Chinertown
Other Resources => Vendor Discussion & Reviews => Topic started by: Sitar_Ned on April 13, 2014, 09:47:53 AM
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When I decided to go the direct from China carbon route my only concern really was finding the best seller.. One with a reputation for a great product, fair pricing, fast shipping, and at least some amount of customer service.
When reading through the giant Chinese carbon 29er thread over at MTBR - It became pretty apparent that Xmiplay, HongFu bikes, and Carbonality had become the favorites thus far.
http://www.xmiplay.com/
http://www.hongfu-bikes.com/
http://www.carbonality.com/
I went with XmiPlay largely due to the fact that one of their employees, Peter, had been the most active in that thread.. They also use the higher quality carbon fiber and had the exact frame that I wanted. While HongFu also had the frame - I emailed both vendors simultaneously and Peter from Xmiplay was quicker to respond and also a bit friendlier and prices were about the same. Xmiplay it was.
The quick response time continued throughout my communications with Peter over the course of the next three weeks. And while I will say that there are few times that I had wished he was just a bit more thorough in answering my questions.. He was always quick to respond and always addressed my concerns and questions. Considering this isn't your local bike shop.. Overall I'd rate communications at about a 9 out of 10. I think it's one of the better customer service experiences to be had with these direct Chinese carbon manufacturers at this point.. but there is still some room for improvement.
As far as product quality and packaging (which seems of utmost importance when shipping carbon products across the world).. Well, I'll update when the frame gets here, which should be within a few short days.
So far.. I can highly recommend Peter and Xmiplay, if you're in the market for a chiner.
EDIT: So it's actually not "Xmiplay" as most of us have been calling it.. it's simply "Iplay". Xiamen is apparently the parent company and with the language barrier there has been a bit of confusion about that. Makes it a bit easier to associate them with their "IP" frames.
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My experience was similar. Peter just seemed to be more responsive to my questions and being he was a MTBR forum member helped with me knowing he had more than a passing interest in selling bike parts on the internet.
I also looked at HongFu and a few others. HongFu impressed with pictures and video on Flickr that showed testing of various bike frames. I know that HongFu and XMIplay were selling the same product at a similar price. Again, Peter's quick response sealed the deal.
It took about 5-6 weeks for me to get my IP-057 last year. The longer lead time was due to the fact that the IP-057 was new and the mold for the Large size was not completed when I ordered. I also requested custom paint on my frame so at least a few more days there.
Shipping was via EMS, similar to our postal service. It took 8 days to receive the frame. Peter sent me a tracking number and I was able to track the shipment via EMS and later USPS when it cleared customs in NY and was processed through the sorting facility. I also had to sign for the shipment, please make note that they will not leave the package at your doorstep.
When the box arrived I did have a small bit of damage, the derailleur hanger had poked through the box. Nothing major but it did get scraped up. When I informed Peter, he asked for me to send a picture. Once confirmed Peter sent out a replacement hanger which took about 2 wks to arrive, not an issue since I had ordered a spare hanger to begin with. Something I highly recommend.
The IP-057 frame was very well made with good crisp painted edges and a gloss topcoat over the entire frame just as I had asked. There were no issues with any of the threads or internal cable routing, everything went together as expected, although I didn't really know what to expect since it was my first ground up build. I had read so much on MTBR that I basically had all my questions answered before I started.
Every chance I get out on the trail I share my satisfaction of buying my carbon frame direct, saving loads of ca$h, and building a bike with components I've selected. This really is a no compromise deal if you are willing to put in a little effort, you will be rewarded with a great bike.
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Okay so my frame just arrived. That's FIVE days shipping time from the day I sent Peter confirmation of PayPal payment, til the time it arrived on my doorstep... That's as fast or faster than when I order from Pricepoint that's located here in the U.S. - I find that highly impressive to say the least. That can't possibly be typical shipping times.. I suppose I just got lucky then, and if you're reading this and considering.. I'd expect more like a 7-10 day shipping time.
