I bought a Bordman CX from Halfords (only place in the UK you can buy this great bike - the rest of the World can buy it from Wiggle). I won't go into the details but I had loads of issues (and about 5 hours of waiting) with my local Halfords. The manager couldn't have cared less about my issues. I decided to contact Halfords customer services about the issues with the manager. Lo and behold, who do they get to investigate the issue? The manager of the shop. I got the most disinterested and perfunctory apology imaginable.

So back to customer services. After hearing nothing back for weeks and then the most cursory "investigation" ( in which the manager lied through his teeth) the CS rep concluded that there was nothing more to be done and refused to look at it any more. I asked to escalate - he refused. I then raised a new "case" about the CS rep. Who investigated it? Yup - the same CS rep. Who then refused to escalate or do anything more.

It really is no surprise how cr@p Halfords are. Somebody also pointed out that none of the directors listed on the Halfords site have customer services in any of their responsibilities. Go figure

This kind of story and treatment makes my blood boil

I once bought a Magic Tree from Halfords. It couldn't perform any magic and I don't think it had ever even seen a tree. Never again.

Let me guess - one issue was that they couldn't set up the disc brakes properly?

I wouldn't trust them to set the saddle up correctly...

*** Long rambling hijack post alert ***

Sorry to hear about the bad service, seems I got off lightly with my 2011 Boardman CX which I had been keeping an eye on for some time, and bought when there was 10% off, because I thought it would be more suitable that the Giant TCX1 I had been bought a little earlier as a 50th birthday present. Price-wise the Boardman is terrific value for money, and compares well to the Giant and others at well over £1,000 (more like £1,200). Except I got the TCX a lot cheaper via my wife who works at a bike shop

The Boardman has mudguard mounts which I really wanted, I also thought the disc brakes would be better, and it's also nice to have a second bottle mounting point. And having driven Fiat's for years, I am not a "badge snob"

With the Giant I was persuaded that I could use "clip on" mudguards, but you can't with the wider tyres, and also there's no clearance between the rear brake cables and the tyre.

I prefer the Shimano 105 twin lever silent shifters on the Giant compared to the clickly double action SRAM shifters on the Boardman, but it's not a deal-breaker.

I've had loads of punctures with the Boardman, the tyres are no good for the off-road part of my commute, although the first puncture was on the smooth roads around Windsor Great Park having only ridden the bike for half an hour. The Ritchey Excavader tyres seem to have very thin sidewalls, I've now put on Schwalbe Land Cruisers which are great. The Giant has Kenda small block 8's which seem tougher, but I've still had the odd puncture.

My only experience of "service" at Halfords was when I collected the bike: I asked then to reduce the travel on the brake levers and it took them forever, I did a better job at home afterwards in 5 minutes. Then for the 6 week check/service, I complained about the many punctures and asked them to check the wheels/tyres/spokes etc., and they said they had put in a new inner tube, but afterwards when I repaired the last puncture with the Ritcheys, I found my old patched up tube inside

I'd be interested to hear what you think of the bike MRS, I'm still not sure it is the perfect bike for me and my commute / weekend use, based now on the gear ratios that come with the bike.

The TCX1 has quite a narrow range of gears: 36-46 front and 11-28 rear, giving a range of 36/28=1.29 for going up hills and 46/11=3.25 for going fast. The Boardman is better with 34-50 front and 11-32 rear giving an excellent 34/32=1.06 for even steeper hills and 50/11=4.55 for going even faster. Having got the TCX, I find the range is too narrow, there are some steep off-road hills that I just have to get off the bike for and walk, but can cycle up with the Boardman. I've thought about buying different gear sets but I'd prefer it to be right straight out of the box. The problem I have with the Boardman is that it has such a wide gap between the two front gear wheels 34 to 50 is a difference of 16, and I can only switch from 34 to 50 when I am in the highest gear (11) at the back, which makes it less flexible.

When I got the TCX it was a toss-up between that and the Specialized TriCross Comp which also has Shimano 105 gearset but with 3 gears at the front 30-39-50 and the same 11-28 rear, so that gives essentially the same wide range as the Boardman from 30/28=1.07 to 50/11=4.55.

Plus the brake/gear cables at the front on the Boardman are less neat, and the way that one of the cables is held in place on the bottom tube with tie-wrap seems a bit cheap. The TCX cabling is neater at the front, as is the Specialized, and with the latter the cables run inside the frame which is neater.

So having almost decided to buy a third bike (the Specialized) which would then mean me having to try and sell the others, I read that for a while they were not sold (but not recalled from existing owners?!) due to front fork/brake bracket problems...

