Arrrrggghhh Biketowork scheme!!

Johnny Bitte

Hey all,
hoping someone cane help.

Applied for the biketowork scheme 2 months ago and i m getting really pissed off now.

No bike and they have already taken 2 payments for my wages.

Called Halfords in Portlaiise who say the voucher should be sent to me and I bring it to them but my sister also applied for it and the voucher was sent by email to the bike shop in Dublin where she is getting here.

Guy in Portlaise said he would get me the number for the "voucher shop" to see what is going on?

Anyone know how this should all work?

penexpers

Sounds like there is a delay in getting the voucher to you (or the bike shop). I think you need to take this up with your local HR or Gift Voucher shop.

spurscormac

Had a big delay with mine too - though my work don't start taking it out of my pay until after the voucher is received.

Depends what scheme you're with, but Raleigh to Work are pretty slow. I had to pester my Finance dept, who in turn had to keep ringing R2W to get them to send it out. Eventually got it after a month of waiting.

Not sure if your bike shop has anything to do with it, I would just keep annoying your Finance/HR folks to get whoever is responsible to send out the voucher.

Johnny Bitte

spurscormac wrote: »

I would just keep annoying your Finance/HR folks to get whoever is responsible to send out the voucher.

Spoke with the finance crowd and they say its on its way but it a bit annoying when they're already taken the money out.

spurscormac

The_Goose135 wrote: »

Spoke with the finance crowd and they say its on its way but it a bit annoying when they're already taken the money out.

I would ask them to get the scheme operator to provide you with a date that it will be delivered.
Its ridiculous that they've already taken money from your payroll before the voucher arrived.

I was getting sick of waiting. Had hoped to do a fun triathlon that was local a couple of weeks ago, but the voucher didn't arrive in time.

Just keep annoying them to give you a definitive answer.

Gers_punto

this seems to be a major problem at the moment with loads of public sector workers... Some people even patiently waiting fo 3 months for there vouchers to be issued:mad:

PandyAndy

Weird...I never had any problems with my bike. Went into Spokes in Waterford, picked out a bike from a catalogue. They printed off an invoice, gave said invoice to HR in work who gave me a cheque for Spokes. Handed in the cheque to Spokes and they gave me the bike. Simple. How come your procedures are so different? And I'd be pretty p1ssed too, Goose, if I were in your shoes.

spurscormac

PandyAndy wrote: »

Weird...I never had any problems with my bike. Went into Spokes in Waterford, picked out a bike from a catalogue. They printed off an invoice, gave said invoice to HR in work who gave me a cheque for Spokes. Handed in the cheque to Spokes and they gave me the bike. Simple. How come your procedures are so different? And I'd be pretty p1ssed too, Goose, if I were in your shoes.

Depends on how your company operates the scheme. It seems that your employer does all the paperwork themselves. Others use 3rd party companies for some weird reason (I don't get it, they still have to deduct from your salary).
In my case, my company use Raleigh to Work. I could get a quote from any of the approved bike shops nationwide, submit the application to my employer who then orders a voucher for that amount from Raleigh to Work.
When the voucher arrives, I then exchange that for my bike at the bike shop.

I suppose it saves the employer setting up multiple shops etc on their payment systems, so they pay Raleigh to Work who in turn pay the bike shop.

Dr_Colossus

The way PandyAndy's firm does it is the way all companies should operate the scheme and give their employees free reign in picking out the most suitable bike at the best price available. Let the employee do the research and bargain hunting and just receive the means of payment from their employer. This will create competition amoung the LBSs and give cyclists the most competitive prices.

The company I work for only allow you to buy your bike through the CycleSuperStore because of "administerative reasons". I know alot of other firms do likewise thereby giving the CSS free reign in not offering the best possible prices since they're sure of the custom anyway. This is my whole problem with the scheme, it gives the employer too much control with alot of employers not even offering participation in the scheme to their employees.

Granted I realise the scheme was envisioned as a cycle to work scheme and a means of improving the populations fitness while at the same time reducing the number of cars on the road but cycling is more than just commuting. It's a means of getting fit, a sport and a way of life for some. As such why isn't there a similar push to get people cycling at weekends and in their spare time and taking the control out of the hands of the employer? People that regularly commute enjoy cycling and often have a second and numerous other bikes for leisure/sporting activities. If they'd operated the scheme similar to a personal tax credit like medical expenses then hard paying tax payers wouldn't have all this hassle with their inflexible employers and could shop around, purchase the bike they want and then lodge a tax reclaim through revenue.

Also companies such as Raleigh to Work and Bike to Work which act as middle men between the employer and bike store take in the region of a 10% cut of the price of the bike therefore further reducing the value to the end user. This cut is aparently supposed to cover the administrative cost to the employer but in that case why aren't you allowed purchase the bike anywhere in the EU as per the directives rather than just a select number of stores? Also given that the OP and similar CTW scheme users are paying these companies a percentage of the value of their bike then I don't think it's acceptable to have to suffer inexcusable delays and complications. It should be all smooth sailing as was the case with PandyAndy.

That's my 2 cents on the matter anyway. I was going to partake in the CTW scheme back in October and had my bike and specs all picked out from a store in the UK which were offering very good deals at the time. The good deal was further helped by a weak Euro but my employer would only allow me to purchase with the CSS who ever more expensive than competiting LBSs at the time. Given the restrictive policy I refused to purchase from the CSS and eventually bought a second hand bike.

Johnny Bitte

Well,Called into the finance dept who in turn checked with the voucher place who said the shop has the voucher and has had the voucher for at least a week.

Down to the shop I go and when I get there its filled with teenagers who say " ah the puter broken and wont be fixed until Thursday"!!(And yes he said puter)

Its likely the person who looks after this fecked off on hols and the rest haven't a clue how to do it. Thanks a lot Halfords.

I will be back Thursday for my bike, they frackin better have it ready.

Gers_punto

The_Goose135 wrote: »

Well,Called into the finance dept who in turn checked with the voucher place who said the shop has the voucher and has had the voucher for at least a week.

Down to the shop I go and when I get there its filled with teenagers who say " ah the puter broken and wont be fixed until Thursday"!!(And yes he said puter)

Its likely the person who looks after this fecked off on hols and the rest haven't a clue how to do it. Thanks a lot Halfords.

I will be back Thursday for my bike, they frackin better have it ready.

And you shoulda said to him "sorry now fella but what does a broken computer have to do with wether my voucher is here or not"

These vouchers are issused as a physical paper one4all gift voucher. It would have taken the lad 2 minutes to look in the till or office to see if it had arived