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Will "Bramm" Brammer
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Jan 24, 2020
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jan 2020
· Points: 0
Question here, has anyone else experienced a change in attitude by Arc'teryx in their evaluation of gear for warranty repair and replacement since they started their used gear sales offerings? In my prior experience they would either repair or replace gear that had obviously failed as a result of construction as opposed to mis-use (the core vent zippers on my Alpha SV delaminated and detached from the body of the shell). Now they seem to involve an arbitrary Practical Product Lifespan standard and offer to sell replacement gear at 50% or wholesale. To me, this change uncannily coincides with their offering to sell used gear. Are they monetizing this on the backs of their loyal customers by offering a "deal" at 50% off retail and then repairing and reselling the equipment. My cynical suspicions tell me that they are. I guess if I acquire more Act'teryx shells, I will need to go over the "welding" with a healthy dose of aqua seal (just like the old tents) to make sure the gear doesn't fail in the middle of some gnar.....
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Ben M
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Jan 24, 2020
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Portland, OR
· Joined Jan 2017
· Points: 0
I found some of the Goretex delaminating on my older pair of Alpha AR pants. I dropped them off at an Arc’teryx store, and a few weeks later I got a voucher for the retail price of current Alpha AR’s, no questions asked. This was a couple months ago. YMMV.
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James Sevigny
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Jan 25, 2020
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Sep 2019
· Points: 0
I had a 2 year old alpha AR replaced for some small holes and snags in the fabric. No questions asked. Brand new jacket
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Jon Browher
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Jan 25, 2020
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Wolfeboro, NH
· Joined Jul 2018
· Points: 370
Face fabric on a Theta AR jacket delaminated 8 months ago Got a voucher for the price of its successor, Beta SV, no questions asked. Just told them what I wanted. Great service.
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Mike Lofgren
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Jan 25, 2020
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Reading, MA
· Joined Mar 2015
· Points: 90
I gashed my Alpha FL with an ice screw and sent it off to Arc’Teryx for repair, at my cost. They contacted me weeks later saying they’d detected minor delamination around the zipper. Gave me credit for a new Alph FL.
top notch customer service IMO. This was 2 years ago
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Bares
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Jan 25, 2020
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Salt Lake City, UT
· Joined Apr 2008
· Points: 5
I just had the same thing happen as the OP. Sent in my Alpha SV after it fell apart around the cuffs and skirt. They offered me 50% off retail. I was surprised as I’ve always had great experiences in the past with them. I’ll most likely be picking up my next jacket from OR.
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Mark Westfall
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Jan 27, 2020
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Denver
· Joined Feb 2017
· Points: 0
Bares wrote: I just had the same thing happen as the OP. Sent in my Alpha SV after it fell apart around the cuffs and skirt. They offered me 50% off retail. I was surprised as I’ve always had great experiences in the past with them. I’ll most likely be picking up my next jacket from OR. You should pick up your next jacket from patagucci if you want to do business with a company that will honor their word.
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Alex Fedorov
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Feb 21, 2020
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New York City
· Joined Nov 2018
· Points: 0
my friend just shipped in 12year old bib that had a problem with snow gaiters separating from the main fabric and they offered credit for the full value as it was clear that the pants have not been used much...
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Anson __
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Feb 21, 2020
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Nov 2019
· Points: 0
Got my cerium LT replaced for $40 shipping included when it was pretty thrashed after ~4 years of regular use. No complaints here.
I've heard there are some QC issues on the jackets that are laminated? Hardshells, basically. Idk though, don't have any of those.
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Dave Wichman
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Feb 21, 2020
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Virginia
· Joined Mar 2019
· Points: 46
The drawstring on my arc'teryx chalk bag tore out of the fabric after 10 years of ownership. I contacted customer service to see if they would repair it. I was initially confused, but they asked me to cut the bag into pieces and send them a photo. They sent me a new bag asap after I emailed them a photo of my newly mangled bag. Seemed pretty wasteful. They also warrantied an Atom LT 2 years ago with no questions asked. Can't really complain.
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Jack C
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Feb 21, 2020
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Tennessee
· Joined Mar 2013
· Points: 325
Carlos Danger wrote: You should pick up your next jacket from patagucci if you want to do business with a company that will honor their word. I've never had Pata honor their warranty. I've sent back a few used things (including a completely delaminated H2No hardshell that retailed for $450 or so at the time. They gave me $70 store credit. Yippee. I've never had an issue with OR. They're great in terms of returns. I'd much prefer to support Pata's sustainability initiatives, fair-trade push, etc. though so I just buy knowing they don't have a water-tight return policy, no pun intended.
