About to test that TAD Gear warranty - UPDATE

[glock24]

I bought my Stealth Hoodie exactly two years ago. And while I'd like to think of myself as <span style="font-style: italic">extreme tactical</span> in every way possible, I think the hardest use this hoodie has faced in the past 24 months is being hung crookedly on the coat rack in the office.

For some reason, the threading around my zipper is coming undone. It seemed to happen overnight. This in turn is tangling in the teeth, not allowing the zipper to work properly.

Below is TAD Gear's warranty, and below is the current condition of my hoodie zipper. Do you think I have a shot at some help, or is this considered normal?


<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Warranty and Repair</span></span>

<span style="color: #3366FF">Does your item qualify? We evaluate each item based primarily on the following 2 questions. If you answer yes to both, your item most likely qualifies.

1. Is this a true defect? A true manufacturing defect, whether derived from failure of material, design, or construction, will usually manifest itself quite quickly, and can almost always be detected within the first 6 month of use.

2. Is the item still within its expected lifetime? The lifetime of most apparel and accessories is 2-3 years, but is also dependent on individual use. Our policy does not cover normal wear and tear.

We're always happy to help, but before you send in your item please review our warranty policy and use your best judgment. Over time, all gear is subject to some degree of fading or tearing, piling or snagging, or zippers that no longer catch. These aren’t defects. The reality is that at a certain point even your most rugged, dependable pieces will someday need to be replaced. </span>

 

[jbell]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

That sucks, but hopefully they will takecare if you. For the price point the warranty kinda sucks. If you end up having to replace the jacket you may want to check out Outdoor Research. They have some of the best hard use clothing in the industry, and an even better warranty. I coppied their warranty here:


"Infinite Guarantee


Here at Outdoor Research, we are committed to developing truly functional solutions for Human Powered Adventure.

OR products are Designed By Adventure™ and from this, we deliver the hallmark of all Outdoor Research products – functional gear that works and lasts. By placing quality and function first, we can offer the finest guarantee in the industry for each and every product – OR’s Infinite Guarantee™.

We believe so strongly in the quality of what we make that if, at anytime, our product fails to meet your needs, we are happy to exchange or return it. Because of this solid belief, our products are guaranteed forever and are designed with this in mind. Your total satisfaction in our product is our goal.

Though we doubt you’ll ever need to, if you ever have to use our Infinite Guarantee, see the Returns and Exchanges section above."

I was unsure about a jacket they sell so I called them and when I got off the phone I was sold. The rep at OR told me even if the fit was not good I could return it and get the correct size, no matter how long I had the jacket. So a damaged product is a no brainer, pretty cool!

 

[Brett_B]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

I don't see why not, they have always had good customer service. I had a Merino half zip with an issue. After wearing it a few time the zipper began to eat itself and wouldn't zip all the way up. They sent me a new one without any questions and even gave me a free 2nd day shipping upgrade since I needed it for a trip.

Hopefully they take care of you just as well.

 

[Coloradocop]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jbell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That sucks, but hopefully they will takecare if you. For the price point the warranty kinda sucks. If you end up having to replace the jacket you may want to check out Outdoor Research. They have some of the best hard use clothing in the industry, and an even better warranty. I coppied their warranty here:


"Infinite Guarantee


Here at Outdoor Research, we are committed to developing truly functional solutions for Human Powered Adventure.

OR products are Designed By Adventure™ and from this, we deliver the hallmark of all Outdoor Research products – functional gear that works and lasts. By placing quality and function first, we can offer the finest guarantee in the industry for each and every product – OR’s Infinite Guarantee™.

We believe so strongly in the quality of what we make that if, at anytime, our product fails to meet your needs, we are happy to exchange or return it. Because of this solid belief, our products are guaranteed forever and are designed with this in mind. Your total satisfaction in our product is our goal.

Though we doubt you’ll ever need to, if you ever have to use our Infinite Guarantee, see the Returns and Exchanges section above."

I was unsure about a jacket they sell so I called them and when I got off the phone I was sold. The rep at OR told me even if the fit was not good I could return it and get the correct size, no matter how long I had the jacket. So a damaged product is a no brainer, pretty cool! </div></div>

Yeah, OR definitely covers their stuff fully, as do many of the large specialized outdoor/mountaineering companies. I've used warranties through Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia as well, and can also recommend those companies based on those experiences.

 

[tylerw02]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

I had a TAD gear jacket that had a messed up zipper. I tried to get them to fix it and they wouldn't. They said they didn't do service to "older" models, though it was a current model that had simply been updated. I explained I would be willing to pay for the service even.

I was disappointed. I was hoping to get it fixed to sell it to replace it with a smaller size. Instead I sold it cheaply as was.

 

[Minarix]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

i would think so, it looks like poor quality to me, if they refuse get a different brand, idk how many jackets i've had to get rid of because the fabric started to lay-over the zipper teeth.

 

[Sawyer]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

Well... I hope it works out for you. I also didnt have a great experience with them. And IMO they can suck it!

Back in the early days I stopped by their store and purchased a few things. One being a knife they had partnered with zero tolerance on. After owning the knife for a while I noticed a significant chip in the blade. So, I stopped by the store one day to ask advice about weather I should send it in to Zero Tolerance, take my Lansky sharpening kit to it or what.... I wasnt looking for warranty or anything. I accept that something will happen to my blades. The employee working at the time looked over it and could tell that it had not been abused and there were no visible explanations for what had happened. He asked my for my contact information and said he would look into it and get back to me. 3-4 weeks go by and nothing. So, I stop by the store again. This time, when I ask if he was able to talk with Zero Tolerance, he proceeded to chew me out about how busy he was, how they were having issues, etc.then proceeded to tell me to deal with it on my own.

Now, if he had apologized for not getting back to me as promised and just explained that they were having some issues and there was nothing they could do... I probably would have been ok with it. But the attitude that was thrown combined with manner in which they choose to sell products on a limited run in a buying frenzy that clearly the website cannot handle... well, I cut my losses. I have gotten rid of everything and found better suppliers and companies that believe in customer service.

So, I hope it works out for you. And be sure to report back how things went. Good or bad, people need to know what the money they spend means when customer service counts...

 

[MEL07]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

Fwiw, I had a TAD hard shell, beat the crap out of it, and one of the hood cords broke. Sent it back in to TAD and they fixed it for free. I just had to pay shipping. Then, about a year after that, there were reports of QC issues with the jacket. So they contacted me, and replaced the jacket with a newer model for free. Which I thought was pretty cool. I still have that hard shell, and also now have the ranger hoodie. So far, I've been very satisfied with the quality of their products, and their service.

Good luck.

 

[glock24]

Re: About to test that TAD Gear warranty

I gotta admit, after reading TAD Gear's warranty I was skeptical. However, I received my 100% repaired hoodie back today. They took care of me, and did a great job.

Thank you TAD Gear