To those who do not like to read the full tale, feel free by all means to drop to the conclusion part.
Bit on an introduction:
As an Amsterdam resident I recently got myself a new job that mandates I traverse the whole city to get to and from work 5 days a week. Easily doable on a bike, but I wanted to arrive a bit less sweaty so an E-bike which had been on my list for a while. I want to get something shiny, but that requires saving up as I do not want to take any loans etc, so I went looking around and found out RAD power now has an EU presence in full, so I decided to get the RAD mission to serve as my E-bike for a while allowing me to save up for something else, but also stay in shape as now I was using public transport which alone ran me a 100 EUR a month so this bike even with fender and a rear rack would be paid off in a year just from that.
Purchase:
Purchase was easy enough order was placed on the 23-08, but effectively 24-08 as it was late night. Kickstand was not in stock, but something I would add later. Got an email confirming the order and noting it would take 5 business days to ship it. 5 Days for an in stock item like this to me was perfectly respectable and seeing they are based a city over I didn't expect delivery to be any issue.
Delivery:
Here the problems start, first off no telling who ships it when you order it, which I do believe is important as the quality of the providers ranges so widely if I see certain ones used without another option I will not purchase from that store. Anyhow they use UPS, we will get to them in a moment. On the 31-08 I get an email saying they are sorry and should not have said 5 business days because they are moving warehouse and it now takes 10-15 days. This is a little annoying naturally, but end of day it is alright I can deal with it, but it doesn't start well. Then on 01-09 at like 5 am there is an email it is being send out with a tracking link from UPS, that link tells me to check back tomorrow. Bit strange, but alright who is complaining it is being send out sooner than last indicated.
UPS:
So now a detour to UPS, after trying a deliver on 01-09 I got a note they had just completed their 3rd and final delivery attempt. Now before you call bullshit on that part, it wasn't, RAD power didn't send out the shipment notification on time and admitted as much. Anyhow the issue is with UPS I first tried to change the date, but they wanted me to make an account, luckily I got enough throw away emails to use so I did. The problem is they wanted my address, but they clearly believe the world is limited to the United States of America, which is a tad baffling as you are riding around in the Netherlands. Anyhow tried to call, but only between 0900-1800 so was to late for that. Finally later got one on the line and they offer no delivery windows at all just a day and only weekdays so after some back and forth of me getting annoyed by this (this is a 24 hour economy, people work, most shipping companies know this) he agreed to put a note on it to deliver it at the end of the route and hence day. So I arrange with work to take half a day off, which is not ideal as it is peak season and we are horribly short staffed (I know surprise surprise). So at work I check and would you believe it, delivery window between 0945and1245, so that aint happening. Next day 07-09 I am at the metro station waiting and I get a call it is UPS annoyed they tried 4 times now and I explained to them that the feeling was mutual, anyhow back and forth they agree to deliver before 12 and I call work take the time and some extra I wanted to take the day before now and wait. Naturally 1205 they arrive at last. Anyhow we get back to them, for now back to RAD power.
RAD power customer support:
So while the delivery mess was happening I had send an email to RAD after the delivery attempt on 01-09 if they could sort it out cause I couldn't (USA aint the world see above). In this message I also offer the suggestion to offer more shipping providers that might deliver in evenings or weekends even if it comes at extra cost (tbh 40EUR is already expensive when I can ship a full 700Kg EUR pallet for that, but affin different world) because for people who work full time just taking a day off at short notice is not ideal or even possible (some of us work full time, have no one else at home or trustworthy enough or willing neighbors to accept a package as big and valuable as an E-bike). They told me they where sorry about the shipment notification it was send to late, but they couldn't do anything as it was with UPS and would look into the shipment providers, but where limited to UPS for now (press X for doubt).
Assembly:
Got the bike at last, but work was calling, so quickly opened it putting aside some stuff carefully to remove the battery for a charge so once I got home, assembled it I could go for a test ride or two to fine tune it before using it to get to work tomorrow no more metro for me. However once home and I started I found out the front break disk was badly bent (3mm roughly) so there this effort stranded a disk bent that badly won't even pass through the caliper not to mention it is dangerous. So back to customer support, I email them about my issue and how by now all of this is making me regret my purchase which makes me a little sad as I do like what RAD power is trying to do. So I tell them I hope they can do something to change my mind on this.
