UKH

I am currently undergoing a huge Alps end-to-end challenge.
blog - http://alpsendtoend.blogspot.co.uk/

I have a pair of La Sportiva Mutant shoes size 43.5.
They are very comfortable but falling apart with the excessive use after only nine days.
Could you possibly give me another pair that I could pick up in either Alagna or Valtourneche via a retailer in return for some good publicity on my blog?

In reply to Full moon addict:

Do sponsors routinely check UKC for sponsor requests?

In reply to Full moon addict:

Blimey! that sounds more like blackmail than a request for sponsorship.

Al

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

By 'routinely' i assume you mean 'ever' and the answer is no.

OP is delusional.

In reply to GridNorth:

Sounds more like a reasonable request under the sale of goods act. Apropros another thread on here, guarantee from manufacturer is in addition to statutory rights ....to goods or services that are fit for purpose and remain so for what a reasonable person would reasonably expect is a reasonable length of time. Most of us would expect boots to last more than nine (even big) days out.

In reply to Hyphin:

Yeah, but I think you have to return the shoes to the original seller rather than somewhere else. Otherwise, everyone would shop at Go Outdoors and return stuff to Cotswolds/Tiso/whatever where staff care about customer service.

In reply to Removed User:

Don't want to start a fight but please can we not always pile into people on UKC? I just mention this because I happen to know Full Moon Addict and he's one of the least delusional people you'll ever meet. If it's an unreasonable request I'm sure La Sportiva will ignore it. On the other hand, why not ask?

In reply to PPP:

You are of course entirely right, your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer; though I'm sure under the circumstances either the retailer or the manufacturer could make some sort of arrangement.

In reply to Removed User:

Think you'd be surprised. Most companies are very aware of the power of social media and the opportunities for viral marketing, and the threat of viral "bad press".

In reply to Full moon addict:

Read and enjoyed your blog. I'm a bit in awe of the stamina you have. Day after day of 14 hours plus is well beyond me. I hope your body holds out. Also climbing peaks in the mist and bad weather is a very lonely and at times scary thing. Best of luck for the rest of it.

In reply to SimonCRMC:

If I saw this on UKC as a potential sponsor my first reaction would be 'what a dick'. If however the OP had emailed explaining what he was up to, telling me about his blog and the potential for some good brand exposure I would look at it in a completely different light. The OP might be the nicest most sincere bloke in the world but his approach on this is all wrong.

In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:

I love the way I get a LaSportiva rolling add when I open this thread.

In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:

Given where the guy is, what he's doing, limited communication, knowledge of what sports shops are in next town etc, I'd say he's being resourceful; probably quite a necessary trait given where he is, what he's doing etc.

Would not be surprised if the "not too be named company's" viral marketing team are plotting right now how best to get a new pair to him with as much flash as possible. Thinking "that's the type of person we want associated with our products, rather than some of the moaning faced "dicks" you get on climbing forums."

In reply to Hyphin:

Trying to get in contact with an Italian company via a thread on UK website seems a bit of a bizarrely roundabout way of doing it though. Message in a bottle type stuff. Why not just email or call them?

For the OP's benefit, their email address on the front page of their website is lasportiva@lasportiva.com but they also have their facebook, twitter and instagram feeds there which IS often a good way to quickly get the attention of a company. Why not instagram at them a pic of your broken shoes for example, saying what you said here?

In reply to Full moon addict:

I certainty wouldn't say the 9 days is excessive use, even with your long days.

Hope la sportiva see this

In reply to goose299:


I was thinking this as funnily enough I was researching a new pair of trail shoes last night and was close to settling on the La Sportiva Mutants. I'd be worried that they start falling apart after 9 days, especially since I managed over a 1000 miles of alpine trails in each of my Cascadia 7s, 8s, 9s (10s are a different story - starting to show holes after 300km which is a shame).

In reply to TobyA:
Yip, all the sort of info you'd expect someone that does a bit of gear reviewing to have at their finger tips, also fairly easy to recall, think through, from the comfort of home. (Apologies if your on the sharp end somewhere) OP spending a lot of 14hr days getting cold and wet, limited access to internet and admittedly may not be thinking quite as smartly as under less testing conditions. May also be more of a mountaineer than the commercially astute bloggers with their thinly disguised infomercials.

He is not derogatory about the product or the company, comments on how comfortable the boots are and makes a reasonable request for assistance in getting replacements. Hardly justifies calling him a "dick".

Also gives the company a great opportunity to be "good guys".


PS. I've still got those cams, always sparks interesting conversations reminiscences when I bring them out.
Pps. Blogger/infomercials bit not a dig at you, you always appear upfront about what you're writing about.

In reply to Hyphin: Yep, whoever called him that was being mean, but I just think the chap has more chance of getting some new shoes going more directly. Of course in a perfect world you take them back to where you bought them, but I know the frustration of having something break when you are away on holiday and just need that bit of equipment to work. When you're backpacking or similar as well, you hardly want to carry a broken pair of shoes around with you for weeks on end either, just so you can take them back into the shop when you get home!

And which cams? Confused...

In reply to TobyA:

Yea, bad on a wee holiday, OP is doing an fairly ambitious expedition.

"Bought", well covered the postage on, some old rigid stem cams from you about a year or so ago(think you'd just moved back from Finland?) Always a conversation piece, had them on SPA training earlier this year where they sparked a good discussion on lifespan of gear and considerations in using second hand stuff. Course leader perfectly happy to use them.

In reply to Hyphin:

Oh, yes! Glad to hear the Friends are still in use. The rigid ones seem so mechanically simple, I suspect the course leader was spot on beyond of course the webbing needing to be replaced once in while.