Dear Peak Bikes, where the •••••• •••• did you get my email details from? Because I never supplied them to you, so why am I getting an email about your business?
UBYK have now notified companies house they are in Liquidation, a bit outside the 14 days they should have done it in!
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07633141
Dear Peak Bikes, where the •••••• •••• did you get my email details from? Because I never supplied them to you, so why am I getting an email about your business?
Snap! Come on, where's the info been harvested from?
Dear Peak Bikes, where the •••••• •••• did you get my email details from?
UBYK, I imagine?
I know where they got my email from - I've bought stuff from Ubyk. I doubt it's anything fishy (or phishy)
Given than a customer list will have been part of any acquisition it's not fishy but is rather unprofessional, particularly post-GDPR, not to spell out how this information has changed hands.
Anyway, the 'new' website shows everything (where links aren't broken at least) as being in stock, so unless they've sorted out the fulfilment issues the old Ubyk was suffering from I can see them getting the same grief as before.
Note to online retailers: JUST TELL US WHEN AN ITEM IS NOT EX STOCK.
I got the email as well.
Why they would want to keep that trading name is beyond me.
Mental.lol
I know where they got my email from – I’ve bought stuff from Ubyk. I doubt it’s anything fishy (or phishy)
I didn't, I rang and found not only wasn't it in stock it never had been and was such a rare request that they never considered getting them and they'd have to come from KCNC direct.
Not only is they website up and running but my account is still there and still using the same password.
My wheels still haven't been delivered though.🤣
Note to online retailers: JUST TELL US WHEN AN ITEM IS NOT EX STOCK.
I understand your point here, but I think it's worth pointing out that there's probably not an online retailer in the world that's selling a reasonable number of items that can guarantee that everything listed in stock is actually in stock.
There are myriad reasons for this, which people on here just don't seem to understand. For example, if you're selling on multiple channels (website, eBay, Amazon, etc) there can be a delay before products are synced after someone has bought an item. If one person buys the last of item X on Amazon, then someone else tries to buy it on the website before Amazon has synced, then you can easily have a problematic situation. Sometimes a replacement item will be sent out and the member of staff will forget to update the inventory. Sometimes human error means that the inventory was slightly wrong for a product in the first place. Sometimes the supplier sends a different number of products to that specified on the invoice. etc, etc.
I'm not defending companies who have everything in stock when it isn't - I'm just attempting to show that expectations on here can be a bit too high. Online retailing is not as easy as it looks.
JP
I have read this whole thread what a mess personally I would stay clear because so much just does not make sense. There are than enough good retailers out there to use.
There's a clear difference between the accidental incidences you describe JP and the selling of products knowingly not in stock.
We often list things as in stock on our bike builder that's ordered on demand as theres enough lead time to get them in before the build, but also have really big obvious info boxes that will tell customers that the product is bought on demand and that it will add some delivery time as well as some lead time.
If a shop chooses not to inform the customer that they don't hold stock that's a choice to decieve the customer into thinking they do. There's nothing stopping anyone from adding a note to a product description that says so even if there software isn't clever enough to handle the lead times.
This whole thing smells fishier than a pile of dead fish in a closed down fish market.
Also had the emails from Peak, and added them to the block and never deal with. once bitten and all that, as there is so much that stinks about the whole palaver. Why in the name of god should the website be live again is beyond me.
i will not buy from a site that states things are in stock when they are clearly not. end of.
wiggle/merlin/crc/biketart/evans and a whole host of others all have live stock, if you want to piss customers off carry on doing what ubyk did, or just change it or remove it completely.
people expect if it states in stock they will have it in a few days max, if it states in stock it should be in stock, not a different meaning like its in stock with suppliers, or in stock in the uk, or available to order from distro.....just list what the status actually is, you will win no customers if you keep it the same imo.
This means the store in Abingdon Rd, Oxford will be open again, and that makes me happy!
Hopefully they can get things inline again.
How does it work with data? If you buy the company but only use their infrastructure & stores, do you get to keep all client data? I assume I only agreed to Ubyk using my data, and not any future sale of it to other companies..
