DD Tarp, ripped on it's second time out.

[SussexRob]

Batfink, wow, cool blast from the past there!!

Had a reply from the ever helpful Penny over at DD.

Hi Rob:

Thank you for your email and pleased that you're happy with your Frontline hammock, although very sorry to hear about the problem with your Tarp MC. We can assure you that this is neither normal (we have sold very many of our new Tarps MC and this is not something that we've come across before) and obviously certainly not acceptable.

Can you please confirm whether you would like a replacement tarp or a refund? Immediately we hear back from you we will organise whichever would be your preference.

In the meantime please accept our sincere apologies for this problem - and the inconvenience caused.

Kind regards,

Penny

So I have happily accepted a replacement Tarp.

You can't fault the customer service at all.

 

[markie*mark0]

good call, another thumbs up for DD

 

[resnikov]

Mine's a camo from the recent group buy.

Had my camo one from the group buy up this weekend in high winds and was ok but think I might go and give it a once over.

 

[ex member coconino]

I've had a helpful reply from Penny at DD and am sending the tarp back for replacement. Here's the rip:

 

[SussexRob]

Identical to mine mate, only the rip hasn't spread as far. Interestingly Penny didn't mention sending mine back.

Have they changed the way the tabs are attached compared to the standard tarp? It strikes me that there may be a bigger issue here then.

 

[ex member coconino]

Looking at my son's standard tarp it looks the same construction. Perhaps mine being another one with the same fault they want it returned so they can test it, I don't know.

 

[Partickpebbles]

Please you have it sorted, quite and unusual rip I expect! Hope it doesnt force a recall!!

 

[Melonfish]

YAY! yet another reason i'll allways shop at DD

 

[Indoorsout]

It's great to hear positive feedback on customer service, glad things are being sorted out for you guys

 

[SimonM]

Me too...

DD are putting a replacement in the post tomorrow and I'm sending the damaged one back.

Can't fault the customer service at all.

Simon

 

[kINGPIN]

Glad to hear of the good customer service you have received.

Were you using bungees or cord on the corners?

 

[SimonM]

Glad to hear of the good customer service you have received.

Were you using bungees or cord on the corners?

I was using cord...

 

[ex member coconino]

So that's three. Hmm. I'm wondering whether like-for-like replacement is really what I want.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I have to say that the green 3x3 I had was brilliant, the 4x4 is again great and the hammock is very comfy and fits me very well. but if I had experienced that kind of failure I wouldn't want the same item again until the design fault had been fixed.

 

[kINGPIN]

Although its probably a fault you may want to look at using some bungees, especialy in wind. You don't have to use a full bungee, just make a portion of the line elastic so the tarp has a bit of give. This will reduce the stress the tarp has with each gust of wind.

 

[SussexRob]

It's a good point re using bungees, or at least fixing an elastic loop that you then tie the cord too. That is always a good practice to adopt anyway. I'm not sure in this case how much it would have stopped the tear, it would probably have just delayed it. It seems very much to me that the tear was caused by the stitching.

What is interesting is that DD, and many on here have said it is an unusual rip, (and I agree) and here we are now with 3 of us with the same rip. Apart from the camo design, is the material any different to the plain tarp?

 

[MartinB]

Interested to know if the design of the camo tarp is the same as the plain tarp - is there a potential design fault?

 

[ex member coconino]

The design of the camo (Tarp MC) appears identical to the latest version of their standard tarp and the cloth feels about the same. I'd agree that using shock cord would lessen the chances of this sort of damage, but I was surprised that the polyester cloth wasn't some sort of ripstop weave. If I were DD I'd be looking at using ripstop and fitting shock-cord loops as standard, but then I'd also have to look at increasing the price too.

 

[mountainm]

The design of the camo (Tarp MC) appears identical to the latest version of their standard tarp and the cloth feels about the same. I'd agree that using shock cord would lessen the chances of this sort of damage, but I was surprised that the polyester cloth wasn't some sort of ripstop weave. If I were DD I'd be looking at using ripstop and fitting shock-cord loops as standard, but then I'd also have to look at increasing the price too.

Perhaps is more to do with the stiching - the material used for the thread, or the frequency/size of the stitch holes.

 

[ex member coconino]

Perhaps is more to do with the stiching - the material used for the thread, or the frequency/size of the stitch holes.

Indeed, it may well be so. In any case, I'm hoping that DD regard this as field-testing and that the result helps make their product better. DD's response so far has been exemplary.