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news
Canyon Speedmax CF 9.0 SL down tube.jpgCanyon responds to storm of customer criticism over late orders
Canyon Bikes is under fire from frustrated customers on social media, some cancelling orders after delivery dates were pushed back – in one case to next April, eight months after the bike was ordered, and six after it was originally due to be delivered.
The German brand, which has a direct-to-consumer business model, says the move to a new factory coupled with teething problems following the implementation of a new IT system, are to blame. It insists it is clearing the backlog of orders.
But other issues raised by unhappy customers on Twitter include failure to respond to questions about delivery dates through multiple channels, plus incorrect or multiple billing.
Some have even bypassed UK customer service altogether, contacting CEO Roman Arnold directly in the hope of resolving problems.
He’d written to customers in November to explain the issues the company was encountering.
However, several Canyon customers have contacted road.cc in recent weeks to express their concerns about the service – or lack of it – they have received.
One, Jos (we’ve withheld full names) told us he’d ordered a bike in August, paid for it in September, and been promised delivery in October. He’s now been told to expect it in April.
Another, Phil, sent us a picture of the box containing a Canyon bike he received in late December, almost three weeks after he cancelled his order; a few days before it arrived, his card was charged the £1,699 cost, but he said that earlier, the company had tried to take £5,000 from his account.
Other customers contacted by road.cc include Guy, who bought a Canyon bike in February, receiving it 11 days later, and who then decided to order another bike from the brand to use in the winter.
After ordering the Canyon Inflite 9.0s on 20 November, he was told it would ship 10 days later; the date was put back to 14 December, then 21 December, but no bike arrived.
He spoke to Canyon UK on 23rd December who said they would email Canyon Germany, promising a reply by 28th December.
“I’m still waiting for that reply,” he told us. He said he had twice tried calling Canyon, spending half an hour on hold each time without an answer, was unable to contact them via the chat function on their website, and received no reply to tweets.
“I then emailed a formal cancellation over and tweeted Canyon saying the same again,” he said. “I’ve had zero response to either.
“Bearing in mind the number of people I’ve spoken to who have cancelled and then had either money taken or bikes then actually sent to them I’m not overly hopeful of this cancellation taking effect,” he added.
A fourth customer, Elliott, said that when he was told the bike he had ordered in September wouldn’t ship until March, he emailed the company’s CEO to complain.
He accepted a discount on a past season’s bike, only to be told later it was no longer available.
“At this point I was furious as I hadn't gotten anywhere, it was absolutely ridiculous and having done some research I'm not the only one in this boat, a friend of mine had a similar experience and just gave up in the end and bought a different bike from a different manufacturer,” he said.
Having set his heart on a Canyon, he persevered, but says that despite the company offering him a 10 per cent discount, the paperwork he has received does not take that into account.
He has continued to pursue his order via the CEO and received a shipping order in mid-December, then another yesterday; he’s now wondering whether two bikes will turn up.
So, what’s gone wrong with a brand that many swear by for providing a lot of bike for a lot less money than much of the competition?
Well, it seems in part that Canyon is a victim of its own success.
A move to a new factory in Koblenz in October to meet rising global demand was accompanied by the rollout of a new IT system that proved to have some bugs in it that needed ironing out.
While in the planning stage it may have made sense to do both together, hindsight suggests that the company had not accounted for the potential disruption that would cause.
Canyon brand manager Frank Aldorf, who is based at its head office in Germany, told us that those changes were accompanied by a surge in demand, partly as a result of the success of riders from teams it sponsors, such as Katusha.
Migration of orders from customers who had ordered before the IT system changed caused problems too due to incompatibility issues, while customer service representatives would check the database to confirm a despatch date one day, only for it to be pushed back the next.
Meanwhile, customer services in the UK at least were becoming overwhelmed, with 1,000 emails and 600 contacts through its website chat function each day.
A reduced staff over the Christmas and New Year period didn’t help the situation at a time when angry purchasers were using their own downtime from work to chase the company.
He admitted that the company’s recent performance had not matched the expectations customers have of it, and told us it is working round the clock to remedy the situation; of 15,000 orders outstanding at the start of October, some 2,000 remained unfulfilled by mid-December, although that is still around one in seven customers who remain disgruntled.
