Wiggle. Here today and gone tomorrow?

[Phil the drill]

Have to say I've often used Wiggle - and I can't fault them.
My son just bought a Focus Cayo special edition road bike from them. £1200, and worth every penny. It's a beauty, and you'd be pretty unlikely to get a good full carbon fibre frame (and of course fork), Ultegra cassette, 105 shifters etc. at that price anywhere else. Weighs 8.2Kg!!! Read it and weep e-bikers ! (yes, I know, I ride an E-bike too ).

Phil

 

[allen-uk]

Mmmmmmmmm, a tad pompous, particularly from someone who is always advising readers to go to dealer based outlets

Not that astute observation seems your forté, but surely you've noticed that the opposition to your odd claim about Wiggle is coming from EVERYONE who is responding to this curious thread; it's not just a counter-campaign being waged by flecc.

A.

 

[flecc]

Mmmmmmmmm, a tad pompous, particularly from someone who is always advising readers to go to dealer based outlets for peace of mind. 'Excellent and highly valued business models'? This is only your experience of dealing with this company and not a representative fact. Your values are not necessarily the same as others. Contributors to this forum should feel free to comment and criticise without your endorsement of Wiggle.

As Django has pointed out, your first sentence is wrong. As for the 'Excellent and highly valued business models' comment, by what arrogance do you have the right to say that this is only my experience of dealing with this particular company. For years now I have done the majority of all my purchasing online, not only cycling products, so I have extensive experience on this business model and it's service which entitles me to repeat that experience.
.

 

[HarryB]

Anyway the business model is irrelevant, more important is the attitude of the company. Dabs has a similar business model and yet when things go wrong their attitude is ... well you got it at a cheap price so don't expect us to run an expensive customer services department. One of the few companies I have had to resort to the credit card company for a refund. Ryanair have a similar attitude ...what do you expect when the flight only cost a pound (when in most cases it cost considerably more). Wiggle do not come in that category, and I agree that chainreaction is very good. Best customer service goes to SJS for picking up the phone and sorting my faulty tyre.

 

[flecc]

True Harry, but I balance the benefits and disadvantages. I've bought from Dabs for years and one one occasion had a problem which took a little longer to clear up than it would with many others. That I set against the many orders where I benefited from the low prices and extremely rapid service which can be exceptional.

On one occasion on a normal weekday I placed an evening website order at 8.15 pm and was signing for the substantial item I'd ordered at 7.25 am the next morning. Just over 11 hours from Bolton to Surrey for an "out of hours" order was an extraordinary logistic feat considering the processing and transport interchanges involved. They may not have a customer service department but their processing system and courier liason is clearly exemplary.

 

[HarryB]

True Harry, but I balance the benefits and disadvantages. I've bought from Dabs for years and one one occasion had a problem which took a little longer to clear up than it would with many others. That I set against the many orders where I benefited from the low prices and extremely rapid service which can be exceptional.

On one occasion on a normal weekday I placed an evening website order at 8.15 pm and was signing for the substantial item I'd ordered at 7.25 am the next morning. Just over 11 hours from Bolton to Surrey for an "out of hours" order was an extraordinary logistic feat considering the processing and transport interchanges involved. They may not have a customer service department but their processing system and courier liason is clearly exemplary.

No good getting the wrong item by the next day delivery though, is it and it took 8 weeks to get a refund on a £200 item - nobody at customer services cared and I got the impression that that culture came from the top. It is the same at ryanair, although I can't help thinking that they were at rock bottom and now climbing. I don't think Wiggle have featured on Watchdog quite so much either. In the end I vowed I would pay more and go to another company (and that included work purchases). I suppose my point is that the internet model doesn't have to feature poor customer services at its heart.

 

[allen-uk]

Like flecc, I've been using the Internet for almost all my purchases for 10 years or more. I would guess that like me, he finds the 'shopping experience' either difficult or distasteful, and that sitting comfortably at a keyboard has many advantages.

