Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both?(Ultimately helped by Felt)

Mar 18, 11 4:15

Post #1 of 187 (16348 views)

My good friend in my tri group was in the market for a new bike around Christmas time. Right after the holidays in early January he went to a LBS here in Dallas and pulled the trigger on a new '11 Felt B12. He tried a bunch of bikes, but the B12 is what fit him best in the pocketbook and in the saddle. He paid for the bike in full that day and was told that his new 60cm B12 would not be in until March 16th. It seemed like a long time to wait, but he was willing to do it. He called the LBS last week to check on it and they told him that they called Felt and were told that his bike would be in the shipment next week to their store. My buddy was excited. After this long wait the time was finally coming where he would meet his new bride. Wed, March 16th comes around and the LBS had not called him yet, so he decided to give them a call. This is when the story goes bad. They told him that his bike was not on the Felt shipment earlier this week and that they called Felt and were told that Felt was done making 60cm B12 for 2011 and that he would not be getting this bike. He flipped out obviously. Very upset about all of this. Who do you think dropped the ball? Do you think that Felt knew this all along back in January and just strung everyone along? Do you think the LBS knew about it and strung my friend along? The whole situation sucks for my friend. Any suggestions about what he should do? If anyone here on slowtwitch was in the market for a '11 60cm B12, you might be out of luck unless you find an LBS with one in stock already.

Edit: Also, the LBS did tell him that they were willing to make a good deal on another bike.

Edit: Here is the resolution to the situation so that you don't have to read through 7 pages to find out: The problem has been resolved. Thanks entirely to SuperDave from Felt, without his help I am sure none of this would have been resolved and it would have ended up with a pissed off customer not riding a Felt or shopping at a certain LBS. It seems that the LBS did drop the ball in fact and that Felt has been unbelievably helpful in correcting the problem. They put my friend on a B10 for a great deal. SuperDave and Felt have gone a long way in my eyes and their customer service in this situation has been A+. I currently ride a Trek Speed Concept, but after seeing the way that Felt has taken care of my friend, I will definitely look their way in the future.

Last edited by: Esmooth: Mar 25, 11 12:46

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 4:49

Post #2 of 187 (16293 views)

I can't add much but if I had paid for that particular bike, under those circumstances, that LBS would be calling around trying to locate one for me. It's not too much to ask them to do as they would have more/better contacts than you or your friend. They should at least make the attempt.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [cjj] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 4:55

Post #3 of 187 (16279 views)

I placed an order for a B14 back in September and never received it until late December. They pushed my delivery date back 4 times. Cervelo is also very slow on getting the new 2011 bikes out. It's worth the wait if they can find him one.

Last edited by: marmiller22: Mar 18, 11 4:57

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 5:34

Post #4 of 187 (16194 views)

Let me start by saying that I would never try and screw my LBS, I am very good friends with the owner but I also wouldn't want to burn that bridge. But, in my eyes it doesn't matter who dropped the ball, the dealer or Felt themselves. Somebody let your friend down and being that they took his money already I believe it is up to the dealer and Felt to work together to get your friend the closest model in his size for next to no difference in price. There is obviously a profit margin built into the price of every Felt bike sold, lets say for arguments sake that it is 25%. Now lets say retail on the B16 is $2000, and that's what your friend payed, now lets say the the B14 retails for $2400, cost on a B14 would be $1800 from Felt. My point is that the dealer and Felt can make it work, the dealer isn't making what they normally need to, but they are making a customer who already paid happy again and he will be more likely to return for all the other items he needs as well as recommend that shop and Felt to others. Hear out what the LBS has to say on making him a deal on a higher model, it may well be worth his time. If he doesn't like what they have to say he can ask for a full refund to shop elsewhere, I'm sure they will do all they can to not see that happen.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:20

Post #5 of 187 (16085 views)

All of these posts about "my bike isn't in yet" blah blah. Seriously this must be the year of many people ordering bikes for the first time. This delay in getting bikes delivered is nothing new and across all brands. When LBS' give a date of delivery that is a projection...not the guaranteed date.

I think that your LBS failed to communicate that to your friend. Most bike shops that make a $3000+ sale of a bike want to say that their bike will be delivered by "X" date and when it isn't there by then, the finger gets pointed to the bike company. Also having worked at an LBS for years while in school, we never knew exactly when bikes would arrive.

I'm just saying...enough with these threads. When you order a bike for the third of fourth time, you'll realize this is common place.

< Quitting Isn't An Option >

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [CJS25] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:30

Post #6 of 187 (16043 views)

If this is so commonplace, how many times have you ordered a bike, paid for it, and then 3 months later been told they sold you something that isn't coming ever?

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [CJS25] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:31

Post #7 of 187 (16036 views)

"They told him that his bike was not on the Felt shipment earlier this week and that they called Felt and were told that Felt was done making 60cm B12 for 2011 and that he would not be getting this bike."

This is not a "my bike isn't here fast enough for me" complaint.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:35

Post #8 of 187 (16018 views)

It is impossible to tell who dropped the ball in this scenario....based on my experiences in the industry, my gut reaction is the LBS, but I have nothing to back that up in terms of hard evidence.