"From our standpoint, all the compelling reasons why a customer would choose a Canyon have in no way changed,” he insisted.
“Canyon continues to stand for the highest quality possible and for excellence in product design, in order to provide the very best riding experience. Here our demands from ourselves are no less than those of our customers.”
Nick Allen, UK market manager for Canyon, told us: “We are aware of the teething issues and subsequent delays and take them incredibly seriously and I can assure you that both myself and the team here in the UK are working extremely hard to ensure we give the best level of customer service we possibly can to ensure the levels of outstanding customer service we expect.”
The reality of doing business these days, however, is that consumers can now vent their frustration about poor customer service – or, their perception of it – on social media.
So brands – and especially internet pure-players with a direct-to-consumer model – need to reassure potential and existing customers that they are delivering on their promises.
If you’re thinking about buying a Canyon bike and your research takes you to the company’s Twitter page right now, you may think twice given other people’s recent experience; some have said as much on internet forums.
As Guy said says: “In the space of six months Canyon have managed to turn me from a fan (the Ultimate is a superb bike) into a very unhappy now ex-customer.
“The lack of communication from anyone senior at Canyon addressing this up front and explaining what is going on is an object lesson in how to not deal with your customers.
“Yes they’re great value and superb bikes, but the low prices are no longer worth the grief involved with actually getting a bike from them.”
Canyon have promised that they are committed to turning rectifying the problems.
Aldorf said: "The current situation is simply the unfortunate consequence of truly astronomical growth. Canyon’s brief history and staggering product demand is unparalleled in the bicycling industry.
“And, as we have struggled to accommodate this astonishing growth, we have fallen short of providing an equally positive consumer experience.
“We are confident, however, that all our recent investments and changes will enable us to achieve customer service on par with our products, and that we will be able to put these growing pains behind us in the next one to two months.”
Customers waiting on orders will be looking to the company to fulfil that promise.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Steve K 35 min 54 sec ago
Dame Laura Kenny is going to be one of the Today programmes guest editors over Christmas. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/today-programme...
- S.E. 1 hour 25 min ago
That made me think of that "Hot Fuzz" comedy movie... so many truths in it.
- Rendel Harris 3 hours 18 min ago
Good to see a V-brake option available for all those people who ride Cosmic Elites with V-brakes...seriously, you must know really that the answer...
- mattw 3 hours 56 min ago
Get thyself over to Buildhub - a community owned forum where I am on the moderation team ("Ferdinand") which is about self-build and renovation....
- Destroyer666 13 hours 5 min ago
Ahem, the recommended lockring is just a common through-axle specific lockring, so nothing Miche specific there, and the required tool for it is an...
- Destroyer666 13 hours 59 min ago
Nonono, not those, but those that have constructed Italian cars and motorcycles that have been driven to hundreds of race and championship...
- RoubaixCube 14 hours 8 min ago
This may well be the case although Im unaware of the brands popularity on their home turf. I used to see them being advertised more in the UK...
- qwerty360 14 hours 39 min ago
Arguably sticking it in a bank account is bad....
- Sredlums 15 hours 38 min ago
I'd counter that those brakes were in fact so inadequate that they eventually developed a whole new type of bicycle that was actually suited for it...
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64 comments
It's not new. I bought a Canyon about a year and a half ago. Delivery dates constantly slipped, and the customer service was terrible - barely any communication, no explaination or apology, no updates unless you actively chased them. And even when they did give you a revised delivery date, that'd slip.
I got the bike in the end, and it was a really nice bike, but there are lots of really nice bikes out there nowadays. I definitely wouldn't buy from Canyon again.
I think most of it must be to do with the new factory and production. I was dithering over a new Ultimate CF SLX frameset in October, when the delivery times were stated for, if I remember correctly, January. By the time I'd sort of made up my mind, the framesets had been removed from sale completely. Now they are back on, but with delivery times ranging from April-June. No matter how bad their new order system it's not going to cause those sorts of delays.
Although I personaly don't have anything Canyon, I do, when internet shopping, have a general check of reviews of the company I intend to purchase from. I've just been on Trust Pilot and Canyon have roughly 50/50 split on good and bad reviews. I should add that lots of the reviews aren't in English, but the star rating gives a good idea of what people think. With a rating of 4.7 out of 10 I don't think I'd be buying from this company. I'd be looking for at least 9/10.