PS: I can recommend Magicshine bike lights, they are brilliant (literally)

My issue with the Boardman was the BB (bottom bracket - crank to those who don't know the terms) bearings failing - a common fault with Boardmans it seem. In itself it isn't an issue but I'd commuted 15 miles to work when it failed - my first ride on it. I phoned Halfords who said "bring it in tomorrow - we've got no-one here today". I explained that I'd commuted and asked how I was going to get home. I asked to speak to the manager. Got a call back saying they were calling in their mechanic specially to do my bike and could I get it there for 11am. I was impressed. Dropped the bike - they said it would be 40 mins - I said call me when ready - I'd be at the cafe next door. Over 1.5 hours later and nothing. So I phone them - they're just starting! No grease in the bearing so going to grease. I say after 15 miles with no grease, I need new bearing - I head to Halfords. Ask to speak to manager - not available for 2 hours. Mechanic comes down to see me and says sorry but he knew nothing about my bike - 10 min job to replace bearings.

I head off to see the person I'd spoken to before and end up speaking to the manager. Express displeasure at wait. He say no way would they have called in the mechanic just to fix my bike. No apology. Later comes back and offers me mudguards for bike as compensation. Turns out they don't stock mudguards for my bike!

And so it goes on. I had issues with rim tape too - destroyed an inner tube - Halfords not interested in replacing rim tape let alone inner.

The bike itself I like. Brakes are good (I upgraded front brake to BB7 when they were half price - easier to adjust). I'm running 25C Gatorskins for my commute which I'll swap to 35C Marathon Winters when the ice comes.

Apex has been OK though front shift has been a bit troublesome with random & intermittant shifting issues. Not as reliable as 105. I quite like the ratios especially as my commute is nearly all hills. Apex hoods aren't as comfortable as Shimano either.

I'm about 1mph or so slower than on my carbon Focus Cayo and it's definitely harder work but I bought it specifically as a bad weather/ice commuter and it does that job well. Fantastic value

This would be what I would do.

1. Letter to the CEO explaining everything (Send registered)
2. Demand a for a full refund + anything you have paid extra for (including car journeys), again send a registered letter.
3. 2 is refused, go directly to trading standards.
4. Still no joy then the small claims court.

Get everything in writing, send letters recorded delivery and don't take any phone calls unless you can record them.

I'm sorry you have had such bad service. I've got to say, my Crank failed on my Carrera Kraken and it was replaced no quibbles on three occasions (Yes, really!), I found the staff very helpful and the manager too. Maybe move to Rhyl, where the Halfords ain't so bad?

As mentioned above, my wife works in a bike shop (not Halfords) so I get to hear many stories about "customer service". I think one porblem is that they don't pay these lads much and they probably don't get any proper training and sometimes look things up on t'Interweb, but at least they (should) have the proper tools. There are some people working in the stores who are entusiastic bike riders, but it's pot luck as to whether they serve you or not.

When I picked up the bike at one time in Halfords, there was another customer who didn't seem at all concerned that his £2k-ish carbon race bike was being replaced due to bottom bracket failure...

My local halfords is being 're-arranged', so I daren't go anywhere near it for a few weeks until I can find what I need - its truly terrible service having to ask anyone something.

To be fair - the mechanic seemed a nice guy. The manager, though, is a complete idiot. Having told me that there's "no way" he'd have got a mechanic in especially to fix my bike (something bourne out by the fact the machanic had no idea that my bike needed fixing 2 hours after he'd come in), he told Halfords customer services that he had called him in specially. He also told them that he'd given me the mudguards (that he didn't stock).

Fortunately there are plenty of other places to buy what I need. Halfords is slightly more convenient but that's it.

My local Halfords in Letchworth is a run by completely incompotent people...

A rep came into my workplace telling us we could have a Halfords trade card. He gave us a form and all we had to do was take it to our nearest store with our work ID.

So off i go into the store and ask for my trade card. Now, only the store manager can issue one of these and after looking at all my stuff he says 'im not going to issue you with one'. Why, i asked him, and his reply was i cant just give them out to anyone...

Anyway 5 minutes of argueing and i give up and walk out.
I get hone, ring up the rep from work tell him what happened and a few days later my new trade card arrived in the post from him.

So i go back to Halfords to buy a few bits and who is on the till - the manager

Morning i say to him, remember me? Well ive got one of these now... He just looked at me and said nothing

Why not tweet Mr Boardman himself?

I've got no issue with the staff at Macclesfield Halfords - they're very helpful...

I had an interesting experience in Halfords yesterday.

Changing the wishbones and droplinks on the GFs Pug 206 I accidentally pulled out one of the driveshafts. Tiny bit of spillage onto the drive (shhh.. don't tell the missus). Anyway, popped into Halfords as its the only place open at 3:30 on a sunday afternoon.

