PSA Melon Optics, one to avoid.

I’ve checked out the melon alleycats multiple times having heard good reviews pretty much everywhere but no way I could justify that much for a pair of glasses which will probably get scratched. My husband decided to order a pair for us to ‘share’ and there are no set options so he obviously made his selection. Unfortunately when they arrived they sat so close to both of our helmets that they will rattle like crazy and the arms clash against the mips cradles so unless we’re prepared to wear them on the tips of our nose they won’t work.

Easy I hear you say, for the website says clearly ‘easy returns up to 365 days’ and there’s nothing on the glasses page itself which tells you otherwise, nothing under the nice clear FAQ’s on the page declaring otherwise and there are no set options so you have to customise. Nope you can’t return them because they’re a ‘custom order’ something you will only find out if you add them to your checkout and then click the automatically hidden bit labelled ‘returns’, nothing in their Terms and Conditions and why would you find out the details of the returns prior to ordering when the website clearly says EASY RETURNS for 365 DAYS!!

Custom order? Remove the lens, the nose piece and the tiny melon logo and that’s as custom as it gets but you can’t resell it?!

Anybody want to buy some brand new £140 glasses in the hope your helmets are different to our two! Utterly ridiculous and another to add to our list of ‘never to buy from and never to recommend’ along with giant!

I had similar when I ordered one of the early trek 29ers. Shop claimed it was custom order. Small claims court disagreed. Bailiffs sent. All good

Wouldn’t long distance sale act apply?

John

A shame, as my Alleycats are the best glasses I’ve owned – but if you have helmet clashes, then guess they won’t be. Diablo Pro Goggles are great too

Just for info – they work fine with my head shape/Fox Speedframe Pro/Fox Dropframe Pro/Bell Super DH combo’s

That’s pish poor CS though for sure

I had the same issue with fitting with a lazer jackal non mils helmet…returned them and got refunded. This was last year and they were a customer order .

Love my alleycats, yes i found them annoying with one helmet, can’t remember which one, might have been a POC Tectal, i just kept them, then when i upgraded the helmet, i started using them, it is the same issue i’ve had with other sunglasses before, or when they nip your nose, it’s a nightmare finding a decent pair without trying them prior.

Wanted to really like them but bell and poc helmets just don’t work with them and it does seem others have experienced similar but you have to look within the reviews for mentions of rattling and clashes with helmets. Don’t think you’ll be able to speak to someone about the matter either it’s just one of those online infuriating chat panels where you get stock replies.

I reckon they must have changed their policy because right now you can’t return a single thing because everything they sell is CUSTOM!!!!

Just had a look at their site, seems to be a bit of a catch 22 situation…

Their returns policy specifically excludes customised orders, but it seems impossible to order anything without customising it!

I know that consumer law precludes returns for fully bespoke, perishable items, and things such as underwear, but this seems incredibly disingenuous on Melon Optics part!

returns policy specifically excludes customised orders,

Shady practices!

Not exactly fully bespoke is it really, everything will just come apart and be returned back to stock and it drives me crazy that they clearly say easy returns, on what exactly?! Completely false advertising and you’ve no choice but to order and take a chance that they won’t play ball with your helmet and I’m not ordering a new helmet just for a pair of glasses! My husband just got a brand new poc tectal so that would be what about 5 years in a drawer until he may consider another new helmet!

Hmm, I was on the verge of ordering some goggles. Maybe not!

so if you order frame and lens separate, in theory be able to return?

Should’ve gone PIT VIPERS ;)

Ordering frame and lens separate, it’s still custom as you specified yellow nose rubber and black icons!

distance selling regs still applies – custom is defined very clearly (its basically when you have your name carved into something, not an order from a list) – so just drop them back in the post.

custom is defined very clearly

Tell us more…

I guess it should be defined otherwise loads of retailers would hide behind it.

Its Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 now not Distance Selling. I understand the test of whether something is truly Custom is whether it can be resold to another customer. Most of the examples seem to be around football shirts so if its a shirt printed with No 9 Harry Kane then it can be resold so isnt custom. If it was printed with No 9 Golfchick! then it is so is genuinely custom and cant be returned.

Also if paid by Credit Card there is Section 75 as well.

(IANACAB & havent tested this!)

He paid by debit card but I’ve suggested he asks for a chargeback. I’d like to say I’ve had a conversation with them to discuss the fact that they’re wrong but there’s no phone number and when you reply to their emails you get stock replies back so it’s like hitting your head against a brick wall. I’d include a letter in the returned parcel but the only way to find out their returns details are to contact them. I sent a full reply detailing why I thought it was unacceptable and got the same default reply. Utter junk.

Small claims court

If you’re on facebook you could try commenting on a post or messaging them there: https://www.facebook.com/melonoptics

Smells like a company that’s struggling to stay above water to me.

Not that that’s any excuse.

contact them through social media, i’ve had personal emails of james  and others, I’ll DM you

i’ve always had great service

I’d totally sympathise if we just said we didnt like the colour and had changed our mind but the arms clash with the cradle and they also fowl the helmet sides so when you fit your helmet right is pushes them down to the tip of your nose so a clear product issue. I’ve got a feeling the facebook message bit will just be a default stock response too, what is it with companies currently and those blasted chat bots!

No excuse for service like that. Thankfully not had need to test it, but my understanding of what’s deemed ‘custom’ is as per @Andy’s post above.

they also fowl the helmet sides so when you fit your helmet right is pushes them down to the tip of your nose so a clear product issue

Although worth noting that could simply be due to a particular helmet/glasses combo. I’ve had same issue with my Oakley Jawbones and Giro helmets in large, but no such issues with same glasses with the Lazer helmets I use now.

