Sitka Rant - disappointed

[Scrappy]

I guess I'm just not getting it. If you wear a piece of clothing for a short period of time and wear a hole in it. Then its obvious to me you screwed up big time by not being aware that you are wearing a hole in your new jacket.


I'm with the sitka rep on this one. No way I'm standing behind a product that is obviously not a product defect. I know it makes the rep look bad but put yourself in their shoes. You know your product will not wear out after a very short period of time with normal or even hard use. Then a customer calls you up wanting you to fix an obvious misuse of the product.


With all that said are you positive the damage wasn't there when you bought the jacket? Unless I missed it you still haven't stated what caused the damage.


Last thought is there is no way that damage was caused by normal wear.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Some of these posts crack me up.

If you truly have not worn it much it's probably a factory defect tell them you want to exchange it or your money back.

I've had wear in that area on rain jackets. Once from a 4wheeler, the other got caught in a shitty hotel dryer.

 

[HookUp]

I have a $400 Sitka rain jacket. Have worn the heck out of it and no holes. Just because you fail to take care of your gear shouldn't mean Sitka is on the hook for your mistake.

 

[Jauwater]

the other got caught in a shitty hotel dryer.

I used to see marks on clothing like that all the time when I was fixing appliances. It'd get caught between the drum wheel, and frame.


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[brsnow]

I have a $400 Sitka rain jacket. Have worn the heck out of it and no holes. Just because you fail to take care of your gear shouldn't mean Sitka is on the hook for your mistake.

Actually they are, they lost numerous potential customers based on how it was handled.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Actually the are, they lost numerous potential customers based on how it was handled.

You know this somehow or you're speculating? Does it occur to you that this sort of thing builds brand favor/equity? Vices can be their own punishment, yes?


OP
Here's what I think: I think what happened with your jacket is unfortunate. I also think the CS person at Sitka did a terrific job of managing your matter. Do you realize (based on what's showing in your post) that you made zero attempt to offer any helpful inference about what could have caused the wear? For what it's worth, I'd dig into the depths of your own heart and be willing to share/admit what you think caused the wear, even if you don't know for certain, then get back to Sitka CS to show good faith. Whether you meant to do it, you forced the CS person to try to flush out what happened, which is a passive-aggressive tactic (you), by the way.

How is any of this different than driving a new truck for a few weeks... discover a fender ding one morning... then going back to the dealer and expect a free repair? "I don't know what happened, so I'm not responsible..." Who is responsible for dings, wear, and blemishes on our stuff? We are, whether we cause it or not.

Please trust that I'm trying to be respectful and helpful here. For what it's worth, all of us are familiar with experiences of indignation and remorse...We get it.

I now digress with a +1 to all the taping suggestions.

 

[Trial153]

I have had better luck when I fess up to screw ups, I think they take pitty on me.....

 

[SWOHTR]

Pure outrage!!!!

I side with the manufacturer.

 

[kda082]

I own no Sitka but this 4 page thread would have no effect on my future purchases with the company.

 

[ljalberta]

Everyone saying this is totally acceptable is assuming there wasn’t some sort of premature failure or factory defect... maybe there was, maybe there wasn’t.

But how crappy would that be to receive a 400$ product with a factory defect, only to have the company say that the very factory defect you’re complaining about is evidence of misuse/abuse. This logic makes it impossible to ever hold a company to account for defects that do in fact happen.

For instance, what if someone buys a backpack designed to carry 150+lbs and goes for a training hike with 40lbs and the shoulder pads rip. The company could say, hey there might be a defect we should examine, or they could say, well that rip is evidence you’re carrying excessive loads over 150lbs and not designed for the pack, but we’ll send you a patch.

One answer inspires confidence for future purchases. One does not.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Everyone saying this is totally acceptable is assuming there wasn’t some sort of premature failure or factory defect... maybe there was, maybe there wasn’t.

But how crappy would that be to receive a 400$ product with a factory defect, only to have the company say that the very factory defect you’re complaining about is evidence of misuse/abuse. This logic makes it impossible to ever hold a company to account for defects that do in fact happen.

A factory defect is a different matter. I doubt anyone, Sitka more than any, disagrees when a garment is defective.

 

[MuleDeerMike]

OP is not be forthcoming IMO. He still hasn't answered if there was anything on his belt at all, not whether he thinks that caused it but just point blank if there was or not. I'm going with the dryer, although I doubt it will be admitted. I have zero sympathy at this point.

Sitka stayed true to their warranty that's posted all over their website and isn't in the wrong.

 

[netman]

I have a bunch of Sitka clothing and I use it for everything. I’m a big fan and tell others you get what you pay for. I feel I’ve got my money’s worth and still have a lot more life left in my Sitka clothing.
I however am not a emailer problem solver. I call and speak to CS.
Hopefully the OP gets this worked out.
I’m rooting for both sides.

