I agree. The Patagonia retail employee's day was probably easier by giving that answer but it's not what the folks in Ventura would say or do. The reputation of a brand is in the hands of their dealers and try as they will to uphold their integrity, it ends up being the decision or utterance of the very last person in the retail chain who sets the tone of warranty support, which may have been a credible component of your original purchase.
My shop sold Patagonia products and WE made every brands' warranty work for our customers, that was why they bought products and brands from us rather than other places or the internet. We did the calling, secured the RA, cleaned, packed, shipped and tracked the process for the customer. It's part of what they paid for when purchasing. We were considered an important dealer by sales and support ethos. We participated in strategic planning and been to the Ventura office several times. I still have garments I bought back then that are useful and in rotation if not key pieces of my outdoor wear although I have an early H2No super light anorak and urban H2No rain jacket that are losing coating and need to be addressed. I will miss them when they go. Summer before last when I travelled back for the store's 50th anniversary party I was delayed in flight connections and landed with barely enough time to drive the last 150 miles to catch dinner at my favorite place over the decades. When crossing the street at a stop sign a car honked and the driver yelled at me, it was our Patagonia outside sales rep from back in the day, 25 years back, in town from Austin for the gathering. We once had an unannounced visit by Peter Metcalf and another guy from Black Diamond who were investigating to see if we were fronting internet diversion, which we weren't. They were surprised by our store, our location and the reputation we had forged with them and the wider industry. Had a great dinner on them after we closed for the day. They were sorry they had to presume the worst then. It was early in the internet sales days and they had a lot of integrity capital to protect. Good companies/brands are hard to find and they are only as good as their products and support. It is tough to keep that quality through the retail ranks, down to the individual who becomes your gatekeeper to support for a product you bought from them or the brand. If you don't feel satisfied by an answer you get from them, don't demand the manager for a better response. Just smile, say thanks, I'll think about it and call the customer service number yourself. I gave a worn out Synchilla 1/4 zip pullover to the local refuge placement organization when I got an unsatisfactory response by the local flagship store who only offered me the "responsible recycling" bin. I was happier with my directed donation of my well worn article and just buying myself a new one. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh On Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 8:02:44 AM UTC-5 captaincon...@gmail.com wrote: > I used to worked for Patagonia for 9 years. They should be replacing that > jacket, not offering a discount on a new one. Their policy is repair, > replace, or refund in no particular order. Riding in the rain your either > going to get wet from perspiration or precipitation, you choose. > > On Friday, February 21, 2025 at 2:26:51 PM UTC-6 Jay Lonner wrote: > >> I have the Endurance separates, which is to say the shell and fleece. >> It’s what I bring bikepacking. I have long arms/torso and have no >> complaints about the fit, although it’s not cut like dedicated cycling >> gear. For daily commuting/utility I have a Shower’s Pass jacket, which is >> no help to the OP because s/he wants to avoid plastics/laminates. Honestly >> the Paramo stuff might not be suitable either, since it’s also made of >> synthetic materials. But it doesn’t rely on typical membranes or PFC-based >> treatments to function, so might be worth consideration. As much as I want >> to like Ventile products I haven’t found them to be breathable enough in >> humid conditions, so depending on locale would steer the OP away from it. >> >> Jay Lonner >> Bellingham, WA >> >> Sent from my Atari 400 >> >> On Feb 21, 2025, at 10:44 AM, John Bokman <jpbc...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Jay, this is interesting. I own a Hilltrek garment. It's the double >> layer Ventile jacket Greenspot. I bought it with the intention of using it >> for my "everything" jacket. However, it is far too heavy to use on the >> bike. It does keep water out, but when saturated it becomes stiff as a >> board and even heavier. It is now my dog walking jacket. the biggest >> disappointment with the jacket, however, is the sleeve length. They are far >> too short for cycling. I carefully measured myself before purchase and even >> communicated with Hilltrek's owner about fitment. Still, the sleeves are >> too short. That's a tough pill to swallow when purchasing from across the >> pond. In sum: excellent fabric and quality of construction. Truly the >> jacket will last as long as I need it to. But fit can be problematic. I >> suggest anyone interested to really dig into the fit before ordering. >> Especially since they're all potentially bespoke at no extra cost (which is >> good because they're already expensive enough!). >> >> >> However, let it be said I also own another Hilltrek product: a gilet >> (vest). It has proven to be really good for me. Great single ventile >> fabric, so lighter, and more flexible when saturated. It does very well as >> a windblock and does quite well as a water deterrent. In fact, while it >> does wet out after time, I much prefer the single ventile fabric. >> >> Paramo: pray tell, which model do you use for biking? I know there are >> multitudes of opinions on Paramo, like everything else. After living in the >> PNW for 30 years, I've come to one conclusion: if it's truly wet, I will >> become wet, regardless. What's important is staying warm and comfortable >> while wet. I believe the inner layers (baselayer, wicking layer, insulating >> layers...) are more important, ultimately, than the "waterproof" layer. >> >> John >> Oregon >> >> On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 2:15:57 PM UTC-8 Jay Lonner wrote: >> >>> A few years ago I bought a Hilltrek Kintail shirt featuring their “extra >>> lightweight” Ventile, thinking that it would be good for 3-season use. >>> Unfortunately I still find the fabric to be too heavy and clammy for my >>> tastes. When I hiked the West Highland Way a few years ago I found that the >>> locals hadn’t heard of Hilltrek and were instead a fan of another UK-based >>> brand called Paramo. (Hilltrek actually carries Paramo at their sister >>> website www.hillgear.scot.) Paramo uses PFAS-free fabrics that can be >>> refreshed with Nikwax products. My wife and I each bought one of their >>> jackets (actually she bought two) and have been very pleased with their >>> performance. There’s an inevitable tradeoff between waterproofness and >>> breathability, and having tried many different clothing brands and wonder >>> fabrics over the decades I’ve found Paramo’s materials and designs to be an >>> excellent match for conditions in the maritime PNW. >>> >>> Jay Lonner >>> Bellingham, WA >>> >>> Sent from my Atari 400 >>> >>> On Feb 18, 2025, at 12:28 PM, Eamon Nordquist <eamonr...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> I just ordered a Hilltre Greenspot ventile jacket. It'll take 6-8 weeks >>> before I get it, but I'm looking forward to a jacket that has a long >>> lifespan and isn't made of plastic. It'll probably get here too late to see >>> how well it works with the wet Seattle winter, but I'm optimistic. >>> >>> >>> Eamon >>> Seattle >>> >>> On Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 3:14:54 PM UTC-8 iwdbu...@gmail.com >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Hey all, >>>> >>>> My Patagonia shell just bit the dust and I'm looking to replace it with >>>> something less plasticy. I recently bought a bespoke waxed cotton coat >>>> that >>>> I love, but it's more suited for urban activities than time in the woods. >>>> >>>> Does anyone have jackets they'd recommend for day rides and S240s? I >>>> know I can't get waterproofness without plastics, and I'm okay with that. >>>> Water resistance is good enough for me. >>>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd1b3b6c-92c0-408b-a0f5-1824c35fb1c8n%40googlegroups.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/dd1b3b6c-92c0-408b-a0f5-1824c35fb1c8n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >> >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3bb3932d-6128-42bb-8e24-3f78481ba46fn%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3bb3932d-6128-42bb-8e24-3f78481ba46fn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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