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Burton's "48 hour return" warranty is BS

5K views 34 replies 8 participants last post by  boarderaholic 
#1 ·
I will let my sequence of emails speak for themselves...please note the date on each:

Sent 2/11/08:
Hello,
My name is Kyle and I bought some custom bindings back in dec. On my fifth day on the mtn, one of the rachets on a toe strap broke (it looks like the black plastic piece that locks into the ridges of the strap broke). Anyway, I was at a real small place, and the guy in the shop pointed out that it was only the buckle and so he put a non-matching one on so I could finish the day. So I was wondering if I had to send everything in, or if you could just send me a new buckle (I'm a bit worried because I have a trip coming up next week). Thanks for your help.

Kyle


Replied FINALLY on 2/25/08:
Check out this link to find an authorized service center near you… that’s the best way to get whatever replacement parts you need. Burton.com If you look underneath where you enter your zip code you will see the service center link. Or you can try calling local shops to see if they can order the part you need.

If that doesn’t work, try calling our rider service line at the number below to see if you can order from us directly. Please try the other two options first, because whoever you talk to here will probably try and point you in the same direction.

Thanks,

Chris Marzi
Rider Service Representative
(800) 881-3138 Fax (802) 660-3250

(This advice never worked BTW, no place had it, and when I finally did get the part from Burton it took another two weeks because the part was out of stock)

My reply sent tonight:
yeah i sent that about 2 weeks before you responded. my trip has come and gone and i already bought new bindings from Rome to take on my trip because their customer service took care of me when i needed stuff sent out fast, AND when i realized that i needed a conversion disc to be able to use my sweet new bindings on my burton board, because of your 3 hole pattern that is really an attempt at market control.

thx


Ok so my point is obvious here, but let me also say how awsome rome is. i called them two days before i was leaving on a trip and they overnighted me two sets of convert discs (so i could stay color coordinated). i offered to pay for the shipping because it was my bad, but the guy wouldn't have it and said he would take care of it. i f...ing love rome now. ps the targas are sick.
 
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#5 ·
I'm sorry, but I really don't think you're wholly right here. When you send out an email to a huge manufacturer like that, you can't expect immediate reply. I've had that happen to me with big Computer Hardware Manufacturers.
My question is, if this was so urgent... why didnt you just call them? You would have gotten a rep immediately, and would probably have gotten a shipping box at your door, expenses paid, by next day.

Heck, I work at a midsized company, 200-300 people, and deal only with about 20 people max at any given time. If I want something done immediately, I call. Cause there is a good chance, that although it's only 20 people that I communicate with, that I won't get a reply for another day or two.
You can only expect a much greater email delay from a huge corporation's customer service.

Sorry, just my 2 cents.
 
#7 ·
Rome is pretty awesome no doubt, I have had very quick service and response from them on everything. They are a good company to support.
 
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#9 ·
I disagree that you shouldn't expect an immediate/quick reply via email. Burton is a huge company now. They need to boost their customer service resources if they've grown too much to handle the inflow of questions. It's not acceptable just to say they can't get to it. I don't care what kind of company it is, computer, sporting goods, cell phone, whatever.

While I agree that calling has more potential for an immediate response, my experience with Burton customer service has been terrible also. I sent an email a month ago asking a compatibility question between an older r.e.d.(burton owned) helmet with current audex earpads. Just got a response back this week basically telling me to visit a local Burton dealer to answer this question.

I called them as well and when I finally got a rep on the phone, he said he didn't know. So, I'm supposed to accept that a "local Burton dealer" knows more about an older model helmet (which they probably don't even sell anymore) than the actual manufacturer? That's what they want to communicate? Really? You don't know basic details regarding your own products? Ridiculous.
 
#11 ·
I dunno man, I've emailed Rome, thirty two, Prior and Mervin, all have responded within a day. Rome has sent me parts twice, both times they arrived within 48 hours.
 
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#12 · (Edited)
so the guy at the shop fixed your bindings, you were able to ride, but it didnt match? did you pay for the part? did you over tighten your bindings to cause it to break? there are alot of variables i feel you're leaving out to make burton look bad and be part of that BURTON SUCKS bandwagon...... go suck a fat one and ride your 26" wide stance with tight pants.
 
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#17 ·
i would have to agree with the others. If you have an urgent problem calling is the way to go. Its easy for an email to get lost with the probably 500 they get a day considering the amount of stuff they sell. Not saying its right but at least you will get an answer right away.

