[Closed] Those nice people from Merlin

Still use my merlin malt 1 frame as fully rigid commuter-great value for money bikes and i have to agree merlin's shopping experience has always been good.

Just used Merlin for the first time last week and have say very fast delivery and good prices will def be going back.

Sell the second frame and get some maths tuition.

Sell the second frame and get some maths tuition

i got £200 here for the 'bonus' frame..

I'd check they are both aligned properly before using them.

Mine wasn't, but apparently that was my fault. I must have "dropped it" or hadn't "transported it properly".

Merlin are great.

So you're going to keep it then?

Wonder how many Malts they sold this week...wonder if any Merlin employee's trawl this forum....

Wonder how many Malts they sold this week...wonder if any Merlin employee's trawl this forum....

If the shop manager does maybe he would like to return my call...

they dont as a general rule it is my LBS

Have to say that Merlin are absolutely great in my experience.

As an example: Bought high end wheelset, didn't use for two years due to injury and found the rear hub to be slightly iffy when setting up my bike recently. The manufacturer wasn't interested as it was out of warranty but Merlin offered to take a look and have now fixed it. They had no obligation to even consider giving it a look so I am very grateful. Replied to emails very quickly too.

They may not have a every part under the sun in stock like CRC but everything they do sell is a bargain.

Lucky you! Another prize for next weekends raffle at the SPAM (late)Christmas shin-dig may-be!!

You didn't pay by paypal by any chance?

I met someone who had just bought a Ibis Mojo and received a set of Fox forks as well in the box!

Lucky you! Another prize for next weekends raffle at the SPAM (late)Christmas shin-dig may-be!!

Good shout Fuzzy - I could offer it up for the winner of the best muffin competition, then again the old frame would be an improvement on the empty box of lights that someone won at one of the SPAM does!

You should give them a call and own up and get them to collect it, thats a £400 frame you have there. Its not like they've just sent you an extra inner tube by mistake. I'm no legal expert, but I'm pretty sure you are breaking the law if you keep it as you have obtained the frame by deception, and not telling Merlin about it is deception.

From the 1968 Theft Act:

"A person who by any deception dishonestly obtains property belonging to another, with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it, shall on conviction on indictment be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years."

I am pretty confident that Merlin read these forums, I doubt they sell that many Malt 4 frames this time of year, so I would think you'll be getting a call or email from them shortly.

thieving bastards that is all I have to say about the Merlin cun*s

I hope your business goes under very very soon.

thieving bastards that is all I have to say about the Merlin cun*s

I hope your business goes under very very soon.

Let me guess. You're missing a Malt 4 frame?

I have always had great service from them. I needed a bike quick for a trip to france a few years back and after a quick phone call to them I had one at my door before lunch the following day.

I don't think the shops mistake would be treated as theft as the OP didn't go out of his way to take the goods from them. THEY made a mistake and sent them.

However the right option would be to offer it back to them at cost.

I had something similar happen to me with Stif and ended up getting a huge discount on the next lot of goods I ordered as a thank you for returning the items!

Just how is someone else's mistake "obtaining goods by deception"? What a clot.

And if you take the time to re-read the posts, rather than Googling some legal nonsense to cut'n'paste, you will note that he has already tried to ring Merlin.

So wind necks in, all the amateur private dicks.

ScottChegg
What a clot.

😆

Scottcheg- Its deception because he has it in his possesion and he knows its not actually his property. I would have thought that was pretty obvious you Goon.

I'd better say it again for the hard of thinking. He has not deceived anyone. He has contacted Merlin.

Where is the deception in your mind?

Keep the free frame trust me, if you send it back they will only **** you over with:-

A. not even acknowledging you have saved them a frigging fortune at considerable cost to ones self.
B. Ignore any contact regarding promised discount on future purchases

I would rather pay a little bit extra at my lbs that give twunks like that any more of my hard earned cash.

Bitter, much 😉

Merlin have made a mistake in law.
The second frame remains their property.
The OP holds it on trust for Merlin
If the OP has sold it, it wasn't his to sell (irrespective of any non-returned calls). He knew it wasn't his, because he hadn't paid for it. It is arguably theft, and almost certainly conversion.

