[Closed] Halfords Cycle2Work problems

Condor in London, they are very helpful and I was able to pay extra above the Halfords voucher.

Just beware of any expiry date on the vouchers - think mine were only valid for a few months!

Although the voucher says that you cannot add any extra money on top of the voucher value you can.Halfords will never turn away a sale of £1000+ or most shops for that matter.Then you still get a bargain bike.Everyones a winner.

If you don't get the answer you want try another branch It took a bit of effort for me to get the GT id5 for the interweb promotional price of £800 but I reserved it on line and got it at a store some distance away. Some branches are not very helpful. They will do what you want because a friend of mine got a stumpy for £1500 ordered in from another company (halfords don't stock them). Find what you want in stock at another company and go to a bikehut store and ask them to get it for you. If they won't do it try another store.

I've not actually been into a branch of halfords, I've been ringing the cycle2work helpline. They've stated that I can't add any cash to the voucher.

Are they more accomadating when you go into a branch?

The "help" line is an army of androids that read from a really stupid script.

Some branches are staffed by unhelpful teenagers and others by people who actually want to sell what you came to the shop for. Its pot luck.

Definately worth checking out the I-drive 5 XCR if you can, they're pretty ace bikes. Kind of feels like it should have a Pike in the front rather than a Recon mind, and they're not light, but still great.

Northwind,

They had better be I bought one on your recommendation.

Thanks for your sugestions, I've had a quick look at the Condor website and it seems to be just road bikes and hybrids.

I called Merlin yesterday and sadly halfords won't deal with them anymore or I would have had the Meta 5.5 they've got reduced to £1100.

Does anyone know of any other shops that accept the vouchers apart from Alpine Bikes, Pearson Cycles and Leisure lakes? Ideally I'd like a Giant dealer so I can get the Trance X4.

Thanks

abductee- I should have added a disclaimer 🙂 They are good though. I rode one with a 140mm revelation in the front and having it tipped back just that little bit more really wakes it up, but it does fine with the shorter fork. Just heavy is all but it's not too bad. I'm still thinking i might get one myself, use the bits off my Soul to drop its weight and use the leftovers off the GT to rebuild the Soul. Maybe next year.

abductee - Member

The "help" line is an army of androids that read from a really stupid script.

Really? Do tell me more abductee. I would be very interested in hearing more of your wonderful facts

Oh and to the OP there are plenty of bikes out there that are available for £1000 or under. You don't need to spend any more than that for a bike to ride to work on.
The HMRC do not allow you to top up your voucher, yes there are schemes out there that do allow customers to do this but this causes problems for the whole Cycle2Work idea and abuse of it could get the scheme withdrawn in the UK

Why would HMRC ever find out? Or care, I get the impression it's not a priority to find people 'bending the rules' as for example, there is no requirement to log the miles you've used the bike to 'commute' on.

It's posts like this which underline why the scheme is threatened with being culled.

Inland Revenue and Dept for Transport are already looking into the scheme because of the level of "abuse".

It's not our / your fault of cause, its a loophole in a scheme which was launched as over 10 years ago with not much thought and is now a multi million pound business.

About 60 - 70,000 bikes a year sold.

Politically it would be silly to kill the scheme but in the current climate who knows. The man from the revenue who cut the computer scheme says he is "agnostic" about this scheme and if he does not believe it is in the interests of the tax payer it will be cancelled.

The problem is that there are no controls in place to make sure the bikes purchased are actually used for the purpose of cycling to work.

Some recent research has shown 50 - 60% of bikes sold thru the scheme are to people who already own a bike. Many responses to that I know but the idea of the scheme is to get more people cycling to work, not to get those who already do it another bike on the cheap.

My preferred option would be to cut VAT on bikes and also offer incentives to employers so they get bought into the scheme to actually make it work. For many employers its another box-ticking exercise with no real commitment to make it happen.

Thinking more broadly cutting VAT also allows the wider population to benefit, whereas at present only those in employment can. If you are currently retired, unemployed, self-employed you cannot take advantage of getting a low cost bike.

Houns - if you don't believe me try calling them and see if you can get any sense. I am talking about my actual experience and no I wasn't trying to bend the rules just get a bike that they had in stock at some branches but they wouldn't tell me which ones.

Northwind - no need for a disclaimer I do like the GT ID5

silentei - if you don't like the GT or boardman have you looked at the voodo canzo. they had them reduced to 999 at cannock.
Halfords Garage Superstore
Unit 5, Linkway Retail Park, Longford Island, Watl
Tottington, Staffordshire, WS11 1TD
0871 432 3291

Houns - if you don't believe me try calling them and see if you can get any sense.

😆

He is one of "them"

abductee - Member

The "help" line is an army of androids that read from a really stupid script.

SORRY , but I have to disagree on this,

I found them extremely helpful when I got my RoadRat on their scheme last year, although I know they have reduced the number of brands they can get you.

On another aspect of this thread, wouldn't it have been a good idea for the OP to have identified which bike they wanted before applying for a voucher ?

OK whilst I'm on my high horse why do we have to ring a premium 0871 number to talk to a local branch FFS http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

And why could I get all the answers I needed from an actual human at the local halfords but not from their call centre?

Does lister-hooded work there as well? or has he been assimilated? The OP is a customer and as such is always right. Now be nice to him and sort him out with decent bike if you all work there.

The OP is a customer and as such is always right. Now be nice to him and sort him out with decent bike if you all work there.

