GEAR: outstanding customer service at REI

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 As avid consumer of outdoor gear I have purchased enough stuff to fill a small house. OK, maybe not but I am getting pretty close.
It was not always kayaks; it used to be mountain bikes, backpacking and dirt motorcycles before that.
I haven't ridden seriously in years, backpacked much less lately but I still acquire light camping gear for my kayaking trips.
When I lived in USA the local REI shop employees thought that I was on their payroll, I was that often at their store. Eventually I took a job at REI, as Master Tech managing one of their bicycle departments. Half my wage would be "reinvested" directly into gear that the shop sold. I would not buy anywhere else as the warranty offered by REI was outstanding.

 I use my gear, some of it a lot. If a manufacturer offers lifetime warranty I have no reservation buying that item. I am confident that REI will honor a possible claim. Gear that I buy is not cheap, often the very best in that category and I believe in buying quality that lasts and offers the security of service when I need it. Cheap big box stores don’t appeal to me as I don’t like replacing failing items just because they are cheap while I have to deal with sub-standard equipment robbing me of my outdoor experience.

 REI sells excellent tents for hot climates under their own label, design and specification. Of course their tents are made in China, just like 99% of the most reputable brands are. I purchased two tents that were light, compact and sturdy, offering ease of pitching and good ventilation.



I used them on many trips and I never felt that they would not stand up to what the weather was throwing at me. They never failed, never broke a pole and never got wet in them. Solid, as I expected. Then one day the seam sealing tape of the fly of one tent started to deteriorate and peel off in chunks. The fabric became a bit sticky and the crumbling seam tape compromised the waterproofness.



I purchased that tent 5 years ago, online.
I was not sure if REI would really stand behind their promise of lifetime warranty since I often I hear manufacturers interpreting “lifetime” as lifetime of the tent. Nowhere is disclosed what that means and how many years that warranty is good for; it’s at the discretion of the manufacturer to establish that, of course after I have a problem with my item.
I contacted REI via email and told them of my problem. The next day (time zone difference) I received a reply that I should take my tent to my local REI store (they have over 130 stores, all in USA tho) or send it in for them to inspect.



When I lived in USA I returned a faulty item to REI and they replaced it there and then without any fuss. This time I was supposed to send my tent to USA; the postage via Australia Post would be worth half of the tent! (shipping from USA via USPS is substantially cheaper)
I asked if detailed images of the tent would be acceptable to REI for assessing my claim. They agreed and I supplied the images. Two days later I received an answer from the Technical Department confirming what I thought: the tent was found to be faulty in material and a refund was organized for me. They were kind enough to understand that sending the tent to them for assessment was not economically feasible and rectified the problem with a refund (they would not send me a new tent as it was purchased in USA and not originally shipped to Australia).
Now, that is what I call customer service!



It is in such a stark contrast with the service that I have received in a similar store here in Australia where the manager of the store belittled me, accusing me of causing the fault when a self inflating mattress delaminated and failed: he said I rolled it up too fast when deflating it (?). Needless to say his ignorance and arrogance ill served Kathmandu’s business and I no longer wish to shop there. After the manager shared his belligerent opinion with me he replaced the faulty mat anyway, so I did not understand his point/view of arguing with the customer anyway. Ego/power trip? Who knows…

REI has always met my expectations, often exceeded. Their gear is solid, maybe not the most trendy or desirable in the outdoor fashionista circles but nevertheless great value for money. And since it’s a co-operative all profits are shared back to its members in a yearly refund of approx. 10% (of purchase) , with a portion donated to environmental/community projects.

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Accessory: Hobkey sea kayak keyring

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What is that on your keyring?
Obviously he doesn't know what a sea kayak is, I thought to myself.



It might be a talking point at a party or maybe a way to make myself not fit-in with the cricket loving fans but I like to remind myself of what makes me happy.
Marin from Hobkey has been following my blog for a while and asked me if I was interested in some samples of his unique sea kayak keyrings.
Turns out that he is one of my peeps from the old country and speaks my mother language: Slovenian. A very accomplished sea kayaker and rower himself (check his profile) he is passionate about this non main stream sport of sea kayaking.
He is the distributor of the sea kayak Hobkey and ships them directly to online customers but also wholesales them to retailers around the world.



The miniature kayak is made of PVC and meticulously reproduces a Fish-form skeg kayak with a keyhole cockpit. It really is a good model that almost looks perfectly like one of my kayaks!
The keyring is secured by a crimped stainless steel cable loop making the attachment rather solid. The little kayak is slightly flexible and will not snap when I try to bend it making the pendant durable. Marin's personal Hobkey is well used with a couple of keys rubbing against it and while the paint is getting a little scuffed it is still holding up well.

