Recently ordered a Mavic Gilet from Slane Cycles.

Was sent an email saying they didn’t have stock to fulfill the order. Several days later they still have the items listed which when added to their shopping cart, are ready for payment.

Looks like a bit of a scam.

Does anyone know if this is in breach of Trading Standards?

Noticed a few others do the same. Suspect it drives more customers to their site via searches.

Unfortunately, no law AFAIK against it, and a lot of people do it.

A lot of places also dropship, which is where the distributor will hold stock and send directly to the end user with paper work to look like it comes from the retailer.

However if they don’t have stock you can cancel your order 🙂

Are you having a laugh? Of course it’s not a scam – most companies operate in exactly the same way. There is nothing on the Slane website to suggest products you are ordering are in stock or not.

And you have read Slane Cycles terms and conditions right? (which you agreed to when you placed the order) Just about the same as every other website.

They took my payment without having stock. Sure, they have given me a refund (need to check it’s back in my account) but talk about being mucked around. Pretty crap service and would never go back there.

So you thought putting the company name and the word Scam in a thread title so it shows up on google and can be searched online would be a good idea.
Even though you obviously know its not a scam at all as you have had a refund.

They took my payment without having stock.

Their Ts&Cs say they will.

You actually read those?

They need to show as “in stock” to get on to Google shopping. Lots of companies do this.

Even given the terms and conditions I think it’s misleading. If I had known it wasn’t in stock I would have ordered it from someone else. Feels like a scam to me.

I tend to agree – and I also think that payment shouln’t be taken until goods are despatched.

Looks like I’m not alone. This thread isn’t exactly glowing. Avoid!

Loads of online bike places do it don’t they?

I think you will find it is one of the best shops in the UK.

As has been said, many of the large distributors offer a drop ship service to allow smaller retailers (i.e. not Wiggle/CRC) to sell their products without the prohibitive issues of holding all the different variants. That’s not a scam, that’s standard modern stock management. And the fact you got a refund also indicates it’s not a scam. If they had deliberately and knowingly withheld your money, then it would be a scam. But this isn’t.

Can you tell me what distros/suppliers drop ship in your experience please?

Having just run a shop, none of mine did this.

Fox, One Industries, Volcom just off the top of my head. Plenty more too – was discussing the model just last week with someone in exactly this arena.

But that’s an aside. The important thing we have established is the OP got a refund so scam was an incorrect term to use.

Thanks for that. I didn’t deal with them so that makes some sense.

Feels like a scam to me

Even though you got a refund when you asked for one ?

You have a different idea of what a scam is to most people I think.

Fox, One Industries, Volcom just off the top of my head.

They’re not bike companies though, are they? Not many in the bike industry drop-ship.

It’s an odd scam where you get your money back…

They took my payment without having stock.

When I was applying to be an online credit card merchant some time back, that was specifically against the policy of the bank (Barclays). Payments could only be accepted for items in stock and they had to be shipped within (IIRC) 48 hrs.

Taking money for a product not available (within a reasonable timeframe) if not illegal, is certainly immoral and piss poor practice.

What a retailer SHOULD do is accept your order, but not take payment until goods are ready for despatch.

What a retailer SHOULD do is accept your order, but not take payment until goods are ready for despatch

I take part-payments in advance – mainly because I make or specially import custom stuff, and I’m not going to build a custom £5k recumbent trike for someone who doesn’t have the wonga to pay for it 😉

You have a contact with the retailer – they are obliged to deliver the item within the specified timeframe (or 28 days if not specified). Where that product actually is at any point is irrelevant to the contract.

not uncommon at all, neither is taking payment before dispatch.

what is common is that they show “in-stock” for what they have and “available in 2-5 days” for what they don’t.

stock errors also come up.

Never had this problem with Wiggle, Chain Reaction or Ribble. I think Slane’s practice is poor. Won’t be back- too many honest retailers out there thankfully.

I had that from Tredz cycles, I bought a Nukeproof Rear QR conversion kit back in January.
I got an email saying that they were in fact out of stock and wouldn’t be back in stock until early February.
I wait a month.
Get a phone call saying they now won’t be in stock till March the 8th.
I wait another month.
Got a call last Friday saying that it won’t be in stock until March the 15th.
Got a call yesterday, saying that it has now been delayed for the 4th time, and should be in stock next weds.
I have now been bike-less and waiting to build my new bike for 2 months, and every time I get excited to build I get another delay.
Grrrrrrrrrrr.