Instead of griping, let's sing the praises of some products

[Jane in NC]

As some of you know, my son did a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail earlier this year (all 2189 miles).  He was an "ultra lighter" who used a pack by a company called ULA in Logan, UT.  American made and guaranteed.  After his trek he had some small tears that needed repairing.  He shipped the pack back with a note expressing his pleasure with the overhaul performance of the pack.  Instead of repairing it, though, they sent him a new one.

 

The Boy is ready for his next adventure.

 

And we are all very impressed with ULA. 

[hjffkj]

That is some good customer service

[Kareni]

What a nice report on ULA, Jane.

 

 The Boy is ready for his next adventure.

 

Does he have a destination in mind?

 

Regards,

Kaeni

 

 

[MercyA]

L.L. Bean did the same thing when my father's backpack needed a repair. I love companies with lifetime guarantees! 

[happi duck]

Did they send him back the old one as a souvenir?

[DesertBlossom]

I bought a Jansport backpack at the start of last year for DS and one of the zippers quit working. We mailed it back to Jansport and they fixed it free. Yay!

[purplejackmama]

Last summer my kids Lands Ends rash guards looked worn out by July 4th. I called the company just to inquire if they had used a different manufacturer. I wasn't looking for compensation just really sad that our favorite products weren't lasting. They company gave me a full refund AND sent brand new ones. I was floored.

[Jane in NC]

What a nice report on ULA, Jane.

 

 

Does he have a destination in mind?

 

Regards,

Kaeni

Not at the moment but it would not surprise his parents if he starts researching the Continental Divide Trail.

[Jane in NC]

Did they send him back the old one as a souvenir?

No which leads me to wonder if it is trashed or sent to R&D for study. They might be interested in stress points after a thru hike.

[Guest]

Both Marmot and Moonstone have repaired the velcro on my jackets, many years after I purchased them, and after they had been well used.  

 

The Apple Store did a wonderful job when I upgraded my iPhone to a 6.  The guy was super efficient, and patient and made sure everything was just as it should be, and babysat me for an hour while I made sure I understood how everything worked.  

 

I have a lot of good feelings toward many companies...I just can't remember them all right now.  I'll pipe up when they come back to my memory.  

[Catalytic]

Alexa stopped working on Thursday, I had just purchased a new non-OEM power cord at the end of July, because the OEMs were out of stock.  I called Amazon and cried on a tech's shoulder, and he overnighted me a new OEM charger that arrived today and now Alexa works again.  I love Amazon!

 

I usually have really bad experiences at Burger Kings, order is wrong, poor customer service, etc.  Yesterday, I went to one while my son was in a "job interview" elsewhere, and when I got to the food window, the lady asked if I had chocolate milk and a Coke.  I was thinking 2 Cokes (and the chocolate milk), but as I thought about what I ordered, I realized I forgot to order one.  I apologized to the lady for taking a moment to reply and explained I had to run through the order in my head because I meant to order 2 Cokes.  She turned, filled up another Coke, and handed it to me and said Merry Christmas Early!

 

 

Edited August 28, 2016 by Catalytic

[Tap]

I bought a Jansport backpack at the start of last year for DS and one of the zippers quit working. We mailed it back to Jansport and they fixed it free. Yay!

Odd timing on this one!  LOL I just printed of the return form today for a Jansport.

 

I am curious, did they fix it or replace it?  Honestly, the zipper has always been a problem on this particular back pack.DD only used it for a few months before going back to her old backpack.  She didn't tell me why, and I just thought she liked her old one better.   The zipper catches on the zipper flap all the time and makes it frustrating to use.  I figured it out when I adopted it for dd9. Once I figured out the problem, I safety pinned the flap back, to keep it from catching.  I have never had this problem with a backpack before so I figure it has something to do with the way it was sewn together. The zipper finally broke, so I am going to request that they send a new one instead of fixing this backpack.  I paid $50 for it, so I would rather not just toss it. 

