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Disappointed in Mont-Bell
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Dec 19, 2012 at 1:06 pm #1297204
I just got a brand new Montbell jacket and it is showing a tear already – when I contacted them, they asked that I return it first and that they would replace or repair within 4 weeks time. This is incredible to me, as I am using the jacket daily and it is brand new. Has anyone had a similar experience?
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:13 pm #1936673Outside of small cottage manufacturers, it's pretty standard to return an item for warranty first before a replacement is mailed out or a repair is made. How did the tear happen? Which model jacket was it?
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:14 pm #1936674I'm not sure what the problem is here, they offered to repair it.
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:22 pm #1936677I know its standard practice, of a sorts, and I understand it (I own other montbell products I love, like the hugger sleeping bag). But seeing as how I literally JUST bought this (and directly from their site) it bothers me that there isn't an understanding that I'm not trying to rip them off, but that I want a functional usable jacket. I don't have another rain jacket to use for the 4 weeks (plus holidays/new year time?) that they'll take to turn it around. Just disappointed. Do you think I'm overreacting?
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:26 pm #1936679Yes you are overreacting. You tore it, its your fault. You could easily take it to a fabric store and have them fix it in literally 2 minutes.
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:40 pm #1936681I definitely did not tear. The inner lining where the elastic is for the waist tore on its own. this is most certainly shoddy workmanship, not some user error. Your assumption that it was me is very curious.
Dec 19, 2012 at 1:58 pm #1936686Did you purchase directly from Montbell? Or another retailer?
Dec 19, 2012 at 2:15 pm #1936691Read above please, I did buy from them.
Dec 19, 2012 at 2:20 pm #1936693Your expectations are out of line.
Send it in, so they can inspect and repair/replace at their discretion.
If its clear it was a mfg defect and they do a repair that doesnt make it like new, then you would have a complaint.
Not clear from your post where the tear is, etc. If it starts in a seam, its probably a mfg defect. If its in the middle of a panel, probably not.
If it uses UL fabrics, tears are easy to come by, and repairs will be more unsightly than the tear possibly, although functional.
I have a small hole in a nanopuff just from holding a puppy. Sharp puppy claws and fragile fabric dont mix.
Dec 19, 2012 at 2:37 pm #1936697I fail to see how it's reasonable to expect that a company repairs (or replaces) your jacket *before* you send it in. In order to do such a thing they'd need to inspect it to see the correct course of action. This being regardless of whether or not the item is brand new, or whether it is a manufacturer's defect or not.
Dec 19, 2012 at 3:15 pm #1936715They should have sent you a new jacket while they fixed the old one and just put a lean against your credit card for the amount until they can determine what went wrong with it. That is what Golite offered me one time with one of their products. REI also. 4 weeks is alot and I know where you are coming from as I have dealt with Montbell before and found their customer service and warranty to be less than stellar (mainly because it seems to be centered out of the back room of their Boulder, CO store by the sales floor staff). It should not take more than 2 weeks and a few days as they should be able to figure something out about the jacket within a day or two and it only takes a week to ship it to there and another back from any point in the contiguous USA. Montbell's stuff is great as long as it never develops a problem. I have had two issues with them over the past few years and will never buy anything from them ever again.
Dec 19, 2012 at 3:42 pm #1936724I agree that 4 weeks is a long turnaround time by today's standards. Unreasonable? Probably not. Them taking the time to decide whether to repair or replace instead of just replacing is OK in my book. This should make us really appreciate the cottage industry & the Golite's of the world and how over the top they go to please their customers. Solid example of good customer service vs excellent customer service.
Ryan
Dec 19, 2012 at 4:32 pm #1936737montbell is not a cottage manufacturer … they are a pretty good size international brand
companies like EB, OR, MEC, REI, etc … will take care of you regardless of anything very quickly … you can return, exchange for ANY reason at all
so will retailers like backcountry
buy from companies or retailers that make you happy …
Dec 19, 2012 at 7:25 pm #1936772Eric,
I don't think anyone was saying Montbell was cottage…we were saying exactly the opposite. I agree with you, there are def some big retailers that are an exception to the rule. I blew out a pair of OR crocodile gaiters, called them up, and they told me that they would have a pair mailed to me ASAP and to just to return my busted ones whenever I got the chance. Now that's trust.Dec 19, 2012 at 7:47 pm #1936778Are you still within the return window? If so i would just return the item and buy a new one and would expect the company to accept that. If the return period has expired than I think monbell is being reasonable. Although their are companies with better policies they are being reasonable.
