MontBell U.L. Down Inner Parka – Know of any deals?

this shows up on Bing.com with their cashback program.

The cashback program sounds great, but unfortunately I don't think that Canadians (like me) are allowed to use it.

So apparently MontBell updated their website today with redesigned parkas….it's sweet I discovered this redesign before I ordered, but it also sucks because I need it soon so I'll have to order directly from Montbell and pay full price.

And Montbell's customer service is severely lacking…

Why do you say they have poor customer service? Their customer service rating is 4.86 out of 5 on this site, based on 5 or 6 people's experiences.

My personal experience, of course.

My wife ordered something I wanted for my birthday. She included several ways of contacting her. Three and a half months later it hadn't arrived, so she investigated. After an hour on the phone she learned that the order had been canceled, because Montbell couldn't be bothered to ship to an APO address.

Two points:

#1 It would have been nice if they had notified us that they had canceled the order.

#2 There is no reason they couldn't send the item USPS instead of FedEx or whatever they normally use. Companies who can't be bothered to send the occasional item USPS (which is the only way to send it to an APO) automatically lose my business. A lot of servicemembers live overseas

Other people on this site have mentioned other problems with Montbell's customer service. Granted, every company has the occasional hiccup, but not even emailing about a canceled order? Come on.

I'll never deal with Montbell directly again. I will readily admit that they make great stuff. To my shame, I was tempted into ordering one of their UL Down jackets because it was on sale for a RIDICULOUSLY low price, but this was through a different distributor. Who would send it to an APO. So he got my business.

EDIT–
I have now done my part to bring that 4.86 rating down.

Hmm…..that is unfortunate. I ordered a Montbell parka from BackcountryGear.com about a week ago and thankfully they had the sense to email me and say that my order had been cancelled because they no longer had it in stock. I was somewhat disappointed because it was a fabulous deal ($112 instead of $160) but at least I knew the order was cancelled so I could place another order instead of waiting weeks or months expecting something.

I'm a USPS fan too. It's the only reasonable way to get packages from the USA if you live in Canada. The guys at the border charge Canadians duty/tax and USPS adds a $5 fee on top of the tax. I don't really like pay fees for the service of being charged tax, but it's a whole lot more reasonable than what the couriers like UPS and FedEx do. These couriers charge 'brokerage fees' which start at about $40 (plus the tax/duty of course) and go up with the value of the item. For a $50 item you can easily wind up with a $50 bill. For a $500 item you can wind up with a $200 charge or so.

"I'll never deal with Montbell directly again."

To be fair, when you say "MontBell" you mean the US distributor. I wouldn't imagine that you would have those problems with MontBell in Japan.

Arapiles

My experience with the flagship MontBell store has been great. When I wanted a pair of their SS #7 sleeping bags that would mate the website showed that there was only one bag with a left zip. I called the store and they verified that they had one of each and shipped them to me right away.

Sorry you had such a problem – I've hadthree orders with MontBell and have had nothing but great service.

That is true- it was MontbellUSA.

Well Dan,

Any eureka yet? I'm trying to find one also.

I noticed that they changed their sizing and weight specs recently also, presumably in order to be more accurate to US sizing.

Does anyone know if they changed anything else with the new "US" versions?

Aaron, I'm not sure if you read it but I ordered one of the new ones directly from Montbell USA because I wanted one of the updated ones.

The updated parka's (released about a week ago) have about 20% more down (2.5oz vs. 2.1oz I think) and they have adjuster cords for the hood and waist which supposedly a lot of current owners wish they had. There are other differences too….the baffles are angled now for a more stylish look and the fabric is softer and less shiny. You can read all about the changes here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=23790

Mine hasn't arrived yet….hopefully it will later this week or next week.

I posted a review of the new Montbell U.L. Down Inner Parka here:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=23790

It's at the bottom of the first page.

found this old thread and thought I would give it a bump.. soo anyone know where i can find this cheap? THanks all

I have a green in size L I'd be willing to sell.

Montbell has some good deals at their clearance website. They don't have the 'parka' but they do have the regular jacket ($101), the vest and the 1/2 sleeve jacket. You need to call to order though because their online shopping cart isn't functioning right now.

http://www.montbell.us/products/list.php?p=1&cat_id=21&sort=1

If you want the older model parka, try some of the outlets. You might luck out on a closeout. Googling the item often brings up comparative pricing. In the past I've gotten some good deals on Montbell stuff that way, although I have to put up with a purple windshirt as a result.

The one time I ordered directly from Montbell, I got excellent service. However, having had a son in the Armed Forces for 30 years, I very much agree with Dean about those blankety-blank firms who refuse to send items USPS to accommodate APO addresses! There are a lot of others besides Montbell!

I prefer USPS to UPS/FedEx myself because I am often away from home. When I'm gone, the local post office will hold my mail, so I don't have to worry about something sitting on my doorstep for a week (my neighbors are nice but don't always remember). With UPS I have to time my purchases carefully so they'll arrive while I'm here!

The lowest I see is Campsaver.com If you use the 20% off code the final price is $131. You should get free shipping too.

But don't wait on this– tomorrow is the last day of the 20% off.

Frank, the Campsaver sale excludes Montbell. i saw that and already tried.. :(

gear zone has inner parkas in all sizes in green for $139..

http://www.gearzone.com/Montbell-UL-Down-Inner-Parka-p/165-15715.htm

I just signed up at Campsaver and they said they emailed me but Thunderbird shows nothing from them . Is there a physical code that can be entered or is it cookie based? Thanks, John

Check the dates of the previous posts John.. The coupon is long expired..

Thanks for the heads up. I posted a review of a new Montbell Rain Trekker today if you are looking for a rain parka like the Peak.