Actually, now that I think of it.. Communication has also been superior to some of the more mainstream, big name suppliers. I think I'll boost my rating up to 9.5 overall. Will post some pics of the packaging.. Haven't opened it yet but I went out of my way to specifically ask Peter to package well because I'd seen too many pics of boxes that arrived looking like they had been through some serious abuse. Hopefully, Xmiplay delivers on that front as well.
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Good to hear you got the frame so quickly. Waiting for you to post pics.
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Congrats on your new bike SN. I am so excited to see it. Please post a few pics when you get a chance.
Andy. :)
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Deliver they did. Frame was packaged extremely well. I'm not sure how typical this is either because like I said, I specifically asked them to package it with thought.. I'm not sure if this is the standard or not, but at least Peter and Xmiplay obliged my request, and made sure to make the effort to package it well. Good by me.
Couple of pics.. I would advise anyone ordering one of these frames to take pics of the box before opening. If there's any damage that occurred during shipping... it will make the process easier when you contact the seller about the issue.
(http://i.imgur.com/RQVZ35v.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/I037dFE.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/WkA0eX6.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/7dE3oix.jpg)
Money Shot. Difficult subject to photograph.
(http://i.imgur.com/JjpiGAB.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/EflZ4d6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/s0GqbLZ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/eCMqF2F.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/oRUVrQB.jpg)
I'll try to get some pics of the frame out in the sunlight tomorrow and post them in the "056/057" thread. These turned out too dark. My lighting was not playing nice with the matte black finish of the frame.
Xmiplay and Peter came through on all fronts and I'll continue to buy carbon goods from them until I'm given reason to do otherwise. Extrmemly pleased with the overall experience and super pumped about the frame. Can't wait to get it built.
Now.. I need some tools :)
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Where are XMI's prices? Do you need to e-mail them for pricing or any customization? Thanks for sharing- I've almost decided to go the way of the Chiner.
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Yeah.. Just email peter@xmiplay.cn and he will provide you with all the pricing information.
The way of the Chiner. Lol.
Be sure to post a build thread or at least post some pics!
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Peter at XMI play has always been helpful. Only issue was Im not sure he was aware of the headset spacer issues when I had mine. Outside of that he has always been timely , polite , and always willing to provide info. You do have to email for prices.
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It's been two weeks since I ordered mine, but it seems like forever... Mine had extra lead time due to painting, but at one point Peter said there was a 20 day lead time for production. Not sure if he mixed up the models (I had previously asked about an IP-256), if they have low inventory, or some production delays since this is an IP-057 which he previously said was in stock.
Either way, EMS tracking shows it got to New York yesterday so hopefully I'll be wrenching on it by the end of the week.
So far so good, but they are a little harder to deal with just due to the 12 hour time difference. I never tried to connect on Skype or other real time means, so not sure how easy it is to get Peter or one of the others that way.
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Yeah.. I don't know about the real time thing. They may not even be able to speak English for all we know? That said, I never had to wait more than 12 hours for an email reply.
I'd say if you get your frame in a little over two weeks, including custom paint... that's pretty good. Please do keep us updated as to how your experience is with Peter and Iplay. As positive as my experience was.. that could change. They get a spike in business, or a change in staffing, and great customer service turns into mediocre customer service, then into crap customer service. Not saying that is the case here AT ALL. Just pointing out that one of the points of this forum is to help us weed out the vendors that don't deserve our money and business, and find the ones that do. So it's important that we have current, updated info about who's taking 3 months to ship a frame.. or sending them poorly packaged causing damage, etc, etc.
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Yippee! Frame came today. The box was in good shape, and when I picked it up, it felt like an empty box. :)
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/box_zps13e1bf69.jpg)
Packaged pretty much like SN's frame- bubble wrap cocoon, dropout protectors, and seat post plug. The wrapped up frame was inside a large plastic bag, along with the headset taped down in a bubble wrap pouch.
