Right, so i’m in the market for some waterproof trousers.

I did my research and wanted to have a look at some in real life. Checked on various websites including the manufacturers. Saw that Evans Cycles were a Stockist… Key word being “Stockist”.

Had to pop to the office in Cardiff today, went to their cardiff store. They had 1 pair of waterproof trousers in store and they were £94.99. Not a single other pair of trousers in store.

So i tweeted evans to voice my disappointment. Now i understand that the weather has been rubbish and stock may be low, but they guy in the store said they didn’t stock any other trousers. Oh and bearing in mind its wales, it always rains (i have heard it does stop now and then). Their answer was as follows:

A: the weather
B: use click and collect to buy several pairs to get them to store. you can get the ones refunded you don’t want?

my point being If i was to like 2 pairs of trousers and wanted to try on the large and XL, assuming each was £60 thats £240 outlay just to try them on?

but don’t worry its refundable!

(assuming you have £240 to lay out)

Disappointed to say the least…

get a credit card.

Try being a woman as it’s even more frustrating!

Are my expectations to high

Disappointed to say the least…

Me to.

me free

Sorry, if you expect any shop to have a variety of stock because the supplier lists them as a stockist, your expectations are naive and unrealistic.

The mfr website is not a real time stock listing for the shop.

Collect+ is your friend assuming there isn’t local proper stockist.

Saves messing about with the above.

Can’t remember the last time I went into Evans to buy something, and somebody managed to serve me before i walked out.

Consistently, dependably, thoroughly awful.

Edit: Not relevant to OP. Feel better now though.

i’m disappointed i read this thread.

When i bought my bike from them one item was not delivered. It arrived after 6 weeks and lots of chasing.

I did get an appology and 3 seperate promises of a money off voucher as compensation for them being rubbish – still waiting for the voucher guys.

Just because they are big doesn’t mean they are good!

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable

Try being a woman as it’s even more frustrating!

I did.

It is.

😐

Evans are pretty rubbish but did you really think they’d carry every item that the brands they carry make?

Bit confused OP, so you were online and saw Evans were a stockist but you didnt then go onto their site and see what instore or warehouse stock options they had?

I’ve just bought some 3/4 bibs from Evans, went into the shop (its on my way home) and they only had one pair. Staff member was very helpful and told me to order as many pairs as I liked, try them on and bring back the ones that didnt fit or all of them if I wanted. So I did, 7 pairs on a credit card, kept one, took the other 6 back and the money went straight back on my card, whole process took 72 hours?

I know lots of people have had bad experiences at Evans but in this respect they are great (IMO).

I work for Evans so obviously bit biased but the fact that you can check the stock levels of any item on the website does mean you can avoid this type of frustration. No store can stock everything on the website and a very wet winter has meant both shops and suppliers will be low on stock, bit annoying for everyone but five mins on the website would have saved you the trip.

I wouldn’t trust a supplier’s website to be accurate about which shops have what. I still get calls from people who think I’m a Dahon dealer, and I haven’t stocked them for a decade.

to clarify i knew that Evans were a stockist, I don’t expect them to stock every line in every size.

But as a retail shop you would expect them to keep an assortment, even if its just to physically see what you want?

If i go to Marks and Spencers to buy a shirt, chances are as a retail unit they will have it? if not i don’t have to buy 4 of them to try them on?

In these circumstances I use paypal and set the pay date to 14 days time, this way no money is taken from my account and they are tried on and returned if not needed.

I don’t expect them to stock every line in every size.

Just the ones you want to buy?

I dont think its a fair comparison. You were looking for an item that is in high demand this time of year and is probably in especially high demand this winter given the conditions. Im guessing most bike shops that are part of a chain try and stock a range of products but unless they have a shop big enough will be limited to what they can stock.

You have the option to buy a whole heap of them, try them on at your leisure and take them back so dont really see what the issue is whether it’s Evans or any other bike shop?

its more the assumption that people have x amount of money to buy several pairs just to try them on?

id have been happy to view a pair and then order if necessary, and surely any retailer would be looking to maintain or top up stock levels of product lines that are selling well or excuse the pun but forecasting sales.

You dont have a credit card?

No, if i have the money i can buy things. if not i don’t or i save for it.

I have the same mentality, but this is a perfect example of where a credit card is useful.

If i wasn’t facing a £700 bill on friday to finish my new toy i probably wouldn’t be moaning to much its more the principal.

If i wanted to buy different sizes i wouldn’t click and collect i’d just order to home and return what i didn’t want.

But retail shops should be just that, where you can go and see things…

P.S. a c/c would come in handy for my work petrol as well but i just don’t want one.

