We always have to find out the hard way. I will never purchase anything from Wal-Mart that could break. NO returns or exchanges after 30 days. Period. Staples is off the shopping list too. My CyberPower Battery Backup went belly up after a year. I bought the thing because of a 10-YEAR warranty! Staples just shrugged their shoulders and I walked out of that store for the last time. Luckily, the manufacturer took care of me and sent a new battery and all’s right in computerland.
Granted, most companies do stand by their products and repair or replace, no questions asked.The stores present the problem. They make the money from the sale and then turn their back on you when the product they pimped doesn’t work? That’s wrong. If a manufacturer’s defect is the culprit, the store should accept responsibility then deal with the manufacturer themselves- sending us happily on our way with a replacement product or our money back. That’s plain good customer service.
But what if the manufacturers themselves throw up their hands?? I called Burton today. My heated Mighty pants sprang a split in the inseam. Arrgggghhh. Looked down one day and there it was. Here’s what I learned about Burton’s touted W48 warranty program: 1)You have to have an original receipt with the price so make sure if it’s a gift you ask them how much they paid. (Do you know where your clothing receipts are two or three seasons later? Not to mention if you buy a jacket for your son, it goes to his brother and then to your nephew. Where’s the receipt then?); 2) The product has to cost more than $200 or you’re SOL after the first season; 4) If you bought it from Craigslist, eBay, or any other “unauthorized” retailer you’re also SOL and 5) They don’t repair only REPLACE. So if you really loved your jacket or pant and it fit you better than anything you’ve ever worn, too bad. Don’t get attached. They’ll send you whatever they have in stock to replace it with. I don’t want new or different pants. I want the ones I have. To be honest, I didn’t pay for them so I couldn’t get them replaced anyway. But they’re worth a lot to me.
Even if I fixed them myself, I can’t even send them the receipt for reimbursement. “We just don’t do that, ” said the CS agent. Do What? Stand by your gear? Believe in your own products enough to say, that’s one bad apple; we’ll fix it? At this point, it’s not about my personal pants, it’s about a company’s policy.
Bottomline- If you do shop or gift Burton, do so at your own risk.
Built to last. That’s the mantra. You spend $300+ on a jacket or pants, you don’t expect to toss them in a year. Ok, I know that many of you do because it’s too much of a hassle and causes too much stress to get something fixed. My broken pearl strand is going on its fifth year in a box.
But if you knew that a company stood by what they make, you would believe in the company. You would always shop them first. You would trust that it wouldn’t fall apart in a year. A lifetime warranty says our products will last a lifetime. That includes hand-me-downs, resells and give aways. It’s the life of the product, not YOUR lifetime. It shouldn’t matter where you purchase something. The product should be the same quality regardless of where it was purchased. That company put the product into the market. If it’s faulty, they need to own it. I understand normal wear and tear. But a popped snap, busted zipper, unraveling seam, these shouldn’t happen. This economy is too fragile to be purchasing disposable items.

In conclusion, I would like to give a shout out to Obermeyer, High Sierra, and White Sierra for standing by the products they make- no questions asked, no receipts required. And BOO to Burton.

P.S. Super props to Affliction Clothing. I had a broken zipper, sent them a short email with a photo and got this response:

Dear Jill,

Please return the item(s) to us for exchange. Please write on a note to us what you would like in exchange (the same item) including size, model number and color. Please also include your full name and mailing address so we can mail the item back to you and mark it as defective in the note.
Please use this return shipping label to mail the item back to us so you don’t have to pay for the postage.

NOW THAT”S HOW YOU GET IT DONE!!!