Well done Cam! Your channel needs to be totally trustworthy, and if companies let you down you need to call it out. Hopefully this difficult video will bolster your channel as an honest forum. Well done, I'm sure it wasn't easy.
if you are a RUclips channel it is difficult to judge customer service because you'll receive preferential treatment. It is relatively easy to judge a product in contrast. I don't think this is isolated, I deal with a number of insurance assessments for individuals and the response from manufacturers, even the large Western brands is lethargic and drawn out.
At least we have legal rights to protect us when we buy products from western brands. For example, when Canyon could not repair my bike for 2 months, I was able to get back the full amount I paid by using my legal rights. It is clear that seeking your rights is not so easy for products directly from the far East.
I am new to the road world, but I tried some of the cheaper Chinese parts a few years ago on my mountain bikes. They’re great until they aren’t. In the end it cost me more in $s and frustration. I’ve learned my lesson and just stomach the extra cost of established brands/distributors/shops/online shops. Good video that really shows your authenticity.
Great to see content producers like yourself, Cam, sharing candid negative experiences from suppliers and OEM's who fall short with customer service. Well done. Might have considered a SEKA for my next build, but doubtful now.
I ordered last week and my heart stopped after seeing Cams video. I emailed Seka and they asked me to send them my order conformation. Seka responed and said they will contact Cycling100. Also, they let me know that the frame will take 3 months to build. Hope this helps others who have ordered.
Brilliant video shows genuine people out there who care about what they do. This alone will bring more people to watch your videos and buy recommended products. Top notch...
Sadly, I'm one of those customers you're talking about. I'm happy you made this video. Took 8 months to get my frame. But I thought they took my money and ran. And they never responded to my emails. Very stressful situation.
Very recognisable situation. Finally had to engage SEKA HQ to get clarity and my ordered Exceed RDC frame - they were very customer-friendly and helpful by the way, complete opposite of C100's way of doing things. C100's customer service and communication does a lot of damage to SEKA's image, while the Exceed frame is indeed on-par with the well-known 'Western' big boys. So SEKA's products deserve full praise and consideration imo. Should you want to avoid C100 (which I would do with today's knowledge), I can recommend Watts Labs, a SEKA dealer in Hong Kong, a lot. Even though Simon from Watts Lab knew about my pre-order with C100, he did an excellent job of helping me out and advising me (as a backup should I be able to get out from under the pre-order with C100).
Again a honest evaluation of the situation with Seka / cycling 100 its a real pity this is happening with these two brands as you feel that they are good quality and value for money hopefully this can be resolved quickly Thank you Cam these problems should in no way reflect on you mate and what you do.
I recently (5 days ago) ordered an exceed off of of cycling 100, so clicking on this video my heart was racing hoping there wasn’t a massive issue with the product. I have to say even though the communication has been slightly vague, they’ve responded to me within 24 hours everytime I’ve sent an email, and they even told me they’d be shipping my frame today. Hopefully this will become everyone’s experience moving forward…
Then why is their website still saying 10 to 12 weeks? Perhaps you were lucky and got one that was already in the pipeline (prior client changed their mind).
@@cornelhughes6763 I should have clarified, on their website they had 3 midnight blue frames “in stock” and I got one of them. But my main point was that based on my experience they have improved their customer communication
@@willbarrettfurniture I just want to know if aussie consumer laws apply to this international company? I know my bank will refund me straight away if they don't respond to my refund requests
Can consider "Ride in Style" in singapore. I got my seka exceed RDC through him in 2 months after pre-order. Bike is excellent and we are lucky to have our exclusive distributor backing up the SEKA singapore community!
Glad to see, that you dig into this. But... Was hopeing for a video on the Elves Evo today 🙈 Even just some thougts about the bike! Keep up thoose nice vids Cam 💪
Exceed (non-RDC) owner here, very happy with the bike. Luckily was able to get it through a Seka authorized dealer in my country so didn't have to deal with C100.
Good thing here in the Philippines we have a local distributor for Seka and they are handling orders really well. Thats the advantage if you support local distributors. They might have some delay on the order but definitely not on the refund process 😊
Well done Cam one thing I cannot tolerate is poor service, hence I would never consider dealing with this company after watching this video, thank you.
Ordered my frame at the start of december 2022 and paid the deposit. No response from C100, but have been in contact with Seka, and they answer quickly. The say everything is fine and the frame is to be sent out late march, but probably before that. They say that they are planning on skipping C100 and do direct sales instead in the future. They apologise for C100 having bad service. They offered to help me get my deposit back if I wanted to, but I still hope for the frame to come and live up to my high expectations. Unfortunately there is nowhere else than C100 to buy Seka from when you live in Denmark.
This is why I think building a good relationship with your local bike shop is of incredible value. Its like an insurance, its not for the good days, its for the bad ones.
Mate, you don't know the half of it. There are more horror stories and even more clowns out there. It's hugely frustrating, because people looking to make a quick buck end up ruining it for the other 'genuine' companies. How are consumers (or even RUclipsrs) supposed to know who to trust? Sorry you got "burned" - it is genuinely a horrible feeling when you find out something that you recommended has ended up costing people time / money.
