Online Purchases - good and bad experiences

[Arbuckle23]

So is Shimano stuff on AliExpress actually Shimano?
Because it looks pretty affordable!

I would be nervous. Happy for someone else to be the test dummy

[CmdrBiggles]

So is Shimano stuff on AliExpress actually Shimano?
Because it looks pretty affordable!

I would be nervous. Happy for someone else to be the test dummy

Alibaba is the parent company, so there is some assurance there given its global footprint and history in on-line inventory.
I doubt Shimano would be happy that its products are discounted to such low prices at retail level, or in particular as you find on AliExpress, so it is a case of 'Buyer Beware'; the product advertised may well be a dupe (as, for example recently, fancy finding Burberry on AliExpress! ), and the lack of regulation in China means you really do not know what you are getting.

I wouldn't even hand over my card details.

[Aushiker]

Very happy with the service from SJS Cycles in the UK. Very competitive pricing and delivery took 15 days, so reasonable in my view.

[am50em]

I bought some Shimano stuff off AliExpress. Appears to be genuine. I always use PayPal for online transactions so credit card details are only given to them.

[CmdrBiggles]

The last item of goodies to arrive today was the iGSPORT iGS800 computer. This big, touch-screen toy with every trick came from igs sport over in Perth, west 'straya. Communicative and sure-footed. I give them 6 stars out of a possible 5...

[redsonic]

I used Custom Cut Spokes in Bournemouth for the first time, and was blown away by the service. Ordered on Friday, delivered today (Thursday), and product and shipping cost was cheaper than I could find elsewhere. I was after short spokes to re-lace the front wheel of my Mum's recumbent trike, and the chances of finding pre-cut ones that length were low. Very happy. Now to the wheel...

[Duck!]

^^ I've got stuff from Custom Cut numerous times, even when I worked in a bike shop here! Although often not the cheapest in unit price compared to other mainland European suppliers, they are still cheaper than I could get locally at an industry-insider price! And where they don't quite match the Germans & others on unit price, they come out way ahead on postage, so overall on top.

And yes, service is top notch. I had one set of spokes go AWOL after landing in Aus and in the hands of AusPost, as their own tracking showed. Despite this and after a complaint being lodged, AusPost denied responsibility and told me I should raise it with the seller. I did this, with brutal honesty against AP.

At the same time, I gave AP a 14-day ultimatum to find and deliver the package they'd lost, which by then had been getting close to two months since they received it, otherwise I'd go them for the full cost of the spokes & freight, plus a bit of Eff Around Fee to compensate my client who'd been expecting the wheels a lot sooner.

Custom Cut bent over backwards, double checking and resubmitting freight documents in case they'd made an error, and were on the brink of sending a replacement set of spokes entirely at their own cost when the original "missing" set miraculously turned up the day before the ultimatum to AP kicked in......

[redsonic]

I probably found Custom Cut Spokes from your recommendation on this forum, Duck. Thanks for the tip!

[am50em]

[foo on patrol]

^^^Interesting^^^^

Foo

[warthog1]

Have you used any yet? Wondering how well they last.
I have used Sunrace in 11s and they are good.
Wouldn't mind another 11-34 in 12s. Might try a ztto goer.

[am50em]

Haven't tried yet but will when I need replacement.

[blizzard]

All steel, should wear ok. I would be more worried about shift performance. It's only a little cheaper than Ultegra and like 40g.

[warthog1]

All steel, should wear ok. I would be more worried about shift performance. It's only a little cheaper than Ultegra and like 40g.

259g Can't link the site off AliExpress. It links to something else entirely

vs 345g https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/ ... 01-12.html

from what I have looked at.
More expensive though.

[blizzard]

All steel, should wear ok. I would be more worried about shift performance. It's only a little cheaper than Ultegra and like 40g.

259g Can't link the site off AliExpress. It links to something else entirely

vs 345g https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/ ... 01-12.html

from what I have looked at.
More expensive though.

That's a decent weight saving, I was looking at 11sp 11-30t which is about 225g Ztto vs 269g for Shimano.

