Gear Warranty/Service

[hobart22]

My girlfriend bought a Mountain Hardwear Monkey Fur jacket a few months ago and loved it. Unfortunately the fleece became disgusting very quickly. It turns out it was a bad batch of fleece and Mt. Hardwear had her mail it back in (it was originally bought at Marmot, Bellevue and they only allow a 30 day window to return). Mt. Hardwear said they'd replace it, no problem. It turns out they don't have anymore of the jackets to send her a replacement and will only credit her with the cost of the jacket to use towards other mountain hardwear products. She really just wants that jacket and doesn't want to wait a year to get it (or spend another $140). It seems to me that Mountain Hardwear should just give her a refund. Am I just spoiled by REI's return policy? It seems pretty unfair to me.

[pindude]

It's very fair, at least as far as Mountain Hardware is concerned. Mtn Hardware should not give a full monetary refund.

 

You'll only get a full cash refund of the retail price from the retailer. Their 30-day return window seems a little strict, but not returning it within that time seems to be the problem re. getting cash back. Considering the circumstances, it's too bad they couldn't make an exception, but maybe there's more to it than what you've said.

 

Mountain Hardware sells their clothing (like most other specialty outdoor clothing manufacturers) at wholesale at about 50% of the retail price to the retailer: if they were to give your gf a cash refund, they'd be out 2x their price of the jacket to the retailer. Mtn Hardware makes many great quality items. I know I'd be able to pick out several other items that are on my wish list. As far as the "year" wait goes, if it's a winter item, it'll be available from Sept to Oct or maybe even sooner. That's 6+ months or so. If your gf is on the impatient side, I think you need to give her something else...

[murraysovereign]

Mountain Hardware's policy is fine - it's Marmot's policy I find questionable. pindude explained the set-up pretty well. Basically, Mountain Hardware diesn't have your money, so they can't return it to you. Marmot has your money, so only they can return it to you, and in this scenario they're getting off scot-free. You get only half your money back, Mountain Hardware refunds their share, and Marmot keeps everything.

 

We have a 30-day policy for "returns" - ie someone buys something, takes it home, looks at it again a few days later and decides they don't want it, or it doesn't fit properly, or the colour doesn't quite match their living room drapes, or whatever. But that limit doesn't apply to warranties. In the case of warranty returns, the only time limit is the term of the warranty. In the case of Mountain Hardware, that's lifetime, so Marmot should take the product back and then return it to Mountain Hardware on your behalf. Marmot then gets a credit for the full amount they paid, or a replacement, and the customer gets a credit for the amount they paid, or a replacement. That credit could be in the form of store credit, or cash if need be. We certainly try to "keep the sale" by issuing credits rather than full refunds, but if that simply won't work for the customer, we give them their money back. I'd rather lose a sale than lose a customer. Personally I wouldn't shop at a store that doesn't provide after-sales service with things like repairs and warranties, and I wouldn't expect my customers to, either.

 

So, as I said at the start, your problem here is with Marmot, not Mountain Hardware.

[hobart22]

thanks for the thoughts. makes sense.

 

I just want to make clear the store is Marmot Mountain Works, I don't know their association with Marmot the company.