That said, why would anyone pay for something like this up front? You are dropping HUGE $$ on something you won't see for months? Huh? Besides the financial shortcomings of such a move, you also lose all leverage with the dealer. They have their coin now. If they forget to order the bike, or just get lazy or whatever, you have nothing to hold over their heads. Yeah, you could demand your money back, but they have also had the benefit of your $$ for 3 months. IN the meantime, they also know you really want the bike.

Lesson learned is only place a deposit for stuff like this - you then have the carrot of the final payment to induce the LBS to get your bike in ASAP.

Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

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Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [CJS25] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:35

Post #9 of 187 (16018 views)

I'm assuming your reading comprehension is up to par and you just failed to read the OP's ("friend's") entire scenario. The bike is not delayed....it's not coming at all. As in, it will NEVER arrive. Additionally, nobody took the initiative to call the guy. The bottom line is that customer service is a lost art for probably 80% of all business...period.

I like jfiore's idea...

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [CJS25] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:38

Post #10 of 187 (16006 views)

CJS25 wrote:

All of these posts about "my bike isn't in yet" blah blah. Seriously this must be the year of many people ordering bikes for the first time. This delay in getting bikes delivered is nothing new and across all brands. When LBS' give a date of delivery that is a projection...not the guaranteed date.

I think that your LBS failed to communicate that to your friend. Most bike shops that make a $3000+ sale of a bike want to say that their bike will be delivered by "X" date and when it isn't there by then, the finger gets pointed to the bike company. Also having worked at an LBS for years while in school, we never knew exactly when bikes would arrive.

I'm just saying...enough with these threads. When you order a bike for the third of fourth time, you'll realize this is common place.

CJS25 - Did you even read the post? Stop being a jerk for one second and read the original post. It says nothing about the bike being delayed. The LBS told my friend that he would not be getting the B12 at all. That is after more than two months went by. It has nothing to do with it being delayed longer. It is about him not getting it at all because Felt is saying they are not going to be producing any more 60cm B12 bikes for 2011.

I am guessing you didn't have your coffee yet this morning or you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But show a little focus before you go into one of your tirades.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:40

Post #11 of 187 (15993 views)

Use this as an opportunity to have the LBS make up for their mistake by giving a great deal on a B10.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [oceanlife] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:44

Post #12 of 187 (15976 views)

oceanlife wrote:

Use this as an opportunity to have the LBS make up for their mistake by giving a great deal on a B10.

That is what I told my friend. I told him to see if you can get a good deal on the B10. He is in Germany for a week on business and is going to talk to them when he gets back. The LBS is a pretty big shop here in Dallas and they do a lot of business. They have been very helpful with me in the past and I am sure they will do something to make it right, but the whole situation is definitely frustrating.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:48

Post #13 of 187 (15958 views)

I'm not angry about your friend's situation and I read through the post...but in my rant I forgot to address my second point before posting.

As mentioned by another user that your LBS should take the initiative to call around to other stores (both locally or further out if needed) to get a 60cm Felt B12 sent over.

In regards to your comment: "But show a little focus before you go into one of your tirades."

This wasn't a tirade but unfortunately with the increasing interest and participation into triathlon/multi-sport (which is a great thing) we have a lot of people who are new to the logistics of how bikes are ordered, built, shipped etc. Most people just expect them immediately.

You've been a member for a little over a week, so I'm assuming that you haven't seen the number of threads that come through about "my bike is late/not here yet".

But in all sincerity, welcome to ST...there are many people with stubborn minds, argumentative remarks, making fun of each other, and the occasional very informative posts :)

< Quitting Isn't An Option >

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 6:55

Post #14 of 187 (15924 views)

From the forum FAQ:

WHAT CAN'T I POST HERE? Your post should not be off-topic. We are especially cranky about trial-by-internet. Do not register to post on this forum only to have your first post be a complaint against a company doing business in the sport of triathlon. After you've been here awhile, if you do want to lodge a complaint, it should include documentation, it should be measured, it should not be personal, and you should demonstrate discretion. You should also not lodge a complaint against a named entity unless you yourself are willing to be identifiable, that is, no anonymous rants.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [CJS25] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:04

Post #15 of 187 (15883 views)

CJS25 - Lol, Yeah, I broke my virginity and had my first post about a week ago. I have been lurking on slowtwitch for about 6 months now just reading it every single day. Never really had anything to say until about a week ago. I do understand what you are talking about though. I have seen way too many posts about a bike being late. My Project 1 Trek Speed Concept was ordered back in February and my LBS(different one than my friends) showed me on the Project 1 screen that it would be there in 14 days. It is now over a month late. But, I kind of expected it. Especially after reading a bunch of other posts about orders being late. I am not going to complain about it, just anxious for the bike to come in. My friends situation has been different, as he waited the two or so months they told him it would take and then told him that he would not be getting it at all. Hopefully they will be able to work something out and get him a different bike or maybe like another poster said, locate one for him.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:10

Post #16 of 187 (15863 views)

I would disagree with the one poster that says "it's common practice". Been cycling for more yrs than I can recall at this point. A reliable shop knows his Reps and knows what is taking place with shipments. Burn a shop? No, but would I return to one who doesn't try to make good on something they have control over, no.. control meaning: "They can get your buddy as good as a deal on a replacement bike as possible and fast."

