If god made cycle shops I dont think he would shop in Halfords

[markharry66]

I have shopped in a few halfords over the years some good some bad but if anyone lives in or near the halfords in sidcup avoid it like the plague just to make it clear its the one near Danson park.

I have brought a new wheel and inner tube cold last night thought I would ask them to do it lazy I know but for the sake of a fiver sometimes I am willing to let someone else to do it. This was five in the afternoon I asked only to be told all bike alterations fits need to be booked a week in advance. Strike one

I then asked what puncture resisitant wheels they have in stock for the bike I had and the size I have only to be told

"do you Know I dont think we have any I am not sure" so you would be the person employed to work behind the bike hut counter.

Okay so picked my wheel and tube head for the counter. Got to the counter stuck the card through I noticed as it went through decided I need a new pump head for the bike hut counter again and purchase a co2 pump thought I would treat myself as spending mood. Ask the chap in the section who is wondering around doing nothing (waiting for shift to end) do you do replacement c02 (which I know they do as I have seen them in other Halfords) only to be told no without looking, most be a cyborg with a stocking computer lodged in his brain. At this point I considering refunding the lot and walking out. SO I head for the counter only to be charged for everything again I insisted I paid for the wheel the innertube but not the pump. Till girl "but it didnt print a reciept".
So in goes the card no receipt". My comment I want a refund on the first transaction. I put my card in and paid twice for the same goods". Her comment " I cant refund if its not printing". My comment "what do you expect me to do pay twice for the same goods". The long short of it is after an hour and half in the store to buy one wheel a tube and a pump and get charged twice I did get a refund in the end but only after the best part of 45 minutes.

I wont be using Halfords ever again. I have used them for years as they are open late but from now on only lbs.
I will also be writing a letter of complaint to the head office.

Halfords

Sidcup near danson park shoot service, shoot stock = never having my custom ever again.

 

[Moby Jones]

That sounds all to familar to me, the customer service in this country is the pits...

 

[chewy]

What if carlsberg did bike shops?!


Seriously though, its enough to drive you mad. They could be unbeatable in the market, if they only spend more time and effort with the people that work there. I know that vague look you must have got only too well!

Surely someone running halfords must see that their major weak point is the stigma that come's from your type of experience.

 

[Fozz]

There`s good and bad as with all things, but that does seem to be very bad........i`m lucky, my LBS is Halfords and they have been good to me

 

[chillyuk]

I thought God did make bike shops, that's why they all shut on Sundays the day so many cyclists are out and about.

 

[Brandane]

Just about every time I've been in ANY branch of Halfdros, ANYWHERE, there is nobody on the till when you go to pay.

Then when some sullen git decides to stop moving the bottles of AutoGlym around a shelf and come to work the till, it takes him/her ages to log in to the till (and ALWAYS the other till, not the one you were standing at).

Then whatever you are buying cannot be recognised by the till so they have to get another sullen git to go and check the barcode.

After that, the price does not match the tag you saw on the shelf............. Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhh !!

I have had one too many bad experiences of terrible customer service in their shops, and avoid them like the plague. Incompetent waste of space. How they have stayed in business for so long is a mystery!

 

[youngoldbloke]

It is not worth bothering - just go on line and order whatever you need from CRC, Wiggle, PBK, etc. etc. Better selection, better prices, better service - and just as quick! I swore never to shop there again after seeing Sale reductions based on a hugely inflated RRP.

 

[Beebo]

The Sidcup / Danson Park branch is my local Halfords and I agree they are useless. I went there an few months ago to try and view the Boardman range of Hybrid bikes. They didn't have a single hybrid or road bike in the shop and no one in the shop knew what I was talking about when I made enquiries.

If you want a cheap full sus MTB for your 10 year old kids then Halfords is the place to go, but not for anything else.

 

[I like Skol]

If you MISTAKENLY THINK want a cheap full sus BSO for your 10 year old kids then Halfords is the place YOU WOULD go

Fixed it for ya!

I begrudgingly wondered in there last night because I need some cycle gloves for my 8yr old son(how hard can it be?). Non existant service, crap goods and only odd sizes of any particular item so no chance of getting fixed up unless you need pink girly stuff with tassles!!!! All in all, a gentle reminder of why I avoid the place.

 

[markharry66]

Nice to see so many local cyclist on here this place is crap and everyone deserves to know. If you provide a service the least you can do is make sure its up to scratch. No of the people behind the tills cared or could be bothered only the supervisor was able to cope with it. Anyone interested meeting up on sundays for long rides just started 45 miles plus rides. Tried to go to south end the other sunday got lost. I am slow but normally get there.

 

[suecsi]

I'd searched online for a pair of padded undershorts, and found a pair at Halfords online for £7.99. I only wear them for a short commute under standard office work trousers, so didn't want to spend too much.

The stock checker said they were in stock at the Halfords next to the Tesco I use for the weekly shop, so I go down there and eventually find them in a dusty corner, the whole rack was filthy dirty, stuff was out of packets and on the floor. There was literally one in stock, but it had been pulled about and was on the floor.

I left in disgust.

I now stick to putting standard cycling shorts under my trousers, I can pick these up pretty cheap from Tenn Outdoors on Amazon.

My local Evans is really friendly, but quite expensive, sometimes I try stuff on in there and then go online.

 

[rb58]

Anyone interested meeting up on sundays for long rides just started 45 miles plus rides. Tried to go to south end the other sunday got lost. I am slow but normally get there.

I'm local too... You could always join us on the Sunday London rides - see this thread

 

[markharry66]

Sucesi Decathlon have padded shorts I brought some the other week as my bum never molds to any seat and is always sore they were 2.99 a pair not great but cheap

 

[mr_hippo]

What are 'puncture resisitant wheels'?

 

[Chris S]

The Halfords in Birmingham are OK - if what you want isn't on the shelves they'll lok in the stock room for you.