Merlin could well report this as theft, but may accept payment in lieu of the frame.

I think that puts the OP down about £200.

I certainly wouldn't be brave enough to brag about such idiocy on a public forum.

Source?

Write to them telling them that you have the frame and will store the frame for them and they must collect it at by a certain date. If it is not collected by this date then they will incur storage costs of £30 per day.

Someone who [u]actually knows[/u] feel free to correct me, but I think it's covered by distance selling regulations. AFAIK it's yours.

maybe its because the crack at the seatube.

Surely, if you know something has been sent by mistake...it's your duty to inform them?
I'm basically on the side of ourmaninthenorth, it's a form of theft if you know you've received something you haven't paid for and don't inform the company or return it.

I'm a huge fan of Merlin Cycles. They have great prices and special offers, top customer service and speed of delivery - they would be the last company that I feel deserve to be ripped off/cheat because of a clear mistake.

Rant over 😐

Why did so few of the posters to this thread ignore wiltsrover's second (and thread 10th) post, about waiting for the shop manager returning his call before ranting?

Its the console generation I tell thee - no attention span.

Multiple reading fail. Love it.

Dismount those high horses gentlemen.

I've no problems with Merlin, I bought some bits off them last week, first purchase, the chains didn't turn up for whatever reason, but one phone call on Monday and they arrived next day (today), no quibbles and all sorted with. 10/10

And does that make it right Jujuuk68, the fact that the manager hasn't called back?
That's a typical mentality imo, where even though you know you've received something that you haven't paid for, you look for ways of justifying it (for gain of course).

It's called a conscience - if you had one you'd return it - simples!

Has the OP suggested anywhere that he has any intention of keeping it, selling it, or doing anything with it other than returning it?

Apart from the obvious joke about it being a raffle prize.

Seriously... what's the view like from up there?

Quick, quick, jump to conclusions and tell everyone what to do!

This is turning out even better than last night's "nobody started an Obree thread because everyone hates the gays" thread.

Stuey01 -

So the least I can do is share my good news with the Forum and encourage you to use my friends at Merlin cos hey, who knows what you might get, tell 'em Wilts sent you!!

Surely, assuming the OP is thinking of keeping it, there is a right and wrong thing to do here?

I can see this...

wilts rover said:

If the shop manager does maybe he would like to return my call...

Sounds like he is trying to rectify the situation to me. Or if you were planning on keeping a frame that had been sent to you in error would you be on the blower to the shop telling them about it.

That whole first post is written in a jokey tone, did you not pick up on that?

So the least I can do is share my good news with the Forum and encourage you to use my friends at Merlin cos hey, who knows what you might get, tell 'em Wilts sent you!!

👿

If the shop manager does maybe he would like to return my call...

Stuey01 -that's a lame way of putting the onus on the sender, in the hope that they won't call, thereby the recipient feeling justified in keeping it.
It's a bit like finding a wallet..do you hand it in ( you know that's the right thing to do)?

Call me old fashioned, but it seems quite simple to know what the right thing to do here is..

Merlin are cheap for online but miserable buggers in the shop. Unhelpful, clock watching nobody's who treat every customer as an inconvenience.

Amongst other things, I took my bike there to have some work done on it prior to a weekend away at glentress. Gave them three weeks to do and and what do they do, wait until the day before I go and tell me the freehub is goosed. Asked when they can fix it, was told that they haven't got round to doing this weeks parts order. Many angry phone calls later was loaned a bargain basement rear wheel to get me over the weekend.

In particular, there is chief frontline shop counter misery guts that sports glasses. Don't ask him if you want your usual lbs type info. Think he has lost the will to live.

Other than that, they're quite handy for me and parts arrive quick by post

I really don't see anything in what the OP has posted to lead to leaping to the conclusion that he is attempting anything dishonest.

Obviously the right thing to do is to return the frame, I don't think anyone is disputing that.

Agree to disagree I suppose. Not going to argue hypotheticals anymore, the OP hasn't even posted for a week and we're still making assumptions and fighting about it.

Troll, or poor form to broadcast two frames for the price of one. Either way, meh.

