My Sick! experance

oj bumped his wife off and got loads of PR from it

Ruined his acting career and still ended up in prison, eventually, though.

Found this one.. most of their stuff is now discounted.

Company bad at fulfilling orders and communicating with customers suddenly drops prices to create quick cash flow. I’m struggling to think where I may have heard that one before.

**COPIED FROM THE MAILING LIST EMAIL**

At some point we had to answer the whispers that are going around.

Once I’d heard that I had secretly quit Sick, I knew it was time for a mailout.

In actuality, the opposite has happened.
From the 1st March, I’ll be working at Sick full time.

The short version is I’ve spent the last few weeks working with other manufacturers and under mentorship from larger bike companies to get better at doing this. To step up and lead the whole Sick team. So some changes are coming and I’ve outlined them in detail below. It’s a long one, and there is heaps to take in.

TL:DR We will be writing to ALL customers with a delayed frame, within the next 48 hours with an accurate time of delivery as updated from our manufacturers, we’ll build in customs clearance time. (This will include any crowdfund frames or items we are waiting for)

Our customers have had to be very, patient; if it included you, thank you. We do appreciate it.

It’s incredibly frustrating to not get this on track yet, we’ve worked hard and dedicated a lot of time an energy and we ARE getting there.

We are NOT businessmen, we are a handful of riders who wanted to make cool bikes, and although we are new to this, we are learning. And we are honoured you are on this journey with us. There are alot of people that want to see us fail, but thankfully, far more people want us to succeed.

Pre-orders allowed us to get the price down so people could afford it, that was our primary goal.

It’s very unpredictable and that’s a hard lesson to learn.

What’s changing?

I will be working full time on Sick from March, I’ll have a more production and logistic based role ensuring frames get to the warehouse and to the customer on time. Whilst this has been one of my focusses, I’ve been responsible for a lot of other jobs too, it’s been hard to balance.

Joe will be taking over the entirety of the clothing side of the business and a large amount of it will be moving in-house, allowing for even more control.

Some of our staff will be moving on from more casual roles in to larger part-time positions, allowing me and Tim to focus on the business as a whole.

We’ll be taking on additional customer service staff and utilising Zendesk ticket system to more effectively manage timely responses, this will help customers stay informed and stop some of the duplication we are getting which is slowing things up. 9/10 problems are delays or missing items, we are confident once we overcome this teething period. These will dramatically reduce.

More Suppliers, larger capacity, no more pre-orders.

We were just as surprised as anyone that the Wulf and Deathwish sold so well, we overwhelmed our manufacturers and needed to take a break for them to catch up, even with extra staff onboard, even with the 60 day break, they were still swamped. Overselling is a good problem to have but very much a problem. The challenge is you can’t rush handmade frames, a rushed frame is going to be a bad frame, quality and safety is incredibly important to us. We are valued for our strong frames.

I have spent the last 6 months working with various established, larger manufacturers, negotiating and working towards a process where we can meet demand for frames without pre orders.

We now have 5x more production capacity than we did 2 months ago. Whilst we have made great steps, it will take a bit of time to kick in.

We made mistakes.

We communicated badly, it was embarrassing to say, “it’s going to be late, again”, even if it wasn’t our fault, because when you boil it down, we are responsible for delivering on time in full. We were so fixated on solving the problems, we didn’t have the time or energy to communicate that’s what we were doing. This worried people and kept them uninformed. That ends now.

We didn’t put any focus on profit, we all had full time jobs already, so getting paid wasn’t a big deal, but as we scaled up it became clear that we had to take it seriously. That this couldn’t just be a hobby when it was taking up 7 days a week, we would need to pay the staff too.

We got tripped up on eCommerce, when it works well, its amazing, but we had to fight paypal and banks for double charges and CC fraud, we had to spend a huge amount of time getting some frames found after they were stolen from a courier. We didn’t have the hours in the day to do it. There was very little contingency if something had gone wrong.

