Covid is a good excuse to not fulfill a commitment
By topffer
@topffer (42155)
France
September 8, 2020 8:01am CST
Last May I bought two bicycle tires on the Decathlon web store (it is a department store specialized in sports in the EU) and paid 7 euros to have them delivered at my door in 48 hours. Instead of getting them 2 days later, it took exactly 2 weeks... Reason : they were overwhelmed because of the covid crisis. Alright.
2 weeks ago, during a ride in the country, one of these "puncture-proof" tires went flat at 25km from my home. I was on a dirt path full of flint stones, this may happen...
Last Saturday at 1 pm, I ordered online 2 inner tubes and a repair kit supposed to be available in 1 hour at a local Decathlon store... but I needed to wait until an email telling me that it was ready. I should have smelled a rat. On Monday afternoon I received a phone call apologizing because they were overwhelmed and that they had not the size of the valve I ordered. It would take 2 days more. Grrr... I had checked where it was available before chosing the store. I know what 2 days means in their vocabulary, I asked what sizes they had and told the guy to give me tubes with a 48mm instead of a 60mm Presta valve. It is a bit more difficult to inflate a tire, but I may survive with a 48mm valve...
Yesterday evening I went to the store to get my order. 7 km. I took my car. There were two young women and a man at the reception. The first woman scanned the barcode of my order on my phone, the second one checked if my name was on the list and went in a backroom to search my items, while the first one asked me an ID. I guess it was to be sure that I had not robbed my phone or hacked my email address. I was wondering what was the role of the man ? He was there for customers' complaints. When the second girl came with a plastic bag with "Decathlon 1 hour delivery" printed on it, I could not hold that it was false advertising. And the guy said : "Sir, we are overwhelmed because of the covid crisis" and he wished me a good afternoon. I should have nailed him at the entrance door with a label telling "liar", but I only wished him back a good afternoon. Topffer, you are a coward, but, next time, if the excuse is lame, who knows what may happen...
Have you experienced something similar ?
13 people like this
12 responses
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
9 Sep 20
@topffer
I have had to contact my scooter guy for my batteries for my scooter until he found it online and now he is gone so the one that called me today is someone that helped him so remembered me so he hopefully will call him and find out where to get the batteries and we will see. It was not the scooter guy's fault that the places lied to him about having the batteries and then when he went to get them they did not have them. This was before the virus. It was a real problem because I have two hills to get up before I get home and it cut it close to get home before. It is very frustrating when you try and explain something you really need and they cannot help you.
2 people like this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
10 Sep 20
@topffer
I will say that my scooter is faster than people walking and nothing else. I get my batteries depending on how much I use it these days about every 6 months. To me it is worth it. I guess it depends on why you want one. Mine saved my life. If no problem I can get close to things and drive right up to my building. I have a spot for it but the spot is not great. You need to charge it when not using it so need a charger. You need someone that you can rely on to take care of it for you when you need things done on it. They are very much worth it. They are not warm in the winter and no way you can put a heater in there and cannot put windshield wipers on the plastic so have to carry a rag off when it rains or snows if you get both where you are. If you have questions you can write me a message.
1 person likes this

@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
9 Sep 20
Sort of yes and no which is neither one thing or the other really.
Food shop here blames everything on Covi when they don´t stock anything of what you want anymore.
Wishing you no more flat tyres is what I will wish for you.
Lots of business putting in their windows "gone for the moment because of Covid", disculpen las molestias.
I could write a review about a Restaurant or two but then I thought it was hardly worth it in the end it will not make them any better or worse than what they are.






1 person likes this

@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
9 Sep 20
@topffer
Oh the Restaurant he should have made it clear that he only served his own buddies and that was it and the food was very cold and very greasy yuk.
Needles to say we did not go back to that one again even though it looked so nice from the outside.
Muy hurraños the people inside of it and almost hostile.
I said to Jorge I think we have chosen the wrong place and was I right.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
9 Sep 20
@lovinangelsinstead21 Bad luck, it may happen to everybody, I have had this kind of experience.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
9 Sep 20
A flat tire is something more common with a bicycle than a car. It happens every 2/3000km to me, and I do not use very cheap tires. I would only prefer it to happen near my home than at 25km
.
That's true, a review does not make a restaurant better or worse, but sometimes it may help to find a restaurant.
.
That's true, a review does not make a restaurant better or worse, but sometimes it may help to find a restaurant.1 person likes this

@Orson_Kart (8301)
• United Kingdom
9 Sep 20
I feel for you. Every business now has a COVID disclaimer as an excuse for poor service. I do believe it's because many of the customer service people are working from home and blaming bad internet connections. Actually I think they are all in bed or out in the garden enjoying the sunshine, while Joe Public is "patiently" waiting for a response.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
10 Sep 20
@Orson_Kart It is terrible what is happening to public services here with the covid.
@Orson_Kart (8301)
• United Kingdom
10 Sep 20
@topffer Public services were poor here even before the pandemic, now they are almost non-existent.
1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (222624)
• United States
8 Sep 20
Yes, most deliveries have been delayed supposedly due to the COVID-19 crisis.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222624)
• United States
9 Sep 20
@topffer I just ordered several things from Amazon. They are supposed to be delivered on the 15th....we shall see!
1 person likes this
@GodServantme (1543)
•
7 Nov 20
Teenager in America think covid is a joke and they keep partying
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
7 Nov 20
@GodServantme The day of thé lockdown a party was made here in a school for police officers. The minister told that he would dire from the school all the students identified because a policeman needs to show the example to others.
1 person likes this
@GodServantme (1543)
•
8 Nov 20
@topffer I think European Knuw how to Bahave Unlike Muricans
Rising g covid19 case in UK
Rising g covid19 case in UK1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51837)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
8 Sep 20
I'd answer this but I'm "overwhelmed because of the covid crisis." 

1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Sep 20
I have not gotten a single thing online or by delivery this whole time. I believe Hubby has . . . I think maybe there were severe delays before June . . . but now it's maybe a little late at best (but then again our stuff wasn't that important). I will say that I do know that bike shops out here have had bike and part shortages for a long time now . . . we could not get new bikes anywhere. All we could do was be put on a waiting list . . . that's all. We haven't even tried since . . . most likely they are still having supply issues . . . I should go find out! What you have been going through would have me screaming!
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
9 Sep 20
That's true, we have also shortages on new bikes and to wait a long time for repairs. I do most of the fixes needed by myself. Before buying in a Decathlon store you can check where the item you want is available. This one does not update its stocks to get more costumers. I am sure that it is a strategy because they prepair an order only if you pay for it when ordering, but not when you pay in the store, when most of Decathlon stores have this option. It is dishonest, next time I will order in another one.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86778)
• United States
8 Sep 20
Truth. I’m getting sick of it as an excuse, too.
1 person likes this






.







