Go Outdoors Customer service

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 Larefia 19 Jul 2018

Go Outdoors get a lot of bad press on here I acknowledge that is deservedly so in most cases.

However I think in fairness I would relate my recent experience of them.

I purchased a Rab Spark jacket and it turns out shiny old IZAL toilet paper is more durable than Pertex Shield. (Note to prospective buyers don’t expect the fabric to hold up if you wear a rucksack)

Anyway having wrecked the jacket using it for 4 hours wearing a rucksack with it, I raised it with Rab Customer service and was told I had to take it back to the retailer.

So took it back to GO they we really helpful explained that they would be sending it back to Rab for examination. 2 weeks later they replaced the jacket. Fair enough as you would expect.

Now whilst collecting the jacket I mentioned to the customer service person at GO that I really had no use for the jacket as I would simply destroy it again using it as a climbing jacket. He pointed out a ME jacket and allowed me to swop the Rab for the ME with no issues.

Overall very happy with the service from GO and very disappointed in the quality of the Rab jacket.

 Andypeak 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

I've always had brilliant service from them. Once when I ordered online and collected in store the wrong item was sent out by mistake. They offered to pay for my fuel to the shop and discounted a similar (but better)  item in store and let me have that for the price of the one I ordered

 asteclaru 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

It's not necessarily Rab's fault either though. I had a very similar thing happen to a Mammut jacket, which also was made of Pertex Shield. It looks like the fabric is just not up to the job.

 

I've only just recently discovered that there is a Go Outdoors shop 20 minutes walk from where I live and been in for the first time : I was quite impressed, they have loads of stuff in stock, in my opinion a better selection than some Cotswold/Snow and Rock stores (but then again I live in London, so most outdoors shops stock mostly fashion garbage). I also took advantage of their Price Match guarantee and got myself a few Camalots at around £40 each on average (saved £20 over the next cheapest store)

 

LE : Sorry, I'm talking porkies. I've just realised that my Mammut jacket was Pertex Quantum, not Shield. Regardless, it rubbed really badly on the shoulders where the rucksack straps sat so it went back.

Post edited at 16:53
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OP Larefia 19 Jul 2018
In reply to asteclaru:

So "It's not necessarily Rab's fault" Sorry I very much disagree with you any company that makes a "Climbing jacket" out of something as durable a tissue paper that cannot effectively be used for its purpose is very much at fault.

Presumably the models and sponsored climbers pictured wearing this jacket had their kit carried for them, they certainly couldn't have carried anything in a rucksack wearing it. 

The customer service element cannot be faulted though immediate replacement is good service.

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 colinakmc 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

Very helpful information about Pertex products, I will soon be looking for a new shell (poss trousers as well) and would have looked at pertex.

no great surprise about Gooutdoors, though, as long as you’re not looking for deep specialist user knowledge ive found the Coatbridge shop to be actually very good over a lot of years.

 asteclaru 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

Is it not at all possible that your jacket was a dud and that there are Spark jackets out there that don't have this issue? One of my mates has a Spark (no, he really does, I'm not making him up) and he doesn't have this issue, so there is at least one Spark out there that works as it should. 

I doubt that Rab can test every single jacket they make, so it's up to Pertex to make sure that their fabrics' performance is consistent.

I'll give you another example :

I had this (https://postimg.cc/image/thhdd7p69/) happen to my ME Tupilak after about 2 weeks of use. I sent it back and the shop refunded me as ME had no stock in my size.

Does that mean that Goretex Pro is rubbish or that Mountain Equipment doesn't know how to make a waterproof jacket? Of course it doesn't; it only means that I was unlucky enough that my jacket was faulty

I highly suspect this to be the case with your Spark too

 

Post edited at 17:56
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 PaulW 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

seems to me there is a direct tradeoff between light weight and durability. If you choose an item well towards the lightweight end of the spectrum then you should not expect it to withstand circumstances causing extreme wear.

I'm not commenting on whether or not your jacket should have withstood the treatment you gave it or not, if it is as little as you say then that does sound rather quick. However in just the same way a brand new rope can be trashed by rubbing over an edge then perhaps a lightweight shell should easily be worn by a rubbing rucksack strap.

