Mail Order Helmets. Would you?

I bought a carbon marishun online. Unfortunately it didn't fit. I managed to send it back and get a full refund. I then went and tried loads of helmets in shops and found the one i wanted. Personally i would pay extra and go to a shop

done it with my two helmets so far.

one from ebay, the other vcustoms.

not a bother on either

[mister c]

I have & will again.
All I do is pop to the local bike accessory shop, try a few helmets on, then have a look on't t'internet to see if I can get it cheaper.

I doubt that they would let you return them if you didnt like it, or it didnt fit properly. I know J&S in Northwich have a no return policy on crash helmets

[Geodude]

Ordered mail order from shop online called two wheel centre in mansfield and was a bit worried about postal delivery as ive had items marked fragile turn up smashed in the post. It turned up in two boxes, one outer box filled with poly quaver things and one inner box with fitted foam around helmet so very well packed indeed and ordered one from an ebay shop which turned up in a box with a sliver of foam on top of the helmet and the actual helmet was rolling about loose in the box Guess which one i wear.

[Sir Trev]

Some of the online places also have a small retail showroom. Helmet City near Biggin Hill has one and I took a ride down there for my new lid - middle of nowhere but good prices. They mailed my old lid back to me so I could ride off with my new lid on - well packaged too.

I hate deceiving shops by using them and then going online. Better to research prices and then see if they can match or at least come close. I would always prefer to use a shop than online as the courier/postie always seems to turn up when you're at work...

I have bought mail order. These guys are good - please read their statement on returns. You have to pay to send it back, but they have a no quible thing: www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Originally Posted by Tommy H

Bet they wouldn't take it back.... In case it had been dropped.

And I'd never buy a helmet mail order. Far too important to be chucked around in the back of a post van.

Q: How many helmets are made in this country?

A: None.

Every helmet you buy in the UK has been shipped in from somewhere abroad. When a bike dealer orders 1, 2, 3 or 100 helmets they are delivered to the shop by courier companies. By the time your helmet is taken out of the box it has probably done more miles getting to the dealer than you'll ever do on the road wearing it, and a fair proportion of those miles will be in the back of a UPS, DHL, City Link or some other courier company's vehicle. Every helmet you can buy has already been shunted from factory into a container, onto a truck, to to the docks, on and off a ship, onto another truck and into a warehouse then out of the warehouse into the courier company system and finally delivered to the dealer. It's well travelled and you can bet your next month's wages that along the line some minimum wage slave has thrown the box down a warehouse aisle to his mate to stack on a pile.

What I'm getting at is this - when you open that box you'll find a perfect helmet inside, because they are always packed with this treatment in mind. There's no reason why you shouldn't buy a helmet online aside from one thing; Not all helmets made by some of the budget helmet companies fit the same. I've picked up XS cheap helmets and they've fitted perfectly, but the next month I may try another XS in the same model and find it's too small.

Personally I'd only buy something like an Arai or Shoei online after first trying them for size in a shop and getting the right model because I know their sizes are consistent, anything less than that would be bought in a shop where I can try on a few others to get the one that fits right.

Originally Posted by mister c

I know J&S in Northwich have a no return policy on crash helmets

Just about every shop I know has the same policy in force. I wouldn't buy a helmet from any shop that did allow returns because the helmet they are selling you could easily have been dropped by someone onto a carpeted floor from some height and returned with no visible damage but with a compromised shell structure.

Originally Posted by WR87

umm, didnt realise I would be attacked for sharing information. It was in fact 5-10 minutes in hein Gericke making sure the helmet I wanted fit my head properly, calm down! What attracted me to the online offer was a free shoei track visor to come with it. I'm sure i'm not the only one who "forces little guys to shut"
Get off your high horse

I actually think he makes a very valid point. Juju that is is.

Originally Posted by lukemillar

I actually think he makes a very valid point. Juju that is is.

It's fair enough to raise a point in general, but to call me a **** taker amongst other insults and accusations is a bit harsh, admittedly I did feel a bit naughy going in to try on a helmet without buying, but was simply following advise to make sure a helmet fits properly and at £300 i wanted to be sure! I did ask them in store for the colour i wanted, they didnt have it nor did they offer free track visors, but left knowing the helmet i wanted fit very well. It's the only bit of kit I would do that with. its not the crime of the century, I think Hein Gericke will survive. I have a nice jacket bought from their shop!