# Chris at BikesDirect is OBNOXIOUS. AVOID BikesDirect for poor support.



## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

*AVOID BikesDirect for poor support. Chris at BikesDirect is OBNOXIOUS.*

(I have edited this post, since I was told it is not in keeping with how things are done here. I apologize for any irritation this may have caused :thumbsup: )

*Folks, I've edited this post again. Why? Because I spoke with Mike (owner) from BikesDirect on the phone, for about 45 minutes. He comes across as a stand-up guy, and sincerely cares about doing a good job at what he does and making sure things are right. He hasn't given me anything or done anything special to get me to change this. I think we all got off to a really unfortunate start, and heck, I will even accept some responsibility for that. I still do not like the inappropriate email I was sent, but I have moved past that and enthusiastically await the arrival of my new bike this week, which Mike assures me will not disappoint.*




*----- Original Message ----- 
From: [email protected] 
To: stimpsonjc 
Cc: [email protected] 
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: tires


Yes the up and back is tiring especially when you are emailing 3 addresses, bd4alternative will answer any questions you have, you have delayed another response.

Chris
*


-----Original Message-----
From: stimpsonjc
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, Aug 20, 2009 7:18 pm
Subject: tires


Now I have a question about tire sizes. I am sometimes find myself on some gravel or a poorly paved trail, and would like some input on whether I might be able to fit wider tires on the Cafe Noir. I'm looking at the 700x40 on the Elite FS and actually considering that one over the better Cafe Noir, just for tire size. I want what I believe is the better bike (Cafe Noir) and the ability to use wider tires if I find that I need them. Or are the differences not significant enough between the two and I'd be better off with the Elite FS? I buy a bike once every 10 years, so I want to get it right this time.

If we could speak on the phone, I think this would be easier. Cell: xxx-xxx-xxxx Email is fine too, just the up-and-back gets a little tiring. (pun intended)

Thanks,
Mike

.
.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

.
By the way.. You get a phone number in an email from them when you place an order, but the greeting tells you to NOT leave a message. and a recording then says "this voice mailbox is full".

I pray that my "bargain priced" several-hundred-dollar bike arrives ok and that I don't have problems, because I feel like I am not going to get any help if I do. 
.


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## andrew9223 (Jun 16, 2009)

doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me. I doubt they have a huge amount of customer service worked into their price and like most things you get what you pay for.


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## Davo57 (Aug 6, 2009)

Did you send the same email to 3 different addresses? Its hard to tell from his response, but Chris seems to suggest that you did. If so, that would probably annoy me too.

In any event, I have had no problems with Chris' responses - and I certainly have sent him enough questions recently. The responses have been timely (within 2 days) and provided me with the info I needed.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

I did NOT send this email to multiple addresses at BikesDirect, nor did I send it multiple times to one address.

Here is what happened:
1) I sent BikesDirect an email. I did not get a reply for 23 hours.
2) As the end of business day was nearing, I sent the same email to their other address. 
3) Chris said to not send multiple emails (rather NASTY in that email too, I thought) Note that he did not answer any question in that email.
4) *I did not send a duplicate email since then*.

5) I DID however send two different emails, on two different topics:

a) I sent one asking about tires. Having received no reply on that, and having gotten information elsewhere, I went ahead and ordered the bike.
b) I sent him an email _saying that I had ordered the bike_.

Am I not allowed to contact BikesDirect more than once per day, with a different subject, for fear of being admonished by the great Chris?? On what planet does that make sense?


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2009)

You seem awfully upset for someone who's bike hasn't even had time to arrive.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

kytree, your damn right I'm angry with these people. 

*I paid them, I asked them a question, and I got a rude response with no information. *

Are you another shill for BikesDirect?

Please stay out of this unless you have something useful and factual to contribute.


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

meh, get over it. 

People is people.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2009)

stimpsonjc said:


> kytree, your damn right I'm angry with these people.
> 
> *I paid them, I asked them a question, and I got a rude response with no information. *
> 
> ...