No, I don't work there, but let's look at the problems the OP has

He doesn't really want a Boardman - Not Halfords fault

'09 Pitch & FSRs are sold out - Not Halfords fault

GT have given the Trance X4 to other dealers - Not Halfords fault

'10 Pitch's & FSRs are more expensive - Not Halfords fault

He can't add money to the £1000 voucher - Not Halfords fault

NO, I happen to be a customer ( occasionally, well very rarely actually ) of Halfords not an employee,

I just happen to have had a differant experience with the help line and thought I'd let folks know about it.....

And don't blame Halfords if they don't let you add money to the voucher, it's not their fault, it's the rules, just cos other shops will bend them it doesn't mean it's right.

OK whilst I'm on my high horse why do we have to ring a premium 0871 number to talk to a local branch FFS http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

More pish.

Find your branch here and a direct dial number is shown

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HalfordsStoreLocatorView?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10151

But Halfords can get bikes in from other suppliers can't they?

I have to agree with abductee - for the most part the helpline have been far from helpful.

I spoke to them a couple of times last year and got inconsistent answers, suggesting a basic lack of training. I had one guy saying I could top up the voucher yet nobody else would. Nobody would confirm anything in writing, which to me implies they were guessing at their own processes.

In the end I abandoned the idea as the bikes I wanted weren't available.

I got my first commuter in 2006 through bike2work, and was able to top up my voucher as I'd underestimated the cost of the bike I wanted, so Halfords must have tightened up their policy since then

Well I can't see anything that you've said that will send the OP away from halfords happy with his buying experience.

Why didn't the helpful line give him some advice about what bikes might suit him that they do stock/can get hold of and tell him which local store he can look at them in? and explain what they can and can't do about ordering bikes in and adding cash to the voucher. It sounds like they have only told him what he can't do?

If he went to some stores they most likely wouldn't even let him ride one around the car park to see if it fits and it's quite likely that they won't have the higher priced bikes in the shop to look at and won't offer to get one in or offer to get a bike from another supplier.

All you are talking about is how the OP is wrong and halfords have won the contest. He isn't wrong he just wants a nice bike for his £1000 voucher. Can't be that difficult for a bike shop can it?

If you work for halfords why don't you contact him by email and be helpful?

If you are a customer of halfords why not offer some advice about which bikes would suit his needs or how he can navigate his way through the halfords customer service maze rather than shooting him down?

I got good service out of halfords in the end but I had to try a few people before I got there.
Store 1 unhelpful
Advice line unhelpful and premium 0870 number
Store 2 was helpful with advice but could not order in higher value bikes
Store 3 some distance away was helpful

Halfords won't want you to get a brand that is not theirs as it costs them more money. Halfords own brands, ie, Carrera, are much more profitable for them than say letting you have a Giant because either they will have to get it at full retail or with only a small discount. Obviously you could take another of their premium brands like Kona or GT but you are limited.

Take into account price rises and lack of supply and Halfords will do what they can to ensure you take one of their bikes.

Okay, I'm one customer with one story but I didn't fancy any of the stuff in store with Halfords and I didn't like the response from staff in any of the stores near me. I called the help line to find out what else I could lay my hands on and I must admit, I found them unhelpful. They wouldn't tell me what they could get, they would only response with yes/no to names I suggested (most of which we "no").

As for people who already own bikes being in someway a micky take of the scheme, I already own a Turner 6 pack and at the time, an Intense Tracer (now swapped for a Pace 305). I wouldn't cycle to work on either of those for fear of them being stolen.

I pestered work for a non Halfords scheme which they now do and I got a £700 Tri-Cross from a LBS and ride to work regularly on that.

Be a shame to see the scheme go as when that bikes paid for, I'll probably sell it and get something else on the scheme. (no rules against that are there?)

My better half has been trying to buy a £1000 bike from halfords under the cycle scheme for around 8 weeks now, only to be told a multitude of different stories and a number of misssed promised deadlines, and still hasn't got it. I dread to think what will happen if anything actually goes wrong with it.

I'm having similar issues. Can't get the bikes I want & can't add to the voucher...

Anyone know if you can get out of it? i've had a couple of months worth deducted from my wages.

Andy

oops posted twice...

meandyuk -

Unlikely you'll be able to get out of it I'm afraid as you'll have agreed to the payments, and your work will have already paid the money to Halfords.
Unfortunately top ups on vouchers can't be done (as a retailer, it would be great to sell higher end bikes) but at the end of the day, rules is rules and Halfords are correct in not offering top ups to vouchers.

p.s. I'm a competitor of Halfords too!

There could be another solution here.

How about buying a well specced hardtail which has the fork and kit you want, selling the frame, buying a FS frame and transferring the components?

I've done this and it was quite a rewarding (as well as cheap) experience.

Although TBH if you were doing what I suggest, you should probably do it with the Boardman £1k full-susser. It has a 120mm Reba with maxle lite.

i'd get the boardman and swap the frame.

whats the name of the bike shop at London bridge that isn't evans?? i'm sure i saw someone in their with a halfords voucher.

I've had nothing but good experiences with Halfords and their implemntation of the cycle2work scheme. Helpline was very helpful and reasonably quick even over email. the ex-bikehut stores i've been in all know their stuff.

I can also recomend the idrive 5 though mine has changed a litle. I would also agree with the it would be even better with a 140mm fork.
This is what mine is currently like.
[img] [/img]