All my son wanted for his Birthday was a cool Bicycle!
I searched and search on line for the coolest bike I could find... This was going to be a huge surprise!!!
I came across the Bicycle Designer, there were several styles to choose from. Several prices $150 - $850
I picked one out priced $259 plus shipping of $35.00 total with tax $312.78
As I was crunched for time I called in my order but first asked asked very specific questions...
1. Is this bike suitable for a 10 yr old? Height? Handle bars?
2. Is it in stock?
3. Can it be delivered on time?
And lastly but Very Important (as Iam a single mom with no bike assembling skills)
4. How is it shippped... Boxed... Assembled..
Yes suitable for a 10 year old...
Yes the bike was in stock... Yes it could ship ontime... And it would ship in a box 80% assembled only needing minor parts grip handles, and petals added.
Great I thought... My son is gonna be the Happiest Birthday boy in town... Rideing the coolest bike!
I proceeded with the order (it was a friday) the bike shipped and was received the following Wednesday...
All good so far.
Nope... Too good to be true!
I opened the box and the bike was in millions of pieces... Nuts... Bolts... Special tools... Grips... Tires... Pedals... Spokes... A mirror...
Parts galore... Assembled I thought NOT HARDLY! Ripped off!
The thought of me putting the bike together crossed my mind for a brief second... Until another thought of watching my son ride down the street and seeing the bike fall apart interupted me!!!
I thought well I could give it to him in the box and maybe we could build it together... Like a project... Ok reality check what kid wants to get a bike, in a box, and spend all day on their Birthday assembeling it with their MOM!
So I called the local bike store, and proceed to explain my deilema... They estimated the cost to be around $45. At this point I thought ok do I have a choice?
I took the bike to the shop. I get a call a few hours later... The bike was done... BUT oh no, not BUT...
It took way longer than antisipated 2.5 hours and that their normal rate was $60 dollars an hour.
Oh no I thought "was this a bait and switch"... Was I getting ripped off again? But what could I do they now had the Bike and if I didn't pay would they give it too me???
I think my voice must've craked when I asked the shop owner if there was any way to reduce the fee. I was on the brink of crying.
I thought.$300 for the bike $120 for assembly. The look on my son's face when I giveit to him... Priceless. Thank you visa.
The shop owner did agree to $75 dollars and said that he would take this as a learning experience for future request.
I thought fair enough...
But the real person that should learn a lesson from this and pay for it is the OWNER of Bicycle Designer. False Advertising, nowhere on the web site does it state assembly required. And i was clearly mislead by the employee who quoted 80% assembled.
Now I was MAD...
I called Bicycle Designer, posing as a new customer and asked the same questions... Again to be told all bike are shipped 80% assambled. I asked to speak to the manager, Gary the owner gets on the phone and I explain my complaint. He says ok, well you have the option to return the Bike!
NowI'm heated, Return the BIKE? Is this guy serious? We went around and around for 30 minutes. Me explaning
how much I paid and How long it took to assemble and the cost
associted with the assembly. I kept saying I shouldn'T
have to pay as his employee gave me false information, and that if I did return it I would have no time at this point to shop for another BIKE. But had I been told from the beginning the TRUTH I may have had time then.
Again his answer return the bike, return the bike that was all this man could say return the bike.
"i will be more than happy to refund your credit card as soon as the bike is shipped back to me in a box."
So now what do I do... Pay for the assembly of a bike and then ship it back to the company and fear that i will fight to get reimpursed? No not happening...
So I told him I would file this complaint and he said "i'll pay ups to ship it back... You can return the bike... I told you i would acceot your return. At this point all I could do was hang up... But not before adding a last comment
GOOD LUCK ON FURTURE SALE!!!
Oh no you thought this was over... No it gets better... He calls back and says that he has had time to "cool Off"
Cool off i thought... I think I'm the one that needed to cool off.
So he then proceeds to tell me how he has learned from the incident and that he will give me a credit on my account for $30 dollars so that when My son wants to add something to his BIKE he will have this $30 dollar credit.
YEA RIGHT... Like I would ever want to
1. Buy anything from his Company again
2. Subject my son to a dishonest business man
It also crossed my mind this $30 doesn't even cover the shipping i paid in the first place.
He just doesn't want me to be typing this very complaint that you are reading NOW!
Sorry Gary @ Bicycle Designer, $300 for bike, $75 for assembly,
-$30 useless credit... The look on your face when channel 11 Investigate PRICELESS!!!
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