Australia's HOPE distributor, horrible customer service? Would you deal with them?

M

markgab

Likes Dirt
So guys i sent an email to HOPE Australia, to clarify part no. (#) i would need to upgrade a 135x10 bolt-on to a 142x12 thru axle.
Parts i listed: 12mm axle (HUB 229) and x12 (HUB 242) end caps.

Reply from bikesportz.au Australia Hope distributor... Just go visit a shop. You can get a list of hope dealers on the hope website, or here: http://www.bikesportz.com.au/dealer-locator/Hope.

Im like... wtf? Why would i waste my time traveling to a bikeshop and asking them to call and search the part no, they would still have to clarify with them.
Can't they just do it by email and i order online?
I already listed the part numbers and just needed them to verify.

Instead the reply assisted in nothing.
Yet alone, their website lists wrong descriptions on their part numbers.

So feeling the WTF mode, i contacted Hope Tech and they directed me to ukbikestore who helped me verify parts i needed.
:D very pleased with their customer service and ended up spending $300 in parts/bearings.
Australia Hope, I would never spend my $ locally, after experiencing such stuck-up replies.

*rant
 
moorey

moorey

call me Mia
While not wishing to jump on the hate wagon, the Hope distributor in Aus is far from helpful. I posted about 8 months ago about chasing a cassette barrel (just the outer carrier for the cassette), after the lock ring threads cracked on one of my very old hope pro 2's. They wouldn't help, just saying to order a complete new free hub at a higher price than I could buy a complete hub for.*
I spoke to Hope UK, and they were awesome (johnny particularly) but they couldn't help. They said aus distro HAS what I need, and SHOULD sell me just the body...which they wouldn't, dispite having them.
Imho, Hope is one of the best companies out there, but it's a shame the distro side here doesn't cut the mustard. They make awesome kit and sell a lot of stuff, but I can't help thinking they would do even better with a strong presence in Australia.
Luckily hope stuff is virtually indestructible, but it just gives me another reason to shop online rather than locally.

*edit. That's an exaggerated, granted, but a LOT dearer than I could buy it elsewhere.
 
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Gripo

Gripo

Eats Squid
Australia's HOPE distributor, horrible customer service? Would you deal with ...

www.justridingalong.com in the UK are the shop, they even offer an axle upgrade kit to make the P2 rear into the EVO model....ie. so you can run the XD driver....

Called the Hope distro ages ago same result as above, shit really for a maker of great products.
 
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mtb1611

mtb1611

Seymour
moorey said:
Yes, they do, but it's hard to stomach aus companies whining about not being supported when they leave you no other option.
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Agreed 100%. I had a similar experience with the Aus distro a few years back when converting a front Hope Pro 2 hub, from QR to thru-axle due to purchasing new forks. Aus distro said I needed a whole new hub, despite me giving them the part number of the flanges that I needed! CRC on the other hand couldn't have been more helpful, therefore they got my business.
 
S

SF Trailboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
moorey said:
Yes, they do, but it's hard to stomach aus companies whining about not being supported when they leave you no other option.
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Being competitive is their (australian distributors) problem not ours. The industry in which I work has many outside influences on pricing and basically we had to change our procedures to be competitive. The good old days of everyone making a fortune are gone, moving large volumes at high margins is not going to happen. I'd say the australian distributor rather than compete has just decided they will get what ever comes their way, which is pretty evident in their apparent lack of customer care.

IMO they should be talking to hope, looking to purchase better (its not an untried product here - buy some volume in) partner with some local hard hitters pushys, mtb direct etc and push the product to market. They also probably need someone who is the product champion within their organisation who can either answer the questions or get the answers quickly and efficently.

It doesnt have to be the same price as the big guys but it has to be in the same ball park - service is also important.

Im not sure why some companies (hope) continue to allow poor distribution of their product - I am also not sure why some distributors bring in products they dont want to proactively make money out of - what is the point?
 
Ackland

Ackland

chats d'élevage
When I was looking for P2 parts, my LBS pointed me online, calling the local distro HOPE-Less.....

Yeah it really sucks because if HOPE pushed their ever expanding range here in Aus, they would make a killing!
 
Dozer

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Don't buy their products, that's the only way to show your disgust in their package.
 
M

markgab

Likes Dirt
LMAO

Reply from HOPE Australia, when i told them their website descriptions are ill-informed.
LOL they sure wont get my dollar


(Thanks for your comments. Good luck with all the major problems you have in life.

Kind regards,

Adrian Giblett)
 
Pastavore

Pastavore

Eats Squid
markgab said:
LMAO

Reply from HOPE Australia, when i told them their website descriptions are ill-informed.
LOL they sure wont get my dollar


(Thanks for your comments. Good luck with all the major problems you have in life.

Kind regards,

Adrian Giblett)
Click to expand...
Seriously?

Wow, that's poor.
 
Ackland

Ackland

chats d'élevage
markgab said:
(Thanks for your comments. Good luck with all the major problems you have in life.

Kind regards,

Adrian Giblett)
Click to expand...
Not to sound like Uncle Chopsticks but I think that this series of exchanges may be worth passing on to the HOPE parent company.

I think that they would be very disappointed.
 
mitchy_

mitchy_

Llama calmer
that's a good way to ensure you lose business.

i'm clearly not the only one who had no help trying to source hope spares. i ended up buying 4 lots of copper washers, olives, hose barbs, seals cheap online.

on that note... if anyone wants 4x olives, barbs to suit hope brakes... (along with seals and copper washers for hope race evo levers, and an M4 piston cap tool) pm me!
 
M

markgab

Likes Dirt
moorey said:
Was that your actual wording? Just that? Nothing else?
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What i sent

FYI even your homepage is cluttered and wrong information is listed on your parts.

AND you're wrong i have a bolt on axle and I need toc hange the AXLE and end caps to fit 142x12mm
Just shows how much knowleadge you have on your product or you simply can't be bothered to read an email.
 
scblack

scblack

Leucocholic
markgab said:
LMAO

Reply from HOPE Australia, when i told them their website descriptions are ill-informed.
LOL they sure wont get my dollar


(Thanks for your comments. Good luck with all the major problems you have in life.

Kind regards,

Adrian Giblett)
Click to expand...
Is that their ACTUAL reply? From the business? Wow.

How unprofessional is that?

I for sure would be passing that onto the parent entity. Gobsmacking. Pathetic.
 
Pastavore

Pastavore

Eats Squid
markgab said:
What i sent

FYI even your homepage is cluttered and wrong information is listed on your parts.

AND you're wrong i have a bolt on axle and I need toc hange the AXLE and end caps to fit 142x12mm
Just shows how much knowleadge you have on your product or you simply can't be bothered to read an email.
Click to expand...
So you were being a bit of a dick.

But the response is still unprofessional.
 
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