Alot of manufacture lead companies (YT and Canyon spring to mind) get a lot of heat for holding ‘scams’ (take a look at the Trustpilot reviews and they are quite something). All of our payments are bound legally to deliver. The customer is ALWAYS protected. But communication of that protection is important to.

Inevitably pre-order manufactured stock is subject to delay. It’s one of the reasons the price is low because the risk for the manufacturer and client is lower. The crux is no one shouts when their bike is early. We have a saying, “No one remembers a late delivery, but they would remember a bad one.”

International Frame Shipping

We will be discontinuing our automatically fulfilled global shipping on frames. Please note clothing and components will be unaffected, anything that has already been ordered will be unaffected, we will manually cost out international frame orders. This has been a drain in terms of money and time, we have unhappy clients from the delays this causes, but it also tends to end up a net loss for the business. By dealing with shipping outside of the UK/EU on a case-by-case basis, the customer will have a better understanding of the costs and time involved. In short, we will ship globally, but you’ll need to speak to us first.

It’s important for us to communicate to you, we’re not going away anytime soon.

We never take your support for granted.

Jordan, Tim, Zam, Lee & James.

P.S.
I took a break from social media for a variety of reasons, my phone breaking was a bit of a blessing in disguise, I realised, it was nice that I could touch base with customers in real time, but I was dedicating a lot of time to that when I needed to be focussed.

It meant it was easy to make personal promises, I would run out of time to handle and let people down, that doesn’t feel good.

Hand on heart, I want to help everyone, but as the business grows, the demands on the team does too, I’m constantly reminded to stay in my lane and focus on the big tasks I have.

Not having my phone forced me to focus on emails during office hours, to keep a tight rein on my productivity. It has meant people have thought I have dissapeared, but I’ve been offline less than two weeks, it’s important to note, I’ve done a live stream three to four times a week for the last two years.

The second reason, well, it’s not nice. The team, our employees, including our close family, and in some cases, our children, have been targeted by a pretty nasty campaign by an unhappy customer and his friends. I’m sure you guys have seen it on social media or in the comments of articles. Some of the threats were serious enough we needed to file a police report. They requested we took some downtime away from face to face contact whilst an investigation was held. In due course, I’ll return to social media. I miss you guys and will be back when I have a handle on this. I know you guys know me well enough

For someone who proclaimed that he came from a QC background in major industry dropping
some big names you might be forgiven thinking that possibly they would have a handle on QC.

They mention several times their ticket system in the published excuse emails,yet are now just implementing one called ZEN desk.

Mentor-ship = Mr Trouser’s

2000 likes nearly on a single image on instagram, yet six backers for the LAST FAILED crowdfunding and no sign any of the others.

Ah I will cut them some slack here not one person should threaten anyone’s kids BUT isn’t Karma a bitch when it comes back threatening to kick your face in, especially when “you” have previous for exactly that?

Please note clothing and components will be unaffected

Unless you ordered bars six months ago and unbelievably still haven’t received them, or is that what unaffected means?

His mail out reads well. He is obviously aware that responding to folks with orders is key so they should be seeing some resolution of problems.
Lets see how it pans out over the next few weeks.

His mail out reads well

Is it me or is there not really an apology to the embittered buyers in there?

If they do manage to get through this I think they might need to rethink their ethos a bit. Being rad is fine but you still need to run a company and deal with customers. Hopefully everyone who has paid gets their stuff but I’m mildly sceptical at best.

I hope those affected get goods/refund and sick continue making mental looking frames !!

I’m intrigued to hear from the few ‘customers’ on here as to what their own email says.
Will they have a date for frame, or offer of refund?
Email reads well – but so does much of thier patter. Action is what’s actually needed.

I’ve got my Titanium bars, got them a couple of weeks ago. They have taken a long time to get her, bit I’m happy with the product and was never too fussed about having to wait.

They clearly are trying and anyone who thinks this is a legitimate scam is a full on tin foil nut job.

albo, would you lend me a tenner I’ve lost my wallet?

