Warning Adventure 1 in Glasgow be warned when buying Lowas

[w00dsmoke]

I bought on the 29th of Dec 09, Lowa mountain boots widexl from Adventure 1 in Glasgow. It's the only place in the west coast that stocks them.

Anyway I have odd fitting feet and bought the wide xl mountain lowas after trying various combos of insoles with the advice to remove them if neccesary.
I have worn them on one decent walk and a couple of times out n about. I felt a bump in the inside of the left boot sole and on investigation under the insole are 2 hard protusions that look like plastic tacks or nails poking through. The right boot doesn't have this. I can feel them through the insole.

Dont get me wrong these are awesome boots, comfiest I've worn until I felt these. I took them back to ADVENTURE 1 in Glasgow today after calling them. They admit they are faulty and have offered to repair them however I refused to accept this offer on the grounds that these are not fit for purpose and are faulty and I will only accept a replacement or refund. They refused and told me to go to trading standards.

My immediate response was to announce to all in the full shop (9 or 10)what has just happened and it emptied within minutes with customers giving the staff loads of grief on my behalf! pmsl

Can anyone tell me if thet have experienced this in their lowas or have a look under the insole of them to see if they r there? These are up at the toe box where the toes join the foot area.
Any info on your lowas really appreciated. I love them, just want them replaced.
WS

 

[GoatBoy666]

I have been using the lowas mountain boot for a few years.
Infact they have been perfect with all this snow.

Have just checked mine for lumps, bumps etc.

Nothing, smooth as...

Like you say they are great boots.

Hope you gets your refund or exchange.

I for one would never go back to the shop again, and would advise all and sundry to do the same.

HTH goat

 

[oetzi]

Ok, this something we experience very ocassionally in the shop.
The upper of the shoe is pulled around the insole (not the removable insole, but the one which is the fundament of such a shoe) and fixed (=welted) by means of glue, small nails, or those U-shaped tacks(? right word)
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...www.poppers-senco.de/01/MyImages/Staple-C.jpg
This insole of a typical hiking boot is about 7mm thick in the rear and tapers down to 3mm up front.
What you experienced are the tips of these nails, potruding a bit.
This may be because of them being a smidgen too long and working their way to the surface of the insole after a short time. Sometimes we find a pair new in the box which show this, too.

Now one can:
Hammer them back, if its a mere slight bumb
Or send the shoe back in the factory, where they do the same or, after heating the shoe in an oven, pull off the sole and remove/replace the nails.
Its a rare fault, entirely curable, but it happens.


Replacement, refund, repair?
Thats the usual tricky thing.
Technically, its an easily solved problem. All you need for on-spot repair is this and a hammer:
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...Blechbearbeitungswerkzeuge/Durchschlaeger.jpg
and the shoe is as good as any other.
We usually replace the shoe, since the manufacturer refunds us anyway, no matter whether the shoe is new and worn once or we find this fault in the shop while trying them on.

For everything else, means behaviour of customer and shop personnell, oh my. After all, I am behind the counter myself
Lets just say, I think issueing a "Warning" here is inappropriate. And not exchanging the boots is not worth the hassle which followes.

 

[andythecelt]

You're entitled to replacement in the case of faulty goods. A lot of firms try to palm you off with a repair but if you accept this you negate your right to a replacement should the repair be sub-standard or the goods develop further faults.

 

[w00dsmoke]

I agree with you all. Oetzi, how can it be hammered back if it's in the sole of the toe box area? Impossible to do and would this not affect the goretex lining and potentially compromise it's waterproofness?

I think my only course of action is contacting trading standards on Monday.

My point of view is that these were bought new and this fault makes then "not fit for purpose" so why should I spend £140 or so on new boots that need repaired to fulfill their functionality that I bought them for?

Thanks for the explanation though.

WS

 

[tobes01]

Can't remember which bit it is, but the law very specifically deals with faulty shoes: you can allow them to send them away for inspection but specify that they are not to be repaired. If the design is found to be faulty then you can demand a refund even if there is no manufacturing error. Quite shocked that the shop wouldn't exchange them, as said above it won't cost them anything...

 

[pteron]

Did you buy them on your credit card? If so, write to the shop copying the credit card and formally reject the boots, telling them they can pick them up at their convenience. The credit card will refund you.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Paid by debit card. I don't use credit cards my wifes is enough


Ach it's just extra hassle that I don't need. I'm not knocking Lowas in anyway, these things happen but the bloomin shop's attitude is crap.
The bottom line is the boot is faulty, it was sold faulty, it's not fit for purpose and failed quality control measures. I shouldn't have to expect to get them sent off and repaired or hit with a hammer in the back shop, when I bought the boots in good faith as new and fit for purpose.

So please be aware of the managers attitude in ADVENTURE 1 in Glasgow when contemplating buying anything from there. He wouldn't even speak to me face to face but let this very apologetic sales assistant deal with it who was fully on my side and had a pair of boots ready to exchange for me but wasn't allowed to. I even told him it wouldn't cost the shop anything.

It's just a very selfish and couldn't care less attitude esp as I bought the boots to enjoy this wonderful weather.

 

[R3XXY]

The manager probably thought you'd done too much walking in them. Things are bound to go wrong with your walking boots if you walk in them !
But seriously that stinks, you and anyone else here who lives in or around Glesgae should boycott that shop.

