I feel I’ve been taken for a ride by Evans Cycles

In May, desperate to get a bike, I used Evans Cycles website to order one for £1,049. It was showing as in stock but, soon after, I got an email saying it would be with me in 10-14 days.

On 1 June, I was told it was still being built but would be shipped in two to four days. Since then, I have heard nothing. You cannot get hold of Evans, and I feel I was duped.

The bike was clearly not in stock or it would have been delivered. Frustratingly, I could have purchased one elsewhere and am no nearer to receiving my bike, or a refund.

MR, London

Right at the start of lockdown we had a plea from a reader whose bike had been in for a service and got stuck in an Evans Cycles shop that had closed that night. We asked whether there was anything that could be done as it was his only form of transport and desperately needed it back. The company’s PR people ignored us.

We also sent this complaint and, again, have been ignored. It saddens me to write this because Evans used to be a great store full of helpful, knowledgeable staff. But since Sports Direct took over, things seem to have gone rapidly south.

This is one of several emails we have had in recent months, mostly complaints about unfulfilled orders, and an inability to contact the company. There are also lots of very unhappy customers on the firm’s Trustpilot page reporting similar experiences.

We advised you to take the matter up with PayPal which you used to pay. It seems this did the trick as Evans finally emailed last week cancelling the order. It claimed an “internal system error,” and has promised a refund in seven days, plus a £25 e-voucher to say sorry. You are still furious.

I would not buy anything from this company unless I could pick it up, there and then, in person. When a company the size of Evans – it has 50 stores – can’t be bothered to get its press office to investigate letters like this, it says to me that it doesn’t place any value in talking to its customers.

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