You guys are gonna love this one...

[haulnazz15]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

A boat cover is intended to be used outside. It should be expected to withstand exposure to the sun just like is is expected to be waterproof and keep the rain out. If it didn't last the guaranteed 5 years then it is defect to me.

Not necessarily true. Many coveres are made to be placed on a boat kept in storage or at least in a covered slip. They're designed to keep out debris and some blowing rain, but not necessarily designed to hold up to the sun everyday and repel hundreds of gallons of rain water each year. Different covers are designed for different uses.

 

[BonairII]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Not necessarily true. Many coveres are made to be placed on a boat kept in storage or at least in a covered slip.

If that's the case, then a "this cover is not designed for prolonged outdoor use" should be clearly written on the box. The manufacturers know darn well that their covers are going to be used outdoors by 98% of their customers.

ANY cover would last 5 years if it was just used a "boat dust cover" inside a garage or storage building.

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Everyone understands we only have one side of the story right? Do we even know what the "failure" of the cover is??

It is very likely that the kid at customer service didn't know how the manufacture's warranty worked and that the manager didn't actually make anything "right", he may simply have processed a manufacture's exchange because that is what should have been done all along.

Also understand when the retailer makes it "right" they are taking the full cost hit of the product. You can't stay in business if you make that choice everytime. At some point the manufacture has to be held responsible.....but you guys expecting the seller to back the product more than the manufacture would are absurd. Yes the retailer can choose to not sell that product if that keeps happening, but the seller cannot demand anything from the manufacture....it doesn't work that way.

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Is 'faulty stitching' the only thing that falls under the so-called "warranty"? If that's true than slapping a giant "5 YEAR WARRANTY" on the box is purposely misleading.

If the manufacturer was honest and placed "It's only $99....so don't expect much" on the box then I would be happy to buy another cover in a year or so.

If they want to play cute with the misleading "warranty".....I'd play cute right back, with a misleading RETURN.

You are basing the warranty off of what some customer service kid says that doesn't actually sell the product and just sits up front and does returns all day???

Its a 6yr warranty now btw.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If that's the case, then a "this cover is not designed for prolonged outdoor use" should be clearly written on the box. The manufacturers know darn well that their covers are going to be used outdoors by 98% of their customers.

ANY cover would last 5 years if it was just used a "boat dust cover" inside a garage or storage building.

Again, different types of covers (materials/thicknesses/coatings) are made for different things. We have no idea what type of cover was purchased other than "cabellas brand". You'd be surprised at the wear that will happen solely due to wind around the stress points like windshield corners and bow rails. The boat may be covered, but not necessarily on all sides. We had an expensive HEAVY canvas mooring cover on our bass boat that was held down with sandbags. Excellent cover, kept out debris, etc, but was absolutely not waterproof. Granted that boat was kept on a lift in a covered dock, but it wouldn't likely last too long in the sun/rain. All I'm getting at is that it's difficult to lay blame on the mfg of the cover when we don't know the cover's true warranty or design constraints. The advertising of the warranty is likely no different than the one you'll find on 90% of other consumer products.

 

[cr2k]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If I advertised and sold this item in a harsh environment say Phoenix, I would make sure the fabric would hold up to the claims. But it would be more than $100.

 

[Hopingforthebest]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

You guys bring up some very good points. Most things don't hold up very well here in phoenix with the summers being so hot. I didn't expect it to last 5 years. I thought if it last 3 years for 70 bucks im ahead considering and interior exposed to the sun would be alot more expensive to replace. Im kind of a cheapskate but my reason usually talks me out of going that route.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I don't know what part of new and perfect that we as consumers we should just stop considering when buy a new product because of this or because of that. When I buy new, it better be perfectly new, and function exactly as advertised, that's what I'm paying for, and anything else is less than what I paid for, making that purchase a bad one. When I buy something, I expect it to do and be exactly as advertised, I mean exactly. What part of that is incorrect? or wrong? What's wrong with getting exactly what you read, see, and pay for? No gray area required, but if your smart, you will buy the best, because anything worth doing, is worth doing right!! When I buy junk (cheap cover is a great example) I wouldn't expect much, but I wouldn't buy a low end cover because it's a important item, it's covering my much more expensive boat. That's a big investment, and the cover would be equally important.
Cabela's did exactly what they should have done.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Everyone understands we only have one side of the story right? Do we even know what the "failure" of the cover is??

It is very likely that the kid at customer service didn't know how the manufacture's warranty worked and that the manager didn't actually make anything "right", he may simply have processed a manufacture's exchange because that is what should have been done all along.

Also understand when the retailer makes it "right" they are taking the full cost hit of the product. You can't stay in business if you make that choice everytime. At some point the manufacture has to be held responsible.....but you guys expecting the seller to back the product more than the manufacture would are absurd. Yes the retailer can choose to not sell that product if that keeps happening, but the seller cannot demand anything from the manufacture....it doesn't work that way.

