Part of the reason I like to try and buy from smaller more local companies is because dealing with issues or a warranty is usually much, much easier. Being able to pick up a phone and have a real conversation with other like minded riders about what's going on pretty much always leads to being taken care of... in some way or another. And generally, just being a nice person goes a long ways with these companies who have to deal with assholes wayyy too often.
I have lots of interesting warranty stories from my days as an amateur competitive snowboarder in the 90's. I used to blow through equipment pretty regularly (I rode hard, but also the quality of a lot of the product back then wasn't quite up to the task, ha!).
The best though was after a season and summer of riding a pair of Burton snowboard boots. For the first time in a long time, I didn't actually have to send them in for warranty replacement... they were perfectly fine. But funnily enough I used to break so much equipment that, for a number of years, I had come to rely on warranting my gear every year to get new gear. So I was kind of bummed, yes the boots were fine in that they weren't falling apart, but I had ridden them hard and they were worked... I needed new boots, what was I going to do! So, I just decided to send them off to the warranty department anyway and see what would happen. I packed them them up, but added a number of items that I hoped would help my case: 1. A nice funny letter explaining how much I liked their boots and really really wanted a new pair for the next season. 2. Two dairy queen coupons. 3. A picture of my current girlfriend (who was super hot). 4. Two porno mags.
Lo and behold... about a month later a box showed up with a brand new pair of next year's boots! Along with a letter from the warranty department telling me how much they enjoyed my little care package and thanking me for the "inspirational product" to help them get through "long hard" days... haha. Damn... wish I saved that letter.
Now this was back when warranty departments at even some of he bigger companies were just a bunch of young snowboard bums like me, I don't think I'd get the same response now... would I?
Feb. 9, 2021, 9:25 a.m. - IslandLife
Part of the reason I like to try and buy from smaller more local companies is because dealing with issues or a warranty is usually much, much easier. Being able to pick up a phone and have a real conversation with other like minded riders about what's going on pretty much always leads to being taken care of... in some way or another. And generally, just being a nice person goes a long ways with these companies who have to deal with assholes wayyy too often. I have lots of interesting warranty stories from my days as an amateur competitive snowboarder in the 90's. I used to blow through equipment pretty regularly (I rode hard, but also the quality of a lot of the product back then wasn't quite up to the task, ha!). The best though was after a season and summer of riding a pair of Burton snowboard boots. For the first time in a long time, I didn't actually have to send them in for warranty replacement... they were perfectly fine. But funnily enough I used to break so much equipment that, for a number of years, I had come to rely on warranting my gear every year to get new gear. So I was kind of bummed, yes the boots were fine in that they weren't falling apart, but I had ridden them hard and they were worked... I needed new boots, what was I going to do! So, I just decided to send them off to the warranty department anyway and see what would happen. I packed them them up, but added a number of items that I hoped would help my case: 1. A nice funny letter explaining how much I liked their boots and really really wanted a new pair for the next season. 2. Two dairy queen coupons. 3. A picture of my current girlfriend (who was super hot). 4. Two porno mags. Lo and behold... about a month later a box showed up with a brand new pair of next year's boots! Along with a letter from the warranty department telling me how much they enjoyed my little care package and thanking me for the "inspirational product" to help them get through "long hard" days... haha. Damn... wish I saved that letter. Now this was back when warranty departments at even some of he bigger companies were just a bunch of young snowboard bums like me, I don't think I'd get the same response now... would I?