What would the position be if you were to write to them informing them of the situation, and letting them know that the frame was available for collection by arrangement, but that if it wasn't collected by [some reasonable length of time, say 10 days] then you would be treating it as a gift & retaining?

I really don't see anything in what the OP has posted to lead to leaping to the conclusion that he is attempting anything dishonest.

http://www.specsavers.co.uk/ 🙄

Stuey01 - let's agree to disagree..and save our time for polishing bikes and riding 🙂

 

personally i'd keep/punt it..

Theft LOL...armchair lawyers!

As for morals, I'd be contacting them.

Johnny Panic - imo, no different.

I think that's a lazy, tiptoeing way to respond to receiving an extra frame sent in obvious error...hoping that they won't respond.

Bottom line is - if you had paid for 3 frames and only received 2, you would make sure you got the 3rd one!
That's for me the crux of the matter - be as active in returning when you know a mistake has been made, as you would be in making sure you have got what you paid for (3 frames not 2!).

What is strange for me how do You pay £400 for an aluminium frame. Malt is lower spec than Lobsters. Nothing wrong with Kinesis aluminium etc, it's probably light but still £400 is pretty steep. I had a look on the Merlin website and Malt 1 or 2 can be had for £100-140 and only the Malt 4 is £399 so it maybe is a BOGOF without stating it is BOGOF. It costs as much as Kinesis Maxlight XC Pro and almost twice as much as a normal Kinesis Maxlight. Maybe Merlin felt bad for charging that much and put the next one as a thank You 😉

I got two Dakine bags once and the seller only realised when I told him I got the same bag two days later. I've sent it back but asked them to cover the return postage. If it was a genuine mistake than the only right thing is to let them know.

but miserable buggers in the shop. Unhelpful, clock watching nobody's who treat every customer as an inconvenience.

I think the OP is BS BTW

Theft LOL...armchair lawyers!

As for morals, I'd be contacting them.

cynic-al - armchair lawyers ?

...in my case at least, just a normal person who's annoyed at the OP and his apparent lack of willingness to rectify a clear mistake, and trying to explain why [b]I [/b]think somebody should act in a certain way - is that not what a public forum is about?

As for morals..I'd make sure they got their frame back.

Merlin are cheap for online but miserable buggers in the shop. Unhelpful, clock watching nobody's who treat every customer as an inconvenience.

+1 and that one with ginger hair is one happy troll. I try not to go into the shop unless it's something I can take off the shelf and pay for it within 10mins and without uttering a word to anyone.

A lot of nonsense on this thread if you ask me..Either that or the world is a different place outside my circle of friends.

It's a company that's made a pigs ear of it and will be down couple of quid, they(merlin) should learn their lesson next time and not to be so stupid, if they even know about it. All this keek about morals is lunacy if you ask me, i'd bet despite what people say on here that if it happened to them a majority would keep it.

It's a bit like the people on here who reckon they've never run a red light. Aye right!

Great shop until anything actually goes wrong.

I've had two bikes from them - the first was great, but unfortunately got stolen.
I replaced it with the same model (with a slightly updated frame) and rapidly discovered a problem.

Took the bike back five or six times, (70 mile round trip each time) and kept being fobbed off, not believed and made to feel that the problem was my fault.

Eventually the problem was partially resolved, but I wish I'd been more assertive and demanded a refund, or at least an exchange.
Frankly, I just gave up because I couldn't be bothered arguing with them or putting up with their attitude any more.

The pity of it is that without the issues, the bike would be perfect for me and was superb value.

My partner has bought a bike from them as well - between us we've spent over £3000.00 with them over the past five years, but I don't think I'd buy another bike from them.

So Rusty - what was the problem with the frame / bike (if you dont mind me asking)?

Slipping seat post, no matter how hard the QR was tightened.

First time I returned the bike they checked the bike over, said all was well and returned the bike to me.
It kept slipping.

Second time I returned the bike, they roughed up the inside of the seat tube with some wet & dry and returned the bike to me.
It kept slipping.

The third time I returned the bike I was informed that the wrong size seatpost collar had been fitted and a new Hope one would be sent out to me and would solve the problem.
I received and fitted the collar.
It kept slipping.

