I am going to put my two cents worth in here.

I am currently on a ride from the Uk to Oz and my website is www.planitearth.co.uk - UK to Australia 2007 - Home Page I am currently riding with a mate who had a lot of his set up done by Ernie at Overland Solutions. I on the other hand bought a number of Toutatech bits some of which have been ok and other not so great.

My biggest critisism of Touratech are the panniers. I have had nothing but trouble with them. Whilst I don't like slagging supperters of this great site I am seriously annoyed at just how bad they are made.

Both panniers have ripped along the line of the frame and have required welding. On four occasions they have also had to be beaten out after dropping the bike. Two times the bike has fallen whilst stopped and the two other times at very slow speeds. In my opinion I dont believe they should have bent as much as they did from I consider dropping the bike. Aside from that they leak, are not dust proof and generally speaking I thing the metal is too thin and the lip between the lid and pannier is too short.

Whilst my mate might have paid a little more for his set up initially, I believe it was well spent as his stuff has performed brilliantly. I think there is alot of overlanding stuff out there these days if you prepared to do the research and shop aroun. I think Touratech offers a "one stop shop" but not a quality one. As far as I am concerned after this trip I will be in the market for another set of panniers so in the long run I will have paid much more had i bought carefully in the first place.

During this trip we also called into the factory (before my problems at this stage) There are certainly better bargains direct from the factory. Some of the items were significantlly cheaper than the UK distributor.

We also got to quickly meet the UK distributor Nick Plumb, again before my problems. We were in Romania when the romaniacs enduro event was on and we stumbled into him at a hotel. Let me sum up the conversation this way, he was about as disinterested in speaking to me as he was chasing my order when it was late!!!!!!!!! Suprising really given I am his target market.

At the end of the day I it's me who controls my wallet, it's suprising how many companies just dont get it.

Cheers

bmbiker,
Good post, very clear and well explained.
Besides "cash is king" nowadays, the customer should also be king.

However, I am not sure that anyone involved in racing is going to understand this; also, it sounds like NP needs some good staff back there in the office to deal with the business while he is racing - a good office manager would get a few facts of life over to the franchisee/distributor: NP.

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Dave

Hi Guys,

Update on my Bottle Holder Situation.

Ordered 2 x Dual Bottle Holders 18/10/07 (I was informed that they had 11 instock) One arrived on the 23/10/07, and informed TT on this date of their error, was informed that the other one would be here for the next day (meaning at my parents ready to ship to me in Italy alond with my Steel Brake lines and Chain Guide).

Called Friday and was told it was on the way.

It's now Monday, and I called them up again and they have said oh sorry it should be there soon as we have had to order them. WTF are they playing at, I'm out of the country doing a tour which they have been informed about and they STILL SCREW IT UP.

I'm playing nice for Grant so that he doesn't catch any flack for my b*tching, but I really can't believe how much they can mess up things and lie to the people that pay their wages, a small tribe of Bonobo Apes (not mokeys as they don't have tails) could do better.

for those that have read the pervios posts you KNOW what this means.

I ordered some goods recently via the on-line uk shop.. the items were ordered on seperate orders to seperate addresses... the inital delay was annoying but just within the 10 day period the goods were shipped...

BUT... they shipped both products to the same address...

I live in the middle east and my postal service to here is oaid for by me - I have a uk PO box.. and everything was sent there meaning the pannier rack which was supposed to be in the UK had to be paid by me to be shipped back to the uk where my bike is... at great expense...

I contacted TT on this issue and it took a long time befoer I got a response - none was recieved from by multiple emails and I ended up phoning up.. still there were problems... I was asking for a refund on the cost of the shipment i had been required to pay for the incorrectly delivered goods... i.e. one product out here and then couriered back to the uk...

the saving grace was when NP got personally involved, I had a couple of phone calls from him and within a few days he had agreed to refund me the cost of the error - Well Done Nick!!!

