Ribble responds to customer concerns over bike delivery delays

Ordered an electric hybrid back in September with an October delivery estimate, its been pushed back each month until now we're told it'll be March.
Sharp practices from Ribble, with each communication they assure me that the 'Frame will be here in x ' it never is. Will attempt a refund, buyer be very beware.

I ordered a Ribble Step through hybrid electric back in July 2021 Delivery date was to be December 17, 2021. Months later date was pushed to April 22, 2022. Today, April 12, I received an email that pushed the delivery date to June 3. I paid £2500 upfront for this bike, so Ribble has had my money for almost a year without producing my bike. Does Ribble seriously expect customers to accept these continuous delays? I know many companies are experiencing delays but this latest delay from Ribble is approaching a year since my order. I am beyond angry and I am seriously considering cancelling my order.

It gets worse... checking my order status regularly since before Christmas it has been stating a dispatch date of 28th January. Now when I check my order status, all mention of estimated dispatch date has disappeared completely. Have tried emailing Ribble customer service for an update and had no reply. How much more crap can it get? Is it the same for all Ribble orders now?

I just wanted to point out that neither the pandemic, nor Brexit are truly the issue with Ribble.

I bought my CGR AL over three years ago, and had exactly the same problems back then. 
they didn't have stock of the frames, parts or both at different times during the saga of my bike build. 
although they were quite nice about it, I just got to the point of exhaustion with all the delays and seemingly endless setbacks, I came to the conclusion that they don't stock anything properly. I think they order from their suppliers when they have customer orders. That's what happens when accountants start running businesses, and not the enthusiasts who started the business.

Brief summary;

Ordered Oct 2018

Delivered Jan 2019

Still trying to solve problems in March;

Seatpost was faulty,  the rear wheel was incorrectly assembled (no spacer on cassette, causing freehub to undo its lock washer, needing a trip to a mavic wheel dealer to fix), the rear drop outs were loose, causing the shifting to go completely adrift.

And that's before we consider that the CGR AL is marketed as internal cable routing, but the cables are exposed at the BB and run outside the bike along the chainstays!

I ordered a Ribble CGR Ti frameset which arrived well ahead of the due date (although there were a couple of other issues). Works out a bit more expensive to source components for a custom build but worth it if you want a bike sooner rather than later.

I do now have my bike.

Overall I'm not too unhappy with how things have gone - we're not living in "normal times" so I'm prepared to cut people a fair amount of slack.

To be quite clear, my reason for raising the issue initially was as a result of having had no luck getting any meaningful response from Ribble customer service after having given them my money and then expected to be kept informed as to progress of my order.

I fully appreciate the challenges Ribble are having due to supply chain issues but this in no way justifies a complete lack of timely communication when orders are delayed. I've no intention of making Ribble's already difficult situation any worse but as others have already stated, it is not beyond reasonable to expect Ribble to be able to track individual orders in realtime and configure their systems to inform customers when their orders are delayed.

I would rather feel that I'm being treated with respect and wait a little longer for my bike than feel I've been taken advantage of and still have no idea when my bike may be delivered...

I've had a CGR Ti on order since April - it has been moved back four times - current estimated date of delivery is Dec 17.

I also have the complication of my road bike having been stolen.

However, whilst it's frustrating I have found the Ribble support teams to be pretty good.

The website updates are a bit vague and it's definitely frustrating when the delivery moves back at late notice, but I've been able to contact Ribble through the chat function and even speak on a video link if I need to.

The whole industry is screwed by the supply situation and I believe Ribble are doing their best in horrible conditions.

In the meantime I'm building my fitness on a very heavy mountain bike...

It breaks my heart to think that there may be people whose entry into the wonderful world of cycling is being delayed like this. It takes a certain temperament (that I don't have) to promise to supply something that you don't have in your own warehouse, or at the very least a reliable date from a trusted supplier. 

There's a tonne of used bikes on Ebay to be had. I get the occasional one for c£100 that's looking a bit sorry for itself, fix it up and it goes for sale via my local repair cafe. Someone gets a pretty decent bike, I get a bit of retail therapy, some problem solving (remember freewheels?) and I stay off the sofa for an hour or two these dark evenings. 

I have made a an account just to come on and comment on this post. 
 

I ordered a road bike from ribble earlier in the year and eventually cancelled it after several months of delay, and then rather foolishly went back and tried to order a custom mountain bike from them with a custom paint job. 

And sure enough the delivery date changed the day after it should have arrived with me, and frustratingly they couldn't tell me why, what bits they were missing or what was causing the delay. 

To add insult to injury the customer team has actually gotten worse through the year, at least when I cancelled my road bike they made an effort to engage with you and keep the business. This most recent time the way in which I was treated I was actually insulted. 

Somehow they have managed to convert me from  someone who tried to buy two bikes from them at 3k a time to someone who will never go near them again and warn other about their service. 
 

in the mean time I have found a better specced bike, at a cheaper price and it's been dispatched to me in less then ten days. It's not exactly what I wanted but a bike in your hand is lot more useful than a promise of a ribble 
 

I have been told that Ribble have now been sold, so we shall see if the new owners can improve on things. It's such a shame that action is taken once a negative Trustpilot review is posted. That's a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

I'd give companies a break if they were just honest with customers, but some are still taking orders for products they know they can't deliver on. I'm not saying Ribble is guilty of that, as I haven't shopped with them, but I know of others doing it.

There are some items in the industry that now have ETA's into 2024 and a couple of parts I've heard of being pushed back to 2025. That is really a bit of a piss take, but it will be the new norm, this backlog caused by Covid isn't going to catch up as long as demand is still the same as it's always been. Some companies, like Shimano, have opened new factories, but with bike frames, it's not as easy, all current factories that are open as running at full capacity. 

Any company using Brexit as an excuse is just at it IMO, Brexit hasn't caused delays to anything that was due to arrive in 2021, there was an initial knock-on effect when Brexit kicked in, with delays at ports because of import fees and forms, but we are nearly two years down the line from that. It's Covid that has caused all the issues because no one was manufacturing and all stock was being used at rapid rates that could never and might never be replenished. 

As mentioned above, it's not just Ribble that are experiencing supply problems. I also ordered a Ti frame in May from another supplier based in Rutland. When I contacted them in October, a week before my 'due date', I was told that delivery would be 'likely in the first few months of 2022'. This surprised me as I'd had no contact from them at all since I placed my order to inform me of the potential delays. I still suspect that if I had not contacted them in October I'd still be waiting for a call or message.
I emailed them for an update again recently but have heard nothing.
It's really frustrating and I know I'm not the only one in this position, but a bit of customer service would go a long way.