I returned the bike again, to be told by the salesman who sold me the bike that it wasn't the kind of bike that needed a QR seat release and I should use a bolt up collar!
I insisted it wasn't right, that I wanted to use a QR, it was still slipping on long rides and asked them to test it properly.

It was tested (by one of the owners, I think) who tried it on a short ride and even bent the saddle rails dropping off a kerb whilst trying to replicate the problem.
I explained that the post only slipped over the course of long rides, but he didn't seem very interested in what I had to say and blamed the fact that I ran the saddle too far back on the post. They replaced the saddle and sent me on my way.

I took the bike away again, tried it again, and the post still slipped.
I had the internal diameter of the seat tube measured by my LBS, who told me it was 'right on the limit' for the size of post specified by Merlin. The post itself was measured and found to be within tolerance.

I returned the bike again.
This time, they offered to replace the Race Face Deus seat post with a Thomson.
I accepted this and took the bike away again.

Frankly, I'd had enough by this time - I tried the bike again and although the problem was a little better, the post still slipped on long rides.
I just couldn't face taking it back again and having to deal with their attitude. They seemed to blame me for the fact that the post kept slipping and gave the impression that there was nothing else they were willing to do to resolve the issue.

I should have just returned the bike and demanded a refund or a replacement frame but by this time, I'd had enough.

The post still slips.

I've tried everything; fitting the the seat post collar the back to front, various levels of QR tension, carbon paste on the seat post, the seat in various different positions, etc, etc.

As I say, I love the ride and fit of the bike, but due to the problems experienced I wouldn't rush back.

Oh, and on both bikes I've bought, the damping adjuster on the fork leg has clouted the down tube on full rotation. It was resolved both times by the fitting of a headset with a higher stack height, but at the inconvenience to me of a 70 mile round trip each time.

In hindsight, with all the money I've spent on fuel, I should have just bought a Cotic Soul in the first place instead of trying to save a few quid with Merlin.

Sorry for the length of the post, but you did ask! 🙂

Edited - changed my mind, I'll buy something else instead.

I asked the question on another forum out of curiousity, non bike related forum...

I explained the situation then asked:

Would you send the spare frame back?

Result so far..

11 - yes, it's the proper thing to do.

36 - mwhhhaaaa, get it punted!

Much more inline with what i'd expect from the general public!

[i]Much more inline with what i'd expect from the general public! [/i]

An immoral bunch, on the whole...

I can beat that - I got THREE Malt frames in my box!

An immoral bunch, on the whole...

So, an update....Merlin got in touch with Wilts' and are arranging to collect the frame. They've offered him a good deal on some brakes by way of thanks for him letting them know about their mistake.

Now serving humble pie, get it whilst it's hot.

and that one with ginger hair is one happy troll

Thanks to Fuzzy for pointing out my thread had caused some heated debate and variety of views (both on and off this forum). I am not sure of the exact legal situation myself, altho my sister works in trading standards so could check if I wanted but out of interest I think I should tell you what I actually did.

Of course I phoned Merlin, about 20 minutes after opening the box and checking to make sure they hadn't charged me for two frames. There was no manager available so I had said I would ring back to find out what sort of deal they would do me for being honest and sending the frame back.
We finally got in touch last week, the mistake was down to a 'warehouse shipping error' and the offer was 'choose something off the website and we will do you a deal on it' which sounded fair enough to me. Which I narrowed down to a set of Nobby Nics or a set of Hayes Stroker Ryde (I still had the orignal Magura Julies on the 'old' Merlin & before anyone knocks them too much they did 3 weeks in the Himalays - and have the Hayes on my Anthem). Merlin offered to do the Nics at £30 for the pair or the brake kit at £75.
I would have given you the next dilema - which one do I go for - but as FuzzyFelt has already told you the answer (I did try for both of course), if anyone gets a set of Hayes brakes they hadn't ordered in the post this week, they're mine!

Sounds like you came out of it alright in the end Wilts, and integrety intact still.

A man opens his pay packet one day and finds it is £10 over. He says nothing.
He opens his pay packet the following week and finds it is £10 under. He goes to complain to his boss.
"You didn't say anything last week whe you were overpaid" was the reposnse.
"I let the first error go. This is two mistakes in a row now!"