Cycletreads, you are crap

**SlowHand** · 4th December 2013, 21:28

I'm not a fan of these shop bagging posts, but its different when it happens to you, and hopefully there won't be any more frustrated suckers.

Anyway, here's my plight. Went for a free WOF at Cycletreads after getting some tyres few months ago. Leave bike, head up stairs, free coffee, look at some helmets as mine needs replacing, helpful staff, all very pleasant. Head downstairs, the guy says they had to change the number plate light bulb. At this point I remember I'd unplugged it to measure up for a tail tidy and never plugged it back. Ask him if the cable was unplugged or if the bulb was out too (there's his out right there). Dude gets defensive and starts rambling, ask a few more times, same rambling. Threatens with WOF fail for non-payment, I say you can replace the old bulb and I'll just come back with the plug plugged in without it causing me any fuss. More rambling and he starts walking away. Counter staff has exactly same attitude. Decide $20 is not worth my time and pay the $ and head off, write to manager the next day. We'll investigate they say. 2 weeks (still no followup response) on I get the bike serviced by a reputable mechanic who points out both fork seals are leaking and brake pads are very low. Funny, as I hadn't ridden the bike since getting the WOF. Write to Cycletreads again, this time no response after nearly a week.

Dishonest, incompetent, shit followup. Rant over.

**Blackshear** · 4th December 2013, 21:49

Fortunately for myself, I've only ever experience one major cockup with them.
Bought a DID chain (first chain I'd ever bought) and they fitted it (for free, before they started charging for fitments, which is fair enough).
Rode it 60km to Helensville, where I saw a piece of o-ring rubber on the asphalt where I parked. Matched the other o-rings, which some of had completely disappeared and a few very sticky links.
Tentatively rode back and asked what was up. Free replacement, since I'd just been in the day before. Same thing happened, they inspected more closely and came to the conclusion that my rear sprocket was bent. So I got a cheap as shit heavy duty chain.
Same thing happened, but this time after 300km.
I paid $120 for ANOTHER D.I.D chain and decided to fit it myself. I'm ashame to say that upon fitting, I had to adjust the left tensioner a whole SEVEN turns to properly line up both sprockets correctly. SEVEN!!!

Been using that same chain since 21 thou ago flawlessly. I chalked this up to sheer oversight, not saying it was forgivable, but shit happens.

I'm sad to hear you had issues, but I'm a lot more conscious of management not trying to please the customer at all, it seems.

Two sides to a story, I guess.

**Berries** · 4th December 2013, 21:59

Originally Posted by Blackshear

Fortunately for myself, I've only ever experience one major cockup with them.

Replacing a bulb that wasn't working is hardly a cockup is it? Even when they must have then found that it was unplugged as the new one didn't work. A simple 'Yeh, sorry, I had unplugged the cable' may have resulted in no charge for the bulb, who knows.

Perhaps they thought they were on Target?

**Blackshear** · 4th December 2013, 22:07

Originally Posted by Berries

Replacing a bulb that wasn't working is hardly a cockup is it? Even when they must have then found that it was unplugged as the new one didn't work. A simple 'Yeh, sorry, I had unplugged the cable' may have resulted in no charge for the bulb, who knows.

Perhaps they thought they were on Target?

Maybe the guy didn't do a physical check, just said it was blown after assuming since the headlight was on, tail should be too and couldn't admit he overlooked.

I dunno. Either way, management should be actively pursuing this.

**Mike.Gayner** · 5th December 2013, 07:22

I'm sorry, did you say $20 to fit a light bulb?

Fortunately I never did get to see just how bad their work is, because they never got back to me. I wound up taking my bike to a trusted local mechanic, Brian at Smith's here in Tauranga. Turns out his tyres are about 15% cheaper than Cycletread's online pricing, and he fits and balances them for a song. Can't complain.

