SPA Cycles Harrogate

[fastpedaller]

I don't know if Spa accepts paypal payment........ One of the large cycle suppliers (IIRC) was hacked a few years ago, so if I place an order over the 'net I use Paypal because that introduces another barrier to the hackers. PS I have no connection with Paypal, other similar payment methods are probably out there (but I do believe Western Union is to be avoided due to no audit trail) Hope I haven't broken the rules there.

[MikeF]

I've placed two orders with Spa recently using the web. First one had parts missing, and for the second one of the items was wrong. However both errors were corrected quickly. I emailed them and the responses were very fast.

[JohnW]

No. I just use the internet these days. And I consider myself a bit of a technophobe, reluctant to adopt new ways, so if even I use the internet for buying, maybe you should give it a go. Spa, like any business, has to have a streamlined system that allows its employees to work efficiently, keeping prices low. They have obviously found telephone ordering disruptive. I think you need to reconsider because I am sure Spa are not doing this out of malice. They are probably doing it to survive.

+ another 1 to that.

[JohnW]

Five years ago the OP was dissing Spa and praising Chain Reaction

What has happened to Spa's good service.........

That could put a different light on all this.

The last time I ordered from Spa was just before last Christmas.
I needed some help in making a choice of component, and the manufacturer's information gave no advice with respect to which variant to choose.

I 'phoned Spa, and explained my query. I can't quote the response verbatim, but the assistant, very politely, asked if I could 'phone again in the morning because all the staff were engaged in sorting out/packing/dispatching orders, and a carrier's (I think it was 'Post Office', but can't really remember) van was waiting outside. The assistant apologised and promised he'd deal with my query next day.

I 'phoned next day - by coincidence spoke to the assistant from previous day - it took him possibly ten minutes to find the answer - he preferred my card details to me sending a cheque - the item arrived THE FOLLOWING DAY, and was the right component for the job.

As tc has suggested, we already have a thread about Spa...........the majority of it positive.

[yostumpy]

I've used Spa for probably 15 years, always try them first, if they are way off the mark price wise, I ask them if they can price match, and send a link, they are usually very good at this, and as long as they are close, it's good enough for me.

[Halla]

As I started this thread, here is the latest:

The parcel arrived today, 3 days from order by phone, NOT 4 weeks as I was originally told. The order was not fulfilled correctly, they supplied Marathon Green Guard tyres instead of Delta Cruiser as ordered, they charged for the more expensive Marathons. Fortunately my sister accepted the more expensive option and paid. The order was for a number of items for the sort of money an LBS would welcome.

There are still a large number of people around who do not trust internet buying and I do not blame them.

Never forget, we should all have choice and not be forced to do things for the convenience of others.

[Oldjohnw]

As I started this thread, here is the latest:

The parcel arrived today, 3 days from order by phone, NOT 4 weeks as I was originally told. The order was not fulfilled correctly, they supplied Marathon Green Guard tyres instead of Delta Cruiser as ordered, they charged for the more expensive Marathons. Fortunately my sister accepted the more expensive option and paid. The order was for a number of items for the sort of money an LBS would welcome.

There are still a large number of people around who do not trust internet buying and I do not blame them.

Never forget, we should all have choice and not be forced to do things for the convenience of others.

I completely agree you should not be forced to do things for the convenience of others (although it could be argued why should, say, Spa keep phone ordering for the convenience of others?). But could you say why you(?) do not trust internet buying?

[ossie]

As I started this thread, here is the latest:

The parcel arrived today, 3 days from order by phone, NOT 4 weeks as I was originally told. The order was not fulfilled correctly, they supplied Marathon Green Guard tyres instead of Delta Cruiser as ordered, they charged for the more expensive Marathons. Fortunately my sister accepted the more expensive option and paid. The order was for a number of items for the sort of money an LBS would welcome.

There are still a large number of people around who do not trust internet buying and I do not blame them.

Never forget, we should all have choice and not be forced to do things for the convenience of others.

They actually built me the wrong wheels

This was after ringing up and going through the order in detail, confirming by e mail. That said it was sorted after plenty of effing and jeffing at the other end of the line, only for the rear hub to seize up on tour ...and more effing and jeffing. That said they fixed them.

Also ordered some panniers that had some kind of fault from the factory, all sorted after a bit of effing and jeffing

[David9694]

As I started this thread, here is the latest:

The parcel arrived today, 3 days from order by phone, NOT 4 weeks as I was originally told. The order was not fulfilled correctly, they supplied Marathon Green Guard tyres instead of Delta Cruiser as ordered, they charged for the more expensive Marathons. Fortunately my sister accepted the more expensive option and paid. The order was for a number of items for the sort of money an LBS would welcome.

