Benfleet....in my shed....where my new steed lies with tools lying around it and a confused South African standing over them with a stumped glazed look on his face???
Nice cold beer. Nicccce and cold 😉
Ben
I'm going to show you some pictures of the "new" saddle they sent me. Since they can't be arsed to reply to me, I'll open them up to the judgement of STW.
Let's be seeing 'em, then!
MD is a chap called Mike/Michael Rice, by the way.
So michael.rice@evanscysles.com might be worth a pop?
Give me 5 mins to get the pics uploaded - just in from a long day at work and not had me tea yet.
BTW, Elfin, my dear Old Bean......you wouldnt happen to live in Essex and fancy a beer in Benfleet....in my shed....where my new steed lies with tools lying around it and a confused South African standing over them with a stumped glazed look on his face???Nice cold beer. Nicccce and cold
Beer, you say...?
Mmm....beeeeeeeerrrr......
Sadly not in Essex, no. Well, not sadly for me actually. A mate of mine lives in Basildon ffs.
OK - here we go:
Bear in mind this is what Evans sent me as a "brand new" saddle and is photographed as it was when I removed it from the packaging:
1) Discolouration
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4993660557/ ]1[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4994266620_00e3723550.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4994266620/ ]4[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr
2) Clamping marks on saddles rails
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4994266776_9e2ac1df6b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4994266776/ ]3[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr
3) Dirty marks
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/4994266422_b108cc5310.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4994266422/ ]5[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr
4) Scuff marks on the scuff guards
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4993659441_4aebbb0082.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartie_c/4993659441/ ]7[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/stuartie_c/ ]stuartie_c[/url], on Flickr
Am I just being too fussy?
Too fussy nope- from somebody who works In the industry that's pretty shocking that they sent that out as new, it should be in the bargain bin for £5 pretty poor show Evans.
Looks like it's been swapped off a display bike. Very poor.
Dirty bastards! They've tooken that off a bike that's been knocking around in a warehouse I reckon.
They deserve to be shamed for that. Show them this thread an' all. I would,
Evans, shame on you! This is the tat you try to fob off as new?
Someone should be sacked over this. That spotty patronising arrogant **** from Waterloo will do.
[img] 
[/img]
it should be in the bargain bin for £5
OK, so it's a bit messy, but £5 for a saddle which normally retails for around £70 (IIRC) is a little harsh! 20% off as "shop soiled" might be OK.
I think the Kingston Evans staff are pretty good actually.
That saddles shocking though, so I agree the spotty Waterloo **** should be fired.
Drac - MemberDon't take it out on some poor bored sod on £6 an hour.
Why not they're the point of contact at the time.
Elfinsafety - MemberYou're a paramedic aren't you?
😆 Those five words are one of your beshtest replies I can think of, Elfin.
I suggested one of two solutions:
They send me a new one today and I return the one above (I need it for this weekend which is looking increasingly unlikely). I think it's reasonable to expect them to expedite the returns process in the circumstances. I'd also expect that they'd refund my return postage charge under the provisions of the distance selling regulations.
OR they offer me a substantial discount for passing off a "shop soiled" item as a new one - I was thinking more like 50% which would factor in a goodwill gesture (though I'm prepared to accept that my Scottish Thrift gene might be clouding my judgement a little on the actual amount)
No but he is a paramedic is he not?
That saddles shocking though, so I agree the spotty Waterloo **** should be fired.
It's decided than. I'm so glad others have seen the sense in this idea. It's for the best for all concerned.
No but he is a paramedic is he not?
oh indeed. And as the first point of contact for many folk's journey back into healthcare, I expect despite no mention of it in his job description, he's well used to being on the recieving of people's frustrations about the wider system he works for and 'represents' despite having little or no say in how daft some of it all is and next to nothing to do with what happens after they move you 'upstairs' from A&E. Lord knows I have been there! That's why I thought yours was a crackin' economically worded but funny post, Elfin. I expect I've ruined it by this bletheringly long explanation of it though. Sorry.
Anyway, back on topic, not just Evans for mechanically daft advice. In our usually very knowledgeable if a bit expensive Big Single Brand Concept Store I was recently advised to buy a whole new headset when I popped in for some new cane creek bearings, because apparently (without seeing the bike, of course) rumbly cartridge headset equals the death of the whole headset. It's not like they didn't have them in stock, just that the lad either didn't know what to go and look for, or wanted to sell me something more expensive...