And lest I forget the PM you sent me:



> Try READING the post genius!!!
> You're obviously another SHILL for this company.
> 
> Try READING the post genius!!!
> ...



Relax before you have a heart attack.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

I'm sorry, apparently I have entered an alternate universe where it is ok to treat people with disrespect, nobody has any principles, nor any concept of customer service or common courtesy. I'm sorry to have wasted the time of the forum members, or anyone who has been recently brainwashed into thinking this kind of behavior is acceptable. 

Obviously, given all the people coming to the defense of this obviously rude email reply from Chris, I am not in the right place. 

If I have problems with this company after delivery of the bike, I know not to come here. I'm still keeping an open mind and hoping all turns out well with the bike itself. If not, the state attorney's general, better business bureau, and chamber of commerce for their area will surely be more sympathetic.
.


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## repartocorse40 (Feb 23, 2009)

what exactly is the problem here? why did you decide to do business with them if you did not like your initial correspondence?


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

dawg dawg.

give bd4 a chance to answer, it's just been a few hours. 

Clearly, some people get sarcastic, and others post in giant red font.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

repartocorse, you are right, and I only have myself to blame for going with them anyway. 

We will see, like I said, all I need out of this deal is a good working bike. 

I don't need their support unless something goes wrong. Fingers crossed.

I didn't expect the poor service to stoop to that level.

And I didn't think I'd be posting in giant red font either.


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## repartocorse40 (Feb 23, 2009)

my guess is everything will be fine.....enjoy ur ride


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

Stimpsonjc -

RE the people who have suggested that you look into yoga, meditation, or anger management therapy: You should stop dismissing those folks as not knowing what they are talking about.

Chris may or may not be perfect in every way, but consider that the benefit to you that comes from BD being understaffed is that you get a great deal on a bike. If they had enough employees to answer every "how much does it weigh" question within an hour, they would have to charge more for the bikes to cover those employees wages.


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## dismal (Jul 28, 2009)

Why did you order a bike before you knew what you were ordering?


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

dismal, Look, you're right, I'm wrong. Forget it. It's all my fault. Whatever..

brujenn, I agree of course. There is however a BARE MINIMUM expectation of service. You expect to get an answer, not a wisecrack, which was by the way inaccurate. The extra email he was admonishing me for sending WAS IRONICALLY THE EMAIL WHERE I SAID I ORDERED THE BIKE! How perfect is that.

It just proves that Chris's first order of business is to go thru his inbox and ***** at anyone that emailed him twice in one day. Mike @ BikesDirect needs to know about this.

I know Chris's response was uncalled for. You can all defend it all you want. It does not give you any credibility. When I come back to this forum some day to ask a question with a different identity, so as not to be dismissed immediately because you don't like this crazy idea I have about service and respect, I will know who to listen to. You know who you are.

BikesDirect is not some random ebayer selling junk out of their backyard. They are supposed to be professionals. A tiny bit of professionalism is what I expect.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*Flames*

I'm not sure what kind of message board you are accustomed to, but this is not the place for personal attacks, trolling, or anything else that involves a whole bunch of bold, red, italicized oversized exclamation marks.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

I see, so alerting other possible victims to poor service is not welcome here. 

Understood perfectly. I apologize for the format of my posts.


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## psykorunr (Aug 7, 2009)

stimpsonjc said:


> repartocorse, you are right, and I only have myself to blame for going with them anyway.
> 
> We will see, like I said, all I need out of this deal is a good working bike.
> 
> ...


If what you want is a good working bike, then you are likely to be pleased with your purchase. I know someone who has bought three Motobecanes over the past ten years and he has loved them. The most recent was a track bike that just arrived this week.

If you happen to not like your bike, return it or tell your credit card company to refuse payment.