Course it’s not an outright scam. They’ve just got out of their depth and then stuck their heads in the sand.

It’s not my place to demand they show more empathy and humility to the buyers they’ve pissed off, but I can’t help thinking I’d be a bit more contrite in that situation.

They clearly are trying and anyone who thinks this is a legitimate scam is a full on tin foil nut job.

True they look completely out of their depth at this, enthusiastic amateurs perhaps but the don’t seem to have done themselves any favours. They may have to rely on the traditional method of having stock to buy – if they are sending refunds there should be plenty of stock available??

His mail out reads well. He is obviously aware that responding to folks with orders is key so they should be seeing some resolution of problems.
Lets see how it pans out over the next few weeks.

I thought this, I’m glad this threads not gone all robot bike like.

They clearly are trying and anyone who thinks this is a legitimate scam is a full on tin foil nut job.

Are they representative of the uk scene though?

How everyone gets what they want/are owed.

(Who is working full time? All of them? Does James work for them now?)

I ordered a t shirt this afternoon, and it’s not turned up 4 hours later!

They’re a weird lot – I kinda like their crazy bikes, but seems like a bit of a lottery in what you get, so I’d not really want to pay for a frame of random colour/geometry that will turn up at some point in the next year or so. Also, being a c### to your customers has never been known as a good long term approach.

Also, being a c### to your customers has never been known as a good long term approach

Apple do alright out of it….shite product not working , it’s ok sir your one of the cool kids.

your one of the cool kids.

A leader of the new school😂

I ordered a t shirt this afternoon, and it’s not turned up 4 hours later!

Latvia is a fair way away…

Well actually it’s more the way apple go tough shit if we see fit we might repair it if we admit there’s a fault ….but hey your still one of the cool kids

Apple do alright out of it….shite product not working , it’s ok sir your one of the cool kids.

We use Apple phones for work, I preferred the Android handsets. Both have/had pros and cons.
I was quite surprised how some are dead against Apple or wouldn’t see the flaws. A bit Xbox vs PlayStation, funny how tribal people can be. I guess it’s easier to see the flaws when you’re not invested in it.

Good call on Apple! They just need to charge £9,999,999.00 for a frame

I might just order a t-shirt, wear it round town on my CRC ebike. Although we might all be riding hoverbikes by the time it turns up

Or . We took a load of cash deposits for bikes and , as the british winter is crap for riding ‘Sickstylee’ we all flew off to the Alpes for 6 weeks of shredding the gnarr pow on our sick* snowboards.
Ran out of money so toddled off back to Mum and Dads and free wi-fi to pick up the odd email and realise things move on when your out having it large in the Follie Douch(bag)

Kinda reads like a teenager who’s been forced to apologize. Which I guess, in essence, is what it is. Plenty of arrogant teenagers/manchilds around – plenty of them have to eat a bit of humble pie when it turns out that maybe they aren’t as shit-hot as they thought/told everyone they were.

I wish them luck, but it seems like their attitude (until now) has been fundamentally incompatible with running a business.

At least anyone waiting for them to fulfill an order at this point knows exactly what they are getting themselves into….. lets hope the frames don’t crack egh.

Hi everyone. My name is Matt Yates and I’m from New Zealand. Same as all of you, I was getting a mind boggling ride out of this whole Sick experience. I don’t usually participate in social media / bike forums, but after myself and a mate across town got the Sick treatment, in my usual unusual fashion, I found a reason to play a game with Jordan, in his field, under his rules. On his platform, under his nose. No secrecy.
The press release was my small victory, people getting answers was a big win, so far….. This would have been swept under the carpet if it were not for 3 guys who kept plugging away with me, plotting, for over 2months. In the space of 36hrs, 120 people joined the page, and Sick were forced into damage control. You’re welcome…

Most of the eternal drivel I post was to get a reaction. Get noticed, get answers etc. It boiled down to the fact that I, and a mate from my neighbourhood were getting bullied by an international company. Kiwis do not lie down, but we may consider lying down next to the grave of a dead bike company and whisper sweet nothings.