Buying a product from any of these smaller online companies is something I won’t do as I prefer not only support local but actually be able to go in and then walk out the door with the product
I ordered my SEKA EXCEED RDC Frameset from the importer/distributor for my country. They get it direct from SEKA FACTORY. The Frameset arrived within 30 days with specified stem lengths etc that I requested. No issues. SEKA is not the problem. CYCLING 100 ( the company whom SEKA regrettably appointed as their ONLINE ordering platform) is the one ruining SEKA's image as a few of my friends, including myself, emailed CYCLING 100 many months ago to order Framesets but CYCLING 100 didn't even reply once!
Hey Mate, thanks for the info. Tried to buy one from C100 - but reached out to get some info first. After 2 weeks no response. Decided not to place an order in the end. BTW - how is the Elves Project going on? This might be one to look out, lol
I just pre-ordered a Seka frame from Cycling 100 and they did respond after a few days (after being away and quiet for chinese new year, which is rather common with chinese companies). I heared reports about their slow response times, but on the other hand people seem to be getting their frames or refunds in the end. I guess one needs a lot patience when buying from them.
Cycling100 have been a sh*t show. So many stories of people burned on various forums. Seka would be best served by revoking their dealer / distribution rights.
I have the SAME exact issue with Yoeleo - Over the past year, Yoeleo has sent me frames and wheels to test and review. The quality is good. However...Yoeleo has mistreated and outright lied to several individuals I have referred to them. I'm not talking about RUclips viewers, but rather personal friends of mine whom I ride and train with on a regular basis. Waiting 6 months for frame that was said to be "in stock" and then waiting another month for a refund is completely unacceptable. Having addressed these concerns directly with Yoeleo, their response and overall attitude is that of Cycling 100. And rather than fix these communication and fulfillment issues, they would rather focus on marketing for a frame which they rarely have in stock. Absolutely disappointing.
They’re Chinese. You have to harass them into doing things as the person you are talking to does not want to be responsible to speak with a superior. You have to complain until they give in and do what they should do. Don’t expect common sense. That’s China. I live there. It’s how they are.
Yup, that's exactly my experience so far with Yoeleo. Ordered in late July and still no shipment. They've been in touch though in regard to their new frame design which has sort of relieved my concerns. They do keep postponing the expected delivery date though. It's gone from 45 days to, 2 months more to just recently when they said end of this month (feb). We'll see, I guess I put my faith in their reputation still. I'll hold on a bit longer, really curious about their updated G21 offering, fingers crossed... 😬
Since we are talking about problems, let me share the experience I had with Yoeleo. I bought a pair of 46mm rims, and they were sent on time and the response was immaculate, however, when I received the product, one of the units was 50 grams heavier than what it was advertised. I couldn't send it back because I had a race within 1 week and I had to build the wheels. I know that, 50grs won't make me faster, but if you are paying for a product, you expect to be as advertised. Yoeleo said that this rim was made for "heavier" people instead. Well, that's bullshit in my point of view. After that, they offered me a 30usd discount, which I didn't accept, after that, they offered me 100usd. Since it was gonna be a lot of trouble sending it back to China and waiting for a new one, paying taxes again, I accepted the discount.
I wanted to buy a Seka, they look really nice, but the deposit system sketched me out. Dodged a bullet there. So I proceeded to order an Elves Falath and after 2 months of nothing my impatience got ahold of me and I asked them how's the order coming along. They replied saying they'll look into it so I'm hopeful they will figure it out and ship it soon.
There have been some development in my dealing with Elves, so I might as well share more here. A week after they said they'd get back to me I got nothing other than mild anxiety, so I decided to go bug them about it again. I very politely, but a bit nervously reminded them that I've been waiting for 2 months already and I'd really appreciate to know anything about my frame. They finally replied, apologized for the wait and told me they're very busy, but they will ship the frame in a week. That made me very happy and relieved. Looks like they're just really overwhelmed with orders, but they need to be responsive when they can't keep up.
Seka is sold locally via shops like CCache in Sydney. May be going via a local channel is better. If deposit take such a long time for refund, imagine a warranty claim!
Awesome my guy...i hate it when other people abuse someone else's kindness. You're obviously very professionally kind...i mean you could have bashed them if you wanted to but not. By the way i saw you cover ICAN wheels could you cover their frames too 🙏 🙏... I'm on their mtb frame at the moment but planning to get the road one. So far their communication has been great. I'm living in China too at the moment
I am happy to report some good news. I contacted SEKA and asked if I could buy the frame directly from them. They were fantastic. From my initial email to shipping was 5 days and their communication and customer service was consistent and helpful. The opposite from cycling100! Frame has now arrived and I am looking forward to building.
If they are that sketchy regarding refunds. You could only imagine that you would have no chance whatsoever of a reasonable outcome if there was a need for a warranty claim. I would avoid them at all costs irrespective of how good their components allegedly are.
I have had great CS when dealing with the company direct. No doubt this is a smaller company that has a low price point. And they can do that with a small staff. I had an issue with a seat post and it was at my door from China 3 days later. The frame is a top tear frame. Prefer it over my Dogma. Will be ordering another for sure.
