Bushwalk Australia

A bit over two years old and with only casual use, the upper split from the sole on one of them along about 60mm.

Mantra is the model IIRC.

The distributor said it was wear and tear and go jump regarding any right to expect better.

So if you can afford to burn up $200 shoes, buy Vasque.

That seemed to be common with modern shoes and boot. As if the adhesives used these days have a shorter effective life span than those used in older generation shoes.

Yeah...and obviously the way you've used them was incorrect! Go jump ( I'm sure you would, but you'd lose the sole!).

I used to regularly wear out a pair of wading boots over a 10 day backcountry NZ fly fishing trip, and got tired of being told that whatever brand was not designed for that sort of trip, and that I was hard on footware. Having said that, they did get replaced each time, but I tended to ask for my money back, to try another brand. I think a lot of rugged outdoor gear is designed for using inside!

And, I'd explain to Vasque that you are happy to complain on a forum about them as long as it takes - or they can get their *&%$#! together wi respect to customer service!

A

Yep!

Back in the day the old KT26s would last till they faded away.

This one's a fail under Australian consumer guarantees but I can't be bothered fighting it.

If you don't fight the quality will keep going downhill faster and faster.
When did Vasque send their factory to China?

It's not a question of the location of the factory but a business decision on material and QA.

Yes. Yhe Chinese can do very good manufacturing.

Take them back to the retailer and get them sort it out. Under the Australian Consumer Law, it's your choice as to whether you contact the manufacturer (or distributor) or retailer over warranty issues. If you feel you're not getting anywhere with one, try the other. It's disappointing they haven't been helpful.

Speaking of the Australian Consumer Law, find the relevant bit and start quoting it to them. That usually moves things along.

Repair, replacement or refund
You can ask a business for your preference of a free repair, replacement or refund, but you are not always entitled to one. For example, the consumer guarantees do not apply if you got what you asked for but simply changed your mind, found it cheaper somewhere else, decided you did not like the purchase or had no use for it.

...

If you have a minor problem with a product or service, the business can choose to give you a free repair instead of a replacement or refund. When you have a major problem with a product, you have the right to ask for your choice of a replacement or refund. For a major problem with a service, you can choose to receive compensation for the drop in value below the price paid, or a refund.

I

GPSGuided wrote:It's not a question of the location of the factory but a business decision on material and QA.

Chinese factories can be very, very good, but I've always thought that QC is and has been an issue and where a lot of businesses fall down. Exporting the manufacturing seems to also export the QA

Moondog55 wrote:Chinese factories can be very, very good, but I've always thought that QC is and has been an issue and where a lot of businesses fall down. Exporting the manufacturing seems to also export the QA

QC is an issue whenever the business ignores it for lack of knowledge or for cost cutting. Don't forget that iPhones are all manufactured in China these days. Unfortunately, many Western brands have gone there for the simple reason of cost cutting and the quality shortfall have been a business decision of those involved companies. While others who have kept their QA focus, no such problems present. The situation there is similar to the industrialisation of Japan and Sth Korea of the last half century, its evolving extremely rapidly. With big leaps in aerospace and medical technologies in China, two of the biggest drivers of QA expertise, the flow on effect to the rest of the industry chain has already been felt. You'll need to change your view soon.

GPSGuided wrote:

Moondog55 wrote:Chinese factories can be very, very good, but I've always thought that QC is and has been an issue and where a lot of businesses fall down. Exporting the manufacturing seems to also export the QA

QC is an issue whenever the business ignores it for lack of knowledge or for cost cutting. You'll need to change your view soon.

I've always said to others that when China realises that QC/QA is the most important aspect of manufacturing they will take over but chasing the lowest possible is at the moment detrimental to the countries best interests I feel; shame on most western businesses for always insisting on the lowest possible cost instead of the best possible quality for the price-point of the product to increase profit margins

The size of China manufacturing sector is absolutely massive, no second comparison out there. So there'll always be those factories working for our local $2 shops and those at the upper end. It's really a question of what the inbound business wants, how they pick their OEM factory and the spec they set.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk