Cheap cycle parts.com (rant)

[2mstone]

I've had a lot of positive experiences with many vendors, but my last purchase was anything but happy, here is my story;
I need a right hand foot peg bracket and two other parts for my bike. Cheap cycle parts com http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/
had the lowest price by about 2 bucks.

I go to the DL1000 blow up diagrams and order the three parts after carefully comparing the drawings to the parts on my bike. I was especially careful with the foot peg bracket, checking three times by going from computer to the garage to make certain it was the correct part.
Ok, got the parts ordered, and the Cheap Cycle page confirmation says my shipment will arrive in 7 days or less.

13 days later my package arrives, two of the parts are correct, but the foot peg bracket is wrong. I found out it is wrong by taking it out of the sealed bag and comparing it to the one on my bike. It’s wrong; a little checking reveals it is for the DL650. I then searched the (incorrect) part number on their site and box pops up that tells me “this part also fits the DL1000”. Their system screwed up.

The next morning I call Cheap cycle and get a snotty person on the other end. She refuses to even discuss this problem telling me I need to go to their online return page and handle it that way. Which I do, I tell them I received the wrong part and would like to get the correct one. When I click the send button and another pop up tells me I’ll have a reply in 3 days. 2 days later I get a short and very terse reply to the effect that;

I can return the part, but shipping fees will be my expense.

They will charge a restocking fee.

If they find the part is undamaged, and in its original package they will refund my money minus the above expenses. (see above where I had to remove the part from the sealed bag to compare with the part on the bike.)

In other words I’m SOL

To recap;
It took 13 days to get the incorrect part
I can ship it back at my expense
I will be charged a restocking fee
I might get my money back
I won't be using Cheap Cycle parts.com again.

[AirDale]

I had a very similar experience with a front brake lever on a KDX I ordered from them two years ago. The part didn't fit and they told me it was a chance I took by ordering an aftermarket part that their web site said was compatible. I ended up with a brand new unusable lever siting in a drawer and had to order from somewhere else. I don't do business with them any more.

[marc11]

You know it is a no win situation for either party. I am not excusing Cheap Cycle Parts for the short replies and delays; but think about all the a$$hats that order the wrong parts and then install them or attempt to install them, only to return the part in less than new condition. What is the company supposed to do with an opened, returned part? They cannot legally sell it as new anymore, and so they have to sell it at a discount. Also consider the cost to receive the returned part, open it, inspect it, add it back to inventory in the computer, put it back into inventory physically and then process your return. It all costs money; sure its a cost of doing business, but....

When a company runs on such low margins, they often cannot afford to have such an open and liberal return policy unless they are selling tons and tons in volume.

Now, in this case the error was not due to your fault, but the websites, so maybe there should be some waiver of the fees however, I can understand the companies return policy. Yeah it bites and as my wife once said "sometimes, cheaper is more expensive" so me, I order from Bike Bandit, Ron Ayers or Rocky Mountain to avoid such issues...

Sorry about the screw up, but there are other sides to the return policy.

[twinrider]

Thanks for the heads up, OP. A good company will own up to a mistake on their part. A shitty one will always blame the customer. End of story.

[Deans BMW]

Once again the truth of the "cheapest price" is not always the "Best" price.

The name of their business should give you a definite clue to stay away from them.

Cheap cycle parts.com.... You have to be kidding

[biensur22]

Send it all back and contest the charge on your credit card. or threaten to report them to the BBB. sorry for your negative experience, good companies should always own their mistakes.

[Rick West]

Originally Posted by Deans BMW

Once again the truth of the "cheapest price" is not always the "Best" price.

The name of their business should give you a definite clue to stay away from them.

Cheap cycle parts.com.... You have to be kidding

But they had the lowest price by about two bucks

[NCK]

Originally Posted by biensur22

Send it all back and contest the charge on your credit card.

You should def. do this. Absolutely. This was their mistake, you should not pay for it.