Does anyone know who is distributing Seka for the North America (the us more specifically) I saw one and person and rode a little bit really like the bike but not getting a response from Seka directly.
Couldn't agree that it's a great frame! Running an Exceed RDC myself. Unfortunately the same level of quality is not seen on the computer mount - mine out of the blue snapped off mid ride (bike hasn't been crashed) and as a result I have a shattered Garmin unit
Just went onto C100 website and it says 'we are no longer in business'... Want to order an Exceed RDC for uk - just investigating options... Have contacted Seka direct to enquire about uk agents All part of my pre order due diligence 👍
That's a bummer. This is why I always use a credit card and if I don't hear back from them the first time I write a second time and inform them if I don't hear back within a few days I'm going to do a charge back on my card. If I still don't hear back from them then I follow through and do a charge back on my card.
I think the problem is with products being sourced put of a few manufacturers as open mold frames or built to retailers designs. The factories rely on a skilled workforce which aren't easily replaced and trained up but they might be reluctant to employ staff ahead of projected orders because with covid and logistics issues. Now the orders are coming in but staff might have moved on or aren't sufficient enough to keep up with demand. If more brands were actual manufacturers like giant, look, time, factor then we'd have less issues.
Imagine you would have a factory damage, a crack or any issue on many renowned companies. Would you trust that they'll honour you with a replacement and if yes, how long will that take. It is cheap but the risk to reward is too high! Also what if you need a crash replacement something that needs more communication with the customer service department? That's interesting to know
People often make fun of AliExpress, but I've had none of these issues when using that platform. I built a complete bike - frame, wheels, groupset, and accessories - from AE
I pre-ordered a Seka Exceed non-RDC and after 6 months of no communication (They said the bike would ship out after 3 months), I reached out to try and get a response. I got nothing for another month of poking at them until I commissioned a friend that had direct contact with someone at C100 in order to get my refund. This is absolutely unacceptable and frustrating. I will also say, during the Covid craze when I ordered my Factor Ostro from a LBS, the treatment wasn't much better as Factor were ghosting my LBS and my LBS were sick of me asking them for updates. At this point in time, I would rather order components from reputable sources, and frames from reputable sources and build them myself.
Made a comment on a video a while back. When I first read their terms I thought no chance in hell I’d buy anything from them. They pretty much say on a round about way that they are done with you after your product is shipped.
I only spend a certain amount/limit on online purchases bc you loose out on comms, like this example here. I usually ask myself this question, am I prepared to possibly loose $xxx online? Usually answer is no 😂 I only am prepared to spend max $200 on a no name online shop with no guarantee’s. Everyone is different. Also usually pay with PayPal on some other reputable online payment system. Which I haven’t had any dramas with. Which I have never had to put in a dispute, but know I can. But yeah not all places accept it. 😞 Power of social media though, for me, not even gonna bother to buy anything from that website
Fair play for the video but being an influencer as a trustworthy business you need to do your DD at the offset. It's a bit late now, you have converted sales. Something just didn't add up about C100 for me.
Thanks for sharing on the thread. I agree, it's sad that I am part of many peoples frustrations. From a DD perspective, I did have many conversations with one of the owners, including video calls (he was an ex pat from the UK). He seemed like a great guy and I understood in the conversation that the other owner was one of the most highly regarded cycling commentators in China. Chain is his name. So you would think someone with that high profile position would want to keep their reputation intact.
@@CamNicholls Yeh I hear ya. I heard from the same UK guy regarding C100. I did a bit of a digging and found some pretty scary failures with the vortex wheels (domestic market), and I don't think they ever got back to me on it - which was a bit of a red flag.
What a sloppy company. I refuse to support or do business with shady organizations that are quick to take your money, but evasive to ensure your satisfaction. Thanks for the PSA!
SEKA is apparently in the process of setting up their own online shop. The website already shows a shopping cart, but they seem to be working on the other parts of it.
I meant thank you for your honesty dealing with China can be good or it can be bad but they do generally come back with a response cos they want your business good work mate love it
I disagree, I had no issue getting a refund on my deposit. Maybe it's because im in the USA? The only thing id be aware of when buying from their site is your bank may charge you a fee to pay in a different currency.
Customer service makes or breaks a company. Sounds like this is one to avoid for sure. I can’t imagine what a warranty claim would be like through them when it’s costing them money.
That's a moment one of my customers got after he chose not to buy a Specialized Allez from me back at my old workplace, but picked a carbon counterpart for the same price as the Allez. Had he made the other choice, none of the problems he had faced over the 1+ year of ownership would happen.
I ordered a frame from Cycling100 on January 30th and paid the deposit. 12 weeks later they asked me to pay the outstanding balance which I did. They now have 1700 euros of my money and do not respond and will not reply to either the chat option on their website or email. I have sent a lot of messages and have had nothing back. All very worrying so I would not recommend purchasing anything from this company.
Sorry to hear that. If it’s any consolation they tend to either refund or your frame eventually arrives. It’s just extremely poor communication or lack there of!