[warthog1]

That's a decent weight saving, I was looking at 11sp 11-30t which is about 225g Ztto vs 269g for Shimano.

yeah 11-34 sorry

[rifraf]

I used Custom Cut Spokes in Bournemouth for the first time, and was blown away by the service. Ordered on Friday, delivered today (Thursday), and product and shipping cost was cheaper than I could find elsewhere. I was after short spokes to re-lace the front wheel of my Mum's recumbent trike, and the chances of finding pre-cut ones that length were low. Very happy. Now to the wheel...

^^ I've got stuff from Custom Cut numerous times, even when I worked in a bike shop here! Although often not the cheapest in unit price compared to other mainland European suppliers, they are still cheaper than I could get locally at an industry-insider price! And where they don't quite match the Germans & others on unit price, they come out way ahead on postage, so overall on top.

And yes, service is top notch. I had one set of spokes go AWOL after landing in Aus and in the hands of AusPost, as their own tracking showed. Despite this and after a complaint being lodged, AusPost denied responsibility and told me I should raise it with the seller. I did this, with brutal honesty against AP.

At the same time, I gave AP a 14-day ultimatum to find and deliver the package they'd lost, which by then had been getting close to two months since they received it, otherwise I'd go them for the full cost of the spokes & freight, plus a bit of Eff Around Fee to compensate my client who'd been expecting the wheels a lot sooner.

Custom Cut bent over backwards, double checking and resubmitting freight documents in case they'd made an error, and were on the brink of sending a replacement set of spokes entirely at their own cost when the original "missing" set miraculously turned up the day before the ultimatum to AP kicked in......

I probably found Custom Cut Spokes from your recommendation on this forum, Duck. Thanks for the tip!

Good but not good enough for a link?

Oh all right then.......
https://www.customcutspokes.co.uk/
(Its a joke Thanks for the tip)

[blizzard]

That's a decent weight saving, I was looking at 11sp 11-30t which is about 225g Ztto vs 269g for Shimano.

yeah 11-34 sorry

The Goldix version is on a good sale right now Just found this amazing item on AliExpress.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNtK6eo

[warthog1]

That's a decent weight saving, I was looking at 11sp 11-30t which is about 225g Ztto vs 269g for Shimano.

yeah 11-34 sorry

The Goldix version is on a good sale right now Just found this amazing item on AliExpress.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNtK6eo

Haven't heard of Goldix, is it the same as ZTTO? $101 for 11-34 12s so a gòod price.

[blizzard]

From the photos the construction looks the same, in the video TraceVelo mentions he believes they are the same, and he spends a lot of time looking at AliExpress. It's pretty common for the same item to be sold under a couple different brand names.

[warthog1]

From the photos the construction looks the same, in the video TraceVelo mentions he believes they are the same, and he spends a lot of time looking at AliExpress. It's pretty common for the same item to be sold under a couple different brand names.

Thankyou

[MichaelB]

I purchased a ZTTO cassette a while ago from a shop on Ali that had good feedback from WW forum, but the 17T cog skipped under medium load, so was promptly binned.

Think it is a lottery that you can often win, but also lose too

[Aushiker]

On the subject of Aliexpress brakes, there has been a bit of discussion about brake pads from Aliexpress. Maybe not ideal for downhill riding, but they seem to perform okay and at a very good price. The ones I was looking at where $12 for a two pair.

See https://www.emtbforums.com/threads/brak ... ost-552287 for the discussion.

[warthog1]

I purchased a ZTTO cassette a while ago from a shop on Ali that had good feedback from WW forum, but the 17T cog skipped under medium load, so was promptly binned.

Think it is a lottery that you can often win, but also lose too

Steel or aluminium on the 17?
Hopefully aluminium, crap for a new one to skip immediately either way. Poor manufacturing.

[MichaelB]

I purchased a ZTTO cassette a while ago from a shop on Ali that had good feedback from WW forum, but the 17T cog skipped under medium load, so was promptly binned.

Think it is a lottery that you can often win, but also lose too

Steel or aluminium on the 17?
Hopefully aluminium, crap for a new one to skip immediately either way. Poor manufacturing.

All steel. Other than that, fine !