Good luck. :thumbsup:


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## brujenn (Nov 26, 2007)

stimpsonjc - 

You actually got a pretty easy working over here. Bike people often have blind loyalty to bike businesses and random other things, and bash anyone who complains about their loves. Search broken pinnarelo frame and you'll see a guy take a beating for, among other things, not being smart enough to ride a crappy bike for races and save the expensive racing bike for coffee shop group rides. A regular poster here got a saddle shipped to her with a cut in it. Both she and the shop got beaten for being thin skinned and not working things out like grown ups.

Unlike the woman with the saddle issue, you haven't even had an issue yet. Your first rant was because BD didn't answer a question quickly enough, and now you don't like the way an email reads.

The thing is, BD has sold thousands of bikes, and many on RBR have had good experiences with them. I've never bought from them and have in fact been dissapointed to find that the Campy bike I would have bought was out of stock. In fact, however many months later it is, that bike is still listed, and still out of stock. If they have the right deal on a bike I want, I'll buy it from them. Even if they take 23 hours to answer an email.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*You've got it*



stimpsonjc said:


> I see, so alerting other possible victims to poor service is not welcome here.
> 
> Understood perfectly. I apologize for the format of my posts.


Saying "I'm frustrated about the level of service I got from Bikesdirect.com!" is perfectly acceptable.


SO AND SO IS A BIG FAT MEANIE!

is a little different.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

Yes, and I ordered from them because they are offering the best "bang for the buck", even after the 23 hour email delay, I ordered anyway...

They pestered me about emailing them twice, when I followed their own rules for "try this other address if we don't respond". Rather than answering the question, I got told not to email twice. Weird... 

Then after emailing them to say I ordered the bike, I get that rude email.

Come on, I may have a short fuse, but jeez, you gotta admit they sure did light that fuse.

If the bike is awesome, and but service stinks, I will be fine with that. Hopefully there will not be any damage to the bike in shipping.

I have edited my previous posts, since it was apparently not in keeping with proper etiquette on this board.


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## bikesdirect (Sep 9, 2006)

stimpsonjc said:


> Yes, and I ordered from them because they are offering the best "bang for the buck", even after the 23 hour email delay, I ordered anyway...
> 
> They pestered me about emailing them twice, when I followed their own rules for "try this other address if we don't respond". Rather than answering the question, I got told not to email twice. Weird...
> 
> ...


PLEASE send me your name and e-mail address thru PM
Or send me you phone number so I can call you

I would rather turn the bike around get it back and refund your money than have a customer who is mad before even seeing their bike

Please contact me


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## hgaskins (Aug 3, 2009)

stimpsonjc


Have you even considered the possibility that it is you who's been unreasonable. These are the titles of the two threads that you've started.



> What does it take to get BikesDirect to answer a simple question?!?!?!?!


And



> Chris at BikesDirect is OBNOXIOUS. AVOID BikesDirect for poor support.


Both of those titles demonstrates an anxiousness on your part about ordering online, and unwarranted at such an early stage in the purchase. Trust me there is nothing that anyone can say to you in an email that will make you feel validated about your choice. Only your like or dislike of the product will do that. Try taking a calmer approach, relax, and see what happens with your purchase because you just might be thoroughly satisfied. If not then you will have saved all that negative energy to vent later on.


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## The Green Hour (Jul 15, 2008)

stimpsonjc said:


> A tiny bit of professionalism is what I expect.



That same professionalism should be given in return. 

You claim to be a small business owner yourself. How would you react to some customer that openly bashes you and your business on a public forum over some petty issues.  

BD has a very good reputation and supports this forum. If you have an issue, there are more productive, civil and "professional" ways to handle them. You sound very unreasonable to say the least. If I ran BD, I would gladly send your money back and be happy to never deal with you again. The $600 is not worth it....:mad2:


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

stimpsonjc said:


> Please stay out of this unless you have something useful and factual to contribute.


You mean unless he agrees with you, right?

How's the temper working out for you, sport?