The shop has been completely re-arranged but I managed to find the gearbox fluid section, but there was no parts card. Hmmm... I don't know which oil to buy or how much either. I decide to ask someone.

He says he can't check it on this machine so her re-directs me to the till.

Asked the young lad at the till and he says, 'Oh, errr... I don't think we sell gearboxes'

No I need gearbox OIL. Lets start again. He doesn't know how to check the till for parts. He calls over an equally youthfull employee (a female this time). She accepts the challenge to find me the correct oil, Registration entered and she promptly responds that I need 4 litre of 10w40 Semi Synthetic.

But thats engine oil. I explain that I need gearbox oil. 'Oh' she says. 'Whats the difference?'



She calls someone else over (by now there is a queue of 4 more people (and there's only 1 till working).

Someone else comes over and exclaims that you cannot lookup gearbox oil on the system, and that I need to check my owners manual to see what I need. He then asks what car is it? 'Peugeot 206 1.4 I reply'. 'Ah' he says, I've got one of them'. Low and behold he runs out into the carpark and gets into his slightly modded 206 and comes back with the owners manual.

'You need 75w80 sir'
'Oh thanks. How much do I need?'
'4 litres'
'There's no way I need 4 litres of gearbox oil'
'I'm sure its 4 litres'

So off I pootle and look on the internet. 2 litres of 75w80 is what is says on the web.

My OH works at Halfords in Maidenhead and sadly I can only support a lot of the comments made here. Majority of the staff are cheap labour that have very little knowledge. The Bike Hut in Maidenhead I have to say is very good. (I have to my OH is a supervisor)

Boardmans

I also have the Boardman TXC, not sure which one but it is the £900 one and frankly it is awesome! I have continental tyres and done approx 300 miles of road and hard offroad riding since August with no issues whatsoever.

The BB issue was at the factory as they were not being properly greased before being sent out. This should have been picked by the halfords staff.

I went to Halfords to buy some coolant ("antifreeze") for my race car a while back. All I could find was 1 litre bottles. When I asked I was told that there's not much need for antifreeze in the summer....

To be fair, it's not Halford's fault they don't stock it in summer, there's no demand from the ever-declining but ignorant DIY-mechanic who thinks that tap water will be fine in the summer. Most bottles do say "...and summer coolant" but not in very big writing, and people only think to check/topup come winter (or the first frost of autumn).

Thread resurrection
Popped into my local Halfords to purchase some cable protectors. Usually I'm savvy enough to judge a situation, but I couldn't foresee what was about to unfold. I asked this really fat guy who was late 30's or so for some help, not interested, mumbling & walking away....oh dear, so asked another chap, baldy 40 something. Both had stopped & screwed up faces said no such thing & basicly said I was talking bollocks....

I explained I had checked online that they had indeed said items in stock. By this time the expressions on their faces were so screwed up & contorted I just wanted smack them, of course, I didn't. I've had enough of this nonsense by now & suggested they were in the wrong job & should be looking for a change in career. Walking out the shop.

Never had a problem with the young lads that work there, they always strike me as interested or sorry they couldn't help me.

You and I can remember when Halfords used to be the go-to shop for bikes Jim, and the stores were small enough to get personal service. It's usually the same story, when they're successful they expand and lose touch with the staff who become disinterested, offhand and part-time in their product knowledge.

I went to Machine Mart this afternoon for the first time after it was highly recommended by a friend who spent so much time in there they suspected he was a shoplifter (You know who you are )

I was pleasantly surprised not only by the sheer array of tools and hardware but by the guy's help in my quest for certain abrasive materials

It was amusing to hear a couple talking near me, the wife says to the guy "you've got this look of bliss when you're walking around here".....

The assistant on hearing this said last week another couple came in and the guy said to his wife

"Hey what are you doing, didn't you know you can't come in here?"

Blank look...

"Aye there's a sign outside the door..."

Off she trots to look

Machine Mart catalogue = technoporn!

Ach, what gets me, the fact that not that long ago in my neck of the woods in situations like this people were very helpful & there was a bit of banter & craic. Apart from anything else who ever was serving you at least knew the basics of good manners.

Got one!

"Drool"

Could that be the same branch as I used to use?

If you're near Inverness, Alpine Bikes in Tiso have been infinitely better - I know all the staff in there. I don't much like the stuff they sell (Endura/Bontrager) but the staff are cyclists and the labour costs are so low that it has made me lazy in the past.

Aye, Inverness branch. I've been using Halfords for a very long time with no real complaints up to now. I remember when they had a wee shop in Union street over thirty years ago. I recall a very helpful chap who used to follow you around & make a point of asking if you wanted any help or order things in if they didn't have what you wanted.

Never thought of Tiso... Cheers.