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/packing_zpsf09c1479.jpg)
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/dropoutprotector_zps7fd21183.jpg)
The paint is not perfect, but it is really good. They did have a poor masking job on one side of the BB and on the headset area, so there was a bit of overspray. The BB threaded in fine- I did not need to chase the threads or clean it up at all. The headset cups had a little more, and the bearings had a lot of resistance. I used a felt polisher to clean them out. Afterward, the headset bearings slipped in easily.
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/bb_zpsb42d8c10.jpg)
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/headsetpocket_zpsd596c1a7.jpg)
Here it is with the fork, a RockShox SID RLT. Pretty anxious to ride it, so once I get the fork in I'll have to put the wheels on and take it for a spin as a push bike.
(http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac332/patrick_clemensen/frameandfork_zpsb9aa0e82.jpg)
Overall I'm very satisfied- Thanks Peter! Communication was good, and I got it 16 days after ordering.
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Really nice color, Patrick. Which name (RAL) has this color ?
Please post some pics (in this topic (http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,51.0.html)) when the build is done.
I'm beginning to doubt whether I 'll order an IP-256 matte black or an IP-057 in this color. I ordered already the IP-256, but there's a huge delay in production.
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It's Pantone 185 C, with a clear gloss finish. Once I get a little further along (or run into some problems) I'll start my own build thread in the 29er section. I wanted the IP-256, but didn't think I could wait.
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Thanks for posting Patrick, looks like XMIplay did a nice job on your frame. Look forward to seeing more posts from you as you build it up.
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Sweet paint! Really like that.. It's like a pinkish orange?
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No, it's more like a fire engine red. It does look a bit orange in the pictures next to the light hardwood or cardboard, but in person I don't really see any orange. The RGB number is 239, 62, 66 so it's not a pure red. I have a few more pics, but they don't really have anything to do with XMI Play so I'll start a build thread.
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Ha.. I'm color blind. Who knew.
I can def see that it's more red now, but it does still look kind of hot fuschia pink and orange to me.
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I think I'll give Iplay a punt for my next batch of carbony toys ;D
However I can't look at their banner without seeing this:
(http://linktofollow.co.uk/im/g/0f6d0e140d2952d8df37fc9955c93cfc.png)
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Many of have had a good experience with XMIplay. So far I've placed 3 orders with Peter, each time everything worked out fine.
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An Iplay review, build thread from the "29er" section of the forum: http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,191.0.html
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I think I'll give Iplay a punt for my next batch of carbony toys ;D
However I can't look at their banner without seeing this:
Not to mention, they have Peter and Paul, where is Mary?
Maybe drop in the Dramatic Squirrel:
(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/rfh4Mhp-a6U/mqdefault.jpg)
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However I can't look at their banner without seeing this:
Haha! Dogecoin, I bet don't nobody know nothin' bout dat!
I wonder what the Iplay guys that lurk this forum must be thinking while reading this, with the language barrier and all, lol. Don't worry - Nothing bad, just some good ole internet humor is all! He said he would buy his carbon goods from you, that's the important thing! 8)
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hi there,
i just registered to share my experience with xmiplay and peter. Ordering process was fine, but when my item shipped, it simply disappeared. Peter emailed me a picture of a tracking number, but after 3 weeks, it still has no tracking activity on the EMS or USPS sites. Multiple emails since then to Peter have either gotten no response, or excuses that there must be a backlog at the shipping company. In the original picture of my tracking number, there was another customers tracking number as well and it was delivered in under a week to the US.
There is another person in a similar boat that i've made contact with as well, however there item does have tracking activity but seems to have been lost between china and US customs. That person has been waiting 4 weeks for Peter to take some sort of action but so far nothing.
These certainly don't appear to be common issues with XmiPlay but it is very frustrating.
