The Osprey All Mighty Guarantee… not So Almighty

[Paul Hatfield]

I have an Osprey Talon 33 that I bought in 2010, but never used.
Today I looked at it and noticed that the interior coating is delaminating. Actually I just touch it and the coating turns into a sticky mess. It's certainly nasty. Is it toxic?

I called Osprey, and they don't want to take care of it, despite what their warranty says. They say I should try washing it.

I fear washing it is going to make a bigger mess… and make a mess in my washing machine also.

I notice that Osprey has added fine print to their All Mighty Guarantee regarding delamination, but I checked using internetarchive.org and the fine print didn't exist when I bought the pack.

The pack has been stored in a closet… never in the sun.

Osprey shouldn't have touted their All Mighty Guarantee if they aren't going to live up to it.

In the future, when I look for a new pack, I'm going to go with one of the cottage makers.

[Cameron Habib]

I'm a little confused. Did they say straight out that they wouldn't cover the issue or did they tell you to wash it first and then contact back and you just don't want to take the time / effort to do that?

[Paul Hatfield]

They told me it's my problem… in a polite way of course.

The warranty that came with the pack says that any defect in workmanship or materials is covered.

[Roger Caffin]

> The warranty that came with the pack says that any defect in workmanship or
> materials is covered.
I imagine that the coating is PU, which is known to go gooey if you store it damp. I can see they might feel that the problem was not caused by a defect in materials or workmanship, but rather by how you stored the pack.

Mind you, taking this position might not be good PR for them.

Cheers

[Paul Hatfield]

> I imagine that the coating is PU, which is known to go gooey if
> you store it damp.

Who said anything about storing it damp?

[EndoftheTrail]

"Who said anything about storing it damp?"

Not you, Paul, but considering how careless a lot of people are with their gear.. Osprey probably assumed…

In any case, why not just humor Osprey and give the pack a good wash? And when it still comes out sticky, pursue it further with Osprey. If you sense continued road block, maybe let them know politely about this forum. Most reputable companies don't want their name trashed in any forum.

[Jeff Jeff]

All osprey packs have the internal coating delaminate. I don't think it affects anything.

Osprey customer service is pretty horrible. I wouldn't trust their guarantee. Their packs also break really easily.

[James holden]

Thats bunk … I bought an osprey mutant in 2009 … There was nothing about not covering delamination

I might still have the guarantee card somewhere

Note that i had the same issue with marmot and had to argue with em

;)

[BC Bob]

deleted

[[ Drew ]]

IMO there are a couple ways of dealing with this:

1. Realize that "Lifetime Guaranttees" are marketing hype as much as anything else. Osprey figures most people won't care how their pack is holding up after 5-6 years, or at least understand that customers will see urethane coating peeling and think it's normal wear and tear due to the nature of BPing. FWIW, PU coating will wear usually out and peel or turn to goo after a few years, especially with moisture, although you claim it was stored in a (dry?) closet. Of course, perfect care might delay this.

2. Realize that you didn't use a relatively inexpensive pack for 5 years, and probably wouldn't use it in the next 5, so if you hadn't checked it for some reason, you'd be none the wiser. Donate it, give it to someone who could really use it, sticky or not.

[Alex Wallace]

That is disappointing especially the changes to their warranty, but…

Last summer my '08 Osprey Aether 60's peripheral wire frame was bent from taking a bumpy ride in the back of a truck while hitching from a trailhead to town. I tried fixing it myself and while I was able to get the frame back in shape, I wasn't able to get it back into the pack. So I sent an e-mail to Osprey's customer service department explaining what happened and asked for advice on getting the frame back in. They promptly replied explaining that I could send it in for a free repair. I took them up on their offer and two weeks later I received my pack back with a perfectly shaped frame installed in the pack. To say the least, I was impressed.

I'd follow up with a respectful yet strong e-mail. I hope to hear that they end up honoring their warranty on this. Good luck.

[Ito Jakuchu]

That doesn't sound good.

I had a fine experience with Osprey Japan. Crushed or lost one of the buckles on my shoulder strap.
Send a mail and received a new one immediately.

[M B]

Perhaps parts and simple repair arent issue.

Getting an all new pack might be.

Yeah, pu coatings wear off, peel, etc. No such thing as lifetime. But ought to last 10 yr+.

[Andy F]

Of course, if they didn't uselessly use a PU-coated fabric which only serves to tick a perceived market requirement ("waterproof fabric"), it wouldn't peel.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I've seen all kinds of luggage and gear with sticky PU coatings. I think there are some varieties that caught the manufacturers by surprise and they are getting hit hard on warranty claims. All the old 35mm cameras with foam in the back door light traps have gone sticky. The newer cameras with plastic bodies have molded folded-path light traps instead of foam. I wonder if changes in the atmosphere have caused these products to deteriorate. Of course, it could just be a poor chemical composition with a limited lifetime.

I had an expensive Eagle Creek suitcase with very little use that went sticky inside and moisture was NOT an issue. I sent it in and they refused to honor their lifetime warranty saying that "lifetime" meant the life of the product vs the life of the owner. I could lean that way with an item that was otherwise trashed and showed lots of use, but this suitcase looked like new other than the coating issue– no fraying, holes, dirt, etc. I asked them to return my suitcase so I could refer the matter to my state Attorney General Consumer Protection office and got a new suitcase post haste.

On the other hand, I sent an Outdoor Research bivy with a sticky interior in for warranty and received a new one with no issues whatsoever. I also sent in an OR jacket I bought for my son that had a broken zipper. It showed signs of heavy use and again there were zero issues and I got a brand new jacket.

Stand by your guns, tell them you will open a consumer protection complaint and see what happens.

[Jeremy Werlin]

I have experienced excellent customer service regarding repairs made recently on two Osprey packs that were 18 years old.

[jim bailey]

I'm sorry to hear this Paul, hoping it gets resolved eventually.

Had a different experience with them when it came to replacing a 2011 Hornet series pack that was well used and the mesh on all pockets was giving out. Sent in the pack requesting a repair and they got back in touch about giving me a brand new pack instead which I excepted. This was all done through a local outfitter who encouraged me to bring the pack in cleaned, they even covered postage. Might try going through a retailer that carries Osprey.

Best of luck

Jim

[Max Dilthey]

My Osprey hydration pack is falling to bits. The hipbelt is gone, a zipper blew out, some seams are coming loose, and the hydration bladder was lost long ago. But I keep using the thing, and likely will until it really dies.

I don't try and fix any of these issues with my "Lifetime Guarantee" because I'm always using it, and I'm lazy, and a ship isn't built to sit in the harbor. I'm the consumer they're hoping for with their guarantee- the one that doesn't give a damn.

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