That's not really the way that this works.

This was a CABELA'S branded item. That means one of two things here. They imported it themselves from overseas and sell it as cheap as possible (which would make them the manufacturer) OR they have a private label deal with another company that is importing these items. If that's the case they have either built in a "Destroy in Field" allowance, have worked out arrangements for warranty returns, or have included that in the "load" for the product.

Retailers don't simply eat the cost of defective product. I currently work for a company that sells to major retailers and believe me, warranty is worked out, it's not simply eaten by the retailer. They won't send the product back to China or wherever it came from either.

If you advertise a 5 year warranty on your product, you should back it up. If it's faded and within normal wear and tear, that's one issue. If the sun or wind blew it apart or destroyed it in such a way that it no longer functions, it should be replaced. That's like claiming a car that's engine quits after 5 months was abused by being actually driven and used. If the product was not used outside of the scope of normal use and per the directions listen on the box, it should last 5 years and is warranted to do so.

Here at my work, if a customer calls and says "I wore out my gloves changing tires", we don't try to claim the tires were dirty and they need to pound sand, we warranty the gloves and send them another pair. Worst case, we credit the customer and suggest a more appropriate solution so that they will be happy. It seems like all business' used to be this way, but our disposable society changed everything.

 

[V153]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Perhaps my earlier post was a lil harsh. Sorry, just that I'm sick'n tired of people bringing me their Chinese crap. Then looking at me like I just backed up over their puppy when I quote em a price to fix or replace it.

Yes, if a product is warranteed for 5yrs it oughta last about 61 months. But what kind of warranty is it, is it 'prorated'? Important to read the small print. A "warranty" is not a "guarantee" btw.

Fwiw FL's a purty tough environment too. Which is why I recommend Sunbrella for tops and boat covers. Stitched with Tenara aka Gore Tex thread.

Yes our disposable society has changed everything, for the worse imo. I have a standard response for people who say, after I give them a quote, well I can get the same thing online for X amount less. I answer, oh so you want a pos one size fits all top? Well hell why didn't ya say so in the first place? Sure I can make you one'a those! But I won't cuz I value my good reputation.

My business partner Beth, who is normally the nicer one of us two, had me in stitches today. (Pun intended.) Rather smarmy dude drove up in his Hummer, had some roached out boat cushions he wanted remade. When he balked at the price, which was quite reasonable, and made a snide remark. Beth said well why don't you go buy a sewing machine, learn how to sew, and do them yourself? But I digress.

Glad they honored the warranty. Good luck with the new one.

 

[JimS123]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

A good boat cover today with a 5 year warranty will cost between $300 - $500. That's from a discount catalog. A custom made cover is more in the $600 range. If I saw a cover for $79 I wouldn't expect it to last more than a couple of months.

Regardless, when buying anything you need to read what the warranty language states. If it says "manufacturer's defects", all that means is that it covers the sewing and grommet placement. A "true" warranty that guarantees fabric that won't rot or fade will state that in the printed language.

$79 won't even buy a few yards of Sunbrella, much less the a whole assembled cover!

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

That's not really the way that this works.

If that's the case they have either built in a "Destroy in Field" allowance, have worked out arrangements for warranty returns, or have included that in the "load" for the product.

Retailers don't simply eat the cost of defective product. I currently work for a company that sells to major retailers and believe me, warranty is worked out, it's not simply eaten by the retailer. They won't send the product back to China or wherever it came from either.

Its not as pretty as it sounds. Like I said, I deal with this everyday. I can see what items are returned and when credit is given. If credit isn't give its subtracted straight off the bottom line......I'm sure it isn't like that everywhere, but to say the retailer isn't losing is absurd.

 

[Davem3]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

So if I buy a '2-year' cover I should consider myself lucky if it lasts 5 months?

I'm with the OP on this one. Misleading advertising has become so commonplace that everybody accepts it as the norm.

'This product is guaranteed for 5 years, provided you don't open the package'

Gimme a break. Cabela's did what they should have done- they stood behind a product that THEY sell to THEIR customers.

My .02

So, and i am with the OP on this one, i should hurry up and REBOX my Cabella's cover now, so i can get the full 6 year warranty on this item???

then why bother covering the boat at all?????

see my point, and sorry, i do not have a garage, so my cover becomes a "dust cover" , and if i did i would not even bother having a cover at that point......... rant over, climbing off my soapbox..........

 

[laserbrn]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Its not as pretty as it sounds. Like I said, I deal with this everyday. I can see what items are returned and when credit is given. If credit isn't give its subtracted straight off the bottom line......I'm sure it isn't like that everywhere, but to say the retailer isn't losing is absurd.

