Telemark Down (updated:situation corrected)

This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
User avatar
Harris
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:08 pm

Telemark Down (updated:situation corrected)

Post by Harris » Mon Feb 05, 2018 11:03 pm

I'm so torqued I'm shaking right now. My old Garment Gara boots are completely blown, and so I bit the bullet and as a solid replacement ordered size 28 Scott Synergy's from the website "Telemark Down." I knew exactly what I wanted. Never getting a tracking number or anything over a week goes by and then on my apartment doorstep a pair of 28.5 Synergy's show up. I try them on and am swimming in them. Okay... People make mistakes. So I call them up, sounds like someone working from home, tell them the issue and he tells me that Scott doesn't make a 28. Only a 28.5. But what Scott does do is put a stick on footbed pad on the liner to take it down to a 28. Sounds fishy as hell, like someone who sent the wrong product and doesn't want to eat the shipping, but I need these boots.And by the way, there was no pad added to the liner; these were clearly marked 28.5 on both the shell and the liner. So he says he has 27.5. I say, "Okay, what do I have to do?" Well, I have to ship them back at my cost and when he receives the tracking number (ironic in that I never got one) he will ship out my new boots, which he says he definitely has in stock. So I go to UPS, eat $50.00, ship them and then call him up to give him the tracking record number. So almost a couple weeks go by and no boots. Today I call them up, get his brother who "Doesn't know anything but will get back to me." And he does. They don't have 27.5s. But they will credit a Pay Pall account (I paid with credit card), but for another $50.00 less than I paid. So I'm out several weeks and $100.00. Perfect. They did offer to sell me something else. NOT NOW/NOT EVER!

Stay away from these jokers folks. They are a sad-assed, crooked business.

"Larry-
Im sorry but we're out of the 27/27.5 Shell in the SinerGy I will check with Scott to see if there are any more. another boot to consider is the 2018 Crispi XR. A bit more power.

I'll call ScottSports tomorrow. Sorry- Marty said that he didn't have the SInergy in that shell for a bit.
I'll credit you for the boot if either of these options don't work out"
Last edited by Harris on Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
Cannatonic
Posts: 983
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:07 pm

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by Cannatonic » Mon Feb 05, 2018 11:27 pm

that's too bad, Eric has treated me well a couple times including sending Crispi boots back & forth for me to try on and giving me an excellent price. It does seem odd the boots wouldn't be marked 28.0. I think they're correct in that the shell is the same in 28 and 28.5, that's the way Excursions used to work. But the Scott website does list a 28.0 size

https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/prod ... 0791029023

Does the distributor have a pair of 28.0's? Maybe you should try to call them & find out?
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)



User avatar
Harris
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:08 pm

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by Harris » Mon Feb 05, 2018 11:45 pm

Update...

After replying that I was going to spread the word on this, they just added another $60 to my credit card credit. I'll give them that for doing that. But it shouldn't have taken that, and they shouldn't have left me hanging, waiting for a product they told me they had but didn't. Twenty years ago before businesses had the luxury of much tech beyond Microsoft Office spread sheets, I started and used to run a business called Gritstone that manufactured and nationally sold climbing gym handholds, and despite being a one man show, doing everything despite also working full time as an aircraft mechanic for a major, when an order got screwed up I was on it. Further, despite the low tech of the times, and having thousands of some odd thousand holds sold in sets in stock, using my very basic spreadsheets I knew exactly what I had or could produce and ship. And also I dealt with more than a few screwy climbing gyms, customers, suppliers and major shipping companies who could make life difficult. But that is running a business; you man up and immediately make the difficult phone calls, dealing with people honestly and personally. So, having been there, this shouldn't have happened. PERIOD. This situation was as simple as cheese sandwich. What this was was someone not dealing with what was coming down the pike, instead hoping it would just melt away. In fact in the context of the above recalled, I'm getting even more upset.
Last edited by Harris on Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:30 am, edited 2 times in total.



