MEC vs LBS - A Firsthand Experience

This is a thread to outline my firsthand experience of dealing with MEC and dealing with an LBS as it pertains to product warranty/service.

LBS Experience
I bought a Lezyne alloy floor drive pump a couple years ago from an LBS on the Shore. Pump worked great … best floor pump I've ever owned. About two months ago, the pressure gauge stopped working. Looked up on the interwebz about possible reasons and fixes and found out that the gauge needed to be replaced (common occurrence with these pumps). Sent an email to Cycles Lambert as they are the distributor for this brand and they advised me to take to an LBS to have it serviced/warrantied. Took it in, and after the service tech called Lambert, I was told they would need to order the gauge part but none were in stock so I'd have to wait about 6 wks. Also told I'd only have to pay the shipping for the gauge as there is no actual cost in the book for this part. Fair enough .. sounds good to me. The part must still be out of stock 'cause I'm still waiting and it's been a couple months. Overall, I'm satisfied with how this has gone down and I'm looking forward to the part coming in so I can use this great pump again.

MEC Experience
Bought a Garmin Edge 500 bike computer about 2.5 years ago from MEC. Started having problems with it picking up the satellites properly. Off to the interwebz again. Tried all the fixes (latest firmware, emptying the memory, hard reset, etc) but still no improvement. Call up MEC service centre to see if I should send back to Garmin or bring in to a store for service. I was told not to go to Garmin but to bring the unit into a store and they'd replace it on the spot. Went in, got it replaced, and out the door again in no time at all. No hassles, no questions other than what's wrong with it. Super happy with this service.

That's my recent experience with two separate transactions both concerning service/warranty. I like to support my LBS as much as the next dude, but my first hand experience is that some LBS's can't even begin to compete with MEC when MEC offers service like what I experienced. It definitely is not always about price.

That's the power of MEC's buying power. They are a large company and can afford to do that. I have done similar things for customers before, especially when there has been a past issue with the product (ie. gloves blowing out prematurely).

Yeah it's hard to fault MEC on service. They replace things with a willingness that's hardly even justified. They make hundred of times the profit in a day than a typical bike shop does so it's pocket change for them to just keep you happy with a new part.

Also, I am betting that companies selling their product to MEC have some sort of agreement like "since us selling your product is like winning the lottery for you, we're just gonna go ahead and take the returned product off the giant cheque we're writing you this month."

I shop at both my chosen LBS's and MEC on a regular basis. I wouldn't buy a bike from MEC personally but accessories and the like, they're hard to beat. As for bike components, I don't buy from MEC because honestly, you can get a better deal at most bike shops.

it's like comparing bestbuy to some small electronics store

it's like comparing bestbuy to some small electronics store

Are there any small electronics stores left that compete with Best Buy directly?

Are there any small electronics stores left that compete with Best Buy directly?

My experience of buying to try a $500 laptop would suggest that there are not. They only wanted to deal with people with pony tails who were going to download 10 terabytes of donkey p0rn.

My experience of buying to try a $500 laptop would suggest that there are not. They only wanted to deal with people with pony tails who were going to download 10 terabytes of donkey p0rn.

syncro doesn't have a ponytail

Are there any small electronics stores left that compete with Best Buy directly?

NCIX was a small start up, they seem to be doing good. They offer more knowledge, often better prices, and a strong online website backing it. Don't really have to twist my arm to get me into that store vs the big box competitor.

Im sure the amount of Garmin GPS units purchased compared to ones returned is a very small number.

Can say Ive ever returned a used big ticket item to MEC, but REI, [HTML_REMOVED] backcountry.com sure have. Be curious about what a shop says about my snowboard

NCIX was a small start up, they seem to be doing good. They offer more knowledge, often better prices, and a strong online website backing it. Don't really have to twist my arm to get me into that store vs the big box competitor.

I wouldn't compare NCIX to an LBS … NCIX has many retail stores and a large online presence. Their expertise in their product could be compared to an LBS vs. MEC … in some cases.

Remember, MEC is trying not to make any profit, a lot of the time they just write the returned used product off as an expense, that way at the end of their year they don't have to write all their members a dividend cheque for $1.42.

Remember, MEC is trying not to make any profit, a lot of the time they just write the returned used product off as an expense, that way at the end of their year they don't have to write all their members a dividend cheque for $1.42.

A broken product is a broken product, regardless of a company business model.

I've had a crush on the gal who works at my LBS for years.
MEC can't beat that.
:woot:

A broken product is a broken product, regardless of a company business model.

You misunderstand what I am getting at, it is the way they deal with the broken product that differs for the reason above. Your LBS will use the channels through the manufacturer or the distributor, MEC will cover the product themselves (for the reasons I stated above), that is why the time frame and process differs between the two.

MEC can afford to replace a product and just throw it in the garbage, with their business model (Co-op) they are trying not to pay income tax or dividends at the end of the year. Most LBS are just trying to break even, while paying the owners a living wage and keep their key employees with work. LBS (should)provide a level of knowledge and service that MEC and on-line stores can't give you, if they can't keep key employees and the owners decently employed, then all you have is all the internet experts to help you out.

This is just an observation of what the differences are between the 2 processes and why. I am not judging either, just trying to give some insight. In the end, both are viable for different reasons, you can choose with whom and how you deal.