Why I call Halfords 'Halfrauds'

[MikeC]

I'm not going to sit here and defend Carrera, they certainly wouldn't get the Cool vote but she is seven years old and the bike will spend longer in the shed than on the trails.

I negotiated it down to £144, I was pleasantly surprised at the weight and it's pink. She'll like it, her mates will like it, her Mum likes it and I like it. Can't ask for more than that.

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

me and my local trading standard rep had a long discussion about 'was now' and 'up to x%' off deals and his exact words were "as long as its there in black and white, it is up to the consumer to attribute the worth of an item" i work for halfords and find it hard sometimes to answer the common question of "is it really worth the higher price?" the true answer would be no. nothing is ever 'worth' what you pay for it, but there is always the option to buy something else, somewhere else, its up to the consumer to make that choice.

i will add that i dont agree with the way retailers advertise items as better deals than they really are, but cant really complain as my kids are well fed and warm.

 

[Mr Chicken]

halfords get as much stuff made for them in china then stick their name on it and have the audacity to charge a ******* fortune for a pile of shite. I only ever go there when im desperate.

I try to convince people i know that they are a rip off, but halfords seduce the public by selling the odd items cheaply and by heavily advertising like B&Q etc.

 

[Neil]

I'm not going to sit here and defend Carrera

Sorry - didn't mean to attach your choice, or the brand.

I just meant to point out that Islabikes aren't so staggeringly priced. My son's first bike was a Ridgeback MX-14 - cost £99, and has had plenty of use, but still looks pristine - will clearly do for jnr no. 2.

When I looked around for the next bike, I'd had in my mind an Islabike, but looked at other, reasonable quality bikes for that sort of age / range.

I figured I'd spend at least £150 on something, and thought that the extra for an Islabike was money well spent.

 

[cyfa2809]

im forever trying to stave people off halfords, ever since my mate put his bike in for a service, collected said bike after service and crashed soon after due to his front wheel not being done up! luckily he was only going up a curb. also they are overpriced (and they do the overpriceing to 'reduce' things) didnt know about that before! i also think that they arent very knowlegable about bikes or bike parts worth more than a few hundred quid, shame on you! :shock:

 

[dyna-ti]

Why go anywhere to buy it
Why not use the vast building knowledge you've acquired to build your own for the kids.
Smallest frame you can find,a new paint job,custom kid orientated decals
Carefully chosen components ,best old deore stuff you can find on here and the bay
A 1x8 or even 1x9 gear rig ,saves a bit of cash and is easier to use.
I reckon for 150-200 you can build something amazing and get hydraulics on it too :?

 

[J i m s t e r]

halfords get as much stuff made for them in china then stick their name on it and have the audacity to charge a **** fortune for a pile of shite.

Yeah, no other big bike manufacturers would ever do that.

 

[legrandefromage]

halfords get as much stuff made for them in china then stick their name on it and have the audacity to charge a **** fortune for a pile of shite.

Yeah, no other big bike manufacturers would ever do that.

Yes, they use luxury destinations like Taiwan an Vietnam

 

[J i m s t e r]

I was told there are about three factories responsible for banging out about 90% of all the big name frames and the "Manufacturers" just differentiate them by groupset (and stickers, natch). Wasn't a Kona whatever actually the same frame as a Saracen thingy? Needless to speak, one was cheaper...

In pure economics, the choice was, move overseas or lose sales to those who already have and can therefore price you out. Is anything cheap still made in the west? Cannondale being the latest to up sticks?

 

[hoegaardenadds1]

another fact is that Isla Fisher (isla bikes owner) designed the current halfords apollo kids and adults range. and the ladies carreras.