While the sale was looking to happen we where advised (badly in hindsight) to continue trading.
There's "trading" and then there's saying you have items in stock, not actually having items in stock, taking the money anyway. Even without the liquidation issue, I believe the shop had a reputation for doing that anyway and it really pisses off customers (see also the amount of hate Tredz get for doing the same)
Website looks live again. How bizarre.
it says at the bottom its a trading name of peakbikes
Oh god. Talk about lobbing a can of petrol on the dying embers.
Nice to get an explanation from someone involved. Thanks kula93.
I used ubyk without issue and will no doubt buy from Peak Bikes sometime in the future.
Good luck!
Nice one kula93: You'll likely still get stick from some here, but I doubt it'll be from anyone who's actually worked (or lost work) through a company going under. Mistakes were evidently made, but sounds like your aims and ambitions were in the right place.
JP,
Online retailing is not as easy as it looks.
Nobody said it was going to be easy! I'm speaking with ~30 years on and off of good and bad retail experience here, so I fully understand the reasons you list, can see where you're coming from but somewhat disagree. A decent EPOS and inventory system will avoid nearly all occurrences of inaccurate stock information. The technology is there, regardless of whether operating a single site or across multiple sales channels. It 'just' requires retailers to make use of it.
Anyway, the issue in this case isn't with local inventory but rather how the phrase 'in stock' is being used. In Ubyk's case, the phrase seemed to mean that it's hopefully in stock at Hope, Madison, Hotlines, Saddleback, wherever … with the modus operandi being to get the sale by offering it cheap and then go about finding the stock to honour the order. And that process falling over is the cause of most frustration. Your smaller retailer is up against the big boy's huge warehouses and/or direct to consumer distributor setups, but as I think I mentioned a fair few pages back if retailers were honest I reckon they'd still get sales by admitting that "We're cheapest, but you may have to wait for it".
A real problem with online retailing is that anyone can operate a store with the same web presence as a multi-national company without the means to back it up. It's too easy to pretend to be a supermarket when you're actually the village store.
"Also the way our SagePay payment gateway worked is that it holds the payment at the point of purchase and then we take it, so in some cases it was simply left in hold"
Or in some cases money was taken without being able to fulfil the customers orders and then as per the very first post, MADE PEOPLE JUMP THROUGH HOOPS ! to get the money refunded back after lies and false promises. Stock levels again falsely advertised.
I understand the pressures of business and how the world works, the thing I struggle with is simply being lied to, and im sure that would be the general consensus with most that became embroiled in this farcical affair.
Now the staff don’t deserve the comments they’re getting!!
So you instructed them to lie to customers right up until you pulled the shutters down then?
You took my money and kept trying to blame Hope right up to the death.
I'm really not surprised that someone threatened you.(not me BTW)
You took quite a chunk of money off him* and delivered nothing. Did you think he was going to send you a Christmas card thanking you for your service.
*If it's the guy I spoke too.
There’s “trading” and then there’s saying you have items in stock, not actually having items in stock, taking the money anyway. Even without the liquidation issue, I believe the shop had a reputation for doing that anyway and it really pisses off customers (see also the amount of hate Tredz get for doing the same)
Don't know the full story with ubyk but twice they have done this to me long before this whole saga so it's not something new. Placed an order for a custom build Hope wheel about a year ago and was quoted a price, was sent a direct link to order. Then after 10-14 days I contacted them as I'd not heard and was advised the person who quoted me was fired and they couldn't fulfil the order at the price I was offered. Not even the decency to let me know.
I'd ordered a rear Hope wheel from them previous also and they had sent me both front and rear. Being honest I contacted them and they arranged a collection. I didn't have to, and I didn't send it back for anything in return, just doing the good thing, but didn't even get a real thanks. Just a panicked follow up email from them when I took a day to reply to arranging a collection.
Not the best experiences. Still sad for the staff if there's any major job losses. But management/website was a joke.
Not sure who would class the name as an asset anymore!
Also note that 'N.F.Coventry' was a preferential lender and gets his money first.
Claimed stock of over £400k (liquidation value estimate of £120K) is interesting. I also note that James Heath signed the liquidation docs on 19th December last year.