Dec 19, 2012 at 8:04 pm #1936786I had an exped synmat UL7 for a few months when the baffles started to burst inside…creating a big hump in the middle. They asked me to take a photo of it and email that…then they just sent me a new pad. They told me to take a knife to the old one and that was that.
Then after two years the leash clip on my dog's Ruff Wear pack harness started to come loose…again, I took a cell phone photo of a VERY worn and ratty pack that really needed to be replaced anyway…Ruff Wear just sent me a brand new harness…AND pack.
I never expected that from either company…but it certainly was very nice to deal with.
Perhaps try emailing a photo of the tear to their customer service and see what they say….
Dec 19, 2012 at 11:44 pm #1936820I blew out a pair of OR crocodile gaiters, called them up, and they told me that they would have a pair mailed to me ASAP and to just to return my busted ones whenever I got the chance. Now that's trust.
which is why i buy OR stuff … or EB … or stuff from MEC/REI, etc … even if its not the "very best", or the flavor of the month at BPL, or the lowest price …
theres a lot of people on here with stuff they found out didnt work or didnt meet their expectations, or just didnt fit em … and im always puzzled personally as to why they didnt just buy from somewhere with a total no questions asked guarantee …
i suspect in the long run youll actually save money
Dec 20, 2012 at 12:58 am #1936825Just to draw a distinction here – Mont Bell in the US is not Mont Bell Japan, it's their local distributor. I wouldn't expect Mont Bell in Japan to be quite so …. bureaucratic. So perhaps the thread should say "Disappointed in Mont Bell US".
Dec 20, 2012 at 7:17 am #1936862I appreciate the reasonable responses on both sides here, but I really do think – like my experiences with OR or REI – that MontBell sending me a jacket, putting a hold on my card and waiting to replace it would be the easiest thing to do. I mean, maybe some people have multiple jackets, but the whole reason I spent so much time looking and researching for this jacket was that I wanted one with a purpose. I am very disappointed, and yes, maybe its MB USA, not the other MB.
Dec 20, 2012 at 7:39 am #1936868In addition to what Eric said, for head and hand wear I buy from OR. My rain suit is REI eVent. My wind jacket is from EB. My pants are REI Sahara. Socks are Darn Tough and Bass Pro Shop Redheads. Fleece layers are Patagonia. If I really wanted to I could warranty my Ex Officio boxers back to REI but I would feel really bad about that. It took me awhile to get there but I switched over to high quality items that are a bit more durable and where I don't have to worry about if they fail because I know I can easily get them replaced through great warranty programs.
Unfortunately my down jackets are from Montbell. I am just holding on to them until I can try to sell them but that has been difficult. I would probably buy EB or Marmot to replace them.
I would probably switch my glove liners over to cheap fleece ones when the OR ones wear out. I really have not found any shirts either that both do not smell after a few days and are going to last a few years also.
Dec 20, 2012 at 8:53 am #1936900>> I really do think – like my experiences with OR or REI – that MontBell sending me a jacket, putting a hold on my card and waiting to replace it would be the easiest thing to do.
OK… did you tell MontBell this, clearly tell them what you wanted? Sometimes people are disappointed when they call customer service with a problem and don't get the "offer" they were hoping for. Most companies, in my experience, would rather have you tell them what you want — it's the surest way to a satisfied customer.
Dec 20, 2012 at 9:17 am #1936907Yes, I clearly told them this, I offered this, they said it wasn't possible.
The tear is on the inside area, where the shock cord tightens for the waist. Its definitely a defect, not some kind of fragile issue.
Dec 21, 2012 at 3:18 am #1937159….. By way of example, when I was in Japan earlier this year I bought a Mont Bell softshell. When I got back to Australia I realised that for some reason the cuffs did not have elastic in them. My wife emailed Mont Bell and they responded a day or so later that we could return the top, or since we were now back in Oz, we could have it fixed locally and they'd pay for it. I had it repaired by Remote Repairs (who do most of the warranty work in Australia) and they paid for it.
Dec 21, 2012 at 9:42 am #1937208Don't get too hung up on "4 weeks". Sellers — including MontBell — often quote 'ridiculously long' turnaround time to cover themselves. Chances are good (although not guaranteed) you will receive your jacket much sooner. Report back.
As for reasonableness… I think it is quite unreasonable to expect MontBell to offer immediate exchanges — sight unseen — to anyone who calls in about a tear.
Dec 22, 2012 at 10:49 pm #1937562The usefulness of immediate turn-around is why I sacrifice some selection to use Zappos.com. They ship out replacements with next-day shipping before asking you to send back the ripped item.
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