Need help with a bike buying decision and the stores sale pricing.

[Kingfisher101]

Just ask the shop to give you the bike for free?
You are getting the bike at rock bottom dollar through the cycle scheme anyway?
If you try to haggle some more then the store could very likely just tell you to X off.

 

[midibiker]

No, just depends on the retailer. Some have charged a surcharge on C2W to minimise their outlay taking the scheme

That is what they are doing because they are saying that they are already selling it a discount and have to reduce it some more to if I buy it through the scheme. So they pass the cost to them on rather than take it on the chin.

 

[midibiker]

Just ask the shop to give you the bike for free?
You are getting the bike at rock bottom dollar through the cycle scheme anyway?
If you try to haggle some more then the store could very likely just tell you to X off.

That is what I am worrying about. But what are the chances of them selling it without reducing it some more. Is it worth their time to ask me to pay the surcharge?

 

[Kingfisher101]

That is what I am worrying about. But what are the chances of them selling it without reducing it some more. Is it worth their time to ask me to pay the surcharge?

Depends on the bike and the price really.
Have you considered just getting a 2nd hand bike that's in very good condition instead? There's some real bargains to be had at the moment.

 

[tinywheels]

nothing to do with the post.Anyone know what cycle to work charge for the privilege? Just curious!

 

[vickster]

nothing to do with the post.Anyone know what cycle to work charge for the privilege? Just curious!

It’s about 10% iirc

 

[tinywheels]

It’s about 10% iirc

Wow, that's gotta hurt.

 

[vickster]

Wow, that's gotta hurt.

Better than getting nothing for not selling the bike but it makes sense that on sale bikes some retailers add a surcharge vs a cash sale (or refuse C2W on reduced bikes) to protect their margin

 

[midibiker]

Better than getting nothing for not selling the bike but it makes sense that on sale bikes some retailers add a surcharge vs a cash sale (or refuse C2W on reduced bikes) to protect their margin

True, but they should advertise it, and not just tell you when you go to buy the bike on a C2W Scheme.
A 10% Surcharge is quite a big hit on some deals. Especially now that they have raised the limit to allow the purchase of more expensive bikes. Bikes are not getting any cheaper like most things in life.

 

[midibiker]

Wow, that's gotta hurt.

Trust me it is. In my case it's near £700 extra.
But the the shop says they have capped it at £300.
So in theory they are saying they are taking an extra £400 hit on the bike.
I'm no accountant. I am just peeved that they are trying to sell me a 2022 bike for around the same sale price as a current 2024 one. And adding a surcharge of 10% on o the final fee.

 

[Alex321]

If you are looking at a £7000 bike, then that is a fairly high end bike.

But people really can't give sensible advice without actually having details of the two bikes. At the moment, YOU know the brand(s) of the bikes and just what components they come with. You need to know those things to be able to make any reasonable comparison, but in that sort of price range, both are going to be very good indeed.

Tell us the brand(s) and model(s) and we may be able to help more.

 

[vickster]

A £7000 bike for commuting?! I hope you’ve somewhere safe to keep it

 

[AndyRM]

As above, financial machinations aside it is pretty much impossible to provide sensible or useful advice without knowing what the bikes in question are.

 

[kingrollo]

You may already know - but just to say the surcharge or not selling sale items on cycle to work schemes is 100% down to the shops discretion - there is nothing from the scheme organisers to say they must do this.
When I brought a bike a couple of years back - very few shops were charging to use the scheme - maybe its a bit more prevalent now.

 

[Dadam]

I'd go to a retailer that didn't try to stiff me 10% for the privilege of buying on C2W! I'd never heard of that before and wouldn't put up with it. Even on higher tax rate, with that 10% hike on the cost, once you've added the scheme end charges it doesn't add up to as good a deal.