**R650R** · 5th December 2013, 08:12

So you ride around with no number plate light because you 'unplugged it to measure up tail tidy unit'... tui ad right there. He's probably just saved you from being pulled by a cop who would have thought you've unplugged it to aid in escaping prosecutions, and would have given you ticket for brakes/fork seals also.
I'm sorry but if you don't do your own pre wof inspection before rolling into shop you can hardly bag them for this and you shouldn't need a mechanic to tell you your brake pads are low and fork seals leaking...
I had a GOOD experience with them recently, lovely lady telephoned when several items were unavailable and we organised substitute items on some, great service.

**iranana** · 5th December 2013, 08:31

20 bones for a bulb is rather steep. Very steep. That's more than a week's supply of fruit. I've been there a few times to pick up miscellaneous bike things, and I've always found most of the staff kind of unhelpful or stand off-ish. Maybe it's cause I'm young and they assume I know jack shit, but I dunno. Don't even get me started on their online store... Wouldn't trust anyone with my bike quite frankly. I'm too much of a stingy cunt to pay someone else to do what I can do in a weekend anyway.

**Zedder** · 5th December 2013, 08:43

Ya can't bloody win though, apparently Wellington Motorcycles are all good except the coffee's deadly...

**Katman** · 5th December 2013, 08:45

(To add some balance to the thread....)

I've had customers come in for WOF checks who have gone to great lengths to clean up their fork legs in order to hide the fact that the seals were leaking.

**G4L4XY** · 5th December 2013, 08:51

I recently purchased something online, glad to say it arrived promptly and I got what I ordered. Also each time I go in there they always ask if they can help, always get a bit of a discount off as well. Shit maybe it's just my good looks haha.

Did have a bit of an altercation with a workshop staff member one time though. Forget what work I got done but the throttle play was fucked after they worked on it, basically had a 30-40 maybe even more mm play, then they wanted to charge me to fix it when it was them that fucked it. Ended up having to talk to another guy as the first guy wasn't even listening. I didn't care that they screwed it up just wanted them to fix their problem. Got screwed over too after a full service was done which included the tank coming off and after a few days the rubber tank guards had fallen off and was producing a loud banging sound over bumps. I ended up paying for that when I shouldn't have, I didn't put the pieces of the puzzle together until it was too late though

I'd still recommend them though

**BuzzardNZ** · 5th December 2013, 09:02

Originally Posted by Zedder

Ya can't bloody win though, apparently Wellington Motorcycles are all good except the coffee's deadly...

They do a decent job most of the time.

I've had a few issues with some of their work, but still been a loyal customer for over 25 years.

**Zedder** · 5th December 2013, 09:18

Originally Posted by BuzzardNZ

They do a decent job most of the time.

I've had a few issues with some of their work, but still been a loyal customer for over 25 years.

That's great, and you've obviously built up a tolerance to the coffee or don't drink it.

**BuzzardNZ** · 5th December 2013, 09:27

Originally Posted by Zedder

That's great, and you've obviously built up a tolerance to the coffee or don't drink it.

I had a cup once, blacked out and woke up with a new bike and a sore arse

**Zedder** · 5th December 2013, 09:52

Originally Posted by BuzzardNZ

I had a cup once, blacked out and woke up with a new bike and a sore arse

Lol!

Seriously though, in this day and age plus the rights of the consumer IMHO, it boils down to the fact of whether the supplier deserves my hard earned money. The customer is always right.

As I mentioned in another thread on the same subject, Cycletreads Auckland got it quite wrong with me once but I phoned and then met with the manager. Problem solved and none since.

Incidently, despite what someone wrote in the other thread, people can be fired for a variety of reasons such as having a bad attitude, non performance, insubordination, taking too much time off etc, and it's easy to get rid of them if done correctly.

**kiwi cowboy** · 5th December 2013, 10:11

Originally Posted by Katman

(To add some balance to the thread....)

I've had customers come in for WOF checks who have gone to great lengths to clean up their fork legs in order to hide the fact that the seals were leaking.

pulled bits of cloth out from under the fork seal like I have on bikes I've bought too have ya