At this point it's bandwagon-jumping-on, but I feel that Riv provides excellent value, if not the lowest overall price point (although sometimes they do). Grant/Riv has informed my cycling in innumerable excellent ways, and I regard Riv as my not-really-local LBS in terms of sourcing weirdo parts that are considered passe, if not ridiculous, by most local businesses and the riders they serve. It's not dissimilar to the premium I pay by shopping for groceries at the local co-op, as opposed to Walmart.
I do have my issues with Grant/Riv, but it has nothing to do with pricing or shipping and is much more about their reluctance to incorporate internally-geared hubs, disc brakes, and the Gates belt drive into their designs. I love my Hunq, but if I were buying a new bike today I think I'd get an Ogre. But that's a different topic for a different time. Jay Lonner Bellingham, WA On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 5:10:19 PM UTC-7, Dave at Rivendell wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > Thanks for some of the more positive suggestions. I wanted to stay out of > this and let it fizzle but it's not going away. > > Defending our shipping prices and carrier choices in the age of Amazon is > a losing game, and I won't win again this time, but... deep breath... here > we go! > > If we ship a $10 order that cost us $5 in goods and $5 in > labor/rent/bandwidth/etc. and charge $9 flat rate to ship but it really > costs $12 to ship, we just lost $3. This happens sometimes. Rarely do we > get a thank you. We get, "I can't believe you charged me $9." Sigh... > Mondays are the worst! > > Next time call or email [email protected] <javascript:>. For this and any > other thing that doesn't really belong on this here fun group. We'll do our > best to explain and give you the best options we can. If you agree to no > tracking via USPS and a total loss on your end if it's damaged.... sure > we'll send it cheaper, but you have to agree first. It's not an option on > the website yes. Somethings like ferrules are best purchased locally... > > While it's not what we'd prefer, you also don't HAVE to buy from us if you > can't afford to pay for shipping. If we have something you can't get > elsewhere and your life depends on it, then yes, you might have to pay us > to ship it because that costs money, materials and time, and always cost us > a lot more than you think. We like to guarantee it arrives too. > > Our local USPS office and services are rubbish, just like many of your > local UPS stores and services are rubbish, it depends a lot on where you > live and the individuals involved. But we review shipping every few months > and offer our best alternatives. Comparing us to other businesses doesn't > work out for that and many other reasons. We don't get the same pricing, > deals, and service they do. They won't pick up our big loads in their tiny > trucks no matter how we beg. USPS reps come by and offer nothing most of > the time. On the other hand we've started using FedEx for some frames and > bikes this year to prevent increasing those costs via UPS. A small and > unnoticed win for our customers. > > Shipping costs go up every year and we are expected to make them go down. > We simply cannot stay in business that way. Our shippers lose a little hair > every time they see lost money on a package. It's stressful and a major > struggle for us, especially when we too see others somehow getting or > offering better pricing. We try everything, we batch and moan and threaten > to change carriers. We have meetings and crackdowns. Our shipping rates > are as fair-to-you-but-not-us as we can handle, even while occasionally > losing money on a package here and there, or dealing with shipping cost > complaint emails. > > I take free shipping when I can get it, just like the next guy (almost > always from major retailers with generic products and big margins), but in > cases where a company charges for shipping, I have a uniquely sympathetic > feeling and think of it this way..... > > If you can't come to terms with paying for shipping costs as the > cost-of-shipping, think of it as your carbon tax for shipping a relatively > tiny thing across the country/world in a big dirty truck/jet, those things > that our cycling trips are supposed to offset. Or a money-saving > convenience fee you pay instead of having to spend more on a bigger order > (which is maybe more green than multiple small orders). Or a service fee so > you don't have to go downtown on your own steam and purchase locally. Or > think of what a bargain $9 is to have your box promptly packed, shipped, > and handled by a dozen or so wage-earning people including pilots! in many > different businesses and leased locations and have it arrive in a week. > Wow, that's neat! Really spectacular when you think about it. Shipping > costs are remarkably cheap. Think what it would cost *you* to travel here > and get it. Even neater! Also out-of-staters get out of paying their local > sales tax when applicable, don't forget that added bonus of paying for > shipping. > > > In the future please contact us directly with shipping questions, > suggestions, complaints, etc. Not everything has to be duked out public and > the Bunch can be used for fun stuff where the great community can help. For > shipping quotes and policies and general malaisey stuff, we've got the > goods so come to us first. We have the answers you seek. Complaining here > is maybe more interesting but ultimately unproductive, and complaining to > me will get you somewhere. I welcome complaints because it gives us a > chance to understand each other. I might not break, but I might bend a > little. Never hurts to ask. > > Sincerely, > > > Dave Schonenberg > General Manager > Rivendell Bicycle Works > [email protected] <javascript:> > (925) 933-7304 > > > On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 2:31:35 PM UTC-7, ian m wrote: >> >> People keep mentioning the cost as though that's the main issue. It's >> not, it's really the choice of shipper. I like what Grant said and >> generally agree with where he is coming from, but it's unfortunate to only >> side with UPS as they tend to be against the sort of employee treatment >> that he mentions. >> >> Prior to the GWB administration forcing the USPS to pre-fund employee >> pensions (which no other federal agency or private company does) to the >> tune of $5 billion (!) per year, the USPS was essentially the most >> profitable not for profit company in the country. It was disastrous >> legislation for the USPS and most likely due to lobbying from private >> parcel delivery companies like UPS. Who want to charge much more for slower >> service. But that's off-topic for an off-topic thread. >> >> Sure, the costs are justified when shipping via UPS. UPS offers no >> shipping rate reductions to clients unless their volume is HUGE. So it gets >> passed onto the customer since Riv can't afford to take a hit on shipping. >> No brainer. The main point is using USPS first class or priority flat rate >> shipping for those smaller orders would be faster and cheaper for the >> customer, very easy to do with their online service, and I'm sure they >> already pick up and deliver to RBWHQ >> >> On Thursday, June 23, 2016 at 6:22:49 PM UTC-4, Belopsky wrote: >>> >>> Ordered gloves, ferrules, a couple washers.. >>> >>> $9 for surepost. >>> >>> And estimate delivery? July 1st. Ridiculous, right? >>> >>> All of those items would fit into a flat rate envelope and be here in 3 >>> days vis USPS. >>> >>> Grant, hope you and others are listening. >>> >>> >>> Thoughts everyone? >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
