SJS Cycles

dodger · Post by **dodger** » 4 Mar 2008, 7:33pm

Bought some low cost panniers from SJS on E bay. Phoned yesterday (mon) panniers here today (tues).
I'm happy with this service.

Jeckyll_n_Snyde · Post by **Jeckyll_n_Snyde** » 5 Mar 2008, 4:17am

Ditto

Arrived very quickly..... ordered offa Fleabay
they aint "touring" standard but excellent for nipping to the shops/library.

andrewblee · Post by **andrewblee** » 12 Mar 2008, 9:00pm

I bought a thorn bike and 18 months later the ceramic rims started to flake. I rang SJS Cycles and they agreed to re-build the wheels on new rims and provide new brake blocks all at their cost. They never discount but I feel less sore about this when they give such good post sales service.

WolfUK · Post by **WolfUK** » 22 Apr 2008, 12:11pm

I'd always had pretty good service from SJS Cycles until today and since I will happily post positive comments about stores I suppose that it is only fair that I post negative ones too.

My housemate had to go to Bridgewater today to get his motorbike serviced and I suggested that he visit SJS whilst he was waiting since he wanted some cycling shoes. Unfortunately, despite their web site saying "St John Street Cycles is a mail-order and retail bicycle shop ..." (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/article-About-Us-about.htm), he discovered that they are really just a warehouse and office. During a somewhat curt exchange he was told that he could only look at shoes if he knew the stock number and that he couldn't use a computer to look any up.

To compound this, I'd emailed SJS this morning to follow-up on an outstanding order which they concluded was lost in the post so they would send a replacement package out (good customer service ... credit where credit's due!). I then suggested that my flatmate might be able to pick up the package to save them the postage and packaging costs and got a fairly terse reply back saying that this would be illegal and that purchasing items over the phone or via the internet and then picking them up in person is against the law. Unfortunately I knew the tone behind the email having been told by my flatmate how rude the same person had been to him.

Anyway, I emailed SJS to point out that they might like to update their web site to reflect that they were not a shop and got a reply back saying that they used to be a shop years ago but no longer are which, since I'm now just going to go around in circles, is where I'm leaving the exchange.

I may use SJS Cycles again but the attitude of this one employee has soured my opinion of them. However, more importantly, if you assume that they are a shop based on their own description on their own web site then you'll be disappointed so don't waste your time on a visit.

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 22 Apr 2008, 1:13pm

WolfUK wrote:To compound this, I'd emailed SJS this morning to follow-up on an outstanding order which they concluded was lost in the post so they would send a replacement package out (good customer service ... credit where credit's due!). I then suggested that my flatmate might be able to pick up the package to save them the postage and packaging costs and got a fairly terse reply back saying that this would be illegal and that purchasing items over the phone or via the internet and then picking them up in person is against the law.

I'm not sure how it would be illegal but it is certainly against the tems of most credit card / debit card providers in respect of 'purchaser not present' transactions, i.e. where ID has not been proved. I believe they will normally only permit delivery to the registered address of the cardholder. This seems an obvious measure to reduce fraud. Since one delivery to your address had failed, that might be even more reason to insist on following the rules. Whatever, it's obviously no reason for people to be rude.

WolfUK · Post by **WolfUK** » 22 Apr 2008, 1:17pm

thirdcrank wrote:I'm not sure how it would be illegal but it is certainly against the tems of most credit card / debit card providers in respect of 'purchaser not present' transactions, i.e. where ID has not been proved. I believe they will normally only deliver to the registered address of the cardholder. This seems an obvious measure to reduce fraud. Since one delivery to your address had failed, that might be even more reason to insist on following the rules. Whatever, it's obviously no reason for people to be rude.

I'd agree with your comments but it's not coming to the registered card address (it's coming to work) and I would have thought that having had one package get lost in the Royal Mail sorting system they would have been happier to hand it over. Plus, since then I've found a post somewhere else where someone recommends them because you can collect items you ordered on-line and over the phone!