@@jonathanking7595 I'm in same boat too. Ordered before this video came out and now Seka are saying they won't send anymore frames to Cycling100 to ship out to the outstanding customers
Completely out of the blue Cycling100 have refunded my money. The website now says they are no longer in business. Although this is clearly a relief, the whole experience has been an absolute shit show and I am not surprised that they have done out of business. I would how ever still like to by the frame, so any information on how to do this would be appreciated.
Yes absolutely, sekas support ist pretty great 24std reply time. I'm in contact with them because of my problems with C100 and seka really try's to help me
I would say it's a big SEKA problem when Cycling100 is your primary global sales channel. The video was tiled this was so that any people thinking of buying a SEKA (that search for it on RUclips/Google) hopefully see this video.
This isn’t really a new thing, there has been a thread running on weight weenies since the SEKA was announced. A ton of people have had the same issues, as were outlined in this vid. Seka need to sack cycling100 or they will be dead to the western market, before they know it.
@@CamNicholls that’s all good but as you know, SEKA isn’t the issue, it’s cycling100 who are causing the problem. SEKA need to ditch them ASAP. I really wanted to try an RDC but after dealing with Cycling100 I gave up and went with another Cervelo.it would be a shame to put people off SEKA as a brand when it the distribution screwing thinsg up.
of course refund is hard, because it's Chinese company. Hear me out, I am Chinese, I am living in China. In China, almost every online shopping is hard to get refund, despite they says "guarantee refund, no condition", It's never that easy. You people are so used to better shopping environment, think you have right to ask refund only because you are no pleased. In China, you need fight for your refund, online vendors have all the tricks to no refund you.
Another example of scam Nichols shady behaviour. Taking kick backs from dodgy companies. Only reason for disclosing is his mate was about to get ripped. Grouse bloke 🙄
Dear Cam Nicholls. I hope this message finds you well I was a you tube follower of you. But i have to stop following you Because you are not any longer tell the truth You said the whole truth at the end of your video so you are safe for not telling it. Your obligation is to tell the truth about the product as hambini does in the first two minutes. Name a big brand company who answered between seconds. You are not longer paid by them and this is a response video
Hi Cam! 🙂. Yeah it's me 😁 I think I told you I would tell you I told you sooo!! 😂🤣😆 Ok here I go I told you that dealing with communist is like dealing with the devil ha ha ha 🤣🤌 Let's focus on helping local businesses.
Hey Mate, thanks for the info. Tried to buy one from C100 - but reached out to get some info first. After 2 weeks no response. Decided not to place an order in the end. BTW - how is the Elves Project going on? This might be one to look out, lol
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Well done Cam! Your channel needs to be totally trustworthy, and if companies let you down you need to call it out.
Hopefully this difficult video will bolster your channel as an honest forum. Well done, I'm sure it wasn't easy.
Dude. Big appreciation for you. You're not all about the money. I feel like I can fully trust you and your advice.
if you are a RUclips channel it is difficult to judge customer service because you'll receive preferential treatment. It is relatively easy to judge a product in contrast.
I don't think this is isolated, I deal with a number of insurance assessments for individuals and the response from manufacturers, even the large Western brands is lethargic and drawn out.
At least we have legal rights to protect us when we buy products from western brands.
For example, when Canyon could not repair my bike for 2 months, I was able to get back the full amount I paid by using my legal rights.
It is clear that seeking your rights is not so easy for products directly from the far East.
Hambini special
I am new to the road world, but I tried some of the cheaper Chinese parts a few years ago on my mountain bikes. They’re great until they aren’t. In the end it cost me more in $s and frustration. I’ve learned my lesson and just stomach the extra cost of established brands/distributors/shops/online shops. Good video that really shows your authenticity.
Thank you for having the awareness to inform your viewers of potential issues with recent partnerships.
Great to see content producers like yourself, Cam, sharing candid negative experiences from suppliers and OEM's who fall short with customer service. Well done.
Might have considered a SEKA for my next build, but doubtful now.
I ordered last week and my heart stopped after seeing Cams video. I emailed Seka and they asked me to send them my order conformation. Seka responed and said they will contact Cycling100. Also, they let me know that the frame will take 3 months to build. Hope this helps others who have ordered.
Brilliant video shows genuine people out there who care about what they do. This alone will bring more people to watch your videos and buy recommended products. Top notch...
Cheers Kevin
Sadly, I'm one of those customers you're talking about. I'm happy you made this video. Took 8 months to get my frame. But I thought they took my money and ran. And they never responded to my emails. Very stressful situation.
Thanks for sharing on the thread and sorry to hear about your frustrations.
how do you like the bike so far?
Good for you Cam….there needs to be more accountability across the industry as a whole
Very recognisable situation. Finally had to engage SEKA HQ to get clarity and my ordered Exceed RDC frame - they were very customer-friendly and helpful by the way, complete opposite of C100's way of doing things. C100's customer service and communication does a lot of damage to SEKA's image, while the Exceed frame is indeed on-par with the well-known 'Western' big boys. So SEKA's products deserve full praise and consideration imo.
Should you want to avoid C100 (which I would do with today's knowledge), I can recommend Watts Labs, a SEKA dealer in Hong Kong, a lot. Even though Simon from Watts Lab knew about my pre-order with C100, he did an excellent job of helping me out and advising me (as a backup should I be able to get out from under the pre-order with C100).