Can Sick survive? That power belongs to you the customers now, their fate certainly doesn’t rest on one dickhead from NZ. Cheers.

Coffee anyone?

Welcome to the forum Matt.

The thing I like about Kiwis is how humble they are #whereismyLahar

Thanks matt_outandabout. First time caller, longtime listener, big fan. Love a good forum. A good ol natter about stuff and things.
It’s a bit late for coffee, thanks, however the bourbon // coke’s cold and js being rolled faster than a titanium addicted sick customer…
It’s 25° at 9pm and all so apologies in advance for any offence caused. #humbleAF

I see this thread turning into a classic 🙂

Welcome Matt

So where are things with your order now?
A frame & bars, right?

just for balance I ordered t shirts on two separate occasions, they turned up within a week & have lasted 6 months of wash and wear cycles. Jordan was very helpful when I msg him via IG about where he sourced embroidered patches from as I needed some for the cycling club I run. no experience of frame ordering of course but no complaints here.

Having read the mail out, it’s great they have acknowledged some of the cracks but this is nothing I haven’t seen before on various emails when dealing with James re my missing frame.

4-5 months ago they were saying they were getting a new ‘ticket system’, saying they had control over production etc…

I hope all grass roots firms do well and make a go of it – heck I even went so far to try and give Sick! some of my cash in return for a frame, but this is the same old tune rehashed again. From where I’m sat, this has all been said before, several times. Note, all they have done is sent a mail out. As they have done previous.

Matt – fair play for perusing them.

Hi cokie,
Yep, as per the ig page, a ti frame turned up last week bearing an incorrect colourway and misprinted/etched with ‘Grizzly Wulf ‘ instead of Gnarcissist, in the grizzlywulf etch style of just etched print, not the wrap around etching leaving the name in the background colour, if that all makes sense.
Aesthetics: Do I really care. Nah, not really. idgaf.
Does the quality of the Sick-job run consistent with the high quality efforts of those made by eewings, chrisking, spank, chromag, nsbikes, trp, shimano, nukeproof and even that Chinese company’s $3 grips? Not by a long shot.
When you post a frame, put an axle in the rear stays. The All Blacks work as baggage handlers in the off season here.
Ti bars: Sick don’t know where they are and my crystal ball is out of action.
Refunds were promised and Jordan will be reading this.
Sup bro. J to the C in the hooooouse!

They seem like an absolute shower of a company who seem to think that they’re a bit too cool to deal with issues. Sending out the wrong coloured frame really is a school boy error.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans our but I’m amazed at how much slack the fan boys are willing to cut them and they’re poor attitude.

Matt, what a legend!?
The U.K. could use someone like you to negotiate Brexit and get us out this sick mess too!

Matt, do you also run a Facebook video channel?

I’m sure no-one predicted any of this from a couple of professional chaps & their attitude to dealing with people 😆

They are probably more suited to a career in IT support, the way they behave.

No sympathy from me. I made the mistake of interacting at a very small level with one of them at a point in the past, in which we disagreed on something, to say he got a bit upset would be the understatement of the year.

You be a dickhead on the internet, we’re gonna fight you

Maybe a note to themselves, listening to their own advice.

Have Matt Yates, Jordan and Keyser Soze ever been seen in the same room together? #tinfoilhat

They were always a couple of chancers trying to get started, just like a lot of other bike startups. I guess the hype made people think they were more than that, and their expectations were greater. Many of us liked what they did, but wouldn’t risk a purchase (apart from a tee) because our eyes were open. I feel the same way about 90% of the stuff on Kickstarter to be honest.

What I don’t understand is why they keep launching new bikes, when they haven’t fulfilled the last one! I think people had got a bit wiser by the time the gnarpoon ‘launched’.

Hey finbar,
Kaiser Sozee and any Childs, aren’t allowed in the same room together anymore.
If I were in the same room as Jordan, that’d be Sick. Could go all Spacey on him.