You could have called them beforehand to save a wasted trip. I think your expectations are a little off. Especially given the weather and the chance that people may well have been buying waterproof trousers recently.

Are my expectations to high?

– Yes

1, Its monday morning, the busiest time of the week is the weekend, They could have sold out over the weekend, suppliers don’t open let alone ship over a weekend so no chance of stocking up on them.

2, Its niche item. sorry but waterproof trousers aren’t a high turnover item (like bib-shorts/high-vis jackets) so doesn’t make sense to stock large quantities or prioritize floor space over other items that are.

3, Its been belting it down.

4, why didn’t you check Evans website or call the shop.

5, google earth their warehouse. imagine that on Cardiff High Street

IMHO you’d have got the same experience just walking into any altura or endura stockist without checking first.

I dont really see the issue? I guess I am lucky as I go to the main warehouse store (Gatwick) and they have everything. I hae nothing but good things to say about that branch!!

Paul

Well taken from their website and in particular the Cardiff Store

” We are specialists in cycling, stocking a vast range of cycling clothing, accessories, tools and parts – offering something for the enthusiast and beginner alike”

Must be old fashioned to actually expect to see more than 1 pair of waterproof trousers…

Must be old fashioned to actually expect to see more than 1 pair of waterproof trousers…

Waterproof trousers are a really low turnover product in a bike shop and can’t imagine anyone making them a priority in their product lineup.

I can see the OP’s point, the issue being a massive outlay to order things in. The solution should be the same as Evans use for ordering bikes in, you should be able to order in say up to 4 items and put down a £50 (refundable deposit) to show a commitment to coming back to see the products once they have them in from their warehouse and choose to take as many you ant settling the price difference between the £50 and the price or just have the £50 refunded

It is unrealistic to expect a store to have what you need though, even m’n’s won’t have all the products they stock in each store and not in all sizes

Customer: Do you have a water pump for my 04 plate Clio?
Motor Spares Shop: Yes, it’s at our main warehouse as we can’t keep stock in the local store. You can click and collect. We’d advise you order both variants they fitted that year.
Customer: What do I do with the pump I don’t need?
MSS: We’ll refund you after you compare it to the unit fitted.
Customer: Great!

Except the bike industry has more spares, parts and options than the motor trade. Trying to keep one example of everything in each store will result in bankruptcy.

So why bother stocking anything at all? why have a retail premises (in Evans case multiple with more buying power than most i’d suspect).

Also if M&S don’t have it they get it for you and i don’t have to pay for 4 of them?

He has a point. A motor factor doesn’t say that he has everything in stock. That level of advertising suggests something more than one pair. We are dealing with a major chain here, not some one man band fighting the mail order giants.
Its piss poor.
Ordering a lot then sending them back. How very 21st century, how bloody awful.
Having said that Evans have never given me the impression that customer service rates highly. To a man their staff have been useless knowing nothing worthwhile. I have to assume that everyone I met wasn’t on his fist day of the job. They just don’t know their job.
Maybe some one does but I have yet to meet one.

OP, Evans don’t stock the same mix or volume of products in the 50+ stores of varying size, location and product bias. Maybe your expectations aren’t too high as it’s a big business and the online stock list is huge, but your appreciation of the logistics etc of a business like that is off. Shipping loads of stuff in and out of stores, back to the warehouse etc costs and that has to be paid for somewhere. It’s something they do but you can understand why doing it too much or without any customer commitment is just another thing that stops a business being competitive on price.

In these days of smartphone apps and mobile websites it’s still good to talk )

..Must be old fashioned

It is, get a credit card and pay it off each month in full. No different to buying in cash but far more convenient in this situation.

The world has changed and companies have changed the way do business.

The comparisons with M&S are pointless, they are totally different businesses with totally different business models and practices. That’s just the way it is.

Surely one of the main benefits of them having a click and collect website is that you can check online to see what products are in stock and therefore save yourself a wasted journey .

mattsccm – Member
He has a point. A motor factor doesn’t say that he has everything in stock. That level of advertising suggests something more than one pair. We are dealing with a major chain here, not some one man band fighting the mail order giants.
Its piss poor.

Evans didn’t say nor advertise that they had everything in stock. A supplier said Evans was a stockist.

Is reading really that difficult?

Yes reading is that hard when they say they stock a VAST array of clothing instore ! I had not decided on which ones i wanted. I wanted to try some on and maybe take advice from their “Knowledgable staff”

Anyway, I’ve ordered a couple of pairs from CRC and through paypal which gives me 14 days before i even have to pay for the ones i want to keep.

No one should be told to get a credit card if they don’t want one.