Thanks nonk. Looking forward to that this evening.
Big yim - good news. Glad you got your £ back. I had the same. Once filed the communication stopped and they ignored the pp claim until it was awarded to me.
I’d get in there ASAP with a PayPal claim or card chargeback while they still have some money - if they haven’t blown it on tattoos and bling bike parts. 😂
Nick, I think you’re wording may be confusing the subject, you mention they were months late with their delivery but then say how patient they were with you.
“I did purchase some of their early merch which, you guessed it, was months late.. however they were v patient with me”
Vital have a good podcast with frank the welder this week .
Enjoyed that. Thanks again.
"Are the problems with Marino their fault?"
Sick were claiming they'd come up with a better way of making bikes - the problem is it isn't that easy to set up manufacturing businesses. Either you do it yourself, which is VERY complicated in how you actually do the processes or you out-source which is VERY complicated in how you deal with all the logistics and costings etc. If your supplier has a problem, you have to sort it out because the customer is buying from you - doesn't matter whether you're building frames from raw tubes or selling complete bikes that are coming in from Taiwan already boxed, you will always have a supply chain and it will never run smoothly 100% of the time.
"Are there not other good options for them to go to?"
Yes if they are willing to work like other manufacturers do - and that means buying in quantity and not changing their designs on a weekly basis.
"How long would it take to get up and running with another frame builder?"
The lead times can be very long. At the extreme end, Giant is one of the world's largest bike manufacturers (for lots of other brands, not just themselves) and they schedule every minute of production a year ahead.
I've been running my own direct consumer sales manufacturing business for a decade now and I suspect I've forgotten more in that time than the Sick gentlemen have yet learnt. It's so bloody hard! We've done hardly any marketing for the last two years because we've ended up having to focus so much energy of smoothing out production issues.
I am/was a big fan of their work and I think if the problem was with their supplier and they had emailed all those that were waiting for frames and been open and honest about what was causing the delay then people would be miffed but most would understand but to just cut off communication and ignore emails means the customers have ever right to fear the worst. For a company that were so very quick to reply to anyone that said "it looks like it'll snap in half" the fact they've gone so quiet of late is a worry. I really hope they can turn it around, get frames or refunds to those that need it and learn from their mistakes and come back stronger and ruder than ever.
For a company that were so very quick to reply to anyone that said “it looks like it’ll snap in half
To be fair all I said was that the braze wasn't very good- and it most definantly wasn't. . ..... Thought I was getting a horse's head haha
Jeez that bloke with Instagram page is a dog with a bone !! Looks like sick folk/s were involved in other companies that went tits up 🙁
Why don’t they just get a bunch of Genesis Tarn frames in, find a way to make the paint thinner then rebadge them? Satisfied customers all around.
I think the bloke on IG is taking it lightly. You would be very pissed off if you parted with your cash and invest in that company when you could have gone elsewhere, to now be messed about like that. Just the arrogance of 1- sending the wrong shit in hope the customer would be satisfied, 2- not giving a toss to reply. I’m surprised it hasn’t gone more public yet.
You would be very pissed off if you parted with your cash and invest in that company when you could have gone elsewhere, to now be messed about like that. Just the arrogance of 1- sending the wrong shit in hope the customer would be satisfied, 2- not giving a toss to reply.
This is it in a nutshell
It’s the whole “investing in the company” thing that I don’t get. If you are a customer you pay for a frame and it should be sent to you in a reasonable time frame. Investing in a company is a very different thing and should involve contracts or shares (don’t know exactly but it ain’t buying a product!).
“investing in the company”
Sounds better than ‘taking on all the risk’, doesn’t it.
For anyone waiting on undelivered goods.
I'd be interested to know if that applies to crowd funded stuff. As what you effectively do is give money to the company and instead of equity or shares, you get a reward.
.
I’d be interested to know if that applies to crowd funded stuff. As what you effectively do is give money to the company and instead of equity or shares, you get a reward.
It doesn't AFAIK. If you read the Kickstarter t&CS then they make it clear that they're just middlemen, and if you lose your money then they will do **** all.
I got screwed for £100ish on there. Deleted my account. ****ers 😆
Just seen that a friend has posted some pics of a new bike on Strava, and it appears to be a Sick! frame.
So they're obviously sending some out.
Don't know when he got it though, might have been a few months ago, and he's only just built it up.
if you lose your money then they will do **** all.
This... they are happy to send the pledges cash out but couldn't care less if its misappropriated.
CC might help, but theres a time frame withing which they'll help.. if you've been waiting a while, then CC's propably out of time!
It doesn’t AFAIK. If you read the Kickstarter t&CS then they make it clear that they’re just middlemen, and if you lose your money then they will do **** all.
What if you pay with a CC though? Would they say ‘well, you’ve given them the money, that’s what you wanted, right?’ Or would they do a chargeback if you didn’t get your reward?