Very good to give this information out to people. Good job.
Again a honest evaluation of the situation with Seka / cycling 100 its a real pity this is happening with these two brands as you feel that they are good quality and value for money hopefully this can be resolved quickly Thank you Cam these problems should in no way reflect on you mate and what you do.
Thank you for your honest review. Seka is a great product. Hopefully with your review the customer service will improve. Well done!
I recently (5 days ago) ordered an exceed off of of cycling 100, so clicking on this video my heart was racing hoping there wasn’t a massive issue with the product. I have to say even though the communication has been slightly vague, they’ve responded to me within 24 hours everytime I’ve sent an email, and they even told me they’d be shipping my frame today. Hopefully this will become everyone’s experience moving forward…
Then why is their website still saying 10 to 12 weeks? Perhaps you were lucky and got one that was already in the pipeline (prior client changed their mind).
@@cornelhughes6763 I should have clarified, on their website they had 3 midnight blue frames “in stock” and I got one of them. But my main point was that based on my experience they have improved their customer communication
Did you watch the video? Sales communication 8/10. Refund communication 0/10
@@janeblogs324 I’m sorry for disappointing you Jane, maybe I am trying to stay optimistic that I didn’t just throw 2k away haha
@@willbarrettfurniture I just want to know if aussie consumer laws apply to this international company? I know my bank will refund me straight away if they don't respond to my refund requests
Respect for your due diligence. Open disclosure for the win!
Fair play for calling them out cam and not just taking money 👏 I bet not a lot of others would do this
Love your work Cam. Keep it up mate .
Can consider "Ride in Style" in singapore. I got my seka exceed RDC through him in 2 months after pre-order. Bike is excellent and we are lucky to have our exclusive distributor backing up the SEKA singapore community!
I very much appreciate your candor and responsibility. As of December 2023, Cycling 100 is no more.
Glad to see, that you dig into this.
But... Was hopeing for a video on the Elves Evo today 🙈 Even just some thougts about the bike!
Keep up thoose nice vids Cam 💪
Took the Elves to Neill Stanbury today. Stay tuned.
Exceed (non-RDC) owner here, very happy with the bike. Luckily was able to get it through a Seka authorized dealer in my country so didn't have to deal with C100.
Good thing here in the Philippines we have a local distributor for Seka and they are handling orders really well. Thats the advantage if you support local distributors. They might have some delay on the order but definitely not on the refund process 😊
Yeah ok buddy ha ha ha 🤣 and 100% of prostitutes are virgins
Waiting for your review of your exceed! :) your fit video with fred ilagan makes me want to get one!
Thanks for the honest advice and information.
Well done Cam one thing I cannot tolerate is poor service, hence I would never consider dealing with this company after watching this video, thank you.
thanks for being open on this...
Great honesty - love it
Ordered my frame at the start of december 2022 and paid the deposit. No response from C100, but have been in contact with Seka, and they answer quickly. The say everything is fine and the frame is to be sent out late march, but probably before that. They say that they are planning on skipping C100 and do direct sales instead in the future. They apologise for C100 having bad service. They offered to help me get my deposit back if I wanted to, but I still hope for the frame to come and live up to my high expectations. Unfortunately there is nowhere else than C100 to buy Seka from when you live in Denmark.
This is why I think building a good relationship with your local bike shop is of incredible value. Its like an insurance, its not for the good days, its for the bad ones.
Well said.
And you get the product in your hand
This is why I love your videos
I have one... and it is impressive... it did take several months to get the frame. They said it would be 10 weeks... it took 12.
Mate, you don't know the half of it. There are more horror stories and even more clowns out there. It's hugely frustrating, because people looking to make a quick buck end up ruining it for the other 'genuine' companies. How are consumers (or even RUclipsrs) supposed to know who to trust? Sorry you got "burned" - it is genuinely a horrible feeling when you find out something that you recommended has ended up costing people time / money.
This looks like a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul ....
Buying a product from any of these smaller online companies is something I won’t do as I prefer not only support local but actually be able to go in and then walk out the door with the product
any specific brands you're willing to name?
I ordered my SEKA EXCEED RDC Frameset from the importer/distributor for my country.
They get it direct from SEKA FACTORY. The Frameset arrived within 30 days with specified stem lengths etc that I requested. No issues.
SEKA is not the problem. CYCLING 100 ( the company whom SEKA regrettably appointed as their ONLINE ordering platform) is the one ruining SEKA's image as a few of my friends, including myself, emailed CYCLING 100 many months ago to order Framesets but CYCLING 100 didn't even reply once!
@china cycling would you recommend any resellers based on your expertise?
Hey Mate, thanks for the info. Tried to buy one from C100 - but reached out to get some info first. After 2 weeks no response. Decided not to place an order in the end. BTW - how is the Elves Project going on? This might be one to look out, lol
Thanks Cam...valuable info....and that can't have been easy to do.
