I should have known better. It’s been almost a month since the bike was delivered and it’s been an endless series of emails/calls to the bike shop in Chicago where I purchased it.  The problems all boil down to horrible customer service. Here’s the short list:
- Parts substituted without confirmation from customer (sent red panniers/handlebar bag instead of black).
- Invoice/receipt not sent until 4 weeks after order placed.
- Parts charged and not delivered (spare tire, map case, bar ends all of which I ended up getting 2 weeks later).
- Promises made and not kept (credit not given for handlebar bag).
- Arrogance– I was actually told tonight that sure I was dissatisfied but they have a very happy customer base in Chicago. Well James, a rating of 2.3 / 5 from a web site that rates bike shops in Chicago kind of contradicts that.
So now I’m not sure what to do. The last thing I want to do is ride around a place like South America with flashy red gear on my bike.
Update #1 Figured out what to do. Opened case with American Express.
Update #2 Received full credit from American Express.
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I’d say that red panniers are the least of your worries… Generally speaking, I’d say you need to just remain alert and stay smart… While I was in Guatemala, the people who didn’t get roughed up were the ones who didn’t flash their stuff. I met one guy who walked between two rural towns, but he did so with his pack and some other stuff… He was mugged by two guys with a broken bottle. A woman I know walked the same route, without anything of value and she arrived unscathed.