Context: I’m in Canada, and have ordered from Bike24 without any issues in the past.
Several weeks ago I ordered a single tire (which I’ve ordered before), Schwalbe winter tire studs, and a floor pump.
It was held for two weeks for inspection in Germany, and today I learned that “The shipment cannot be exported to the destination country/region and is returned to the sender.”
I’ve contacted Bike24, but I’m preparing for a refund nightmare. More importantly, I need the stuff on that order… what could possibly be the reason they can’t ship here? They list items that don’t ship to Canada, but these items aren’t on that list.
Has anyone else experienced this recently? What was the outcome?
Update: Seller says it might have been the pump, which likely included 2 x AAA batteries 😒 I’ve gotten stuff from China with 21700 lithium-ion cells without issues. And AAA alkaline is a challenge to get out of Germany? 🤷♂️
l remember that some major German packet services recently completely stopped delivery to the US (I think it was DHL) until tarif chaos has cleared up a bit. But you are Canadian… maybe collateral damage… Which packet service did you choose?
I wouldn’t be surprised if DHL was routing most Canadian shipments through their hubs in the US instead of directly to Canada. Despite being founded in the US it has not been anywhere near as strong as UPS or FedEx in decades, if ever. I wouldn’t be surprised if the situation is the same or worse in Canada; I don’t recall seeing them in my in-laws’ rural Quebec town.
I heard the same, and DHL was what they used to ship with. But this shouldn’t affect Germany to Canada… unless it passes through the States. 💩
Not to be an ass, but why not go to a local bike shop? Nothing in your comment seems impossible to source. Idk, with all the tariffs and everything I’m sure trying to go local as much as possible.
That’s a legitimate question.
I try to support local bike shops as much as I can, but I’m not rich, and have to be mindful of my budget.
After shipping and currency conversion, this order comes to ~$167 Canadian. If I were to price the same items locally, it would come out to $355+, and I’d have to get them from three different shops, and possibly pay for shipping on at least one of the items.
It was the same with my last order, where I saved a significant amount of money getting tires that would be coming from Germany anyway.
For example a winter tyre that is exceptionally small can be very difficult to obtain. Or something that has a larger diameter than tyres typically do. Or the tyre has a small diameter but is very wide. Or has some other required features but also needs to be protected against punctures?
At least getting winter tyres for my child’s bike was absolutely impossible in any bike shop I visited, because even the ones selling relatively small winter tyres had them with a diameter two inches bigger than what fits that bike.
Yes, availability has been a challenge with some of the tires I use (16" for trailers, 20" for my folding bike, 26" for my old MTB), but cost is a huge factor, too.
I find no joy in paying $70 - $200 more for a few items I need, just to “buy local”. I’ve spent a lot of money at local shops, but not when it feels like I’m being ripped off.