I'll ask someone else, take the £15 bearings and fit them myself, thanks. 😕
Elfin as a woman I wouldn't expect a bloke to be able to suggest shorts and those with less knowledge should accept that! It's all about being polite and corteous and saying "look we have had lots of woman who like X however it is a very personal choice". We all accept that maybe they don't get paid the best wage, but hey they don't have to serve you being arrogant t***s or patronising. It's basic customer service that they are failing on at a high standard and hence losing customers rapidly. I won't shop there again now ever, even if their prices on the www are the chepeast than anywhere else.
That saddle is shocking, looks like someone has used it and stained it! nice! I won't pay more than £25 for something like that!!
Munqe-chick - Member
Elfin as a woman I wouldn't expect a bloke to be able to suggest shorts
How very sexist of you. If you came into my shop and asked about womens shorts, I'd expect any of the staff to be able to provide you with some advice.
Am I just being too fussy?
Nope. I'd wade in all guns blazing if they ignored me on that.
Beer, you say...?
Mmm....beeeeeeeerrrr......
Sadly not in Essex, no. Well, not sadly for me actually. A mate of mine lives in Basildon ffs.
Ah, well, Basildon is 5mins down the road from me so you can both pop over, help me on my bike and I will ensure you are both well oiled with my vast array of both dark and spiced rums and a bar fridge full of cold beers!!
And if my wife's Jordanesque chum is sunning herself in the garden in her skimpy underwear, then all the better. 😆
Yes, I complained by email to ride2work at Evans, customer services at Evans and copied by my email to Scott Sports (the bike is a Scott), Madison UK (the brakes are Shimano)and my firm's HR team.
The bike was clearly ex demo. The Manager (who has now been moved from Holborn to Waterloo) was surprised when I didn't want to pay the full price. I said if the bike had just come out of a box I would pay full price, otherwise I wanted a discount.
My emails produced a discount of 10% on the bike. A further flurry of emails about subsequent appalling service produced a £50 voucher.
The brake pads still rattle, but I haven't taken it back yet as I am off t'bike for the moment because of my knee operation.
I don't expect all shop staff to be uber-knowledgeable BUT they should just politely say "Sorry madam, I will find out/find someone who knows" not f*cking well patronise me!!
Oh yes, I also complained about the website suggesting they have the goods in stock when actually they do not have the goods in stock. I said it was "Disingenuous at best and downright dishonest at worst" - one of my very favourite phrases.
And if my wife's Jordanesque chum is sunning herself in the garden in her skimpy underwear, then all the better.
(Gets on train to Benfleet)
My 2 Cents...
I went to the Castleford branch to help my brother buy a bike. We're twins and my bike fits him like a glove. He wanted a GT Avalanche (I concurred), so we knew what we were buying; just the sizing to sort.
We walk in, nice staff, no pressure... Until my bro says "I want that bike, but want it in Large" The kid laughs and says he needs an extra large. He tries it (looking like an Umpa-lumpa on a 29er) and he tells the kid it's "not comfortable and feels wrong". another laugh and sneer with "I think I know more about bikes than you..." from the kid.
The boy got a minor (rhetorical) slap from me , in the form of how a bike should be sized and he sold us the large (only after explaining they had excess stock of XL and needed to shift them!) Perfect size and still going strong 4 years later...
(Jumps in the car, headed for Basildon)
And if my wife's Jordanesque chum is sunning herself in the garden in her skimpy underwear, then all the better.
(Gets on train to Benfleet)[b][i]
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Did I mention she is single and it is her lad that I am helping build his first proper MTB?? 😉
Ben
*IS IN BENFLEET*
Elfin
I wont be home for a wee while but there is an Evans just down the road where there is a spotty teenager waiting to serve you...................
Just to redress the balance a wee bit here, Evans have contacted me today and resolved the saddle issue in a way which gratifies my Scottish Thrift gene.
Perhaps the emails to corporate sales, the managing director and the retail sales director were a bit excessive, but everything was resolved quickly and amicably. Fair play.
back to the op
I'm confused - you built the bike up, but did not have time to adjust the gears.
Why did you not tell him that you just needed extra time to adjust the gears? How long are we talking about? 10 mins max? Did you think that him taking it to a cenral London Evans would be an easier solution than just doing it yourself?
Do you know how to adjust gears?
I'm amazed at how many people on here who "know all" about bikes whine on about the service they get in Evans, If you know better:
A: Buy it online
B: Go in the shop and ask for the item rather than asking advice of some kid then moaning about his shit advice
C: Go somewhere else there are plenty of other shops.
Singlespeed_Shep
Agreed, absolutely, vote with your feet/wallet. BUT I was tied in to Evans via the Ride2Work scheme. Otherwise I would have hot-footed it to a friendly LBS.