It's not "absurd" as you put it. The retailer is not losing money on this product. If that were the case, they wouldn't be selling them anymore. Warranty ALLOWANCE is worked into the deal at EVERY Cabela's. I can vouch for that because we sell to Cabela's which is this example precisely. We have a 1% warranty allowance with them. When we negotiated our contracted pricing we included a 1% warranty allowance. We give them that whether the product is returned or not. At the end of each quarter they send a report of their sales and we give them a 1% credit. This is amongst other "load" and "coop" credits that we process for various marketing coops (ads running in with our product in local mailers for their stores, etc).

This is how things have been shaped in our disposable society. Retailers USED to carry quality products because they often did have to eat their warranty expenses. But now, in todays world, it simply doesn't work that way. They provide a product at a more "reasonable price" and workout the warranty expense with the vendor. If they are seeing returns above and beyond that 1%, generally it's frowned upon and your product line is likely to removed at the next review.

You shouldn't feel as though the retailer is losing profits because you return a product that claims a 5 year warranty and it fails prematurely or underperforms.. Now, in this disucssion I haven't really read WHAT was wrong with the cover. What is it just worn from the sun or did it rip apart/fail?

The only way Cabela's stops carrying the product is if too high of a percentage of them are returned. They will be forced to find a new vendor, a new product, or use the shelf space for something else. Maybe in a mom & pop retail store it works the way you're stating, but at a big retailer like Cabela's, it's not eating into profits, it's simply reviewed for its performance and it will be replaced if it's poor, promoted and marketed more heavily if it performs well.

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

This is how things have been shaped in our disposable society. Retailers USED to carry quality products because they often did have to eat their warranty expenses. But now, in todays world, it simply doesn't work that way. They provide a product at a more "reasonable price" and workout the warranty expense with the vendor. If they are seeing returns above and beyond that 1%, generally it's frowned upon and your product line is likely to removed at the next review.

I think we are arguing similar points but from a different angle. I am strictily talking about when the retailer returns/exchanges OUTSIDE of the manufactures warranty....or when they "make it right"

I understand how the warranty side works....."making it right" to me means making the exception. Exchanging it under the warranty to me isn't doing anything to "make it right", its just the thing that is supposed to be done on the customers behalf.

 

[V153]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I dunno. IF I had a nice boat the first thing I'd do is make a custom fit Sunbrella cover. I get $45-50 per running foot, mebbe more depending on height'n beam. I've restitched Sunbrella that was 13+ years old'n the material was still servicable.

Okay. Let's say you have a generic 20 foot boat. Instead of buying some foreign made piece of crap to wrap it with. Why not pay your friendly local canvas guy $900 for a custom fit cover that'll last 12-13yrs with basic care. What's that amount to, $75 a year?!

 

[JoLin]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Okay. Let's say you have a generic 20 foot boat. Instead of buying some foreign made piece of crap to wrap it with. Why not pay your friendly local canvas guy $900 for a custom fit cover that'll last 12-13yrs with basic care. What's that amount to, $75 a year?!

Because we all make decisions every day regarding 'cost vs performance'. For the same reason that I don't drive a Rolls, I may not feel I need a cover that lasts a decade or more. The question is one of the longevity and performance that one should expect from a cover that's warranteed for 5 years. If the manufacturer and retailer know that it'll only last a couple of years in normal use, then that large print advertising of 5 years is simply misleading and has no factual basis. It's there merely to attract buyers and sell more covers, also with the knowledge that most buyers won't return it when it fails.

 

[hostage]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I am willing to pay a little bit more to know that I will be satisified. I bought a winter jacket from Kohls for about $75, in less than a year the seams under the armpits started to become unstiched. I returned it and have been buying from LL Bean ever since.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If you advertise a 5 year warranty on your product, you should back it up. If it's faded and within normal wear and tear, that's one issue. If the sun or wind blew it apart or destroyed it in such a way that it no longer functions, it should be replaced. That's like claiming a car that's engine quits after 5 months was abused by being actually driven and used. If the product was not used outside of the scope of normal use and per the directions listen on the box, it should last 5 years and is warranted to do so.

I think that most on here would argue that leaving a boat cover in the Phoenix sun goes beyond normal use, kind of like off-roading with your new car engine.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If he bought it in Pheonix, it is reasonable to assume it would be used in Pheonix. If it is parked out of the sun, it probably doesn't need a cover. If it was bought in Pheonix and the box says 5 year warantee for manufacturers defects, it is reasonable to assume that selection of crap as material is a manufacturers defect. If this were 4 years on a 5 year warantee, I would say there might be some reason to say its failure was due to abuse. Two years out of a five year warantee is poor design, not abuse. In my opinion, poor design is a manufacturing defect. I bought a cheap cover for my boat for less than $50 and after two outdoor unproteced Michigan winters it basicly looks like brand new except for some minor stains. Let me tell you that a Michigan winter can shred a cover pretty quickly.

TerryMSU