Is that a canoe?
I rolled my eyes and politely explained: "Close: it actually is a sea kayak..."
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Naming that boat

There are very few other things that have evoked "personification" more than a sea going vessel.
Throughout history owners of all kind of boats have been naming her (yep, apparently boats are female... alluding at the changing moods? :-) with captivating, suggestive and exotic names.
Not sure if all paddlers share my attachment to a kayak but I feel being part of "her".
Is it the tight confined space that almost wears my body or is it the medium to deliver so much pure enjoyment that personifies an inanimate object made from fibreglass and resin?
Nevertheless I have named all my kayaks even if our "love" was brief at times.
From "Wet Dream" (a name almost R rated) to Kadzait there have been 14 "girls" in my shed...

I think it's more personal to have a name to refer to, instead of the model that the manufacturer gave her (at one stage I had two of the same model).
I like to display the name of my kayak on the bow, just under the seam line.



In the past I have come up with the logo for the name myself; using the imagination and electronic tools I would fashion graphics that would work on a sea kayak.
My designs have been so far monochrome; I would cut the logo out of cast vinyl and apply it to the gel coat.
Self adhesive cast vinyl is used for sign making and I would source mine from a local supplier but "flea Bay" seems to be a good source too.
I would trace the logo over the vinyl and with a very sharp hobby knife I would neatly cut out the desired shape. I limit my designs to be rather simple with few pointy edges and no fine lines. A cut-out vinyl sticker needs to have some body if used on the bow of a sea kayak or peeling of the material will occur.


I used clear vinyl to cover the complex shape of this logo
Recently I have had the urge to spice-up a bit my logos and with the recent purchase of (yet) another kayak I held back for a while. I could design my own logo in full color, maybe even with a drop shadow or something but the quotes I got to print a one-off were rather expensive.
Then I stumbled across Kayak ID, a guy that specializes in making just the very thing I wanted: logos for kayaks in "airbrush" look.
On his website he offers a very simple way to design your own logo in a few different styles.
I asked Bob for a sample and he was happy to supply me one, with exact instructions on how to apply it without messing up.
The decal took a while to make and ship (California based company) but it was delivered in a very protective stiff cardboard envelop to prevent shipping damage.
Cleaned up my kayak as recommended and carefully applied the decal.



I think that these graphics look a lot more professional than my amateur efforts.


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Don't renounce the customer service

As a dedicated sea kayakers I usually seek specialized equipment to purse this highly-technical gear-intensive sport. Such equipment is generally not available from big box stores but is rather sourced from the knowledgeable and educated staff of dedicated paddling shops.
Well established businesses that have been around for a long time owe their success to a number of factors but, in this small tightly-knit community of skilled kayakers, one very important aspect of retail is customer service.
It seems that aggressive advertising can lead to a healthy customer base too since often paddlers are willing to give the "new guy in town" a go.
The initial success however must be backed by a solid customer service or the buyer has the same security of purchasing gear as on eBay.

Photo: Arden
As an avid consumer of outdoor gear I have purchased (way) more than the average share of equipment throughout the years.
I do my shopping locally, if I can (if the desired items are available for a reasonable comparable price), or I shop online to source the exotic equipment that most local retailer have not heard of.
When purchasing online I buy almost exclusively from trusted vendors that offer a serious warranty policy: if it does fail they will replace it, unconditionally.

Wow! Is that true: unconditional guarantee? How can that be possible? How can they stay in business? one might ask...

The concept of an unconditional guarantee was pioneered in USA by LL Bean in 1912.
Unthinkable at the time, he started to offered unconditional warranty replacement on items that he sold in his store. The concept was so progressive that naysayers were convinced he would be bankrupt in very short time.
Well, his retail concept worked and against all odds he became very successful.
Many vendors followed his idea and equally succeeded including now the biggest retailer of outdoor gear in the world: REI.

This policy incites me to have no reservations purchasing from a retailer that genuinely backs its products by a warranty that can be claimed when things fail.
Unfortunately not all items that I purchase are from these vendors since some highly specialized gear is not main stream and is available from only selected retailers that don't have this policy.
I have purchased several items that I wished were sourced from vendors that would back up faulty equipment.