I’d totally sympathise if we just said we didnt like the colour and had changed our mind but the arms clash with the cradle and they also fowl the helmet sides

The reason for return doesnt matter, just make sure you have written to them within 14 days of receipt of goods.  Have a good read of MoneySavingExpert or Which and just follow the process exactly. They have standard letter templates for this.

 they also fowl the helmet sides

Have you tried Tweeting about it? It’s a not good that they’re basically Robin people, but you need to make sure they don’t Duck their responsibilities, so I’d say Toucan play at that game and if they don’t respond properly give them the bird.

(Sorry!)

Have you tried Tweeting about it? It’s a not good that they’re basically Robin people, but you need to make sure they don’t Duck their responsibilities, so I’d say Toucan play at that game and if they don’t respond properly give them the bird.

They’re obviously feathering their own nests at the expense of customers, probably sitting on quite a few guineas by now – a decent nest egg.

OP shouldn’t chicken out, she shelled out a lot of money and it’s time to talk turkey with these duckers.

I’ve had a bunch of their glasses, goggles and other random bits,  zero issues and always good customer service from them. Chatting to them at Ard Rock about the newer nose rubber being a better design to a mates older glasses and they handed over a newer version foc.

Sounds like it could be made more obvious on the website but seems fair to not accept returns for customised orders to me, maybe try before you buy next time?

Beyond not being contactable, is it possible somebody has clicked the wrong button on the backend?

Customer service sounds terrible but Hanlons razor applies until told otherwise (good luck with that).

the arms clash with the cradle and they also fowl the helmet sides so when you fit your helmet right is pushes them down to the tip of your nose so a clear product issue

They clearly don’t work with your head/helmet combo, but just playing devils advocate for a minute to say it’s a clear product issue is a bit wide of the mark too – not that that should affect your statutory rights

There’s nothing strange about the arms that would indicate there might be potential problems

Next to Endura Dorado (left) and Madison Enigma’s (right)

Tell us more…

I guess it should be defined otherwise loads of retailers would hide behind it.

advice from the government here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a817b92ed915d74e33fe73a/bis-13-1368-consumer-contracts-information-cancellation-and-additional-payments-regulations-guidance.pdf

14. An item made up following a consumer order does not necessarily make it
a bespoke item which is exempt from cancellation rights. An item, for example
a sofa or computer, can be assembled following an order but the component
parts may be made up of parts offered from a standard range. So, for
instance, a sofa where the consumer chooses a fabric and colour from a
range on offer will not be bespoke for the purposes of these Regulations.
However, if the consumer asks the trader to source a special finish and which
is not in the range generally offered by the trader, that is likely to be a
bespoke item.

choosing a pair of sunglasses with a choice of lens and arms clearly falls under the above criteria of “not bespoke” – they also give the example of having a players name printed on a football shirt (not bespoke) vs having your name printed on a football shirt (bespoke)

@TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR

How do the 3 compare? The Enigma’s look a bargain?

Sounds like it could be made more obvious on the website but seems fair to not accept returns for customised orders to me, maybe try before you buy next time?

They’re not ‘customised’, they’re numerous stock bits pushed together. And how do you try before you buy when they’re mostly an online seller, I’ve only ever seen them for sale in one shop?

How do the 3 compare? The Enigma’s look a bargain?

I got the Endura’s first, with clear and photochromic lenses and was totally happy with them. Didn’t particularly look after them that well in muddy conditions and they got pretty scratched up. I couldn’t seem to find replacement lenses anywhere, so bought the Madison’s with just a clear lens to see me through the rest of winter as a beater pair, Despite being just a clear lens, I did feel like there was a tiny bit of vison distortion.

That said, I’m normally a prescription glasses wearer, but cope fine on the bike with non script glasses

The Melon are next level for clarity though – have the Zeiss red chrome lens and the (non Zeiss photochromic). Shame they don’t do a clear for winter, so will probably just get another cheap pair

And how do you try before you buy when they’re mostly an online seller…

They’re pretty common tbf, “excuse me mate, do you mind if try your glasses on” worked for me.

Mine are fine with my TLD A3 and Fox Dropframe, they did rattle a bit against my Fox Speedframe but not enough to bother me/want to send them back.

Shame they don’t do a clear for winter, so will probably just get another cheap pair.

They do a low light/clear lens, I thought it shipped with all their glasses and you just picked another fancy lens to go with it?

They do a low light/clear lens, I thought it shipped with all their glasses and you just picked another fancy lens to go with it?

Ah, so they do, just had a look – I’d assumed their ‘low light’ was an amber, which I generally don’t get on with.

I think they did used to ship one, but they became tight and stopped doing it ;-)

Just for balance – ordered a pair for my wife & the nose rubber came away/broke after a couple of uses, sent us out an entirely new frame for them FOC with no hassle.

Sorry I meant a product issue in that they clearly clash with some helmets not that it was a problem with every possible combo.

‘maybe try before you buy next time?’ and ‘They’re pretty common tbf’ now come up and ride in the Lake District rather than heavily ridden trail centres or the tweed valley where on my the last three rides I’ve seen zero other riders. I’ll make sure next time to only support the companies who are big enough to have an ‘in person’ presence.

I think they’re trying to have a presence, they were at Twisted oaks a couple of weeks ago with loads of stuff. Guy was really helpful, gave my son a can of monster to cheer him up after he crashed on a jump.

Shame you’ve had that experience, they came across really well.