Skate orders- what would you do?

[Loops]

Ok, so I bought skates last week.  Well, I bought boots.  I was less concerned about blades, since I pretty much knew what I wanted and what I would be happy with (so alternate choices even!).  We'll it turns out they didn't have any thing in my size in the shop.  So they need to order them.   Well, this was a week ago and I called the guy today to check in.  He was very non-concerned, and told me with an eh whatever kind of attitude "I just sent the email this morning .  I'll call you when I know something, but best case you'll have them in 10 days." In my experience, the French never do call.  So what do you guys think- there's another store that at least a few days ago had them in stock, so for about 10 Euros extra I could have them by the end of the week. 

Am I being too impatient, or should I give these people more of a chance??  They weren't that impressive as fitters, and it was a command and control kind of experience: He actually said to me: "You do dance/synchro you MUST have a dance boot." and "No, I would not put a freestyle blade on Dance boots- you can not do that."  Thankfully he decided he would be OK with me skating on a Synchro blade.  But just OK.    I managed to smile through it though.

I'd like to get these boots broken in- my old skates are OK, but the blades have no rocker left, but do have the whole drag pick, and it's frustrating even doing 3 turns.

Whew- needed to vent a little it seems....Thanks for listening!

[alejeather]

In my experience, take how long you've been told it will take to get your boots, multiple that my two and add two weeks and you'll get about how long it will actually take to end up with a boot you're ready to skate in.

The 10 extra euros might be worth it, but you don't want to end up with two pairs of boots so you may want to double-check with the original sellers again to see if they've put in the order. I have had a seller wait until they had a few orders to place my order.

And then when they come, even if it takes scads longer than you expected, be patient with figuring out whether they are the right boot for you. It can be so tempting when they finally arrive after a long wait to just go with them, but make sure that they fit you correctly first.

[Loops]

OOps- wasn't clear-  I have the boots!  It's the blades for which I'm a-waiting.....

[FigureSpins]

I tell skaters and parents to:

. expect a minimum two-week wait for orders, even when the pro shop says "about a week" or "ten days." 
. two or three days after ordering, contact the pro shop to see when the order was placed.
. Wait 7 business days before checking again.

As alejeather says, sometimes they want to minimize shipping by ordering multiple pairs at once, so the order is delayed. Other times, there are delays at the manufacturer/distributor.  That's why you shouldn't wait until the skater is desparate before ordering new skates.  When the skates are outgrown, impatience makes the kid's feet seem to grow exponentially before the new skates arrive.  They're all miserable and in massive pain...



Then, the new skates are ready and they're still miserable and in massive pain until the skates break in!



Also realize that you'll have to try on the skates before the blades can be mounted, which might mean an additional trip.  Most pro shops here try on/mount blades while you wait; ours doesn't because the fitter is in the shop, but skate tech works off-site so they have to be sent out.  It's not terribly inconvenient to make a second trip since the shop's inside the rink, but we do like our instant gratification here in the US.


ETA:  Same advice for blades-only orders - 1-2 weeks, make sure to follow up a few days after ordering.

[Loops]

Ok, fair enough.  But I'm kinda ticked that it took him a week to send an email that, as far as I know, is to check stock/availability, not necessarily to even order!

I'm trying to resist temptation to get the blades from this other shop, assuming they still have them.   If what you say holds true, than that's end Nov that I could have the skates ready to start breaking in.  First synchro competition is End January.....  I am not totally desperate, I have functional skates, and I'd planned to do the season in them.  But they're just painful, and since the blades are spent, it'd be nice to have more than functional equipment!

[Argh]  I need to be more zen about this!

[AgnesNitt]

My experience is (US) no matter what I order (boots or blades), it takes a minimum of 6 weeks, even though I order stock.

[Elsa]

It's been a few days . . . any news? 

If you can get the blades faster, without ticking anyone off, and still having someone available to mount them, it might be worth it if the delay is going to be significant. Did you call again to see if they are on order/on their way yet?

My new boots were a month from order (at the factory) to the ice - 1-2 weeks longer than quoted.  It's frustrating, but normal.  I actually stayed off the ice while I waited, and focused on strength/flexibility (and trying not to die from a freakishly awful cold) during that time.  The slipping and pitching forward feeling I had in my old boots was just too much to deal with - I was worried I'd end up injured.

[Loops]

Yeah, so let's see....I called the shop on Tuesday, and as of yesterday Sat, I have had no news from them.  Since they have neither my credit card nor shipping address, I checked with a store in the UK, that had them cheaper even with 2-day shipping.  These guys are great- they are super responsive, checking and responding to their emails well into the night even on weekends!  They quickly told me the blades were in stock at the source.

Monday is a holiday here, so I won't hear anything from the original store 'til tuesday at best.  I've gone ahead and ordered them.  The shop should get them Monday, so I could have them by Friday.  The head coach does all the sharpening/mounting for the club, so I'm good on that front.

At this point I'm torn as to whether or not I should call the original shop, thank them for there effort, but tell them that it's been taken care of, or if I should just wait to see how long it takes them to tell me ("as soon as [they] know anything" of course).

I feel kinda bad, but I really wish the original store had been more communicative/more interested in making a sale.

The plus side- given that no-one here seems to waterproof their soles, I'm kind of happy for the window to get that done.  I don't really need this big a window though.....

Wish I could stay off the ice- my old skates are freaking me out- the gel sleeves are a miracle for the blood though....don't really fit well though- there's just not enough room in the boot for them   

[Query]

I'm not clear from what you said whether or not they placed an order with their distributer. The following only applies if they actually placed the order, and you decide not to buy the blades from them:

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that an oral or written contract is still a contract, even if they don't have your credit card, and you may have an ethical obligation as well. I don't see that their skill level, or the time, within reasonable bounds, that it takes the order to arrive, are relevant. You didn't say anything that indicates that they acted dishonestly or unethically.

At least tell the original shop that you don't want the blades, and that they should cancel the order, as soon as possible.

They may be out the cost of the blades, if they can't cancel the order in times. Blades come in many models and sizes, so it may be months or years before they can sell the blades to someone else, or they may take a loss, one way or another. If it is too late for them to cancel the order, you have to search your own conscience for what your obligations are.

Regardless, if they take any loss, or it takes a long time to sell the blades to someone else, it could affect their willingness to do future business with you, or to be helpful to you.

- Just my personal take

[Loops]

Query you make some good points.  They were not supposed to place the order, they were checking availability.  There were two models they were going to enquire about, my first and second choices.  They were going to contact me to tell me what they could order how long it would take, so they would need to confirm with me anyway.

But you're right.  I'll call them on Tuesday when they re-open and update them.

[sarahspins]

They were not supposed to place the order, they were checking availability.

That's a slightly different scenario than what I think most of us assumed - either way I'd still let them know you're getting them elsewhere