Who is right, who is wrong

poita

Likes Dirt
Good on you Melony for keeping it civil and sticking to your guns without being unreasonable! Bummer you lost 20%, but at least it wasn't 100%. and a good example for your young son too, a story to tell him when hes older.

Hope you either find a better lbs (probably hard in a small town) or buy online, get a rad bike and go shred.
 

Slowman

Likes Dirt
Slowman & johnny,
It became a police matter when I was threatened with violence on my first visit around lunch, than when I went back in the afternoon the threats were worse. Being a small town a few people outside noticed his Argo and gathered around. This made him worse I gather, in the end I asked him to call police as I seen it as I was worried for my son in my arms and they were the only way to get him to listen
Well as I said threats of assault or something like that...but small town and small town cop I see why he's tried to be the referee in the middle, to try and keep the peace.

What's to stop this guy from doing it again? Well if he owes anyone more than $2000 they can as a creditor have a wind up notice sent to his business if he fails to pay the outstanding debt or make agreeable arrangements within 21 days an application can be made to have the business wound up, selling off the assets to get the debt paid. Sounds simple but it isn't and there are risks and expenses embarking on such actions.

Everything about this screams solvency problems. Sadly an 80% refund might be the best result possible, if this guy goes under sooner it could be less. Sometimes you have to take a pragmatic view on these things.
 

MARKL

Eats Squid
To the OP, now that you have gotten 80% back with the other 20% unlikely at best I would write a polite letter to the distributor of the bike you were trying to buy and advise them of your '<<insert brand>> experience'. In my view the distributor won't want their brand associated with such practices, especially if the shop is on 'stop' or similar with the distributor.
 
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MountGower

Likes Dirt
Melony

That was quite a read. The 20% loss isn't great but it sounds like you nearly lost it all.

I live at Coorparoo, just near the Gabba. If you see something within a reasonable distance and need it picked up and stored because it's used or the shop wants it gone, let me know. My house is clad down stairs and locked tight. There is a lined room under there that is dust free.

Good luck getting a bike. I hope the next effort is a success. Maybe you could post / repost the size of the bike so people can keep a look out.
 

Melony

Likes Bikes
Thanks mountgower for the offer I went for a drive yesterday and picked up a Scott scale 960, which is the plan to ride for the next 12 to 18 months. Than look at getting something else maybe a carbon 29er of some sort.
The Scott was second on my list after the giant I was waiting for, I learnt two lessons from this whole nightmare. Firstly DO NOT PAY A FULL DEPOSIT 20% is king LOL, Secondly deal with a person that you fell comfortable with no matter if they are local of a million miles away, judge a book by its cover.
 

MountGower

Likes Dirt
That's great Melony.

It sounds like this is all behind you now. If it's any consolation, we've all been rationalised in to a bike that's the wrong size, wrong type or learned an expensive lesson some way. It's almost like some wierd, sad right of passage to make sure we know the game we are playing before we make our next move.

I really think that deposits are BS to be honest. If the shop is a BrandX dealer, they should be happy to order the bike, even if you change your mind. Perhaps XS or a model that doesn't sell well, but not what you ordered. That should have been on the floor or on the way and a deposit shouldn't have even been discussed.

Anyway, that's all a distraction now. Go start a thread about where to ride around Northern Rivers and make sure it's got plenty of plots and piccies.

Enjoy the new bike.
 

Pebble

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I guess this is why my latest bike purchase I didn't even consider online deals that could easily have been tempting. I was on the other side of the country (in NSW about to move to WA) when I chose and LBS near where I was moving and ordered my beloved STP, a deposit was all it took and the bike was on order, which we picked up not long after we drove across. Gee they even swapped the stock fork over for me for a Pike I had and wanted on there all with no extra charge! Compared to a shop in Perth that we brought a bike from for DH on an earlier trip across and they didn't even answer my emails after the fact!

Ever since then whenever I've called in or called them on the phone they remembered me by name even though I was living in another town about 45 min drive away. I didn't go there often for this or that but times I did they were always great and they always knew me by name. So we brought the kids bikes from them and it was only right to buy our most recent bikes there.
Sure I've brought a few bits off CRC and have been through a couple of 2nd hand bikes, in the end when you have a good LBS it's good to give them at least fair share of your business.

I live in a smallish town too (the last town was even smaller and didn't even have an LBS), so I just hope you can find a good LBS even it it isn't as close as it could be!
 
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