[Guest]

Lightning struck beside our house and blew up our internet modem (like into the house ball of light craziness) last Sunday. AT&T had a technician here within two hours and replaced it and had us back online that afternoon. It's the second time it's happened in six weeks and they have responded fast both times. Amazing. We couldn't be happier with their service.

[gingersmom]

My sons brand new LL Bean backpack made it one year before the nylon began shredding. I sent it back and they replaced it promptly with a new one.

Edited August 28, 2016 by gingersmom

[Spryte]

Our homeowner's insurance. They absolutely rock. They made our lives so much easier during a major claim.

 

Same company handles our roadside assistance - and we had a recent issue with car trouble. They were exceptional with getting us help and making sure we were safe.

[Barb_]

Our homeowner's insurance. They absolutely rock. They made our lives so much easier during a major claim.

 

Same company handles our roadside assistance - and we had a recent issue with car trouble. They were exceptional with getting us help and making sure we were safe.

Who is it? I'm having a phenomenal experience so far with the house fire thing through geico/travelers (I think they contract out the homeowners).

[Beaniemom]

We had an LL Bean children's coat that belonged to older dd and had a broken zipper where the hood connected to the coat. I called and when the customer service agent looked up when the coat had been purchased and we had it two years more than I recalled. Despite it being a 4 year-old coat they replaced it. The item that was listed as a replacement was actually no longer being made so they ended up upgrading the coat and even asking what size I would like it in, the same one or one larger. We got the same size since it was intended for younger dd but I was amazed. They really went beyond my expectations.

[Ali in OR]

You all have inspired me to see if Travelon will replace or repair my 11-month old purse with a broken zipper. Just sent an email to customer service!

Edited August 28, 2016 by Ali in OR

[bettyandbob]

LLBean is awesome. Last year I had to return youngest ds backpack because of fraying that kept caring the zipper. A lot of fraying on a pack only a year old. Dd heard we were head to the store and said she wanted to go and see if they'd repair a buckle on hers. Then older ds decided something was wrong with his. Do we all went. They replaced them all. Dd was a bit disappointed because she liked the fabric of her old pack and they don't have it anymore.

 

A few years back we had a pair of boots that dry rotted. They only gave me store credit because they don't sell that boot anymore, but I was happy with that.

[Pam in CT]

re Boy's Next Adventure...

 

Not at the moment but it would not surprise his parents if he starts researching the Continental Divide Trail.

 

That sounds Really Steep.  Nick Kristof has me dreaming of the Pacific Crest Trail...

[Spryte]

Who is it? I'm having a phenomenal experience so far with the house fire thing through geico/travelers (I think they contract out the homeowners).

USAA. They were just incredible.

 

We were even concerned that the restoration company was taking advantage of them, and called/emailed them about it, and they were great about assuring us that they had vetted the restoration company we'd chosen (we used one they recommended, didn't have to, but wanted to do so)... And they covered everything including things I'd never have considered, and made accommodations for DS's special needs. They were just stellar.

 

I am so happy you are having a good experience, too. (Hmmm, not the right word choice there... You know what I'm saying, right?) ... it's just a good thing when it works the way it should, and I hope it continues that way for you, and that it makes your life easier.

[Spryte]

Not at the moment but it would not surprise his parents if he starts researching the Continental Divide Trail.

My thru hiker family has loved that trail. I think my aunt and uncle have done that one 3-4 times. The AT, too, but the CDT seems to have a special place in their hearts. :)

[DesertBlossom]

Odd timing on this one!  LOL I just printed of the return form today for a Jansport.

 

I am curious, did they fix it or replace it?  Honestly, the zipper has always been a problem on this particular back pack.DD only used it for a few months before going back to her old backpack.  She didn't tell me why, and I just thought she liked her old one better.   The zipper catches on the zipper flap all the time and makes it frustrating to use.  I figured it out when I adopted it for dd9. Once I figured out the problem, I safety pinned the flap back, to keep it from catching.  I have never had this problem with a backpack before so I figure it has something to do with the way it was sewn together. The zipper finally broke, so I am going to request that they send a new one instead of fixing this backpack.  I paid $50 for it, so I would rather not just toss it. 