Anyway, as you say, whatever the case, there is no need for rudeness and that is the bit that's wound me up.

bikepacker · Post by **bikepacker** » 22 Apr 2008, 3:54pm

In my experience the staff of SJSC are very good a customer service. It is Robin Thorn who is rude and cares little for the customers.

WolfUK · Post by **WolfUK** » 22 Apr 2008, 3:57pm

bikepacker wrote:In my experience the staff of SJSC are very good a customer service. It is Robin Thorn who is rude and cares little for the customers.

Yes, in fairness to them I probably should have made it clearer that this is the first time that I've had problems with SJS and in the past the non-sales people I've dealt with with have been fantastic, very helpful and very knowledgeable.

horizon · Post by **horizon** » 22 Apr 2008, 8:12pm

I once turned up at closing time in St John Street and got the same response (It's not a shop) but they let me have a good look at the bikes which is what I wanted. I once had a long conversation with Robin Thorn over the phone; he was friendly but then he was trying to sell me a tandem. I think Robin is a bit of a maverick and if you want bikes that are a bit out of the ordinary then that is what you will get. I've had mixed experiences ordering stuff over the phone but again they sell lots of quirky stuff. I liike the fact that it isn't a faceless US corporation and I have to say I really like the bikes (just that they are out of my price range).

jonbott · Post by **jonbott** » 22 Apr 2008, 9:36pm

bought a tandem looooong time ago from them no problems and they brought it down on the train for us

ahhh I miss tandem riding

edge1255 · Post by **edge1255** » 4 Aug 2008, 8:37pm

I recently ordered a pair of the new Panaracer Ribmo tyres from SJS but, after getting an acknowledgment of the order didn't hear anything more for about a week. I emailed them chasing the order and discovered that the tyres had been sent out the following day, but had never arrived at my home address. SJS wasted no time and sent out a replacement set that day which arrived next morning. I can only say that I am very pleased with the service I've had from them.

PS the ribmos are great tyres, too!!

JohnW · Post by **JohnW** » 10 Aug 2008, 10:36am

If I'm ordering from anywhere, I check who the carriers are.

If Parcel Force are the supplier's carriers, I don't order because, as a recipient, I've had trouble and problems from Parcel Force.

If SJS send by parcel force, that may be a factor.

As far as possible, I stick with my local bike shop(s).

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 10 Aug 2008, 11:31am

JohnW

We are often in agreement. I've not bought from SJS recently, but they did used to use Business Post. I suppose everybody is different but my local Business Post man is 100+ % brill. When my Cannondale shopping bike came from SJS I was out and he went right up the street till he found somebody in.

Now I'm retired I'm generally in for deliveries and I am able to help neighbours out with this sort of thing. I'd have to say the whole Parcel Force set up is a joke.

AlanW · Post by **AlanW** » 10 Aug 2008, 9:24pm

Personally I wouldn't use them even if they were the last bike shop on this earth.

Cutting a long story very short...

I ordered a Thorn 853 Cyclosportive complete bike them a couple of years ago.

Waited over seven months for it, excuse after excuse. Then when it finally arrived they had got the colour wrong and also got the spec wrong.

I would not have minded but I went down to the shop at every stage to make sure that everything was going to plan.

Every detail was documented to avoid any possible mistakes, worked well didn't it...!

Then the second day out on the bike the chain wrapped itself around the bottom bracket and ripped all the paint off.

Furthermore the chain also managed to get sucked up and onto the wrong side of the chain stay, so even more damage.

I use the word "paint", more like watered down emulsion.

Needless to say it was returned the next day and a full refund was given. :shock:

aesmith · Post by **aesmith** » 11 Aug 2008, 8:20am

JohnW wrote:If Parcel Force are the supplier's carriers, I don't order because, as a recipient, I've had trouble and problems from Parcel Force.

I so happens that Parcel Force is good for us, because they sub the actual delivery out to the normal Royal Mail postie in rural areas. So the delivery is by someone who actually knows where we live, and we have an established arrangement to accept deliveries if we're not in.

As for SJS, I had positive experiences with both them and the Thorn side of the business. There were some problems, but they were very willing to get them sorted out immediately.

Tony S