Just a quick public information announcement… Tri Central, the triathlon shop in Manchester, has ceased trading. No longer in business. Closed down. Gone bust (?). I feel that this should be stated in public, because their website is still operating and it is accepting orders. In fact, there is nothing on their website to say that they are no longer trading.
This has caused minor inconvenience for me, but more major issue for someone known to me. I personally cycled down to Trafford Park to buy a wetsuit a couple of weeks ago, to find that Tri Central was closed. I rang the telephone number listed for them – 0161 748 1907 – the line has been disconnected. I then went and spoke with one of the neighbouring businesses, who told me that their lease had ended the previous week and they had left without leaving a forwarding address. The more major inconvenience also involved a wetsuit, this time hiring one.
Yesterday I found out that some time ago, a friend of mine had placed an order on the Tri Central website for hiring a wetsuit, which had been accepted and acknowledged, but then heard nothing since. Her reason for hiring the wetsuit was the forthcoming Great North Swim, which is set to take place just 10 days from now. Getting worried, my friend sent an e-mail to ask where her wetsuit was, to which she received the reply that no money had been taken from her card, so she would not be receiving her wetsuit. I think this somewhat misses the point – it is entirely reasonable for a consumer to expect money to be taken when goods are dispatched, rather than at the point of order. I also feel that it is extremely poor that a simple e-mail hasn’t been sent out to anyone who placed an order with Tri Central to say that they would not be receiving their goods. Hopefully my friend will still be able to source a wetsuit from an alternative supplier at short notice, however this does not leave her with any time to train in the new suit.
The curious thing is, Tri Central is still kind of trading. I am told that some of the coaches who used to operate from Tri Central have found an alternative endless pool facility in Wythenshawe; e-mail enquiries to the Tri Central site are being forwarded to these coaches and they will do wetsuit fitting sessions, etc. However, again there is nothing to say this on the Tri Central website.
Tri Central – you’re either in business or you’re not. It would be nice if your website was updated to inform your potential customers exactly what the state of play is, so they don’t end up wasting their time and yours.