The shop should bend over backwards to find a remedy to make this customer happy. If he is local and the shop is local, a bad reputation spreads quickly. I've seen many a shop go under due to a bad rap going around. In fact one just closed in my area exactly for that reason. The bad reputation eventually lead to a diminished customer base.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [schroeder] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:12

Post #17 of 187 (15852 views)

schroeder wrote:

From the forum FAQ:

You should also not lodge a complaint against a named entity unless you yourself are willing to be identifiable, that is, no anonymous rants.

I have no problem being identified. My friend wouldn't have any problem with me identifying him either. We talked about it last night before he got on a plane to Germany. I told him to post something on slowtwitch about it. He was at the airport and was about to get on the plane. It was going to be about 17 hours or so until he would be at a computer in Germany. He asked me to post it. So, I did this morning. I don't think it is right to name the LBS. They are a good LBS and I think they should be given some time to try and correct the situation before any kind of complaint is filed against them if at all. I guess I don't really understand your post schroeder. What do you want? Do you want my name and my friends name? Do you want the order number? Do you want the sale price? I don't understand why you posted this. I tried to be as specific as possible, but also tried to protect some of the parties involved. I needed to post the name of Felt because I was hoping that maybe someone might have a good answer as to a similar situation they might have faced with the same company in the past.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:16

Post #18 of 187 (15838 views)

Well Super Dave does prose these halls. Maybe he will chime in on the 011 production schedules?

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Power13] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:24

Post #19 of 187 (15799 views)

Power13 wrote:

That said, why would anyone pay for something like this up front? You are dropping HUGE $$ on something you won't see for months? Huh?

Totally agree with this. Is it common place for dealers to ask for full payment upfront?!?!? I've purchased 6 bikes over the past 4 years and have never been asked to put more than half down upfront.

-Andrew

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [jbsurfin] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:25

Post #20 of 187 (15794 views)

I agree. The LBS should have called and then jumped thru all the hoops finding this bike.

I ordered a 2011 Specialized Transition in early winter 2010. I was told I should have the bike around Christmas. My LBS didn't require ANY deposit/pre-payment. He just said "you can pay me when the bike gets here". The transition arrived about a month later than he expected but he emailed often with updates. This is how a dealer should treat customers.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [jbsurfin] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 7:31

Post #21 of 187 (15771 views)

superdave and most of the bike world (on the manufacturing / product devp side) is in taiwan at the moment, at the taipei bike show.

to the OP:

good luck getting a b10. that's a more in-demand bike than the b12.

bottom line, spit happens. assuming everything you said is true, the responsibility lies with the retailer. he's your buddy's point of contact. your buddy did no deal with felt or anybody else OTHER than the retailer. this isn't to say the retailer screwed your buddy, but, if you're asking whose responsibility it is to fix the problem (i believe that's what you asked) the answer is: the retailer.

furthermore, the BEST retailers welcome this. they WANT to be the responsible party, when things go well and when they go poorly. in this case, they went poorly. it's the retailer's chance to make good.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 11:28

Post #22 of 187 (15532 views)

Slowman - I agree with you. The responsibility should be with the POC which is the LBS. Then the LBS should have to deal with whoever their POC is. I will keep you guys updated with what happens in his situation.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

PeacefulWarrior

Mar 18, 11 12:01

Post #23 of 187 (15424 views)

Others have commented that ALL bike companies have problems at this time of year with shipping, getting backed up etc.....

Last week I commented in ANOTHER Felt complaint thread that there is at least one a week on Felts shipping delays. As for my first sentence, I have NOT read any threads with anyone complaining about Specialized, Trek, Orbea, Cervelo etc....I'm not sure what Felts problem is, but when you have as many complaint threads on here as they do, Im guessing it is NOT the LBS's problem. Felt apparently has issues.

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [Esmooth] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 12:14

Post #24 of 187 (15376 views)

Ok I'm REALLY out of touch with new bikes as I'm the 1%er. Buy used and build up in the garage.

The last time I bought a new frame that wasn't in stock was a Merlin Extralight around 1995. Somewhere on the order of a month to get it and I paid for it when it was handed across the counter. Is paying for bikes before delivery common place now?

Re: Screwed by Felt, LBS, or both? [tigerpaws] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 11 12:16

Post #25 of 187 (15369 views)

tigerpaws wrote:

Ok I'm REALLY out of touch with new bikes as I'm the 1%er. Buy used and build up in the garage.

The last time I bought a new frame that wasn't in stock was a Merlin Extralight around 1995. Somewhere on the order of a month to get it and I paid for it when it was handed across the counter. Is paying for bikes before delivery common place now?

When I bought my TREK SC one shop told me 20% down and another told me 50% down. I guess it depends on what shop you go to.

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