Kite Companies / Shops and how they honor their warranties

[bryanleighty]

Just wanted to start a thread for people to post their stories about kite shops and companies that have helped out when their products have had issues.

Figure this is what will really seperate shops and kite manufactors apart.

Success and Failure stories appreciated...

Maybe this could be a sticky?

[bryanleighty]

Success Stories:

1. Extreme Kites - helped out immediately when a Kite I purchased from them had a flaw. They called BEST for me and took care of the issue within a day. They also sold me the kites w/ the full manufactor's warranty and I am sure they would have honored this. A few other kite shops I called looking to save a few $$$ would not offer this.

2. BEST Kiteboarding - Mailed me replacement bladders (tho only 1 was damaged) the next day.

3. Ocean Rodeo - Sent me replacement parts for my Session Harness w/o any proof that I had the harness. I just emailed OR and I got a response the items were in the mail in about 48 hours.

Failure Stories:

So far.. zero.

[toby wilson]

Success Stories

1.Skyway Scott: Replaced a deleted post on the forum with 100 new ones on the very same day that the deletion took place.

2.Ebone: Immediately replaced Hello Kitty rainbow nipple tassels for Roy when the suction cups reportedly began to fail due to excessive use. I am told that these will be the next item up for sale in the apparel section of www.epickitesurfing.com.

Failure Stories

No failures to report.

[tomstock]

Failure Stories

My buddy has North kite which has blown all bladders (all of them) in a week. Two friends who bought the same kite at the same time had the same problem.

He was sent replacement bladders which also popped after first ride.

Now obviously this must be a problem with the kite... maybe the stitching is popping the bladders or something strange. He called and wanted a refund or different kite since he JUST bought this kite. Was told they would sell him a different kite at a discount but not refund for the kite or replace with different kite. They also wanted him to pay return shipping over seas and back if they decided it wasnt a warranty issue.

He still has the kite and is going back and forth with them.

He's come to the conclusion that he is just going to take the loss and set it on fire... selling it would mean giving someone else the problem.

I told him to take a crap in it and mail it back to them.

I will never buy a North product.

[/u]

[toby wilson]

I would buy a North before Best.













Just kidding Tom...

[bryanleighty]

i think i see where this is going....


http://www.aintitcool.com/images2006/RockyBalboaPoster.jpg

[tomstock]

Punk.

[E-Bone]

Successes:

DaKine sent me a new fusion harness after a leash ring got ripped out of it by my Double Hello Kitty on the 9m Waroo. No charge aside from shipping it back to them. They worked me with to make sure I got the size and color harness replacement I wanted.

Litewave: Litewave Dave sent me a new board for $40.00 shipping and no other charges after I broke one that was 8 months old or so (really, Captain Ass and Board Blaster broke it).

Slingshot: took one of their first OnePumps back from me after it exploded during my initial inflation of the kite.

www.inflatablefarmanimals.com accepted a defective inflatable sheep that somehow popped...wait a minute, never mind.

Failures:

Nice Bindings. I bought a pair of bindings from them that failed. They replied once with two replacement parts. The bindings immediately failed again soon thereafter for the same problem. Nice then responded with SILENCE. FUK DEM.

Walgreens: asshole manager in one of their Orlando stores actually accused me of shoplifting when I dropped by to leave a piss on my way over to kiteboard St. Augustine. It was priceless, though, when I disclosed my professional background and explained that I could sue Walgreens, as well as him personally, for defaming me with a false shoplifting accusation. What a dumbass that guy was. Still, I hate 'em because the corporate office didn't have the ballz to response to a scathing letter regarding same. Punkz.

[tomstock]

Dakine, after changing sizes from one year to the next, saw my post on kiteforum explaining to another rider that size L was now an XL because dakine changed their sizes. I mentioned that I had to return the harness for a replacement because the L I ordered to replace my old L was too small!

Dakine rep emailed me and asked me for my address. I received a NEW dakine harness in the mail, size XL free of charge. So now I have two new harnesses. Wow!

[Jake]

You make the call: I purchased a 55cm Waroo bar from Extreme Kites on October 23. They shipped me a standard Best 55cm bar. After talking to Daryl and Scott over the phone and e-mailing them pictures of the bar I convinced them what they shipped me was not a Waroo bar. They said that Best must have put that in their shipment of bars by mistake and that was their last Best bar. They did not have any Waroo conversion kits either. So I returned the bar to them. They said that Best would convert the bar and ship it out to me. However, Best did not have any Waroo conversion kits left. So to make it up to me Daryl said that Best would ship me a new 2007 55cm bar. He apologized and said he wouldn't be surprised if I didn't do business with them again and then gave me Best's number so I could deal directly with them. Basically he wrote me off as a customer. I was OK with that as long as I got the bar. However, every time I called Best I was told they were waiting on a shipment of the bars from China and they would be there in another 2 weeks. Now I've been waiting almost 2 months for the bar so I can use it with my new Waroos (I know I can use a standard bar, but I launch and land solo and I need the extended depower capabilities of the bar). Today Best said they would not get the bars in until after January 1. As I didn't make the purchase with Best, my fear is that they will forget about the arrangements with Extreme and I will wind up without a bar and be out $200+.

