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Re: Read the Lifetime Warranty Carefully (Reply to this comment)
by cuz1
I have been in the Outdoor Industry for many years and turning a customer away isn't something that any outdoor retailer likes to do. It doesn't matter who the retailer is, when the word "lifetime" is used, it will always imply the useful lifetime of the product, not the lifetime of the customer. As far as waterproof jackets go, even jackets that use the well known one way valve material: GoreTex to keep your body dry will need an outer treatment on the nylon or softshell fabric to keep it from absorbing water. All waterproof breatheable garments are treated on the outer with a coating known as DWR or 'Durable Water Repellent.' In constant use, between one and two years this outer treatment will start to wear away. This is natural.
It is easy to renew this with a wash-in treatment known as NikWax. Most outdoor retailers carry this product. When you get past five or six years of constant wear, more often than not the structural integrity of the fibers in the outer material have been compromised by years of abrasion. Simply rubbing against trees, rocks or even furniture. At this point, sometimes abraded fibers just won't accept a new coat of DWR. Education is the key to caring for any outdoor products you buy.
I find it disturbing that people don't think twice about buying a really nice pair of hiking boots without any intention of maintaining them. Then, they feel entitled to a brand new pair once those begin to fail. That is policy abuse.
I encourage my customers to ask questions, do the research. Shop around and ask yourself: Which retailers were most helpful and knowlegable. Do you feel that their input could improve the quality of your outdoor experience?
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Apr 17 '07
4:37 pm PDT
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Read the Lifetime Warranty Carefully (Reply to this comment)
by amandabee
I was just told that it is time for a new jacket when I complained that my 5 year old raincoat is no longer waterproof.
I understood the famed "lifetime warranty" to be more comprehensive than it is -- be sure that if you are paying extra for something that comes with a warranty, the warranty is really worth the extra cost.
In retrospect, I should have read the fine print more carefully -- I don't mean to imply that EMS lied to me -- but the lifetime warranty is a bit more complex than this review makes it seem.
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Nov 21 '05
8:45 am PST
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