Thing is, there have been comments on every bike forum on the tinternet for the last year crying out the woeful order fulfilment and sales contact/service with Canyon. I think many customers have turned a blind eye to this because a) the bikes are well respected and b) they offer good vfm. However, I don't think anyone who has placed an order in the last 6 months can honestly say that, whilst they may have hoped for a good experience, they were not expecting something worse than that.
Don't get me wrong, I do sympathise with anyone who has had a shoddy service (and yes, I have had an LBS that was pretty crap too) and there is nothing more frustrating that not being able to contact someone to chase an order. The problem with Canyon seems to be that you can't reach them easily and, when you do, you don't get an accurate update. So its a double whammy best solved by not buying their bikes until they have got things sorted.
Their response is typical big business bullsh*t 'we're a victim of our own success', cobblers. This is all down to bad planning regarding their factory move and new IT system. Inefficient or ineffective testing of this new system, did they not think to test what happens when they migrate existing orders from the old to the new system before releasing the new system live. As someone who works on IT system implementations the whole project management, testing/QA team, implementation and support teams associated with this new system should be sacked and if they got in an external company to do it then they shouldn't pay them.
"I am one of the Canyon victims."
You're bike has been a bit delayed, 'victim' is a bit harsh :-P
Look on the brightside, at least the delay is now when the weather isn't great, rather than during the summer
If they had even been close to what they originally promised, I could have been riding the bike months ago when the weather was perfect. Instead, I wasted hours of time dealing with incompetent or downright deceitful people.
LBS everytime for me I'm afraid, even though Canyon bikes look rather nice, after sales is very important after all.
Noting a friend had a Felt purchased through her LBS, which when it suffered a frame failure were so utterly feckless she ended up dealing with Felt direct. Who were likewise feckless.
Just because it's a local shop is zero guarantee of quality. I've had amazing customer service dealing direct with the likes of SKS in Germany. People are people.
Except you wouldn't get this particular problem when buying from an LBS. Yes manufacturing delays can affect any business but the poor customer service in this case is compounded by having no physical contact with the retailer.
It's unfortunate for those affected but you do have to accept risks are greater when buying from an internet-only retailer based abroad
Except my friend had exactly this particular problem, dealing with an LBS. Promised a replacement frame, months dragged by...
No, not quite he didn't. These customers' problems are being compounded by dealing with an 'internet only' company, which is what I was referring to. At least with the LBS you have direct recourse with an individual, face to face and if it's a manufacturer problem, then you have someone to fight your corner.
Except that individual is in exactly the same position as you. They have no power or ability to resolve the issue. They just get fed the same line from the manufacturer as you would be getting from Canyon.
Certainly it's possible to have a bad experience with an LBS. I'm sure there are some who are incapable of dealing with warranty issues when faced with a 'difficult' manufacturer, but again, this goes back to your choice of both retailer and manufactuerer in the first place.
Interesting that Giant are mentioned in the comments here (and apparently as the actual manufacturer of Canyon's in the first place) - both brands offer high quality, good VFM bikes, but only one are known to have good warranty terms/ process, and only one sells through a network of dedicated shops and authorised reatilers in the locality that you're making the purchase. To me it's a no-brainer, especially in light of the problems suffered by Canyon customers, which have been discussed for some time on forums like these.
I have been unlucky enough to have to make 3 frame warranty claims (in the same 5 year period) with another manufacturer - all honoured and replaced but I am certain that without the shop dealing with this on my behalf, I would not have had the success, or level of service that I did. Not to mention that each time they rebuilt it and waived the costs.
You chose your product and merchant and makes your choice..
Indeed you make your choice, and you also decide if you wish to pay the sometimes 25% premium over the internet suppliers for this safety net.
A comment like 'I am sure...' is heresay. You didn't persue these claims yourself so you have no idea what would have happened.
I have known LBS to refuse frame waranty claims but it is rare. I also see many internet retailers working to resolve the same issues. When parts are ordered, as they invariably will be with frames, the timescales may not be any different.