I just pre-ordered a Seka frame from Cycling 100 and they did respond after a few days (after being away and quiet for chinese new year, which is rather common with chinese companies). I heared reports about their slow response times, but on the other hand people seem to be getting their frames or refunds in the end. I guess one needs a lot patience when buying from them.
Thanks for sharing. They are telling me they are improving, but only time will tell
Cycling100 have been a sh*t show. So many stories of people burned on various forums. Seka would be best served by revoking their dealer / distribution rights.
Are these the same guys selling the elves in Oz?
Preordered in May, paid balance in August hundred of emails n got the frame last week
I have the SAME exact issue with Yoeleo - Over the past year, Yoeleo has sent me frames and wheels to test and review. The quality is good. However...Yoeleo has mistreated and outright lied to several individuals I have referred to them. I'm not talking about RUclips viewers, but rather personal friends of mine whom I ride and train with on a regular basis. Waiting 6 months for frame that was said to be "in stock" and then waiting another month for a refund is completely unacceptable. Having addressed these concerns directly with Yoeleo, their response and overall attitude is that of Cycling 100. And rather than fix these communication and fulfillment issues, they would rather focus on marketing for a frame which they rarely have in stock. Absolutely disappointing.
They’re Chinese. You have to harass them into doing things as the person you are talking to does not want to be responsible to speak with a superior. You have to complain until they give in and do what they should do. Don’t expect common sense. That’s China. I live there. It’s how they are.
J'ai effectivement dû annuler ma commande avec Yoeleo . Je suis allé vers Elves ( Vanyar ) et aucun problème.
Thanks for sharing on the thread Patrick and sorry to hear about this frustrating situation.
Yup, that's exactly my experience so far with Yoeleo. Ordered in late July and still no shipment. They've been in touch though in regard to their new frame design which has sort of relieved my concerns. They do keep postponing the expected delivery date though. It's gone from 45 days to, 2 months more to just recently when they said end of this month (feb). We'll see, I guess I put my faith in their reputation still. I'll hold on a bit longer, really curious about their updated G21 offering, fingers crossed... 😬
Since we are talking about problems, let me share the experience I had with Yoeleo. I bought a pair of 46mm rims, and they were sent on time and the response was immaculate, however, when I received the product, one of the units was 50 grams heavier than what it was advertised. I couldn't send it back because I had a race within 1 week and I had to build the wheels. I know that, 50grs won't make me faster, but if you are paying for a product, you expect to be as advertised. Yoeleo said that this rim was made for "heavier" people instead. Well, that's bullshit in my point of view. After that, they offered me a 30usd discount, which I didn't accept, after that, they offered me 100usd. Since it was gonna be a lot of trouble sending it back to China and waiting for a new one, paying taxes again, I accepted the discount.
Is this also true for the Seka Spear? I noticed that Cache is asking for a deposit as well.
I wanted to buy a Seka, they look really nice, but the deposit system sketched me out. Dodged a bullet there. So I proceeded to order an Elves Falath and after 2 months of nothing my impatience got ahold of me and I asked them how's the order coming along. They replied saying they'll look into it so I'm hopeful they will figure it out and ship it soon.
Thanks for sharing on the thread, hope the Elves works out.
Got a elves frame in the fall, got the frame in a month, so they seem good so far
@@Emililil that's what people say, and that's why I ordered one. I hope they will sort it out soon, cycling season is getting close here!
There have been some development in my dealing with Elves, so I might as well share more here. A week after they said they'd get back to me I got nothing other than mild anxiety, so I decided to go bug them about it again. I very politely, but a bit nervously reminded them that I've been waiting for 2 months already and I'd really appreciate to know anything about my frame. They finally replied, apologized for the wait and told me they're very busy, but they will ship the frame in a week. That made me very happy and relieved. Looks like they're just really overwhelmed with orders, but they need to be responsive when they can't keep up.
Seka is sold locally via shops like CCache in Sydney. May be going via a local channel is better. If deposit take such a long time for refund, imagine a warranty claim!
Thanks for the video Cam
Awesome my guy...i hate it when other people abuse someone else's kindness. You're obviously very professionally kind...i mean you could have bashed them if you wanted to but not. By the way i saw you cover ICAN wheels could you cover their frames too 🙏 🙏... I'm on their mtb frame at the moment but planning to get the road one. So far their communication has been great. I'm living in China too at the moment
Where can you buy Seka besides cycling100?
It will depend where you live. Try CCache on ebay
I am happy to report some good news. I contacted SEKA and asked if I could buy the frame directly from them. They were fantastic. From my initial email to shipping was 5 days and their communication and customer service was consistent and helpful. The opposite from cycling100! Frame has now arrived and I am looking forward to building.
Hi Jonathan... Where are you based? (hoping your answer is UK! Lol)
Sorry for the late reply. No, sorry I live in the Middle East
If they are that sketchy regarding refunds. You could only imagine that you would have no chance whatsoever of a reasonable outcome if there was a need for a warranty claim.
I would avoid them at all costs irrespective of how good their components allegedly are.
I wouldn't trust them to trade while solvent either. Appears they already have cash flow issues.
I have had great CS when dealing with the company direct. No doubt this is a smaller company that has a low price point. And they can do that with a small staff. I had an issue with a seat post and it was at my door from China 3 days later. The frame is a top tear frame. Prefer it over my Dogma. Will be ordering another for sure.
