An important part of buying outdoor gear is good after sales care from the retailer. You want to know if something goes wrong or wears out that there is help and the possibility of it being repaired.
In May the seam seal on a jacket I own started to come away. I returned it to the outdoor retailer I got it from (purchased from them in 2017) and within a week it was repaired and returned to me. This outstanding service prompted me to visit Dwights in mid-June about my $400 RAB Arc Jacket which I got off them in September 2021. The seam seal had started to come away and was leaking albeit after 18 months. Expecting outstanding service from Dwights what happened next was such a palaver and unhelpful, that I hope no one else gets to experience.
It was clear early on that Dwights didn't see this as a warranty issue, however I was very clear I would like my jacket professionally repaired if at all possible. A few days later Dwights told me to come and collect the jacket and use tent seam sealer on it. They showed me how to use it, telling me to paint it on the inside and outside of the jacket, even though the seam seal strip was coming away from the jacket.
This didn't sound right so I rang the distributor of RAB, Outfitters, to confirm this. They wouldn't give me a clear answer, but suggested I send it down to their repairer in Christchurch, for them to have a look at the jacket. Quote: "our advice to you like we tell all of our customers is to fill out the service…