It might just be luck (although I'm with B.Franklin on diligence being the mother of good luck), but I can't think of one catastrophe in all that time. Plenty of things I regret buying, of course, but they have all been down to poor judgment rather than poor service.

By all means keep an open mind and a close grip on your wallet, verntern, but guard against paranoia - they really aren't ALL out to get you. (Well, okay, they might be in your case, in which case you have our sympathies).

Allen.

 

[Alex728]

TBH with stuff like bike components or computer kit bought in a EU country there is very little risk of outright fraud. The real issue is poor customer service, particularly dealing with backorders and refunds.

I do think that many firms in this country lack a customer service culture irrespective of price point or business model, and good companies like SJS, Wiggle and the one in London I think Old Timer also uses (simpsons?) are the exception rather than the rule.

BTW you can find no less than 89 colour photos of the Wiggle warehouse and their staff on the site. As a former raver, I am a good judge of the relative size of warehouses even from photos (thats how we used to work out which ones to party in, via Google Earth) and that is a huge place with plenty of stock.

 

[piotrmacheta]

Apparently men love to shop on-line because they get the same reward experience that cavemen got when they hunted for food - radio 4 says so.

 

[flecc]

Apparently men love to shop on-line because they get the same reward experience that cavemen got when they hunted for food - radio 4 says so.

The reward experience for me is just getting it done and out of the way. I don't get satisfaction through any method, shopping for me is just the nuisance that's between me and what I require, so the method that's the least hassle will usually be my choice.
.

 

[allen-uk]

Apparently men love to shop on-line because they get the same reward experience that cavemen got when they hunted for food - radio 4 says so.

Well, in principle I'm with flecc on this one - shopping is just something to be endured - but on the other hand, if Radio 4 says so, then who are we to doubt it?


Allen.

 

[CeeGee]

Apparently men love to shop on-line because they get the same reward experience that cavemen got when they hunted for food - radio 4 says so.

I didn't realise that cavemen used the internet and shopped for food at "Tesco online" - I thought they had wooden clubs, not plastic Clubcards.

Colin

 

[Mussels]

I didn't realise that cavemen used the internet and shopped for food at "Tesco online" - I thought they had wooden clubs, not plastic Clubcards.

Colin

Tesco has been around forever, did you miss the Old Testament reference to Noah finding a Tesco on Mount Ararat?

 

[allen-uk]

Come down our local Tescos - plenty of Neanderthals prowling the aisles there (and that's just the women).

A

 

[flecc]

Tesco has been around forever, did you miss the Old Testament reference to Noah finding a Tesco on Mount Ararat?

Yes, the Tesco chain was founded by a descendant of the Hebrew race, Jack Cohen.
.

 

[MAB]

Yes, the Tesco chain was founded by a descendant of the Hebrew race, Jack Cohen.
.

Do you every play trival pursuit flecc? If so can I be in your team, please?

 

[flecc]

Do you every play trival pursuit flecc? If so can I be in your team, please?

. Sort of.

Jack Cohen was the originator of the phrase "Pile it high, sell it cheap", his first outlet a London market stall.

More trivia!
.

 

[verntern]

Chuckle, back to the original start of this thread. 1132 views and some relevant responses to date. Many positive testimonials about Wiggle online sales and service and indignant replies criticising my critiscism. Accepted. Everyone is happy with Wiggle.

 

[flecc]

Chuckle, back to the original start of this thread. 1132 views and some relevant responses to date. Many positive testimonials about Wiggle online sales and service and indignant replies criticising my critiscism. Accepted. Everyone is happy with Wiggle.

Yes, a very successful thread. We'll probably get a complaint posted against Wiggle now that we've tempted providence!
.

 

[Mussels]

Chuckle, back to the original start of this thread. 1132 views and some relevant responses to date. Many positive testimonials about Wiggle online sales and service and indignant replies criticising my critiscism. Accepted. Everyone is happy with Wiggle.

I am happy but my endorsement is limited, I would be sceptical of buying a complicated item from them that is likely to need backup support - like an ebike.