Western Mountaineering–need a repair to a bag

[Jon Denham]

Have heard getting customer service from WM can be a challenge. Is this the case?

I carelessly managed to melt a 4" x 4" right angle hole in the bottom of my Extreme Light Versalite bag and it's a mess.

What have others found to be the best way to go about getting repairs from WM? I do have a couple of phone numbers for them, so I'll start with that. Any experiences that can be passed on in this regard would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Greg Mihalik]

If you've got a phone number you are good to go.

Great customer service.

[Bob Gross]

If all else fails, here is another lead.

http://specialtyoutdoors.com/

This company was very helpful to me about ten years ago when I had to get a major repair done to a tent.

–B.G.–

[Jeff Jeff]

Do they do repairs?

You might have to have a dedicated repair shop fix it for you.

[Eugene Smith]

WM will do repairs (*I wasn't very confident sending my bag to them after speaking with one of their employees, YMMV). Rainy Pass Repair in Seattle will also do repairs on WM bags and have a great reputation. Rainy Pass has an hourly shop rate, which I can't remember off the top of my head, but it wasn't unreasonable.

I was in this same position with my WM bag recently.

[Jon Denham]

Good to hear. I'll be calling them tomorrow to start to fix my stupid mistake. Nothing like seeing those absolutely perfect goose down plumules freed to float around. They are amazing engineering, no doubt. I was admiring them, but very much wishing they were still contained properly in my bag!

[Tim Heckel]

Definitely use the phone and follow up with them after they get the bag.
If you can clean the bag before you send it.
Send it with a carrier that has some kind of delivery confirmation so you know they got it.
I had a defective seam in my bag. I sent it back per their instructions and heard nothing back. I had to make followup calls to get them to actually do the repair and to send my bag back. The squeaky wheel gets the grease there at Western Mountaineering.

[Richard Lyon]

I've had excellent results with both WM (many years ago, to be sure) and Rainy Pass. Definitely use the phone with WM.

[Scott Smith]

In fact.. Rainy Pass does the warrenty work . for some of the Major Manufacters…

They do top shelf work.

[Jon Denham]

…so the whole process took about 3 weeks for me to send it, get it repaired and have it sent back to me. I only live 2 states away from California, so shipping time will be longer for others.

The repair itself is outstanding. I have no doubt that if someone did not know that the bag had been repaired and specifically where it had been repaired, they would never know that it would have been repaired. And the price for the repair and shipping I found to be very reasonable. Two thumbs up.

[Brian Lewis]

I had two WM bags re- (and over-) stuffed a year or so ago. The process worked great *except* that it took quite a while (weeks). I think I got my bags to them at a time when they were pretty busy and they just got to them when they could.

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