Or would they do a chargeback if you didn’t get your reward?
Kickstart being another way for investing, you are not buying something you are investing and that is a key difference
That’s what I thought. Makes me laugh when companies, sick included, go on about how it’s a low risk option on the Kickstarter and indigogo pages. Yes it is for the project as the investors assume it all. But they don’t mention that...
Kickstart being another way for investing
Dont think you're investing as you don't receive any shares or any return on the "pledge".
I'd call it advanced purchase in most cases.
But in the cases that most people would go for you are getting a product first, at a discount. I've not looked back in a while but most good cases were giving a decent pitch as ti where they were.
Dont think you’re investing as you don’t receive any shares or any return on the “pledge”.
The product is your return, as you get it cheaper, supposedly, and sooner than the rest of the market. The value of investments can go down as well as up.
Maybe Sick are the people behind the Cyclotron bike/scam also on Kickstarter?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1989795590/the-cyclotron-bike-revolutionary-spokeless-smart-c
The comments section is interesting reading.
The product is your return, as you get it cheaper, supposedly, and sooner than the rest of the market.
Well, I guess there's inherent risk with all investments... not getting the product being the risk.
Dragons den is investments.. Kickstarter is a massive opportunity for fraud imo
I "invested" in Dashbot.. $100 out of my pocket, $265k raised.. no pledgers saw anything.
Dashbot
This scenario is not unique to crowd sourced fundraising projects unfortunately.
I “invested” in Dashbot.. $100 out of my pocket, $265k raised.. no pledgers saw anything.
Dashbot
This scenario is not unique to crowd sourced fundraising projects unfortunately.
Spanish friend of mine took me round the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona once, Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece. I asked him when they would be finished renovating it and he burst out laughing. Never, as then they'd have to stop asking for money for it...
The computer game Star Citizen is another infamous one - 200 million (!) crowdfunded and no game after six years, but enough parts of a game, and plastic toy spaceships, to keep people on the hook.
Maybe Sick are the people behind the Cyclotron bike/scam also on Kickstarter?
Tbh I think it was obvious from the beginning to any 'proper' cyclist that the Cyclotron was vapourware of the highest order.
If they do actually deliver I'll eat my bike.
At least Sick have actually delivered sone frames in the past (though that's cold comfort to those not getting anything now)
im Certainly not a hater. Actually quite like the look of a few of their frames haven’t followed this since the beginning I’m just really surprised no one had questioned the word experance in the title!
Or is deliberate..,
^This is a trend here that I have obliquely commented on before. It is bizarre, given how ready people are to have a pop at each other generally, that there is a code of omertà when it comes to spelling and grammar.
<blockquote^This is a trend here that I have obliquely commented on before. It is bizarre, given how ready people are to have a pop at each other generally, that there is a code of omertà when it comes to spelling and grammar.
err its good internet etiquette to not pick people up on spelling and grammer TBH.
err its good internet etiquette to not pick people up on spelling and grammer TBH.
It's good...
never heard of it, looked it up, saw a picture of the bike, then read this 'A big thank you to Guillaume Bout for the amazing renders'
there is no (gnar) spoon
I think the bloke on IG is taking it lightly. You would be very pissed off if you parted with your cash and invest in that company when you could have gone elsewhere, to now be messed about like that. Just the arrogance of 1- sending the wrong shit in hope the customer would be satisfied, 2- not giving a toss to reply. I’m surprised it hasn’t gone more public yet.
Anyone got the link?
grizzlygnarcissist reads this thread so post any comments on your dealings with Sick or contact him via IG
I think this thread deserves a link to the Duffbags thread, simply because I just re-read that and I'm now crying with laughter at my desk at Davidtaylforth's posts 😀
I was personally promised (at their Stanmer yard sale thing) they physically had Ti bars in stock and they'd be on sale in early December so I could have a pair as a Christmas present.
Never seen a word of them since on any of their social media accounts, they've stopped replying to requests for status updates and I didn't get a Christmas present.
At least I hadn't handed any money over, I guess.
My guess is they were promised things by suppliers that the suppliers only had a very small chance of delivering on time and on budget. But they’ve taken the money from customers, paid it to these overseas suppliers and now they’re stuck with no money and no products. And they’re now playing for time hoping the suppliers might come good and relying on new orders to keep them afloat.
I’m not even convinced the Cyclotron thing is a scam but a project led by a team that is lacking either anyone with bike knowledge or anyone that’s a competent mechanical engineer. Delusional.
Found this one.. most of their stuff is now discounted.
https://streamable.com/tu480
If playing for time means ignoring everyone then they are doing it well.
And they’re now playing for time hoping the suppliers might come good and relying on new orders to keep them afloat.
Or any number of things, but yes most likely involving not enough capital to execute their plan
Wow that guy on insta is angry! Followed him and he has been commenting on all my posts telling me how angry at sick! He is