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that guy named seb
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Feb 22, 2020
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Britland
· Joined Oct 2015
· Points: 236
Had an alpha fl, had it for about 2 years but mostly sat in the closet hung up and un used, used for 2 months in the alps in the summer, leaked at a seam that fall, sent it to arcteryx and the said the membrane had been contaminated and wouldn't warranty it, got them to send it to goretex and they honoured their gaurenteed to keep you dry.
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Nick Niebuhr
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Feb 22, 2020
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CO
· Joined Aug 2013
· Points: 465
Arcteryx has fixed zippers on my and my wife's 7+ year old Atoms, both I think within the last couple years, for free minus the cost of me shipping to them. I haven't noticed any downhill in product repair/replacement but I'm scared about the future as they definitely seem to be going the way of the North Face with all their advertising and the fact that their clothes are just a status symbol nowadays.
As far as Patagonia goes, I brought in a pair of jeans that were worn through in the butt and a knee asking if they'd be able to repair them. They weren't but gave me a gift card for what I paid for them. They've also fixed small issues on my wife's fleece jacket like missing buttons, burn holes, etc. I'm pretty confident in them.
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Garry Reiss
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Feb 22, 2020
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Guelph, ON
· Joined Dec 2010
· Points: 6
My old Kata 45 had some broken buckles and one shoulder strap was starting to tear out. I took it in and they offered to repair it (weeks away) or send me a new one of equivalent value so I picked the Alpha AR 55. Quite like it except for the fiddly loop and hook things it has to fasten down the top.
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Rob D
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Feb 22, 2020
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Queens, NY
· Joined May 2011
· Points: 30
If I send in my hammered harness will they replace the worn out tie in points? Would rather fix than trash.
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Stever
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Mar 17, 2020
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WA
· Joined Nov 2009
· Points: 56
I have an old (made in Canada) jacket that some of the seams were delaminated where they were once glued. Due to the age they discounted it as wear and tear and would not warranty it.
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ThomasR
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Mar 19, 2020
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Los Angeles, CA
· Joined May 2013
· Points: 0
to add to the discussion: I just warrantied my old, used but not abused Theta AR that had delamed around the wrist and the waist pull cord. They offered to repair or replace it without a hitch. took a some time but otherwise no other issues
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mike again
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Mar 19, 2020
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Ouray
· Joined Dec 2015
· Points: 47
I have bought, used, thrashed, worn out and torn up, quite a bit of Arcteryx (and many other brands’!) gear over the years. Warranty on most used to be amazing - no questions asked, pretty much. More recently, here is how I would characterize my experience in the past couple years or so with a sample of a few:
Patagonia: "Of course! We are so delighted that you are a customer and totally stand behind our gear. We can repair this one for you, that one is too badly abused, so we'll replace it, and this one is 20 years old and has lived a great life, so we'll give you some reasonably prorated store credit for it."
OR: [I send in pictures. Warranty guy thinks to himself: Dude, clearly you thrashed these gloves and let's be real, they are mixed climbing gloves with pittards and you did a lot of rappelling in them and that's not the intended use.] And writes "Those look pretty worn. But if you haven't had them for very long why don't you send those in and we can have a look at them." I read his thoughts and respond "No worries, thanks for taking a look. I'm good and I’ll just buy a new pair." A new pair of gloves shows up the next week, to my great surprise.
Arcteryx: "Well, we'll repair or replace it, but only grudgingly and with a 6-12 week wait, and don't forget we're doing you a huge favor and I'm making an exception this time." [Just my sense of the attitude of the reps I've engaged with over email, almost like they are trying to signal to me to back off on my warranty inquiries. But I may be overly sensitive on this.]
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mike again
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Mar 19, 2020
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Ouray
· Joined Dec 2015
· Points: 47
It's important to acknowledge that these companies have no obligation to stand behind their gear in what I would see as far above and beyond expectations in any other sport or activity I've been involved with. My comments above are solidly #firstworldproblems and I receive all of the repaired or replaced goods with some sense of amazement and gratitude every time.
That said, the warranty these companies explicitly promise, and the reputation they gain for interpreting their own policies loosely and generously, is I believe part of their offering, and part of how they justify a significant price premium. Also, it's good business for them to keep the hard core users/influencers happy since so much of what they sell including technical gear goes to light hikers, around town users, or light volume users.
For my part, I pay the price premium because I like pimped out gear, but I do so with the expectation that it will last, sometimes through multiple patches and incarnations.
I would guess that Arcteryx has been bought by a big conglomerate or something in recent years, and serves its investors as much as it does its core users now, but that's speculation.
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that guy named seb
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Mar 20, 2020
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Britland
· Joined Oct 2015
· Points: 236
mike again wrote: I would guess that Arcteryx has been bought by a big conglomerate or something in recent years, and serves its investors as much as it does its core users now, but that's speculation. Amer sports which is now owned by Anta sports, big Chinese firm.
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