I always read these things with interest. That link won't work btw but this one ought to: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07633141/filing-history/MzIyNDkzMjg4MmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
It possibly explains why I'll never be rich, but I can never understand how a small business can operate while owing that much to suppliers and to individuals. A million quid worth of debt! Must be like playing the slot machines: Keep on putting money in and hope that it eventually pays out.
Reading that list - I am amazed at the amout of credit they were getting from some of the suppliers.
£61k at Jungle, Zyro at £50k, a handful of £25k+ and lots of others at £10k +, I didnt think Hope offered credit but they are on there too.
I imagine they were stretched well beyond the usual 30 days with a lot of suppliers, that or accounts just were not being strict with them - Not something we could get away with at my work, 3 days late on a 30 day payment and in comes a red email asking for payment or immediate communication, you certainly wouldnt be allowed to order anything else until the account is up to date.
You are right - Ubyk must have been on the ragged edge for a long time, literally using a list of companies to bank-roll their own, i would think it would have taken a long time for things to actually pay out, that or huge investement.
Hope STW get their £58 back.
What a bit of a mess.
Polite phrasing courtesy of the STW swear filter!
Anyone had any actual help from Peter at peak bikes/ubyk yet?
He started off with plenty of good promises to me but has now gone quiet.
Looked up Evans papers to compare numbers, blimey! A few headliners
Brompton £125K
Endura £600K
Scott £550K
Trek £1.9M
Specialized £3.9M; no wonder the rrps for their 2019 bikes went up overnight!
(It also suggests of the total £20M worth of stock, half wasn't covered by retention of title claims).
You'd imagine they would be insured against that sort of hit, whether they were covered at the end would be interesting...
Anyone had any actual help from Peter at peak bikes/ubyk yet?
He started off with plenty of good promises to me but has now gone quiet.
No offence intended, but I don't imagine you, as an individual, are his top priority.
https://www.drapersonline.com/news/brands-pull-stock-from-house-of-fraser/7031686.article
I saw the figure that Cashly had written off £5bn in debt in his high street "rescue" or £5bn of other people's money. As this all shakes out it's going to cost a lot of people a lot of money, perhaps the brands might prefer the lower risk of not dealing with a 3rd party?
I wish the new owners all the best, especially if they can keep a bricks and mortar shop going too.
If you've not got a refund on an unrealistic deal pre liquidation I'd say get in contact with your bank quick.
If you aren't out of pocket but ordered something at cost or below, I'd be thinking where that money or order should be going based on more than just price.
No offence intended, but I don’t imagine you, as an individual, are his top priority.
No offence taken.
Why promise to help then not bother though?
Last contact he told me he was waiting for Hope to get back to him about my order...
He seems to fit in with the ubyk customer service methods perfectly.
Last contact he told me he was waiting for Hope to get back to him about my order
And presumably he still is.
FWIW though if I was in his position I'd be telling you to **** off at this point, he has absolutely zero financial, legal or moral obligation to help you with anything much less fulfil an order at an unreasonable discount from a business he has nothing to do with other than buying the assets.
I was in his position I’d be telling you to **** off
That's the point though he didn't.🙄
He said he'd help them tries to blame Hope.
Same old ubyk routine.
So, just looking at the Hope customers, Ubyk owes £26k, let’s assume the average sale was £200, so that’s 130 customers that probably want the gear, at the price they paid, which may total less than £26k. Plus I’m pretty sure hope won’t give them credit for that. I imagine that’s a lot of work to chase through and sort out, on top of all the trials and tribulations of starting a business, for nothing, maybe even a loss. And that’s just one manufacturer. I’m sure he’s trying to help, but it’s not going to be a quick turnaround.
That’s the point though he didn’t.
No, he didn't. But with the attitude you're showing I would now. Remember who is doing who the favour you ungrateful twunt.
Nice.🙄
What favour is it he's actually done for me again...
Wish he'd have just said he wasn't going to help to begin with.
Singlespeedstu, you are being ungrateful here. The new owner has no obligation to sort you out. A bit of gratitude for him trying to do the right thing would not go amiss.