 

They fixed it. DS was having the same problem catching the flap in the zipper. In  fact, it got stuck once so part of the flap was cut to get it pulled out. They replaced the zipper and I could tell something else was different on the backpack until it dawned on me.... they totally removed the zipper flap from the backpack. I know it's the same backpack because it's got the exact same ink stain on the side. And I can see where the new stitching doesn't exactly line up with the old. (barely though, they did a great job) I don't care that the zipper flap is gone. I think it's supposed to make it more waterproof but it doesn't rain often enough here for me to worry about it. And it's one less thing to catch in the zipper.

Edited August 28, 2016 by DesertBlossom

[Laura Corin]

I contacted the CEO of my seed supplier, Thompson and Morgan, because my seeds came packaged in unnecessary plastic trays.  He explained that he had just taken over, had already noticed the issue, and they were just using up their supply, after which they would switch to cardboard.  A few months later, he sent me a hand-written note to say that the switch had been made, enclosing five packets of free seeds and a bar of hand-made dark chocolate.

[DawnM]

I love, love, love my Tivos and tivo minis.

 

We went cable free for 4 full years.  During that time I realized that what I missed more than the additional channels was the ability to pause live TV and record shows.  I just didn't watch things when they came on.

 

So, I found an older version Tivo on eBay and bought it.  Then I bought another for our other TV.  

 

Then the cable company offered me a very inexpensive deal to add cable TV back and since we didn't need any equipment from them (already had our Tivos), we got it.  

 

We have upgraded one of our Tivos for a killer deal they were offering, so we can now have minis hooked up as well.

 

ANY issues we have had, they have fixed.  They are nice, polite, available 24/7, and seem to really want to help get your issue resolved.

[Alessandra]

Apple. Ds recently bought an old iPhone 4s from a friend of mine. It would not work because she had installed Find My Phone and forgotten password. She called Apple and established proof of purchase. Apple then spent close to an hour with me to get phone up and running. No charge.

 

Also Apple. Took an eight year old computer to Genius Bar. I had my credit card ready. No charge.

 

I was already an Apple fan, but I had no idea that they stood behind really OLD products.

 

Adding -- Black Diamond and Campmor. Bent hiking pole mailed to BD and fixed. Campmor took care of the mailing. I also like their one year return policy.

[Jane in NC]

I should have also mentioned another product:  Darn Tough Socks which are made in Vermont.

 

An outfitter in Vermont (down the road from Darn Tough apparently) replaced two pairs of their guaranteed for life socks--this while my son was on his saga. So both the sock company and the outfitter (in Killington perhaps?) went beyond the call of duty. 

 

I am really glad to hear about some great customer service from other companies too! 

[DawnM]

Apple. Ds recently bought an old iPhone 4s from a friend of mine. It would not work because she had installed Find My Phone and forgotten password. She called Apple and established proof of purchase. Apple then spent close to an hour with me to get phone up and running. No charge.

 

Also Apple. Took an eight year old computer to Genius Bar. I had my credit card ready. No charge.

 

I was already an Apple fan, but I had no idea that they stood behind really OLD products.

 

Adding -- Black Diamond and Campmor. Bent hiking pole mailed to BD and fixed. Campmor took care of the mailing. I also like their one year return policy.

 

Not trying to add a negative, but this has not been our experience.

 

50 minute wait AFTER the appointed time at the "genius" bar, only to be told that since my iPad was 3 months out of warranty they wouldn't fix it, replace it, or do anything other than offer me a $200 credit towards a new one.

 

The iPad cost $500 and was only 1 year and 3 months old.  The issue was that the cellular antenna stopped working.  The iPad itself was ok, but I wasn't paying another $300 for a cellular antenna fix.

 

So frustrating.

[hjffkj]

Our homeowner's insurance. They absolutely rock. They made our lives so much easier during a major claim.

 

Same company handles our roadside assistance - and we had a recent issue with car trouble. They were exceptional with getting us help and making sure we were safe.

