Vanillabikes Reviews 33

Bad experience throughout. Bought an SRAM groupset from Vanilla Bikes three weeks before a big cycling holiday. They took my money immediately. Contacted them two weeks later to be told that they didn’t have it and would try to get it in pieces from suppliers. They then stopped answering calls and emails. It is only now, pretty much a month later, that PayPal has provided a refund. Good service from PayPay but I recommend that you do not use Vanilla Bikes.

An FYI for anyone pursuing refunds. I have just received an email from Cowgills the Insolvency Administrator. It read:

"We were engaged by Company on 19 February 2020 to assist them [VanillaBikes] in placing the Company into Liquidation. Letters were sent out to creditors on Friday.

Unfortunately, you will not receive your money back through the Liquidation nor will you receive your order and, as such, you should contact your bank/credit card company in order to obtain a refund."

Just had an email from Paypal, they have reviewed my request and the refund is now being processed.

Just found out my refund through paypal has been rejected. Just rang the liquidators and left a voicemail. Hoping to get a response. Will let people know if so.

PayPal have now declined my refund “was not processed successfully” not sure where I stand now. I received a letter from the receivers which I will try Persue if no help from PayPal.

I'm sad for the team at Vanilla Bikes that the company has gone under. I'm also sad for myself as I'd ordered a groupset which never arrived. There is now a PayPal refund pending in my account, but it was issued by echeque so I've no idea if this will actually be credited to my account. If the company's accounts have been frozen, i would imagine that the echeque will simply bounce. Then what?! This is potentially a BIG loss for me if i do not get the refund and it puts my planned bike build on hold. Buyers beware of this type of scenario please.

Avoid these thieving barstewards like the plague. After good comms and promised delivery within 3/4 days, nothing materialised after 12 days. No answered to emails. Now they’ve gone bust. There is a special place in hell reserved for these scum in taking orders and money while they clearly knew they were going to be going into liquidation. Utter thieving lowlife scum.

Further to my last review. It would appear the website has now gone. They have stopped answering the phone and messages on their Facebook page. I understand that the business has gone under but come on Vanilla Bikes, do the decent thing and let people know what is going on. My order is damaged and has not been replaced despite them telling me weeks ago that it would be. I have started a case with PayPal, I suggest everybody do the same.

Well as many others have said I tried to purchase a group set from Vanillabikes and ordered in Jan 10th , i have been waiting and last comms were over a week ago and now nothing, website gone and money taken almost straight away, have started a dispute with PayPal and now have a refund 😀 I can only suggest to anyone else having the same issue is to try and get your money back through you payment source.
Really is not good and very disappointing as they were generally pretty good.
Phil
Update as of the 21st feb the business is in the hands of the administrators and was told by a member of vanilla bikes earlier today via email. PayPal customers apparently will get a charge back and I’m assuming that will be the same with card customers.

Conducted a small order of a pair of grips and a pair of pedals on the 11th of February. The 19th of February (time of this review), no dispatch confirmation mail has arrived; I try to text their Facebook page twice, no reply; I try to mail their costumer service department, no reply; I try to access their website to see what is going on - and it is literally non-existent.

My money has been taken, but nothing given back in return.
In the famous words of Ben Kenobi: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Same experience as others - items claiming to be in stock, when they are not, no communication in last 10 days, website clearly removed from Shopify. Dispute raised with credit card company and order placed with Merlin who delivered within 36 hours. I would say "avoid" but without a functioning website, there's no mechanism to buy from Vanillabikes, so my guidance is "ignore".

AVOID - Similar story to recent posts - baited by good prices made an order and received confirmation via email. 3 days later....'your order has been cancelled'...no explanation, apology or contact notes.
The website is now dormant and phone not answered.
I have emailed and rung with zero success. Now got to try get a refund .....will update

Order not received. Communications are non-existent. They are happy to take my money, but everything after that stops there. Numerous attempts to make contact, but was not able to speak to anyone. Absolute waste of my money and time. Please avoid.

Order placed via website, using Visa, Monies taken immediately, no goods received, waited 10 days, refund requested, nothing Received, refund chased - now no answer, website becomes non existent. Money refunded via bank.

Update 22 Feb - received a letter from the administrator.

Similar to others, placed an order over 2 weeks ago, (over £1,500 for full DA Di2), order acknowledged, monies taken, then nothing.

No response to e mails, latterly requesting order be cancelled due to delays and needing parts for half term holidays. Phone just rings out, despite multiple attempts, at different times of day.

Opening hours according to Google, seem to be much reduced and today (18 Feb), their website is either under maintenance, or has been taken down, as it comes up with an eCommerce page, asking for settings to be completed. There's certainly no 'under maintenance' banner you'd normally see.

Not sure if there are legitimate reasons, or whether they've gone bust, however I've been left with no other options than to start a case with Paypal, in the hope I'll get some money back.

If they are still trading, they were still posting on facebook the day I ordered, then some simple comms, particularly if they were experiencing delays, or even undergoing 'maintenance', would have gone a long way.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

Placed an order over 2 weeks ago, card debited immediately yet no goods sent. Have received no replies to emails and no answers to phone calls. This company is a joke!

Had a chain snap so ordered a couple of spare quick links. No delivery date - no reply to phone calls. A complete joke.
Five attempts to call - never a reply.
Two emails - no reply.
I have cancelled payment and am going to do what I should have in the first place and order from Wiggle.

They clearly don’t hold stock of anything they sell, so there is a big delay, which wouldn’t be a problem, however no communication after Ordering to explain this or any mention of this on their website when ordering!

Not good enough!

I ordered a new tyre on Monday as their website said it was in stock. Their site says items are shipped the same day and usually arrive the next day or the following.

Still no tyre or delivery tracking number by Thursday. I called them Thursday morning only to be told that in fact the tyre wasn’t in stock and was due to be leaving them that day.

Not terrible service, but far from good or what their website told me before deciding to place my order with them.

Card debited ..no goods sent. This store offers things it does not stock and debits your card immediately. Order confirmation says an email will follow then nothing happens. I have had to get my money back twice now weeks later after realising that nothing will happen. I will not use again.

Excellent service and quick delivery, delivered on time when they said it would be, just as internet shopping should be hassle free and efficient!