I do not have a problem with NP or Touratech having for different pricing etc.. ... after all its their business they can set thier prices... and we can buy from who we want.... my real problem is with the people NP seems to have working for him im his office.. it is here that all the problems start... where the orders are delayed... where the unanswered complaints go to... where all the feedback and complaints go to and don't get handled properly...if TT-UK wants to have people returning to them and purchasing from them the service they provide needs to be better...

Their saving grace - my mother ordered a part for me from their online shop and it arrived on time, no hassles... we know they can do they just need to do it ALL the time

I often look back to the UK as an example of what customer service is all about.. when faced, out here, with staff who are un-interested in what they sell or in some cases can't even be bothered to seel you the item.... (i tried to buy a guitar from a music shop - they had the guitar i played it i said i wanted to buy it and after 2 hours of not actually being able to purchase it i gave up and left...).... the UK leaves a smile when you remember just how good the UK retail industry can be.... so come on Nick - get your staff sorted out have you phoned your own shop as a customer and heard how they speak to the clients... have you written emails from other accounts to check what kind of responses you are getting... are all these people the few... quite probably... but its their voices that are being heard in this community.... just a thought...

Thanks, Tony.

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Tony Robson
I'll try anything once, twice if it didn't kill me!

Some of you already know the fiasco we had last year trying to order racks and panniers from TT UK and then being let down by them at the eleventh hour. I spoke to Nick Plumb last year and was asking him if he was doing the Dakar again in January, to which he replied 'No, I think I need to concentrate a bit more on the business'!! When I called back five days before leaving for our trip, I got put through to Nick again (by accident) and even though he knew the status of the order (he said 'Errr I don't think that it's good news) he didn't have the face to tell me. Instead, I got transferred to 3 different people before somebody would tell me I wasn't going to get my order in time.

A company is only as good as it's leader!! But, thanks to TT UK, we bought Metal Mules instead and they are great!!! (And so is their customer service!!!)

someone on here has said they spent £2.5K on touratech parts, which i would guess isnt an uncommon amount to spend on an overlander, so some spend more i suppose.
if its the price and wait in the UK thats the problem, wouldnt it be a lot cheaper and quicker to check that they have stock, then drive down to the horses mouth in germany and buy there at TTHQ?

there would be no extra duty to pay, and i believe touratech are breaking european law by refusing to sell outside your parent country but still inside the EC.
bypass TT UK completely, then when their custom has dried up they might sit up and smell the roses.

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dave

It's interesting to hear all these comments about TT UK - I've met Nick a couple of times (socially) and he seems like a nice, genuine guy - mind you, I've not tried to buy anything from his company yet...

I have however just bought a TT MvG mount for my Garmin 2610 and their top box and mounting bracket to fit on my XR rack from Touratech USA as that is where I am travelling at the moment... no problem as I'm here, and I have a suitable address to get stuff posted to - I ordered on the phone and it arrived in 3 days...

So following that principle, what's the problem with taking a long weekend in France for example, and getting the stuff you want posted to a hotel you've booked a few days beforehand, and pick it up once you arrive?

JennyMo xxx

Nothing at all if you suits your plans. I've had Touratech panniers and racks sent to Jordan and fitted them there (although TT nearly didn't deliver in time) and a friend recently had a Garmin GPS mount sent from TT Germany to the UAE.

But what's the problem with answering customers' e-mails etc. and providing good service - which Touratech UK don't?
Stephan

Anyone noticed that this thread is sponsered by Metel Mule at the topleft.......sorry i thought it was amusing with all the "i love TTUK" going on

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'99 R1100GS - In a suitable shade of black

It's not that life is so short, It's just that we're dead for so long....
"The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page." ~ Saint Augustin

I think I spent about £1,000+ this past year with them and had to wait 4 months in total for various parts. If I can I will never deal with them ever again.

Oh did I mention that I'm typing this on my new iPhone? Eeeeee it's sexy as he'll, Well until I get the phone bill that is, wifi rocks with this its almost like having my PC back. It even can do gps with its built in map I just have to remember to keep its data roaming off.

name dropper!
gadgetphile!

you do realise in 6months they'll be giving them away like every other phone?

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dave

he he he don't think so, but they might have more memory by then...