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 Tony Jones 19 Jul 2018
In reply to asteclaru:

Yes, the price match is brilliant. I've  just  bought a set of DMM dragons from Go Outdoors for not much more than I got on eBay for the old friends that they replaced. No complaints  from me, the service is always good.

 DaveHK 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

I had a spark and it was shite too.

 DaveHK 19 Jul 2018
In reply to PaulW:

> perhaps a lightweight shell should easily be worn by a rubbing rucksack strap.

If that's the case then it's not fit for purpose is it?

No one expects the same level of durability from lightweight kit but if it's done after a few uses then there's clearly something wrong either with that individual garment or the general design / fabric.

 

 routrax 19 Jul 2018
In reply to DaveHK:

I had one too, shredded it climbing on the 4/5 wear.

And to make it worse Rab refused to repair it, I expected to pay as it was my fault, but they were not interested. 

It's a great waterproof, just don't let anything apart from rain touch it!

 

 Neil Williams 19 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

I personally quite like them.  Their stock and range is excellent (not just doing high end, high margin stuff like Cotswold tend to), their prices are competitive (particularly with the 15% additional Scout Leader discount), they are down to earth rather than "gear tarts", their staff are helpful (if sometimes a little clueless) etc.  They also seem better at stocking large sizes (13) of boots etc than others.

They knocked spots off our previous local independent (The Outdoor Shop) to the point I refused to use the latter as their service was so poor they deserved to fail, though now the Climbers Shop have moved into their old premises I also use them as they are much better.

Post edited at 21:46
In reply to asteclaru:

> It looks like the fabric is just not up to the job.

An important part of product design an manufacture is that of testing both your candidate materials and finished product. So Rab and Mammut are both to blame if they fail to do this, and their product isn't up to the intended use.

OP Larefia 20 Jul 2018
In reply to asteclaru:

Glad to hear your friends Spark is working for him, from googling it would appear that many Spark jackets are simply not durable. There is a trade off between lightweight and durability I agree however I won't be looking at Rab Pertex jackets again as I think they have made a fundamental error with this jacket.

Pitching lightweight jackets with adverts that show climbers and mountaineers suggesting the jacket can be used as such but not when carrying all your kit in a rucksack and reviews which do not address real life scenarios are simply misleading. My review might read;

I wore this climbing jacket it's great fit and nice material on the walk out carrying my gear the material gave way.

I think we are all agreed that customer service is paramount.  

(That dislike on your coment isn't me)

 asteclaru 20 Jul 2018
In reply to captain paranoia:

I don't disagree with you, but are the Pertex fabrics really not suitable (in which case Rab/Mammut are to blame if they are knowingly using unsuitable fabrics) or is it a case that the OP and I were just unlucky and we both got duds?

Since the Mammut jacket, I've had a Rab Xenon X, a Rab Nimbus and a Rab Altus : all three use the same Pertex Quantum that my Mammut jacket used, but none of them had any issues with being damaged by rucksack straps (before someone declares me a Rab fanboy, all three were ultimately sold on for other reasons)

Unless someone can provide exact figures for the failure rates on Pertex fabrics, we're all just speculating.  

OP Larefia 20 Jul 2018
In reply to PaulW:

Yep I agree its a trade off but it was too much money for a one day's use jacket, may be they should strengthen those areas but I suppose where do you stop before it becomes heavy weight. 

It actually gave way across the bottom of the back panel. Where the rucksack straps run it just wetted out let the water in on the shoulders and this was on first use walking out from a climb

You  live and learn, I won't be going back to that type of jacket anytime soon. 

 asteclaru 20 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

> I think we are all agreed that customer service is paramount.  

> (That dislike on your coment isn't me)

Agreed, anything can fail (my Tupilak got prematurely damaged too and it's supposed to be one of the most durable jackets out there). It's how the brand deals with it that matters.

