The platoon continues to grow, as does his pain

“They have a lot to offer, but I don’t appreciate how they treat a good part of their members,” said Stier. She sold her bike after receiving it, said Ms. Stier, disappointed with the quality and overall experience with the company. Bought another brand.

Since last fall, Peloton has recognized logistics issues to keep up with demand for its bikes, which start at $ 1,895 and are equipped with a display featuring subscription training courses. The nine-year-old company cited rising demand, the delivery of leggings, especially in ports, as bicycles are transported to the US from overseas manufacturers and weather disruptions. The pressure has not subsided, as demand continues to rise from people wanting to move home in the middle of Covid-19.

“The rapid escalation of a business during a global pandemic is difficult,” Peloton CEO John Foley said in November.

The company, which reports financial results on Thursday afternoon, expects sales of at least $ 3.9 billion for the June 30 fiscal year, more than double the previous fiscal year. Its share price has risen 30 percent in the past three months and more than quadrupled a year ago, fueled by a growing legion of bike owners and social media investors to support and defend the company.

It is not clear what percentage of orders are affected by delays. However, long wait times for Peloton bikes and treadmills are a common abstinence on social media, and the company warns consumers about delays before making a purchase. A common problem based on social media posts and complaints to the Better Business Bureau: customers receive a delivery date that is a few weeks or months away, so delivery is canceled within hours of expected arrival. Rescheduled dates can take months.

Another complaint is that customers who finance a Platoon make payments, sometimes for months, before receiving their bike.

“They take our money, don’t deliver a bike, and then continue to sell and deliver new bikes to new customers,” said Laurie Donnelly, who canceled her order after it was last postponed and the new date expired on Monday. . He got angry seeing on social networks accounts of people receiving bicycles in much shorter windows and through different explanations offered by the company for the delay.

Peloton said it offers full refunds to anyone.

“Unfortunately, there are a number of port and pandemic issues beyond our control that can impact our delivery schedule and we are doing our best to get new delivery data to affected customers as soon as possible,” said one carrier. of the Platoon.

She said the company “allows customers in most areas to schedule a convenient date and time for delivery,” adding that inventory as well as delivery issues can lead to delays.

BMO analyst Simeon Siegel said Peloton could see the end of its ability to thrive amid such logistical turmoil. “Before Covid, there were no big competitors that were largely funded, now there are several rivals that have raised significant amounts of capital,” he said.

Manufacturers in many industries suffered production and delivery problems during the pandemic, and Mr Siegel said that in a year, consumers are much more tolerant of long waiting times for coveted products. “It’s one thing not to have units, but having such a mismatch in deliveries is what triggers so much frustration,” he said. “It’s a classic indication of a company that has grown faster than its infrastructure.”

Peloton in December agreed to acquire commercial fitness equipment supplier Precor Inc., which will provide the company with additional production capacity in the US.

The problems have given rise to angry customers. About 10,000 people have joined a Facebook group dedicated entirely to Peloton delays, while the Better Business Bureau has filed more than 1,100 complaints about the company in the past year.

In December, Ms. Stier, of Bellingham, Washington, began studying people on the Peloton delivery page on Facebook and gathering numbers using a Google data collection tool, in an effort to both track patterns and you would convince the Peloton directors that they had a serious problem.

She recently presented her findings to a group of investors hosted by a stock analyst following the company.

“I started this out of frustration,” she said. “Now I do more to answer my own questions.”

Write to Sharon Terlep at [email protected]