I'm happy to risk the £1000 saving on a £4000 bike, that should more than cover any 'after sales' service troubles. A bit like insuring a £200 washing machine for £90 a year, as so many do - its not always the sensible backup it first appears once the calculator comes out.
I had an unexplained failure of the fork steerer on my Canyon Inflite that resulted in a broken wrist for me. It went back to Canyon in September and they agreed to replace the fork, stem and handlebars. It was due to be sent back in mid-December but that has been move back a month. It is now due next week - fingers crossed.
My experience of the U.K. service Centre hasn't been great, they seem to have no influence over the factory and so cannot provide a by resolution. I've agreed with them that this is only a couple of hours work, and even asked that my bike is returned with the parts so that I can arrange fitting, but to no effect.
So i've been without my 'Winter' bike for most of the Winter!
I placed an order in September, delivery was due in October, by December I was still waiting despite numerous assurances that the bike had been built and was awaiting despatch. I finally got a message telling me that my order had been 'lost' and I would need to reorder with another 3 month led time. I then ordered another model which is currently overdue, despite showing as 'in stock' on the website and I'm still waiting. I have been a fan of the brand (3 canyons in the lock up) and have had great after sales service in the past from Canyon Uk but recently the wheels seem to have come off.
I had always loved the look of Canyon bikes but the UK Canyon Tax and the slow process of having issues fixed (I have a Rose and it has been a painful returning for warrenty fixes).
I am one of the Canyon victims. I ordered back in mid August with a promised delivery date of September. For months I either heard nothing or got generic emails fobbing me off. Nobody was willing to tell me anything or give me a realistic date. Even contacting the CEO got me nowhere. When it got to the stage of the latest delivery date being pushed to March, some 7 months after ordering I tried to cancel, that was just as much fun as the previous months.
I totally understand that things can go wrong, but it is how a company reacts that defines it. In Canyon's case they knew they had serious issues back in September, yet in all this time they have continued to take new orders, run promotions and advertise heavily. This is just getting them deeper in a hole and misleading many thousands of more people.
After reading similar reviews online a few months ago, I decided against ordering from Canyon despite really liking the look (and price) of their bikes. I went for UK based Ribble instead, and couldn't fault them. Bike even got delivered before the promised delivery date!
Had a problem with their bike delivery to, my mountainbike came a month later than originally planned. But what I hate the most that unlike other brands, ROSE, u don't have an account on the website where u can track the progress, no with Canyon u have to e-mail them to ask for updates. My Rose roadbike was also late but because I knew everything that happend with it I was never worried, I knew they where still working on it!
My brother has the same problem with Canyon to, after a few e-mails he finally got told that his payment didn't go through, he never got an e-mail from them either! Ow and his order was only a Shimano Action Cam, not even a bike!
So Canyon if u are reading this (and u should) take a look at other brands like Rose and make a place where people can track their orders (like 99% of every online store!).
Another SAP victim.
http://news.sap.com/canyon-bicycles-innovation-wheels/
I like the "What we do we do really well" quote. That might come back to haunt him.
Wonder how much is down to the factory and how much down to implementing the new software.
And this one simple comment tells the whole sorry story.
Ask EDF Energy what happens with a SAP software migration, for one. There are many others!
As an embattled NHS doctor (thanks to Jeremy Hunt and his obsession with running the NHS down ready for privatisation) I'm delighted to see that infact the private sector is hardly the beacon of efficiency he would have us believe. At least in this case it's just a few late bicycles and not someone's life that's at stake.
Rant over.
One company. People have many other manufacturers they can buy from that aren't having issues like this. When government replaces private industry, people have no choice.
My politics are left of Corbyn and healthcare structure is a very interesting topic - lots of great reading comparing our uk model with the Swedes, French, German etc - but I'm not sure the nhs IT contracting history has been much more successful than Canyon's!
Also, what's this mad crazy talk about bikes not being more important than life & death?
This bike order delay issue appears to be a classic company 'victims of our own success', but yes, having to wait longer for the latest, expensive bike is verging on a 'first world problem' really...
Rant is exactly the word I was searching for.
If the private sector were anything like as inefficient, resistant to change, and as entrenched as the NHS, we'd all be riding penny farthings
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