I don't mind the dislikes, everyone's entitled to their opinion

 

Post edited at 08:57
In reply to asteclaru:

historically i get the feeling that pertex has been very reliable, (i'm thinking classic buffalo and Montane jackets). 

though looking at their website they now do a range of fabrics so i guess that some are better than others.

 nathan79 20 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

I've had a Rab Pertex Shield jacket for 4 or 5 years(can't recall the model). But aside from being a bit sweaty is wearing fine.

The first Pertex thing I ever bought was a Rab windshirt. Bobbled like nothing else and almost put me off anything Pertex but 7 years later it's actually still going strong.

 Donotello 20 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

Unfortunately I don't think advertising imagery can and should ever be used to assume a product is up to that task. They take photos of people on £60 Argos mountain bikes on mountain trails but we all know they are for doing skids in your cul de sac, same with loads of products. I would seek peer review over fancy promo posters. 

Go outdoors is owned by JD Sports so they have to balance selling to punters who'll never leave a pavement and real technicians who need the jacket to last over several seasons of multi pitch E numbers with a rack hanging from their bodies in all sorts of weather, and while their climbing gear is top notch, the clothing they stock can be give or take. 

 Siward 20 Jul 2018
In reply to nathan79:

But "This revised version of our highly successful Spark Jacket is now even lighter, and offers a number of new features which make the Spark Jacket the go-to waterproof for high-intensity activities in harsh, wet environments" says the Rab website.

Yet again, progress is measured by making ever lighter. This trend went too far years ago I think and it's really just a way of creating demand and selling kit. For outdoor kit surely durability is a requirement, not a luxury.

OP Larefia 20 Jul 2018
In reply to Donotello:

I was thinking more along the lines of this type of comment rather than pictures from GO et al.

From The Rab website:

This revised version of our highly successful Spark Jacket is now even lighter, and offers a number of new features which make the Spark Jacket the go-to waterproof for high-intensity activities in harsh, wet environments.

Peer review and experience absolutely agree, I will chalk this one up to experience.

 PPP 21 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

FWIW my Rab Xiom (Pertex Shield+) overtrousers didn't survive long. While they are few years old, I have few pairs of overtrousers (Neoshell and Gore Tex Pro) for winter, so the lightweight pair is only used occasionally for "just in case" situations. Mainly long distance walks or days out with few showers. 


It's the last thing I bought from Rab, they just don't seem to be worth the money. Their sleeping bags seem to be the only thing that are decent quality (and Neutrino Endurance 400 will probably last another 5 years or more), but then there are other brands I'd rather support with my wallet. 

In reply to

I am not sure the manufacturers are entirely to blame. Consumer pressure demands the lightest possible kit. Manufacturers respond to this, making it and then handing it out to the target audience of sponsored athletes who will either use it as a race day only jacket, or have it replaced after 3 uses, understanding its limitations. 

Consumers wishing to emulate their heroes buy it without understanding the limitations and get upset when it doesn't last as long as full weight kit. 

Manufacturers could be more explicit in their descriptions but I doubt this will happen due to the negative effect on sales. 

 

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 nscnick 26 Jul 2018
In reply to Larefia:

Sadly just about all companies are now pandering to their design for appearance marketing directives.  All forget about the practicality of the product when in use, and that the reason we buy the stuff is to use it for the promoted advertised intended purpose!  Silva have designed out useful features of their compasses, Rab produce very few jackets with map pockets, Ford have produced new minibuses that you cannot load gear in through the back door, Altberg produce boots that are intended for south coast towns (their words when I commented on the lack of a toe rand), Primus devised spring loaded unusable wind shields for stoves to replace easy to use versions, Osprey produce rucksacl lid pockets with zips at the bottom instead of top, magnetic catches for hydration valves, the list goes on and on.  It seems that product developers trying to justify their salaries insist on designing out useful features, instead of improving and maintaining functioning product lines.  Most are clearly not real product users.  Something new is devised by an enthusiastic user, put into production and then re-'developed' by people who don't really know what they are used for or how.  Very few improvements are anything other than a retrograde step, and usually costing more in the process.  Too many arty people getting involved in product development!


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