RAD power customer support v2:
So I get back a reply which comes down to: "So sorry your break disk arrived bent we will send you a new one, it will take 2 weeks." Talk about failing to understand or just properly read a message you got, but that seems to be in style. At this point I am done with RAD power so I email them still polite, but also firm that this is not acceptable anymore to me, all the issues I have had and now I can add another one on top as UPS (told you we get back to them) apparently delivered my fenders and rear rack, but I got no note from it and on email all it says is deliver to a random name and I got no idea who that is. So I add that issue to the email and tell them before the weekend I want a solution that gets me on my bike within a reasonable timespan and with all the extras I ordered. If not at this point I will see no other option, but to come back on my purchase have it returned for a full refund. Also noted that I hope they will take a look at this and their QA/QC along with their support offered. (I spend nearly a decade at IKEA a long part doing quality and safety, you either put in a damaged item into the box or your box is not capable of protecting what is inside, either way it fails).
This email was send on 08-09, 09-09 was silent and today 10-09 I got a reply once again sorry and if they could perhaps make an appointment at the service center and they can replace it there. Now that service center is a bit out of the way, open on weekdays normal working hours, which I already told them is an issue. Now beside the times I don't have a car bikes or public transport have been my options since forever so that was not an option. However I offered them the suggestion that if this place has these parts in stock, have them throw it in a box and ship it with postnl, I would have it in a few days tops. Also I reminded them about the fenders and rear rack as that had been completed ignored (see the pattern emerge).
Got back a reply they would try their best to see if they could get them to ship me the break disk as it is something they don't do. Yes once again no final solution and once again we ignore the second issue that was raised twice now.
In conclusion (TLDR for those who do not like chronologicals):
*RAD power EU's shopping and shipping systems are not properly linked up, leading to a shipment notification to be send out on the day they had a third delivery attempt. Also it is so unclear even they themselves didn't realize the bike had already shipped.
*They only use UPS and UPS clearly sucks. Also the classic we handed it off, it aint our problem nonsense. At my work the customers I deal with don't give a f*ck whatever transport company we used was late, they want me to fix the problem and that means I am going after these transport companies to fix the problem, this is how it should be as end of the day my business is with RAD power and not with UPS.
*Their customer support is lacking either showing poor training or poor protocol. (Missing that an ticket contains more than 1 issue even when reminded about it is a big NO NO)
*Their Quality Assurance & Control is poor be it for the product or the packaging, those should be considered together.
So yeah what was to be a nice option for a basic bike turned out to be a less than enjoyable experience. I really hope they change come in the future I know it is never easy, but the way this has gone is simply unacceptable.
Bit on an introduction:
As an Amsterdam resident I recently got myself a new job that mandates I traverse the whole city to get to and from work 5 days a week. Easily doable on a bike, but I wanted to arrive a bit less sweaty so an E-bike which had been on my list for a while. I want to get something shiny, but that requires saving up as I do not want to take any loans etc, so I went looking around and found out RAD power now has an EU presence in full, so I decided to get the RAD mission to serve as my E-bike for a while allowing me to save up for something else, but also stay in shape as now I was using public transport which alone ran me a 100 EUR a month so this bike even with fender and a rear rack would be paid off in a year just from that.
Purchase:
Purchase was easy enough order was placed on the 23-08, but effectively 24-08 as it was late night. Kickstand was not in stock, but something I would add later. Got an email confirming the order and noting it would take 5 business days to ship it. 5 Days for an in stock item like this to me was perfectly respectable and seeing they are based a city over I didn't expect delivery to be any issue.
Delivery:
Here the problems start, first off no telling who ships it when you order it, which I do believe is important as the quality of the providers ranges so widely if I see certain ones used without another option I will not purchase from that store. Anyhow they use UPS, we will get to them in a moment. On the 31-08 I get an email saying they are sorry and should not have said 5 business days because they are moving warehouse and it now takes 10-15 days. This is a little annoying naturally, but end of day it is alright I can deal with it, but it doesn't start well. Then on 01-09 at like 5 am there is an email it is being send out with a tracking link from UPS, that link tells me to check back tomorrow. Bit strange, but alright who is complaining it is being send out sooner than last indicated.
UPS:
So now a detour to UPS, after trying a deliver on 01-09 I got a note they had just completed their 3rd and final delivery attempt. Now before you call bullshit on that part, it wasn't, RAD power didn't send out the shipment notification on time and admitted as much. Anyhow the issue is with UPS I first tried to change the date, but they wanted me to make an account, luckily I got enough throw away emails to use so I did. The problem is they wanted my address, but they clearly believe the world is limited to the United States of America, which is a tad baffling as you are riding around in the Netherlands. Anyhow tried to call, but only between 0900-1800 so was to late for that. Finally later got one on the line and they offer no delivery windows at all just a day and only weekdays so after some back and forth of me getting annoyed by this (this is a 24 hour economy, people work, most shipping companies know this) he agreed to put a note on it to deliver it at the end of the route and hence day. So I arrange with work to take half a day off, which is not ideal as it is peak season and we are horribly short staffed (I know surprise surprise). So at work I check and would you believe it, delivery window between 0945and1245, so that aint happening. Next day 07-09 I am at the metro station waiting and I get a call it is UPS annoyed they tried 4 times now and I explained to them that the feeling was mutual, anyhow back and forth they agree to deliver before 12 and I call work take the time and some extra I wanted to take the day before now and wait. Naturally 1205 they arrive at last. Anyhow we get back to them, for now back to RAD power.