Does anyone know who is distributing Seka for the North America (the us more specifically)
I saw one and person and rode a little bit really like the bike but not getting a response from Seka directly.
Couldn't agree that it's a great frame! Running an Exceed RDC myself. Unfortunately the same level of quality is not seen on the computer mount - mine out of the blue snapped off mid ride (bike hasn't been crashed) and as a result I have a shattered Garmin unit
You didn't tether your Garmin to your cockpit? Your Garmin actually comes with a tether for that.
@@sbccbc7471 yeah in hindsight I should have. Never expected a computer mount to actually fail - I can only assume it's a manufacturing defect
thanks for this video, i was going to order but i think i will go with another brand
What is the tyre clearance on this bike?
Just went onto C100 website and it says 'we are no longer in business'...
Want to order an Exceed RDC for uk - just investigating options...
Have contacted Seka direct to enquire about uk agents
All part of my pre order due diligence 👍
Sounds like they build the frames in batches similar to what canyon do
That's a bummer. This is why I always use a credit card and if I don't hear back from them the first time I write a second time and inform them if I don't hear back within a few days I'm going to do a charge back on my card. If I still don't hear back from them then I follow through and do a charge back on my card.
What you gonna do with your SEKA frame now?
I think the problem is with products being sourced put of a few manufacturers as open mold frames or built to retailers designs. The factories rely on a skilled workforce which aren't easily replaced and trained up but they might be reluctant to employ staff ahead of projected orders because with covid and logistics issues. Now the orders are coming in but staff might have moved on or aren't sufficient enough to keep up with demand. If more brands were actual manufacturers like giant, look, time, factor then we'd have less issues.
Good info!
Imagine you would have a factory damage, a crack or any issue on many renowned companies. Would you trust that they'll honour you with a replacement and if yes, how long will that take. It is cheap but the risk to reward is too high! Also what if you need a crash replacement something that needs more communication with the customer service department? That's interesting to know
People often make fun of AliExpress, but I've had none of these issues when using that platform. I built a complete bike - frame, wheels, groupset, and accessories - from AE
Hi Cam. What has happened to cycling100. Have they stopped trading?
I had the EXACT same experience with RIBBLE (road bike).....and based on the comments on their Instagram page, I wasn't the only one!😡🤬😡
Sorry to hear that, thanks for sharing on the thread though
I have faith that my Elves Falath Evo will not have the same problem. 🤞
Mentioned website no longer exists now!
I pre-ordered a Seka Exceed non-RDC and after 6 months of no communication (They said the bike would ship out after 3 months), I reached out to try and get a response. I got nothing for another month of poking at them until I commissioned a friend that had direct contact with someone at C100 in order to get my refund. This is absolutely unacceptable and frustrating. I will also say, during the Covid craze when I ordered my Factor Ostro from a LBS, the treatment wasn't much better as Factor were ghosting my LBS and my LBS were sick of me asking them for updates. At this point in time, I would rather order components from reputable sources, and frames from reputable sources and build them myself.
Also, thank you for being candid and honest in your video.
Made a comment on a video a while back.
When I first read their terms I thought no chance in hell I’d buy anything from them. They pretty much say on a round about way that they are done with you after your product is shipped.
I only spend a certain amount/limit on online purchases bc you loose out on comms, like this example here.
I usually ask myself this question, am I prepared to possibly loose $xxx online? Usually answer is no 😂 I only am prepared to spend max $200 on a no name online shop with no guarantee’s. Everyone is different.
Also usually pay with PayPal on some other reputable online payment system. Which I haven’t had any dramas with. Which I have never had to put in a dispute, but know I can. But yeah not all places accept it. 😞
Power of social media though, for me, not even gonna bother to buy anything from that website
I hope they will fix their customer service asap
Fair play for the video but being an influencer as a trustworthy business you need to do your DD at the offset. It's a bit late now, you have converted sales. Something just didn't add up about C100 for me.
Thanks for sharing on the thread. I agree, it's sad that I am part of many peoples frustrations. From a DD perspective, I did have many conversations with one of the owners, including video calls (he was an ex pat from the UK). He seemed like a great guy and I understood in the conversation that the other owner was one of the most highly regarded cycling commentators in China. Chain is his name. So you would think someone with that high profile position would want to keep their reputation intact.
@@CamNicholls Yeh I hear ya. I heard from the same UK guy regarding C100. I did a bit of a digging and found some pretty scary failures with the vortex wheels (domestic market), and I don't think they ever got back to me on it - which was a bit of a red flag.
What a sloppy company. I refuse to support or do business with shady organizations that are quick to take your money, but evasive to ensure your satisfaction. Thanks for the PSA!
Hi, mate . . . 🙋♂️
SEKA is apparently in the process of setting up their own online shop. The website already shows a shopping cart, but they seem to be working on the other parts of it.
Interesting to hear, thanks for sharing on the thread.
