As title said I was in a shop buying a new bike for my sister. They charged her $120 to basically remove the dork disk and some reflectors and put air in the tires. Is this normal for shops to do? I had stepped away while he charged her else I would have said no as I do all my own maintenance and any competent person can do that stuff.
Edit: turns out they actually do outline this fee is applicable to all new bikes on their website. So I guess I can’t argue with that even if it is shitty, but she got a road bike not a full sus MTB so they still overcharged by $50. That’s worth a call at least. But after that I will leave it at that because she does love her new bike and idw spoil her excitement!
by DrPoopyPantsJr
34 Comments
No way.. If you’re buying a new bike they should do some basic tasks like that for you to take it home.
It would be pretty weird to charge for assembly if you purchased the bike through their store, out of their stock. If you did a click and collect, brand direct purchases, then it’s not as strange, as the brands often give the shops less margin on click and collect sales.
Wait, they removed the dork desk and reflectors? That should be something a bike shop should leave on and allow an owner to do. Charging for is just adding insult to injury.
Need more detail here. Did she buy the bike direct from the LBS, either from their floor, warehouse or a bike they ordered for her? Or did she buy something from a manufacturer’s website that was shipped to the LBS for assembly?
Either way sounds a bit sus… I would have imagined dealers, although not happy with the latest moves makers like Trek/Specialized have made to direct sales…. Still get some taste from the sale when it’s routed through their shop. But sending a bike to a non-dealer, can easily imagine a fee. Also possible a web purchase might warn buyer of such a fee.
Let’s just say this, when I bought my specialized and shipped it to my house (skipping shop) I ended up taking it to the nearest specialized shop for them to remove the dork disk and tune the drivetrain a bit. They refused payment.
RIPOFF. The last 2 Giant bikes I bought were shipped from warehouse to my local bike store – shipping plus assembly is $75.
No way not normal.
Think they ripped you off if it’s truly what you said. In over 30 years of buying and riding bikes, never ever heard of this before.
Hi there OP. Could you please provide the name and location of this shop?
Not normal. Find a different LBS.
Insane move, id return the bike and get a full refund out of principle and then leave a bad google review.
It’s a bullshit cost. When LBS receives bikes, they assemble it and make sure it’s tuned and ready to ride. That cost is all built into their selling price, full retail or sale. Jeezus, hope this car-dealer-like extra “charges” do not become the norm……
A number of brands with direct-to-consumer sales have a separate fee for assembly at a partner bike shop/service center, or mobile service shop. The profit margin after shipping doesn’t cover the assembly and adjustment (adjustment can take 45 to 90 min when don’t properly, it’s not just putting a wheel on and air in the tires) like it did decades ago. It’s a totally normal additional charge with some brands now, but not always don’t the same way. Really, it’s probably better for some bike shops now as the cost to assemble and adjust is out in front and non-negotiable. Many of these direct to consumer brands list assembly for $140-$190 for ebikes.
Lol. That dork disc and reflectors are required by law. They charged her to remove them? Wtf.
Any reputable bike shop goes over any bike before it leaves the shop and also includes free basic tune ups for at least 6 months.
She got fucked over.
You should go back to the store, point out how unfair and petty that charge was, and promise them you will never go back.
It also would not hurt your case to leave Yelp/Google/online reviews everywhere you can.
You got hosed. When I bought my bike they even installed a free bottle cage and the mini bike pump I bought so I wouldn’t have to carry them home. Can’t imagine charging to tune up the bike at time of sale, super scummy.
That’s wild they charge for set up. We run through every bike before it goes out our door and we comp any labor for additional upgrades like tire liners, tubeless setup, cock pit upgrades, etc. Then we actually ask they try to come in the next 30-60 days after riding for us to make any minor adjustments if they feel they need it and give them a free tune up in the first year. The only bikes that have an “extra” charge are our Velotric Ebikes where we charge 100 over the online price because margins are non-existent and Velotric actually recommended we do that. They were surprised we only charged 100 over online/drop ship price.
Normal but complete bs. They gotta charge you something, so they do. Whatever they can get away with. You should’ve been told up front though. If not, don’t pay them that fee.
You bought from the store meaning they can’t assume you’ve read the fine print on their website. There should be a sign or at least a verbal communication, not just a line item.
When I purchased a full suspension bike that was well over $4k, they weighed me measure my height and went over all the bolts and screws to make sure the bike was ready for the trail. They even replaced the pedals I bought at the store.
I wouldn’t do business with them on the future if this is a common practice.
Everything that is listed on their site is something the shop I work at provides without any additional cost.
The labor it takes to build a bike is just part of the cost of doing business, so that at least should be free. Are they going to start charging customers for using toilet paper if they use their restroom as well?
That bike shop is ass, in my opinion.
https://preview.redd.it/woi6djq71nbg1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66e6a3fedb2d539ddee9629ed3fda6ee1c387623
They also use dark patterns in their pop-up advertising. Being that it’s a California based business, this directly violates the CPRA. I’m sure the CCPA would love to see this.
Former bike mechanic here. That’s not normal and absolute bullshit for a bike that they carry. If you bought the bike somewhere else and asked them to assemble it then it’s normal to charge for assembly.
Try to get a refund on the $120. If they won’t, give a bad google review. Be ruthless. Show your receipt. Give another review in a month or two. Keep doing it until it hits the where it matters. Good shops care about putting people on good bikes that they’ll enjoy for years.
Most wack shit I’ve ever heard. New bikes should come with a free full tune at the end of first year. Not an assembly charge. Name the fucking shop.
I would never go back to that shop even for a spare tube and I would never speak kindly about it to others.
I would not buy from that shop again. They should incorporate that cost into the bike. That’s BS
I’ve bought a couple of full squish bikes from Giant and never got charged anything extra, in fact one they threw in a $100 set of pedals.
Was the bike purchased from the shop?
was it your sisters Idea to remove the “dork disc” and reflectors?
sounds like she paid a fee for the extra work that was your idea?. and open themselves up to some liability when something happens like hit by a car or warranty a wheel/hanger/derailleur..
the reflectors are required by federal law on new bikes.. the spoke protector is a small weight penalty for a whole lot of protection and prevent possible injury.. even if you think they are dorky they are pretty smart IMO
From OP’s link:
https://preview.redd.it/o5ppsh1q2obg1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=28555a15520e0acbdf5b33fbf1c6cd883296857e
Then what’s even the point of buying from a LBS? That’s the main reason to buy from them instead of direct to consumer.
That’s just a shitty bike shop that’s going to close soon.
My local bike shop even does minor repairs for free. Most good bike shops I’ve known do that. An extra fee on top of the listed price is just a rip off because they think you won’t walk out at that point. I would have.
Leave a scathing review and 1 star
The rule in small businesses is a 20% drop in business for every star lost. Those 1 stars can really add up.
If I see a bike (or any product) in a store with a sticker price, I fully expect to pay that price, and only that price. If there are other fees, then, those should be part of that price. They can do a breakdown on the stick if they want, but I don’t really care how they come up with the “final” price which is on the sticker.