RAD power customer support:
So while the delivery mess was happening I had send an email to RAD after the delivery attempt on 01-09 if they could sort it out cause I couldn't (USA aint the world see above). In this message I also offer the suggestion to offer more shipping providers that might deliver in evenings or weekends even if it comes at extra cost (tbh 40EUR is already expensive when I can ship a full 700Kg EUR pallet for that, but affin different world) because for people who work full time just taking a day off at short notice is not ideal or even possible (some of us work full time, have no one else at home or trustworthy enough or willing neighbors to accept a package as big and valuable as an E-bike). They told me they where sorry about the shipment notification it was send to late, but they couldn't do anything as it was with UPS and would look into the shipment providers, but where limited to UPS for now (press X for doubt).
Assembly:
Got the bike at last, but work was calling, so quickly opened it putting aside some stuff carefully to remove the battery for a charge so once I got home, assembled it I could go for a test ride or two to fine tune it before using it to get to work tomorrow no more metro for me. However once home and I started I found out the front break disk was badly bent (3mm roughly) so there this effort stranded a disk bent that badly won't even pass through the caliper not to mention it is dangerous. So back to customer support, I email them about my issue and how by now all of this is making me regret my purchase which makes me a little sad as I do like what RAD power is trying to do. So I tell them I hope they can do something to change my mind on this.
RAD power customer support v2:
So I get back a reply which comes down to: "So sorry your break disk arrived bent we will send you a new one, it will take 2 weeks." Talk about failing to understand or just properly read a message you got, but that seems to be in style. At this point I am done with RAD power so I email them still polite, but also firm that this is not acceptable anymore to me, all the issues I have had and now I can add another one on top as UPS (told you we get back to them) apparently delivered my fenders and rear rack, but I got no note from it and on email all it says is deliver to a random name and I got no idea who that is. So I add that issue to the email and tell them before the weekend I want a solution that gets me on my bike within a reasonable timespan and with all the extras I ordered. If not at this point I will see no other option, but to come back on my purchase have it returned for a full refund. Also noted that I hope they will take a look at this and their QA/QC along with their support offered. (I spend nearly a decade at IKEA a long part doing quality and safety, you either put in a damaged item into the box or your box is not capable of protecting what is inside, either way it fails).
This email was send on 08-09, 09-09 was silent and today 10-09 I got a reply once again sorry and if they could perhaps make an appointment at the service center and they can replace it there. Now that service center is a bit out of the way, open on weekdays normal working hours, which I already told them is an issue. Now beside the times I don't have a car bikes or public transport have been my options since forever so that was not an option. However I offered them the suggestion that if this place has these parts in stock, have them throw it in a box and ship it with postnl, I would have it in a few days tops. Also I reminded them about the fenders and rear rack as that had been completed ignored (see the pattern emerge).
Got back a reply they would try their best to see if they could get them to ship me the break disk as it is something they don't do. Yes once again no final solution and once again we ignore the second issue that was raised twice now.
In conclusion (TLDR for those who do not like chronologicals):
*RAD power EU's shopping and shipping systems are not properly linked up, leading to a shipment notification to be send out on the day they had a third delivery attempt. Also it is so unclear even they themselves didn't realize the bike had already shipped.
*They only use UPS and UPS clearly sucks. Also the classic we handed it off, it aint our problem nonsense. At my work the customers I deal with don't give a f*ck whatever transport company we used was late, they want me to fix the problem and that means I am going after these transport companies to fix the problem, this is how it should be as end of the day my business is with RAD power and not with UPS.
*Their customer support is lacking either showing poor training or poor protocol. (Missing that an ticket contains more than 1 issue even when reminded about it is a big NO NO)
*Their Quality Assurance & Control is poor be it for the product or the packaging, those should be considered together.
So yeah what was to be a nice option for a basic bike turned out to be a less than enjoyable experience. I really hope they change come in the future I know it is never easy, but the way this has gone is simply unacceptable.