[toby wilson]

Won't happen. Call Daryl and explain it. He will work with you. Extreme has always done the right thing by me when I have had an issue, question or just needed some information. I doubt Daryl wrote you off as a customer, he probably just assumes that because you guys are in this pickle together, that there actually is nothing in his power to fix the problem and that it reflects poorly in your eyes on his shop and you won't deal with him again. He really gives TOP NOTCH customer service if you give him a chance to and understand the constraints that he may be under as a vendor. My advice is to try and work with him and not to get upset with him, it sounds like this is a backorder issue and all will be taken care of with a little bit of patience and cooperation with the shop... :wink:

[Jake]

I'm a patient guy. I don't blame Extreme. I realize that Extreme and other shops are at the mercy of the manufacturers. And Best is at the mercy of the Chinese like most kite manufacturers.

[Skyway Scott]

This type of situation sounds familiar. Someone posting before they "make the call" to Daryl or another shop, company. Have you made Daryl aware of your "snag" with Best?

We were definitely out of the '06 stuff their for awhile and in a bind. That's probably why he felt Best might get to you before he could and
I am sure Daryl felt bad about sending out the wrong bar and not having one in hand for you. He probably thought you may not get his service in the future because of that snaffu.

I don't work at Extreme anymore (not because I didn't love it) mainly because of family and financial reasons. I received your initial e-mail on this subject and it was confusing to me and Daryl.
Why? Because we had NOTHING but Waroo bars in stock and no "normal" Best bars (intentionally) in stock since the day I got there. Somehow that one slipped in there with Best's shipment to us.

Daryl was sincere in his apology and felt bad that we sent the wrong bar out. I can't remember the specifics after that point and I was gone a week later, anyway.
We sold so many waroos (per week) and bars it would make your head spin. But I do remember this situation b/c it was so odd that we mailed out a non-waroo bar.

While working with Daryl I was only more impressed (than while a customer) with Daryl's commitment to providing the best possible service, prices, and attention to putting people on equipment which he believes is best for them, not just good for his pocket book.
I fthought this was true before I worked there, then after seeing it day in and out for five months, it just became obvious that Daryl takes kiteboarding specific sales and service very seriously.

I am confident Daryl, if notified about the situation directly (as opposed to through me via an email with a link to this thread) would do the "right thing".
I never witnessed anything less from him and Kristin.

[Jake]

No, I have not made Daryl aware of the "snag" with Best. I don't think he could do much about it anyway as the problem is getting the bars out of China. I'll call him anyway and make him aware of the situation.

[tomstock]

If it makes you feel any better, I and a friend are also waiting on an '07 bar. They also told me 1st of the year.

[Skyway Scott]

I would call. How could it hurt? He might have a stockade of bars, who knows. If not, it wouldn't hurt to refresh his memory so that things run smoothly in the future when the bars get here from China.
Your $200 isn't going to just go "poof" if he knows.

It doesn't surprise me that Best ran out of the bars. The first time I saw the bar I thought "that bar is going to sell about a gazillion or sumtin!"
I love mine. I hook it up to both my 15 and 12m hybrids (non-waroo).
It would work great on a C kite too. (I know, what's a C kite?)

[toby wilson]

You're pushing it now Scott...C kites rock!!! :lol:

[tomstock]

C kites are for old farts

[Skyway Scott]

:shock:

[shogun1204]

Yeah C kites are awesome. They are like 1982 Ford Mustangs. Who the heck would want to fly a 2007 Porche (Aka Bow Kite) When you can ride around in your pimp daddy 1982 Ford Mustang (Aka C kite). LMAO!!!!!! :twisted:

[Skyway Scott]

Jake, I just got a 55 cm '07 Waroo bar off of Daryl for Donna's kites.

[toby wilson]

Ya'll can kiss my behind! You'll be working while I'm riding tomorrow so THERE!!!! I just got a special shift change for tomorrow and next Friday from my regular 11AM to 8PM hours to the sweet hours of 6PM to 2AM!!! Working the graveyard shift baby!!!

C kites rock, the bows will be all wrapped up in your garages tomorrow while the C's are flying!!! :P :lol:

[inferno]

Ya'll can kiss my behind! You'll be working while I'm riding tomorrow so THERE!!!! I just got a special shift change for tomorrow and next Friday from my regular 11AM to 8PM hours to the sweet hours of 6PM to 2AM!!! Working the graveyard shift baby!!!
:lol:

so whos up for a NP at lassing :lol:

[tomstock]

you still ride?

You were bumped from the DP list!

[inferno]

you still ride?

You were bumped from the DP list!
ouch!!!!!
who took over????

[BigR]

whoever makes the effort

[toby wilson]

I will be at Lassing with Roy and Paul around 10pm...

[tomstock]

I would call. How could it hurt? He might have a stockade of bars, who knows. If not, it wouldn't hurt to refresh his memory so that things run smoothly in the future when the bars get here from China.
Your $200 isn't going to just go "poof" if he knows.

It doesn't surprise me that Best ran out of the bars. The first time I saw the bar I thought "that bar is going to sell about a gazillion or sumtin!"
I love mine. I hook it up to both my 15 and 12m hybrids (non-waroo).
It would work great on a C kite too. (I know, what's a C kite?)

Jake, knowing Daryl has a huge following of loyal customers for a reason. I think he probably sells a ton more best kites than Best themselves. I think he may have just gotten a shipment of 07 bars so you should give him a call and explain the situation.

I am going to call him today myself and order one of those bars.

[Jake]

I talked with Daryl yesterday morning. At that time the bars were not in. He called me back yesterday afternoon and left me a message. I returned his call this morning and he gave me some GREAT NEWS!!! He received a shipment of bars shortly after I talked with him and shipped one out yesterday so I should receive it today. He certainly did right by me!!!