It starts over a year ago. I work in a bicycle shop and we encourage branching out and checking out other shops from time to time. Always good to support the local shops as opposed to mailorder. I had a friend go into Solon Bicycle to pick up a pair of bmx cranks, nitrous thrusters. When he shows up where I work to install them, they gave him two different types of spindle hardware. He immediately called to ask to return them and they said he couldn't and that he had to call the manufacturer. An HOUR after he spent nearly $75 at this ""high end"" shop and the guy basically says over the phone.... you're out of luck. They had this particular box open and on display so they misplaced the hardware mindlessly and left us stranded. Luckily I myself work in a shop and know people in the bmx industry so I was quickly able to call eastern bikes (the manufacturer) and get it sorted out. They handled it professionally and sent out two sets of hardware FREE to make the situation better. Even then said if something didn't work out to call back and that they'd send out a new pair free of charge. No questions asked.
I walked into the shop a few months ago to purchase a Selle Italia road bike seat from them, and the guy with the beard was super rude. In the past i've been in for misc parts in a rushed attempt to skip mailorder and have been treated poorly. As if i'm bothering them asking for parts. In fact, the only completely polite person in that enitre shop is the younger kid who always has a big bright smile upon his face.
More recently a close close friend of mine needed to build a cassette wheel fast and simply needed 36 bmx spokes. Needed to build the wheel that day or the next (friday) due to going out on a riding related weekend trip. He calls solon because the shop he works at had been out of Black 184mm bmx spokes, (but had every other color under the sun at the shop he works at in cleveland) so he ignored the fact that people have warned him about their bad experiences with solon bicycle and called anyways. They they proceeded to tell him $32 dollars for 36 black spokes. That price is absolute absurd! He ended up picking up a bag of 50 on the way out of town elsewhere, a higher grade even.... for $19 dollars.
When the heinous price was discussed via social media on a private forum (it's america, we have opinions) the owner Dan proceeded to e-mail my friend via public forum, and even in person a few days later to make threats about my friends opinion. A nearly 40 year old man yelling at another member of the bicycle industry over an opinion. My friend then pointed out several distributors, mailorders, and different options for the same (and better) product at ridiculously cheaper pricers. All while these companies still make their profit mind you. Needless to say my friend stood his ground and wasn't afraid of ""physical harm"" or anything. He was happy to simply shrug it off.
I don't ride bmx myself but through seeing these things first hand and even seeing how the owner of this shop acts in public over one man's simple (but fully backed) opinion about prices.... I will never do business with this shop again. Thank you for your time. The guys at Fridrich's took care of me, and also spin cycle. Check them out!
Cheers.
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