User avatar
Harris
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:08 pm

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by Harris » Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:10 am

Cannatonic wrote:that's too bad, Eric has treated me well a couple times including sending Crispi boots back & forth for me to try on and giving me an excellent price. It does seem odd the boots wouldn't be marked 28.0. I think they're correct in that the shell is the same in 28 and 28.5, that's the way Excursions used to work. But the Scott website does list a 28.0 size

https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/prod ... 0791029023

Does the distributor have a pair of 28.0's? Maybe you should try to call them & find out?
The 28 or 28.5 isn't the major issue. The major issue is that despite being told that the 27.5 was DEFINITELY in stock (I asked over the phone a couple times to be positive because of the 28/28.5 thing) I was left hanging without any reply despite being told that as soon as I gave them the tracking number, and that is THE important point here, which I made sure to do over the phone (talking person to person is a trick I learned from having a business where people would claim to not have received an e-mail), that the boot would be immediately sent out the door. So almost two weeks later I have to call to find out there are no 27.5s in stock and confirm I want a refund? That's bullshit. That isn't how you deal with people. I once ate an order of several thousand dollars cost to my business because despite being a business account holder, UPS utterly effed up and lost/actually destoyed five of my shipped packages to the guy, and I had a customer/building contractor who was so desperate he did Next Day air on COD. And as business when UPS loses your packages they make it hell to make claim on them. Now that is a real problem. But despite being out a tremendous amount of money I was in constant phone contact with the customer, trying to make things right, feeling his pain. I couldn't sleep for days over it. And this situation should've been nothing. So I'm not cutting these guys any slack.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2523
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by fisheater » Tue Feb 06, 2018 9:25 am

Harris,
I buy all my Nordic equipment online. Your story is a bad reflection on Telemark Down. I have been around a few years myself. I have been in business and also am a project manager. I think your next option should be with the credit card company. Conflict resolution ship reimburse you for your losses. You were shipped the wrong product.
As for Telemark Down, this looks unacceptable to an online shopper that has no relationship with this firm. We love our Telemark retailers, there are not many places we can buy our gear. We love the smaller retailers that are managed by skiers, or owned by skiers. We like to deal with people that understand the products they are selling. However, what you experienced falls far short of the level of customer service we expect for purchases at this dollar level.
If they do something to make this right please post. I think it would be difficult at this point to fix the heartburn you have experienced.



User avatar
Lars
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:08 am

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by Lars » Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:24 am

A classic example of a business making their problem the customer's problem.

I do believe a business should have the opportunity to make it right. If they choose not to, well then it's our choice if we continue to tolerate it.



User avatar
Harris
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:08 pm

Re: Telemark Down (don't do it)

Post by Harris » Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:32 pm

Update: Received an email from Telemark Down acknowledging the problem and apologizing for it. That is good enough for me. The content of the email is seen below.


Hi Larry,
Erik passed this along to me, as I dealt with the original order.
First an apology. It took too long to determine that we did not have the size down you requested as a replacement, that Scott was also out of those, and to notify you of the problem. I agree that you should not have to pay any shipping in light of that oversight and will send you a check to cover the cost you incurred if you will send me the amount and a mailing address.
As far as the boot sizing is concerned, then only difference between a Scott 28 and 28.5 is the thickness of ther foot beds (insoles) The insole is just a little thicker in the 28. This is no different than Crispi, although the shell break is the opposite. I believe I dealt with it the way we always do, by installing a shim on the bottom of the foot bed to make it virtually the same as a factory-issued 28.
To be clear, the liners and shells are IDENTICAL between the two sizes. That small foot bed thickness variation is the only difference, so the size 28 you originally ordered would not have been any snugger than the insole-shimmed boot size 28.5 that you received. This fact, I'm sure, can be ascertained on line. The only solution was the 27.5 replacement you requested, which was no longer available. Scott had been out of that size for some time
We deal with thousands of customers each year and strive to both give them great deals and great service. I regret your order was one of the few that fell short of that goal.
I understand your reluctance to do any further business with us, but in the event you have a change of heart please reference this letter for a 25% discount.
Best regards,
Martin Fey



User avatar
Lars
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:08 am

Re: Telemark Down

Post by Lars » Tue Feb 06, 2018 2:38 pm

Much better.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2523
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Telemark Down (updated:situation corrected)

Post by fisheater » Tue Feb 06, 2018 9:40 pm

I'm glad it worked out. I know it was frustrating, but I would think they wouldn't mess you up a second time, and 25% is a good amount of sugar to sweeten a deal. My mom used to tell me not to cut my nose just to spite my face. All I know is being angry, even righteous indignation never made me feel good.
Good luck with your new boots Larry,
Bob



User avatar
Rock_Doc
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2013 5:28 pm
Location: Western Oregon
Occupation: geologist

Re: Telemark Down (updated:situation corrected)

Post by Rock_Doc » Wed Feb 07, 2018 12:02 am

I'm glad to hear that you were taken care of in this situation, annoyance and frustration aside. Sounds like they made a good effort to correct this situation and have offered a reasonable discount for the major inconvenience. I've had good experiences with the Fey Bros. so was disappointed to read about your situation - I'm happy to hear they did what they could for you, as they seem like one of the better options for purchasing tele gear.

cheers,
JT



Post Reply