Anyway rome targas rock :thumbsup:
 
#19 ·
ok look everyone...i didn't think this thread would generate this much ish around here so let me tell you a few things that maybe i should have included before:
1. i did call burton and that's how i eventually got my part. i called about a week after i wrote the email because i was getting worried about my trip. it was then that they told me that part was out of stock and that it would take a few weeks (it still wasn't here when i got back). my big point here was that any other company that ive had to contact has gotten back to me within a business day or so, never two weeks. and i have a problem with a company advertising a 48 hour turn around and "the best warranty in the business" when the small buckle i need is out of stock. i also have a problem with the fact that when i finally did get a response, it was a cookie cutter email telling me to go find the part myself at a dealer, who btw i had already called and had none either ( i live in f...ing southern arizona, how many dealers do you think there are going to be?)
2.i did nothing to provoke the breaking of the buckle. i know how tight to tighten my bindings thank you. (and i don't wear tight pants and my stance is not 26" :) ps if i was on the "burton sucks bandwagon" i probably wouldn't have bought their f...ing bindings OR ride one of their boards...
 
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#20 ·
well you cant blame a company's CS for being out of stock. things happen :dunno:


i know how tight to tighten my bindings thank you. (and i don't wear tight pants and my stance is not 26" :) ps if i was on the "burton sucks bandwagon" i probably wouldn't have bought their f...ing bindings OR ride one of their boards...
:thumbsup::thumbsup:

:laugh:
 
#22 ·
I can't resist, i MUST represent the zumiez' rep.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:;););)

"THEY"RE RUNNING LOW CAUSE BURTON SUCKS AND ALL OF THEIR STRAPS BREAK EVERY DAY CAUSE I TALK TO 2000 PEOPLE THAT ALL RIDE BURTON BINDINGS IN THE PARK ON THE LIFT THEY TELL ME THEY ORDERED BUCKLES 13 WEEKS AGO AND CANT RIDE WITHOUT IT SO THEY LIKE ORDERED <insert brand whoring here> BINDINGS AND ARE LIKE THIS IS THE SHIT F--K BURTON"

and I'm done ;) ;) ;)

[edit]included one too many commas in there.
 
#24 ·
Zumiez hasn't been around. Too bad to hear of the problems but if the tech at your mountain put a buckle on that worked I would have given Burton a little bit of a break. To say that a company that large should email back quickly, well that's a tough one. I personally think they should, especially when they claim to be so dedicated to their customers. When my tool-less adjuster on my 05 Ride SPi's broke I emailed Ride about it and had 2 new ones at my doorstep 4 days later for free even though I was out of warranty. That I would consider exceptional and I may have gotten lucky, they might not even check their email every day. I would have called if it was an emergency (for me it was too but I bought new bindings anyway, can't have too many good pairs of bindings).

On the brighter side of things, atleast you have Rome bindings now :D Next work on getting a board without that selfish little 3 hole mounting system :cheeky4: :laugh:
 
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#25 ·
I am a noob so this more of a question with a statement. First I will say I am not a burton hater, while my board , boots and bindings are not burton alot of my other gear is. The store I bought my stuff at, said there have been alot of problems with burton bindings this year ( they had a drawer full of broken straps and buckles from 08 Cartels). While I was there some guy came in with another set of broken cartel bindings. So is there a problem with Burton bindings breaking? A lot of my friends have burton boards and gear, but none of them have burton bindings. Mine are Ride Beta ULs.
 
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#26 ·
Yeah, my overall experience with Burton bindings (at least the newer models) is that their materials although they look good feel EXTREMELY cheap and not up to riding long without breaking. I currently own a pair of Rome Arsenals (their cheapest binding set) and have also ridden my friends' 08 Cartels and I would not trade him even if he gave me money to. Seriously, the quality Burton has atm in their bindings compared to companies like Rome, Ride, or Option is just disappointing...
 
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#28 ·
who cares, stfu.




anyways, as far as burton stuff being more prone to break, I cant say for sure, but remember how much burton sells. they sell a rediculous amount and so even though the ratio of defects to sale might be the same, burton overselling everyone 10:1 (just for example, not a real figure) would mean that they would have ten times more defects than any other company. thats just based on mass selling...
 
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#29 · (Edited)
it makes a difference because if i wasnt getting such a good deal on burton. i would be riding something different. but for the price i paid it is worth that much, not what they charge in the store.

i'll be honest, i got a board this season and its showing an abnormal amount of wear compared to my 7 or 8 year old ride mountain that i just replaced this year. maybe because its black?? i dont know.
 
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#30 ·
Drake also has wicked CS, the one heel strap insert on my 04 SS broke off so i emailed them, next day they email asking for my address, 3 days later (had to cross border into canada aswell) i got the 05 model heel strap, plus a brand new ratchet and both the ladder strap and other strap... now the 05 and 04 heel straps didnt match lol... so i email and they say no prob, but all we have is 06 heel straps... 3 days later 2 new 06 heel strap and components are at my door, and really no questions asked.

although i was pretty pissed about the bindings breaking (it wasnt that they broke, it was the stupid design of them)... so i bought Targa's when all this was going on, so now i have the 04/06 super sports on my jib board.
 
#31 ·
So...let's keep the name calling to a minimum shall we? And megaladen, it's great you get your stuff proformed, but don't go running around telling the general public...people a) don't care and b) companies aren't all too happy when people go around splattering priviledges like that...

Anywho, carry on!
 
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