 

[belzeebob23]

Hi woodsmoke

Sorry to hear about your problem, I've only ever used Adventure 1 a couple of times for small bits and pieces and found their staff great to speak to. Never had to return anything so don't know how that would go, sounds like the managers chancing his arm here.
Did your try Clearwater to get your boots Im sure they had Lowa boots in stock the last time I was in these guys have done a great job in the past getting me paraboots in my size only being a 5 as soon as they got stock in with small sizes they where on the phone to tell me.
Clearwater Work and Leisure Adventure & Outdoor Pursuits Website
1016 Argyle Street Finnieston Glasgow Glasgow G3 8LX
Tel :0141 564 1146
Give them a try think you'll find their service better
scott

 

[craeg]

May I suggest Woodsmoke if you still get no joy with shop, write and tell Lowa about this store and their lack of customer service. Lowa simply would not want bad press concerning their products. Simples

Good luck Woodsmoke
Craeg

 

[legin]

I think issueing a "Warning" here is inappropriate.

I disagree. Any shop that does not look after its customers should not expect anybody to buy anything from them. The staff admitted there was a fault and refused to offer a replacement or refund. That is unlawful in England and bad business sense anywhere.

Nigel.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I would without doubt write to Lowa, distributor first.

There appear to be two Distributors in the UK.
T.K.C. Outdoor Sales
James Stott
The Old Spitfire Hanger
Manor Park,
The Strand
Steeple Ashton
Wiltshire
lowa at tkcsales.co.uk

and
Aaron Distribution
Philipp Aaron
Black Boot/Military Sales
105 Northgat
Halifax
West Yorkshire HX1 1XF
Tel:01422 380243
enquiries at aarondistribution.co.uk

Checking the Warrenty statement here, it looks like you shouldn't have had the problem that you did with where you bought them.
http://www.lowa.co.uk/faq

Seems to me like a warning is appropriate.

Best of luck!

 

[shogun]

I disagree. Any shop that does not look after its customers should not expect anybody to buy anything from them.

i agree i live near glasgow and was happy too buy from this shop..but if the dont look after there customers i wont be back...atb shogun..

 

[Shewie]

Thanks for the heads-up WS

I'm not in the market for any new boots but it's always good to know about poor service.

 

[rancid badger]

Hang on;

It doesn't look like anyone else is going to try to point this out, so here goes:

R3XXY, your above second statement, "Things are bound to go wrong with your walking boots if you walk in them!" is rubbish! He bought the boots on 29 Dec and only wore them for a single walk and found them to be faulty.
Craeg

I think, that r3xxy, was probably being ironic?

He actually also states:

But seriously that stinks, you and anyone else here who lives in or around Glesgae should boycott that shop.

If I'm mistaken; then apologies for the mix up and more power to your typing fingers

R.B.

 

[oetzi]

I agree with you all. Oetzi, how can it be hammered back if it's in the sole of the toe box area? Impossible to do and would this not affect the goretex lining and potentially compromise it's waterproofness?

WS

Generally, if its in the toebox, it cant, if its a GTX-lined boot, its impossible anyway in DIY.which is why they should have replaced them.
Because one has to send them back into the factory in this case and there is no sense in alienating a customer who has spend money by saying "come back in four weeks and then you have your boots like new".
To clarify:
IF it is on a non-GTX boot and IF the nails dont really potrude but only leave small bumbs, and if they are accessible, then one can do that. It may work and the nails stay where they are suposed to or they come back to the surface.
We never do that, but replace them. As I said before, the manufacturer refunds us anyway in money or a new pair.

[Apart from this, we even take back a boot which has been worn outside from the beginning (we always recommend to spend a couple of days, up to a week, wearing them at home to be sure they fit and only then wax them and wear them outside) and the customer can choose another one (just once and no money back).
But I have also send customers back home when they came with a dirty, stinking boot for reclamation, telling them that we only accept clean products]

On the issue of going public with this incident and dont take this personally:
I have, born from 23 years of experience, come to the conclusion that not every reclamation is rightful "per se". You wouldnt believe what one has to experience at work, sometimes.
And there should always be a chance for the other party to make their own statement, too.
Why dont you write a mail to Lowa, too?
Its info@lowa.de and they should take this serious.

 

[craeg]

Good point RB I have had some dealings with crappy, jumped up little shop managers that have no customer service and so it kind of hit a nerve.

So appologies to r3xxy.

Craeg

 

[w00dsmoke]

Thank's guys for the support and advice. Oetzi your knowledge is astounding.

I emailed the diostributer and Lowa in Germany with a statement of facts and asking them if they can sort this out for me with a replacement. In the meantime I will be contacting trading standards on Monday as the shop has sold me goods "not fit for purpose" and are technically in breach of the law for not replacing them.

The guys in the shop were apologetic and it's not their fault they are being put in that position.
I did try Clearwater first and they said they only sold ex army used lowas (£60 a pair!).

And in fairness, I still stand by what I said, a warning about buying from this shop Adventure 1 is valid, after all, what would you do if this happened to you on anything you bought from there?

I'll let you all know how I get on and thanks again!

WS

 

[screwball]

Mate I was a regular customer of this shop having no problems at all so couldn't test the service levels but if this is there idea of service I will spend my hard earned elsewhere