I was told by SEKA that the online Shop would be ready in August
Thank you for your on Steam link
I meant thank you for your honesty dealing with China can be good or it can be bad but they do generally come back with a response cos they want your business good work mate love it
I disagree, I had no issue getting a refund on my deposit. Maybe it's because im in the USA? The only thing id be aware of when buying from their site is your bank may charge you a fee to pay in a different currency.
Customer service makes or breaks a company. Sounds like this is one to avoid for sure. I can’t imagine what a warranty claim would be like through them when it’s costing them money.
"spend peanuts, get monkeys" yep a told you so moment.
That's a moment one of my customers got after he chose not to buy a Specialized Allez from me back at my old workplace, but picked a carbon counterpart for the same price as the Allez.
Had he made the other choice, none of the problems he had faced over the 1+ year of ownership would happen.
I ordered a frame from Cycling100 on January 30th and paid the deposit. 12 weeks later they asked me to pay the outstanding balance which I did. They now have 1700 euros of my money and do not respond and will not reply to either the chat option on their website or email. I have sent a lot of messages and have had nothing back. All very worrying so I would not recommend purchasing anything from this company.
Sorry to hear that. If it’s any consolation they tend to either refund or your frame eventually arrives. It’s just extremely poor communication or lack there of!
I am happy to wait for the frame, but there is no excuse for ignoring customers. A 30 second email is not too much to ask!
I stupidly bought the bike before you released this video.
@@jonathanking7595 I'm in same boat too. Ordered before this video came out and now Seka are saying they won't send anymore frames to Cycling100 to ship out to the outstanding customers
Completely out of the blue Cycling100 have refunded my money. The website now says they are no longer in business. Although this is clearly a relief, the whole experience has been an absolute shit show and I am not surprised that they have done out of business. I would how ever still like to by the frame, so any information on how to do this would be appreciated.
So this is a cycling 100 problem…not a SEKA problem
Yes absolutely, sekas support ist pretty great 24std reply time. I'm in contact with them because of my problems with C100 and seka really try's to help me
I would say it's a big SEKA problem when Cycling100 is your primary global sales channel. The video was tiled this was so that any people thinking of buying a SEKA (that search for it on RUclips/Google) hopefully see this video.
They aim to respond to emails within 48 hours. I have sent 4 of them within the last 10 days with 0 responses.
Rip SEKA
Not neccessarily. They'll be better off with different sales partner, or with selling directly.
Made in China got their reputation for a reason
Save yourself hassle and buy a winspace or yoeleo. Or if funds are tigther get a velobuild
Wow. The Seka files exposed 😯
🤣
Trifox would never do this
Wow A damming report cycling 100 are screwed!!
I heard C100 is ran by one guy.😂
Chinese carbon frame content still coming 😂
the deposit has long gone and went to invest on something else or paying debts
This isn’t really a new thing, there has been a thread running on weight weenies since the SEKA was announced. A ton of people have had the same issues, as were outlined in this vid. Seka need to sack cycling100 or they will be dead to the western market, before they know it.
Yes, I agree it's not new. But people searching for SEKA now on RUclips can find this video.
@@CamNicholls that’s all good but as you know, SEKA isn’t the issue, it’s cycling100 who are causing the problem. SEKA need to ditch them ASAP. I really wanted to try an RDC but after dealing with Cycling100 I gave up and went with another Cervelo.it would be a shame to put people off SEKA as a brand when it the distribution screwing thinsg up.
of course refund is hard, because it's Chinese company.
Hear me out, I am Chinese, I am living in China. In China, almost every online shopping is hard to get refund, despite they says "guarantee refund, no condition", It's never that easy.
You people are so used to better shopping environment, think you have right to ask refund only because you are no pleased. In China, you need fight for your refund, online vendors have all the tricks to no refund you.
Another example of scam Nichols shady behaviour. Taking kick backs from dodgy companies. Only reason for disclosing is his mate was about to get ripped. Grouse bloke 🙄
Brand ended..... 🤣
Seka and cycling100 is rubbish. Lots of horror stories
White, black, and this gray bike do not attract my eye. Dour. pessimistic, no matter that it’s gloss.
Just avoid Chinese products brands altogether!!
There are some hits but still very miss, I’ll give you that
Dear Cam Nicholls.
I hope this message finds you well
I was a you tube follower of you.
But i have to stop following you
Because you are not any longer tell the truth
You said the whole truth at the end of your video so you are safe for not telling it.
Your obligation is to tell the truth about the product as hambini does in the first two minutes.
Name a big brand company who answered between seconds.
You are not longer paid by them and this is a response video
so seka is a cycling "brand" that uses cheap chinese open mold frames with very huge margins, got it
Hi Cam! 🙂. Yeah it's me 😁
I think I told you I would tell you I told you sooo!! 😂🤣😆 Ok here I go
I told you that dealing with communist is like dealing with the devil ha ha ha 🤣🤌
Let's focus on helping local businesses.
Hey Mate, thanks for the info. Tried to buy one from C100 - but reached out to get some info first. After 2 weeks no response. Decided not to place an order in the end. BTW - how is the Elves Project going on? This might be one to look out, lol
Thanks for sharing mate. Have ridden it once. Need a bit more time before the review. Stay tuned. Probably need 3-4 weeks.