 

[JeffRaines]

Glad to see there are, at least, a handful of people here who understand what constitutes wear and tear, and the difference between a normal wear issue and a warranty issue.

I always thought it was laughable - the people who will buy a piece of gear, beat the piss out of it, and then try to return/warranty the item because it failed... newsflash, this shit don't last forever. The harder you run it, the less you maintain it, the faster its going to fail... this rings even more true for lightweight gear. Goes for your rifle, clothing, pack, tent, sleeping bag, truck, you name it. It isn't the manufacturers/shops fault nor responsibility to replace an item that was worn out or damaged by you. Some will, and we should be grateful when they do. I get it - you paid hundreds more than 'normal' for an item... it doesn't make it indestructible. Its like buying a Ferrari, and then expecting it to last forever because you paid much more than normal for it... then after never changing the oil or doing any maintenance, you're trying to get the manufacturer to warranty the car... "well I paid xxxx for the car I shouldn't have to change the oil or brakes or tires!". How ridiculous does it sound in this context?

For the OP - he even said he doesn't know if something was rubbing on it... he needs to put the coat on and walk around and see. If something is directly rubbing on a piece of clothing, it doesn't matter what brand, it can cause this to happen prematurely. It may be a manufacturers defect, but if thats the case I'd imagine the material under your arms would likely look about the same because lets face it, whats rubbing together a lot when you walk? If that area is fine, its the OPs fault.

 

[Jauwater]

Ok, so let's not give the OP the benefit of the doubt, and say he did this on his own. Ok, that still doesn't change the fact that there are companies that would still replace the product regardless. Maybe Sitka overall has decent customer service. But what the OP received was bad customer service. It's nothing like spending 20,000+ on a vehicle that you park in driveways, parking lots, interstate driving. No car company would switch out a vehicle for somebody after purchasing it because of a ding or a blemish. I'm sure some people have tried, but the general public has no reason to believe a car company would switch out a vehicle. But we as the general public do have experience in returning / exchanging garments / optics / etc, with no questions asked, that's what great customer service has become. I don't believe that damage came from just wearing the jacket, but I do believe the OP has no clue what caused it, as I believe he has stated already that he honestly doesn't know what it was rubbing. I guess it's worth knowing a companies return / exchange policy before spending $500.

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[Trial153]

You have to wonder how all this splendid customer service really costs us all in real dollars....

 

[Trevor73402]

Ok, so let's not give the OP the benefit of the doubt, and say he did this on his own. Ok, that still doesn't change the fact that there are companies that would still replace the product regardless. Maybe Sitka overall has decent customer service. But what the OP received was bad customer service.

I'm at a loss for words here........ If I damage something I bought, its MY FAULT. No company, Sitka or Trojanz, should be expected to, or looked at in a negative light for not eating the cost of mistakes/misuse by the end user. For a person to expect that, and cry foul when its not given, is a truly a sign of the times we live in and the entitlement mind set so many have adopted.


I had a brand new heavy weight zip-T. The first time I wore it, the buckle of my chest strap on my pack rubbed on it and caused pilling in less than 2 hours. Guess what.......that's MY fault. I don't blame Sitka or Kifaru.

 

[brsnow]

Keep the Sitka for church and buy quality backcountry/mountaineering clothes for the mountains. Problem solved.

 

[Jauwater]

I'm at a loss for words here........ If I damage something I bought, its MY FAULT. No company, Sitka or Trojanz, should be expected to, or looked at in a negative light for not eating the cost of mistakes/misuse by the end user. For a person to expect that, and cry foul when its not given, is a truly a sign of the times we live in and the entitlement mind set so many have adopted.

I'm not making a point that Sitka is in the wrong. I'm simply saying it's bad customer service compared to what's offered by other companies. I wouldn't expect a company to replace something I damaged. I'm just saying that there are companies out there that will. So in the world of customer service, the companies that offer the type of customer service that replaces items regardless what happen are great customer service companies. I'm simply saying Sitka offered bad customer service in this instance compared to what I've experienced by other companies. And as stated before maybe Sitka has decent customer service. And if their warranty / exchange / return policy is clearly stated then an exchange shouldn't be expected. But with that said, that warranty isn't as good as what some other companies offer. Maybe they did exactly what their warranty states, and that's fair. But that still doesn't make it good customer service compared to others.

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[Trevor73402]

Keep the Sitka for church and buy quality backcountry/mountaineering clothes for the mountains. Problem solved.

Could you please enlighten us that are mere plebs on what these quality backcountry/mountaineering clothes for the mountains are? I want to be well prepared........cant cheat the mountain pilgrim.