Recommend an online shop

Hello,

 Can anyone recommend a good online running shop? I tried my local running shop for a running jacket but I didn't like the choice.

 thanks,

ALun

Had fantastic service (& prices) everytime from both Start Fitness & Wiggle.

I will never, ever use Bourne Sports again, no matter what price they are offering.

I've always had good service (& prices in the sales) from Sportshoes.com but a colleague had a really bad experience with them.

I too had a bad experience with sportshoes. First I ordered a pair of Inov-8 trail shoes. The order went through fine but three days later I received an email saying that they would not send them to my address as it was diferent from my billing address. I buy a lot of stuff on line and have rarely had this problem. That aside, however, if they do have this policy why not say so on the website so people like me don't waste their time submitting an order that on principle they will not fuilfil?

In response, I told them to send the shoes to the billing address, and I impressed upon them the urgency as I was departing for the south of france for two weeks of trail running within the week. They replied saying that they would be mailing my shoes out first class that very morning. Three days passed and no sign of the shoes. I mailed them again and was told that the shoes were out of stock!! (they showed up as in stock on the website and they'd mailed me telling me they were sending them out!).

I was somewhat annoyed. I had to take time off work to visit the west end and buy them at a higher price from a shop.

On the other hand I have had very good experience with Freedom outdoors -- not really a runners shop but great selection of trail shoes and great service.

WIGGLE - ordered something from them at 3:30 tuesday afternoon, asked for free delivery as it was not urgent and it arrived a 7am the next day - cannot say fairer than that.

 They also threw in 2 wiggle branded bottle openers to aid my post-run unwinding

Both Wiggle and Startfitness have always given me very good service and, like exiled claret, I would never use Bourne Sports again.

I have no experience of sportshoes.com, but there have been several posts on this forum from people who've had very bad service, like Phil above.

I hadn't mentioned my RUN & BECOME experience because this is flagged as an online store thread, but since they've been recommended by Ms Muddy T. I thought I should share my experience (POOR). While their fitting service seems good to me, their aftersales service stinks.

I bought a pair of Mizuno Trail shoes, which I returned less than 24 hours later as when I wore them at home on carpet for an hour they nipped in badly on my little toe. They had none in the size above and their range of trail shoes is quite small so I asked for a refund and they flat refused. I explained that I and my partner have both bought many pairs of trainers there and until this day not returned anything but the manageress was not interested in listening. Once she'd said her piece (their policy is NO refunds.) she walked away while I was still mid sentence and simply refused to speak to me again on the matter.

The sales assisstant that I orignally spoke to was quite embarrassed and sympathised. So she told me that the area manager was visiting that afternoon and to come back then, between 2.30 and 3.30. This I did, to be told when I arrived that the manageress and are manager were upstairs in a meeting and neither would see me!

Again the sales assisstant was embarrassed and apologetic but that was that. They simply refused to give me my money back, despite mine and my partner's years of patronage and this being the first time I had asked them for anything. 

Now, I know they are not legally obliged to give refunds on non-faulty goods but some flexibility and descretion might be expected for loyal customers, particularly on trail shoes of which they have a relatively small selection and for which most retailers recommend walking about at home in to try them out (this my partner was told to do by an outdoor shop).

I will not shop at RUN & BECOME again. 

Muddy,

I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. Just my experience was so unpleasant that I could not let mention of the place pass without sharing my story. I'll now go and do some work!

I can't say that I was that impressed with Run and Become (Become and Run!) when I contacted them for the first time in many years in my quest to find some Nike Frees.

I rang the London branch where I had difficulty understanding the lady who took my call. She told me (without hint of apology) that their website was out of date and they didn't have the item I wanted. I then contacted the Cardiff branch and they didn't have the item in stock there that their website said they had. The prices shown on the website for several items didn't seem too competitive.

My advice to Run & Become is not to advertise products that you do not have.

I think that it's horses for courses really, the majority of retailers give good service pretty much all of the time and occasionally they're standards slip which is only when the majority of people air their views. The only two exceptions to this are probably Bourne Sports and On The Run. But then those two have plenty of other threads on them alone already.

 Personally speaking, I rate both Virginrunner and Start Fitness for their prompt delivery times. Wiggle were good as well but since I had my card skimmed have never gone back. I'm sure that all is okay now, but once bitten twice shy as they say.

 I also used Run and Become, first time they were first rate, second time they were more akin to JJB. Since then I've only bought online.

TMM