Okay this is long, but it is important from a consumer point of view I think.
I’m just going to tell you the story as accurately as I can.
Back in September I won a triathlon and received a $200 gift certificate for a full wetsuit from Xterra. Yeah! The catch was I didn’t need a full wetsuit, but I really wanted a sleeveless. I already a great full and now living in Oklahoma a sleeveless was really best for the few races that were wetsuit legal. Soon after receiving the gift certificate I called Xterra. At first I had trouble getting through. The first day the phone number said it was disconnected. This was the new San Diego number, not the old number. Eventually I got through and spoke to sales and asked about the sleeveless. The person said they would need a copy of the gift certificate and they would confirm with her supervisor. I faxed over the certificate and waited for the call back. Next day, I called again I was informed that they would offer $100 off a sleeveless. At this point, I’m conflicted at best. I can’t complain, it’s a gift certificate, but I seriously have trouble with the logic. I explained/asked to be sure. So if I wanted to buy your high end sleeveless for $350 you’ll give me $100, but if I want to buy your low end full for $240 you’ll give me $200? Yes, that was case. End of conversation. At that point I just put the certificate away. Even with the $100 savings I could get a nice QR suit from my local bike shop for the same price thanks to their discount and be supporting my local shop, buying the same brand as my full, and have the opportunity to try on the suit, etc.
The gift certificate expired the end of November. A few days before it occurred to me I could still use the certificate for a good purpose. My dad (62 years old) had just started tris in 2006. He’d done several du’s and one tri, but didn’t have a wetsuit. He was planning to do Memphis in May in 2007 and wanted a wetsuit for that. Given his location a sleeveless made the most sense as well, but he didn’t really need a high end model. The $189 Ventilator would be fine. So I call to order him a wetsuit. No one answers, so I leave a message. No one calls me back. The next day I call and I’m able to order the wetsuit. We order an ML which according to the size chart puts my dad on the low end of both height and weight. It arrives. I wrap it up and put it under the Christmas tree. Christmas rolls around and my dad opens the box, tries on the wetsuit and it is both too tight and too short. I try it on. I’m 5’9" and 155 pounds. According the size chart I’m on the very low end of height for an ML and way, way below the weight for and ML. It fits me well weight wise, but when I raise my arms it is slightly too short. From their chart I would conclude the suit is a size Small.
I call Xterra to explain the problem. No one answers. Interestingly if you press 3 for customer service it transfer you to customer service. If you press 2 for sales it transfers you to … customer service. I email the person who completed the order originally. And explain the size problem. I receive an email back instructing me to send an email to upgrade@x… and that would provide instructions. I send the email and immediately receive the instructions. They clearly state at the top, please do not ask to return/exchange/upgrade a suit that is more than 14 days old. Whoa! This suit is 30 days old, but it was just opened as a Christmas present a few days ago. Never been wet, only worn for 30 seconds. I email the person back and explain. He replies to send an email to exchange@x… He says this will just be a standard exchange. I do this and immediately receive the same instructions as before with the same 14 day thing. I call. No one answers. I email again and explain and I mention that as I understand it I can exchange this suit for a larger one since this is a standard exchange. I receive no reply. So I send the suit back with my name, phone number, and email on the return information printed from their instructions along with a note explaining the situation. The suit was received by Xterra on January 9th.
On January 31st I call to check on the status. If there was a problem with the exchange I had hoped they would have called. No one answers. I call right back. Someone answers. I explain the situation and ask about the status of the exchange. The person I speak with is not from customer service so they take down all my info and agree to call me back later that day or the next… This was late morning Xterra time. No one calls by noon the next day so I call back. No one answers. I leave a message. I send an email. On the 2nd, still no response from the person I spoke with on the 31st or my phone message from the 1st or my email from the 1st. So, I call and get to the directory and dial up the president of Xterra. I happen to know his name from a post on Slowtwitch awhile back. No one answers. I leave a message. I email the president. That was last Friday. Monday rolls by and I hear nothing. Tuesday I call and email. No one answers. I leave a message, basically asking if anyone is getting this message and could they please call me back. Nothing. Tuesday evening I call my credit card company and file a dispute against the charge. They refund my purchase.
Here it is Thursday afternoon and despite 3 voice mails, 1 phone conversation, and 2 emails to people at Xterra I’ve had no replies. They have their wetsuit. Oh well. I’m out one $200 gift certificate and a bunch of time wasted. Not a big deal.
So what the heck am I missing? Did they just close the doors or do I need a secret password to get to these people?
If someone from Xterra would like to offer up their side of the story, I’m all ears. I’m not trying to gain or lose anything. Just a guy who tried to buy a wetsuit, but in the end, couldn’t.