I have noticed a recent increase in dissatisfaction from local and interstate paddlers with the purchase of some British boats. Several high end kayaks have displayed problems in manufacturing ranging from poorly assembled decks, hulls and coamings to problems in the laminate.
I had my share of bubbles in the gel coat where the fibreglass was not laid out carefully in the factory but I repaired those voids myself without inconveniencing the retailer of the kayak or the manufacturer. I did not have to and I could have had it done professionally and billed the retailer.


laminate problem on the keel line
I had also a couple of imported kayaks that had problems with the construction of the laminate and could not be repaired to a satisfactory level. I had to negotiate a deal with the manufacturer and eventually had those kayaks replaced.
I am also aware of the same laminate problem on a kayak in Tasmania and the customer has never had the kayak replaced. He is stuck with a kayak that is faulty.
Several other customers have come forward with faults on their kayaks.
Some problems were rectified by the owners of those kayaks but in too many cases the retailer has simply washed his hands of the problem.
High end sea kayaking retailing is based on repeated custom or word-of-mouth advertising; poor customer service is giving these retailers a bad reputation and is very damaging.
While their business seems to be still thriving now, eventually it will suffer.
They are not dealing with teenagers that assume faulty equipment is just the nature of the product: cheap and with a short lifespan.
Sea kayakers are demographically more mature and value good after sale service; failing them is shortsighted.

photo: Chris Walker

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Shopping online and shipping deals

Some call me gear freak, some call me hopeless shopaholic; I even seem to upset some folks with the latest addition to my kit.
There always seems to be something new, faster, better or lighter.
While I won't deny the accusations I might as well let you know some of my secrets of how I get all that gear.
Some obviously is home made and most of those projects have been documented on this blog.
The gear that is commercially available is generally bought on discount.
Like any savvy sea kayaker that is not overpaid in his/her job I try the most economical way to get the desired items.
Any gear that I am interested in I try to source it from local vendors first.
There are a couple of well stocked shops in my area.
Some of the items I desire may not be available locally or in Australia at all.
The Australian market is considerably smaller than the overseas one and competition here is usually non existent.
Since a lot of goods are not manufactured in Australia (some kayaks and a few other items aside) most merchandise is imported into the country.
Generally there is only one importer for a given product and that by nature leads to an inflated retail price.

Importers and retailers in Australia operate on a larger margin/smaller volume philosophy.
Discount stores of technical outdoor gear are not common in this country.
While some electronic merchandise seems to be on par (if not cheaper) than on overseas markets that does not seem to apply much to hardware for kayaking and outdoor sports.
As a consumer we are forced to pay double, sometimes triple the price of what our paddling friends in USA pay.
I used to work for REI and let me tell you, I got a shock when I moved back to Australia and went gear shopping.
Now, since most items are made in China, I find paying and exorbitant price for inexpensive goods a rip off.
My solution became: shop online.

If doing a price comparison for an item and find it substantially cheaper than if sourced locally, I will not hesitate to buy it online.
Most of my items are usually ordered from trusted large vendors and occasionally I dab on eBay.
Some of my sources (REI, Backcountry.com) even offer a return policy that is just unknown in Australian retail: unconditional satisfaction guarantee.
Since I am an avid consumer of outdoor gear and I tend to use the items that I buy it's just a matter of time that occasionally some gear fails.
I rather pay premium for quality goods that carry a lifetime warranty or I buy brands that have a solid reputation.
But let's go back to shopping online.
Some vendors in USA (they seems to have the best deals) will charge too much for shipping.
Interestingly enough they might ship for cheap or even free within USA but the cost goes up exponentially if shipped to Australia.
The reason being that they use UPS or Fed-Ex as their shipping company since they need confirmation of receipt for the goods shipped (to protect themselves from scammers claiming the goods never arrived).
Some large vendors have restriction for shipping some brands (North Face, Arcteryx, to name just a couple) outside USA and won't ship to Australia (regional market protectionism).
I am fortunate to have a couple of friends in USA that are happy to receive my orders to their home address and then ship forward the goods to me via the Postal Service.
In the end my gear ends up costing me much less than bought (if available) locally.

Some of my buddies have asked me if there was a way for them to do the same.
My friend in USA is not happy to do it commercially (he extends the favor just to me) and unless an agent could be sourced there, the shipping would remain the biggest problem for shopping online in USA.
Just recently I have been given the contact of a possible commercial agent and after some enquires I have finalized a deal.
BonzerImports is an Australian that lives in New York and has a business selling electronic gear.
He is willing to forward ship items addressed to his premises for a flat fee of AU$40.
As a purchaser you would be paying the cost of shipping of goods to his address (often pretty cheap or in some cases free), his handling fee of $40 plus the cost of actual postal shipping that you can calculate (at not inflated prices).
He ships using the US Postal Service.
Shipping costs can be calculated by selecting the desired level on the USPS chart here.
David from BonzerImports suggests to ship via Express Mail International level.
The chart for a 5 lbs. item looks like this.

David suggests to shop for more than one item at the time so you can consolidate your shipping into one package and have only one handling charge of $40.
David can be reached at david@bonzerimports.com
While I have not used his shipping service (I have my friend in Oregon) others that I know have and they assured me that he is honest.
Payment for his service is done directly into his Australian bank account in AU$, and there are no credit card fees for a foreign currency transaction.