I've ordered other frames and wheelsets from HongFu, LightBicycles and PedalForce. You always expect a bit of work with the time and language difference, plus you are saving tons of money so it's often worth it, but this particular transaction has been a pain in the a**. I'm currently working with Paypal to get my money refunded.
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I've got a 'wrong' site from Peter to track my frame. The correct site for me was http://app3.hongkongpost.hk/CGI/mt/enquiry.jsp (http://app3.hongkongpost.hk/CGI/mt/enquiry.jsp).
Send him a couple of times some emails and always get response. For me the after-sales is okay.
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I've been able to track my shipments from Peter either through EMS China or USPS when the shipment reaches the US. Sounds like you could have some missing or stolen shipments. The shipping company is responsible for getting the item to you, if the package as indeed gone missing, Peter should file a claim and either re-ship your order or provide a refund.
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We are negotiating with EMS now, we lost 4 packages to the US recently. I have to say sorry about this, they are negotiating with the flight company as well but no response at all. We have to reship some wheels and frames to our customers, we have to assume all loss by ourselves, EMS says they just assume reshipping costs. Damn it.
Scott, I totally understand you, if you can not wait for reshipping frameset, we will refund the payment to you.
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Hi Peter,
I sent you an email. I'll accept a reshipment if you can send it out within say 3 weeks. Otherwise I would like a refund so that I can source another frame elsewhere. Just be honest with me and lets not drag this out further.
Thank you
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Hi Peter,
I sent you an email. I'll accept a reshipment if you can send it out within say 3 weeks. Otherwise I would like a refund so that I can source another frame elsewhere. Just be honest with me and lets not drag this out further.
Thank you
How'd this turn out, Scott?
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Hi Peter,
I sent you an email. I'll accept a reshipment if you can send it out within say 3 weeks. Otherwise I would like a refund so that I can source another frame elsewhere. Just be honest with me and lets not drag this out further.
Thank you
How'd this turn out, Scott?
tbd right now. peter is supposed to email me tonight to let me know if he can get another frame for me. the last one had to be built and i had to wait 6 weeks for that. it's a cross bike for my wife, so waiting another 6 weeks plus shipping time plus getting it all put together would be too late for the start of the season. i'll post up when a final resolution is in hand.
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ok, back with an update.
I received my reshipped frame last week. quality looks to be great and i got exactly what I ordered. the only oddity is in the finish. I ordered UD glossy which is a normally a clear coat over raw carbon, without the cosmetic weave layer. this frame has a solid glossy black paint coat. not a big deal, just a different take on it i guess. it seems to match up to the pictures on the xmiplay website.
overall review of xmiplay? i'm going to have to give Peter a low grade in his communication. it was a major pain to get him to reship a frame after the first never showed any tracking updates. my guess is it never left his location. it was only after posting up on this site that I got a decent response from him, the rest all seemed to be delaying tactics on his end to just keep waiting for it to hopefully show some tracking info. also peter seems to be a 1 man operation, if he is out of the office, your emails will go unanswered. if you are reading this peter, and if you have more people working with you, perhaps some better email address that can get a quicker better response is in order. for the actual product, so far i can only say it's an A+. without having put it together yet or ridden it, from just the overall initial quality, it's as I expected.
would i buy from xmiplay again? that's a toss up i suppose. i'm sure the original lost frame was a rare event and the one i did receive seems to be great. there are other vendors out there that have just as good quality and at the very least the same level of irritation in dealing with them. the frame i received has a serial number starting with "LTK" which seems to indicate it's actually from LTbikes.com, so you can almost always find the same frame from a different vendor.
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My IP-036 frame is almost here (through customs today). I ordered it from Xmiplay /Peter like many others here. So far Peter has answered all my questions promptly. He only forgot to send me the tracking number, but same day i was going to ask him I got notice from the post office that the frame has arrived to customs and I needed to pay the taxes. I will see hopefully tomorrow how is my matte UD 29er frame.