Our homeowner's and car insurance are both from state farm and they have been absolutely wonderful the 2 times we had to file a claim. Once for a water leak that caused $5000 worth of damage. And the other time when someone stole the wheels off our car. Both times they came out the same day, filed the report within 3 days, and cut us a check for the damage and lost property within a week.

[Carol in Cal.]

I bought a pair of Colombia snow boots from REI in California.  I don't use snow boots very much, but was happy to have them now and then for maybe a week or two per year.  We flew to Wisconsin in the winter--read 'crucial to have warm boots' weather--and as I was walking through the airport after landing, I realized to my horror that the whole top of one of the boots was flapping open--it had come apart at one of the seams.  I have no idea how.

 

We visited the closest REI there in Wisconsin, and they accept the boots back for a full refund though I had had them for several years.  I thought this was fair because I really had hardly used them and they were obviously defective, but many stores would not have done this.

 

I ended up buying insulated waterproof hiking boots there instead of snow boots, and used them during the whole trip.  It worked out great.

[Alessandra]

Not trying to add a negative, but this has not been our experience.

 

50 minute wait AFTER the appointed time at the "genius" bar, only to be told that since my iPad was 3 months out of warranty they wouldn't fix it, replace it, or do anything other than offer me a $200 credit towards a new one.

 

The iPad cost $500 and was only 1 year and 3 months old. The issue was that the cellular antenna stopped working. The iPad itself was ok, but I wasn't paying another $300 for a cellular antenna fix.

 

So frustrating.

Oh, I am sorry. I would not have wanted to pay either. That sounds awful.

 

Our appointment began on time. Much better experience.

[Ali in OR]

Just an update:

 

This thread encouraged me to see if Travelon would fix a zipper on my purse. I looked them up online and found out they have a 5 year warranty. I checked Amazon and the purse was 11 months old. So I wrote to them, sent them pics, they did make me destroy my old purse (sad), but in today's mail I received my brand new purse! I'm so excited. Thanks for the idea--add Travelon to your list of companies that stand by their products.

[AmandaVT]

I should have also mentioned another product:  Darn Tough Socks which are made in Vermont.

 

An outfitter in Vermont (down the road from Darn Tough apparently) replaced two pairs of their guaranteed for life socks--this while my son was on his saga. So both the sock company and the outfitter (in Killington perhaps?) went beyond the call of duty. 

 

I am really glad to hear about some great customer service from other companies too! 

 

 

I second Darn Tough! They make some great socks with awesome customer service. 

 

We've had great luck with LL Bean anytime we've had an issue. 

 

Lands End - haven't had to use their customer service, but they sell some of the only shirts that don't shrink. For years, my t shirts would end up looking like  a square with arms by the end of the summer because they would shrink a bit with every wash, even when I washed on cold and hung dry. Lands End ones never shrink and last forever. 

[4everHis]

At least 4 year old child's Land's End parka kept coming 'unzipped' in the middle. Sent it back and they sent a gift card for the cost of the coat.

 

[Annie G]

I've been a Fitbit user for years, and my current one is a Charge HR that I bought September 15 of last year. This week it developed a bubble in the band and I contacted Fitbit. The replacement is on the way, and they even went down a size for me because the one I have is a bit large.   

[El...]

I bought plane tickets from Delta, and then realized that because I'd bought the economy tickets, the seats wouldn't be assigned until we got to the airport!  I'm traveling with the kids (8 and 4)!  I called them, and the lady set us up with seats all together, and gave the littlest the window seat on each flight.  :) 

[Tree Frog]

I purchased some Fiskars pinking shears from Joann's last month, but they are so stiff one hand can't open and close them easily even without cutting fabric. I contacted Fiskars and they said I need to send a picture of the product so they can verify what type it is and they will replace it under warranty. I'm hopeful it will work out!

[Emmalm]

Found a $3 Columbia coat for DD6 when she was 3 years old at a second hand store. Zipper broke that winter. Sent it in, they could not repair it, but did send a brand new winter coat in the next size up for free. The new coat was worth at least $75. Love Columbia and The North Face for that kind of stuff!