There are still a large number of people around who do not trust internet buying and I do not blame them.

Never forget, we should all have choice and not be forced to do things for the convenience of others.

Happy days, Spa wise, then. I think you have to cut them some slack this year with being in the shop to receive orders telephone orders.

I’m sorry you had a bad experience previously with the internet. I had a debit card stolen in the post many years ago - the little tykes had several days with it buying a train ticket to other towns, going to Argos, H Samuel and HMV, you could almost picture them. Touch wood, I’ve never had a bad experience on the internet and now of all times you’re denying yourself a lot of convenience and interest. If it’s that bad, why are you on here?

[TrevA]

Look at it from Spa’s point of view. You are in the middle of building a set of wheels and you have to keep breaking off to answer the phone, possibly several times, writing down an order and going through the faff of taking card and name and address details.

Or worse, you are fulfilling the day’s orders, getting everything ready for the parcels to be picked up at a certain time, and you have to break off to deal with a telephone order, meaning that you miss the parcel collection deadline and half the day’s orders end up going out a day late. Is it any wonder that they wish to discourage telephone ordering?

Fulfilling internet orders can be done at the shop’s convenience. It could even be a dedicated person’s role, leaving everyone else free to build wheels, serve in the shop, build bikes, etc. Dealing with telephone orders can’t be done at the shop’s convenience.

[Jdsk]

Excellent description.

And very refreshing in this forum to read a story that sees the other party's point of view.

Thank you

Jonathan

[Bmblbzzz]

Spa are one of the only two online/mail order bike shops I've ever made a phone call to. A couple of years ago they had a special offer on Cambium saddles, advertised in the CTC magazine with a phone number. So phoning seemed to be the way to deal with that.

The other place is Tredz and that was when I realised I'd made a mistake in the order I'd just sent in (online). The person I spoke to was able to sort it out easily.

I will say with regards to customer service at Spa I have heard, but not personally experienced, that one of their staff is notoriously grumpy. So maybe that was the person the OP spoke to initially. SJS have the same reputation with regard to one particular person there.

[Halla]

There are still a number of people around who, like me have been good customers of SPA Cycles for many years and, built up a very good relationship with them.

The telephone was often answered by the boss John Pocklington (I believe is his name), the order was processed as mine was this time, and usually with complete satisfaction.

The number of older cyclists still buying from SPA is no doubt reducing and younger people are more confident about putting their financial details on the internet, I am not and a number of older people do not even use a computer.

It is clear that there are people who come onto this forum have not even heard of SPA Cycles and do not know the products they sell, this is obvious from the questions asked.

SPA are not as well known as many of the other mail order suppliers and probably need our business as much as an LBS.

It is my personal choice what I do with my own computer and the business of no other person.

We all have a choice, I do not follow the crowd as too many others do, just to suit some one else's commercial ambitions.

This thread was started to highlight the difficulties that can be had with SPA Cycles, in particular one of their employees.

Please keep to the subject and not start attacking someone for their personal choice. It is very common on here to attack someone because you do not agree with them.

[markjohnobrien]

Look at it from Spa’s point of view. You are in the middle of building a set of wheels and you have to keep breaking off to answer the phone, possibly several times, writing down an order and going through the faff of taking card and name and address details.

Or worse, you are fulfilling the day’s orders, getting everything ready for the parcels to be picked up at a certain time, and you have to break off to deal with a telephone order, meaning that you miss the parcel collection deadline and half the day’s orders end up going out a day late. Is it any wonder that they wish to discourage telephone ordering?

Fulfilling internet orders can be done at the shop’s convenience. It could even be a dedicated person’s role, leaving everyone else free to build wheels, serve in the shop, build bikes, etc. Dealing with telephone orders can’t be done at the shop’s convenience.

A voice of sanity: It’s utterly inefficient for a small shop, such as Spa, to offer telephone orders when it actually harms efficiency and customer satisfaction as so appositely explained above.

[Bonefishblues]

As I started this thread, here is the latest:

The parcel arrived today, 3 days from order by phone, NOT 4 weeks as I was originally told. The order was not fulfilled correctly, they supplied Marathon Green Guard tyres instead of Delta Cruiser as ordered, they charged for the more expensive Marathons. Fortunately my sister accepted the more expensive option and paid. The order was for a number of items for the sort of money an LBS would welcome.

There are still a large number of people around who do not trust internet buying and I do not blame them.

Never forget, we should all have choice and not be forced to do things for the convenience of others.

On that latter point, you do have a choice, of course, and equally so does Spa. That's pretty much it, I think.