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## Lickety Split (Nov 20, 2007)

It's the new Walmart mentality.
Berate everyone you do business with till they kissyourass
and give you something for nothing.
You got what you paid for schmo.
Next time go to your LBS.
But then maybe they have already washed there hands of you also.
It sucks being you.
LS


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## tcufrog02 (Aug 14, 2007)

bikesdirect said:


> PLEASE send me your name and e-mail address thru PM
> Or send me you phone number so I can call you
> 
> I would rather turn the bike around get it back and refund your money than have a customer who is mad before even seeing their bike
> ...


This is why I will never buy from BD.


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## hgaskins (Aug 3, 2009)

> This is why I will never buy from BD.



Nah! You were a non customer long before that post but you just had make it official by posting anway.


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## tcufrog02 (Aug 14, 2007)

hgaskins said:


> Nah! You were a non customer long before that post but you just had make it official by posting anway.


Yes, you're correct because making replies on the roadbikereview forums should be deemed as "official." No one should have an opinion at all when it comes to making a purchase. I like your "roll eyes." That's cute.

However, I think the OP is a little too sensitive.


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## stimpsonjc (Aug 20, 2009)

*I've edited my first post again. Why? Because I spoke with Mike (owner) from BikesDirect on the phone, for about 45 minutes. He comes across as a stand-up guy, and sincerely cares about doing a good job at what he does and making sure things are right. He hasn't given me anything or done anything special to get me to change this. I think we all got off to a really unfortunate start, and heck, I will even accept some responsibility for that. I still do not like the inappropriate email I was sent, but I have moved past that and enthusiastically await the arrival of my new bike this week, which Mike assures me will not disappoint.*


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## koyaanisqatsi (Aug 5, 2009)

*Why didn't you cancel the order?*

Early on in the process, when you sensed things were not going as you thought they should, you might have requested that order be cancelled. Furthermore, you could have called your credit card company (I assume that you paid via credit card) and asked that they stop payment? The bike had not been shipped yet and you were dissatisfied with the service you were getting as I understand things, so this should have been possible.

I had decided not to deal with Bikes Direct because they look like a very high volume distributor and I felt I might not get the service I wanted. But I actually have nothing against Bike Direct and they _may_ provide quite good service on average. Similarly, I've decided not to do business with Competitive Cyclist because their physical address and local phone number are not prominently displayed on their Web site, AND I got quite a run-around when I emailed them about this issue. I don't do business with Internet distributors if they do not provide a physical address and local phone number. A simple thing that they could easily correct, but they'll not get my business. They may not need my business. BTW, their reason for not prominently displaying their address on their home page for example, was that they were trying to avoid "clutter". OK! But they could have put the address and phone number on their "About Us" and/or "Contact Us" pages, and I was told, incorrectly as it turned out, by Zach that that was where the information was. Caveat emptor!



stimpsonjc said:


> (I have edited this post, since I was told it is not in keeping with how things are done here. I apologize for any irritation this may have caused :thumbsup: )
> 
> *Folks, I've edited this post again. Why? Because I spoke with Mike (owner) from BikesDirect on the phone, for about 45 minutes. He comes across as a stand-up guy, and sincerely cares about doing a good job at what he does and making sure things are right. He hasn't given me anything or done anything special to get me to change this. I think we all got off to a really unfortunate start, and heck, I will even accept some responsibility for that. I still do not like the inappropriate email I was sent, but I have moved past that and enthusiastically await the arrival of my new bike this week, which Mike assures me will not disappoint.*
> 
> ...


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## mtymxdh (Dec 21, 2007)

are motobecanes good bikes?


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## moab63 (Aug 7, 2006)

*I have bought 13 bike from them and also*

some off the hook christmas deals, and everytime I got my stuff right and on time. I will buy again. Mike any deals this year.

I work retail and have for many years, and I know for a fact that the are 3 stories of what happen.
Your side 
His side

and more importantly the truth.:thumbsup:


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