Problems with warranty relating to Lowa boots?

Hey all

Just wondering if anyone else on the forum have experienced the warranty process when it comes to Lowa boots?

So long story short, bought a pair of Lowa z8s for the roar this year. 3 days into the trip the toe rand starts peeling away. At the conclusion of the 8 day trip the monowrap on the left boot is separating at two different points, whilst the right boot is fine.

Returned them for warranty and beatie matheson (the Lowa distributor) said it's not covered because the leather dried out, causing it to shrink and therefore causing the separation. Hard to believe to be honest.

Called them today directly and they just refused to make any comments and said any questions are to be directed at the store. They didn't bother asking me any questions regarding the boot either.

Any comments from people with similar experiences?

fair go. consumer guaranty act?
piss pour customer service ever way

Ive had my Lowa Z's for 3 years no issues at all. Sounds to me like a manufacturing Quality control issue which like you I would be wanting a replacement boot!!

I know that the guys in my local sports shop do have issues with getting Lowa and Miendl to come to the party when trying to claim warranty issues. I had a personal exp with Miendl (nz distributor)and they were Farkin useless!!

leather drying out!!!!!! did you put by fire???? you got a receipt??? the date on that if youve bought new for roar wont be more than 2-3 mths old......NOTHING should dry out that fast. go back to them and keep pushing.

Good old fair trading act. If you can hand on heart say you’ve not put in front of a fire or other deadly sins then the boots are clearly not fit for purpose

I’d talk to your retailer and speak to the manager, not staff and insist they explain what they’re going to do under the fair trading act

Take notes. Let them see you taking notes.

Have a witness

Calm and quiet.

Insist on outcomes/ actions

I had the rand split at heel and toe on a pair of rangers after 6 months of pretty casual use once or twice a week. The splits we're small like the rubber had shrunk and pulled apart. Retailer useless went directly to the importer and copied emails and photos to lowa. Story was heat had affected the rand, it was summer and they had never been near a fire barely even gotton wet the splits dont matter was the reply. But germany did offer a credit note of $50 on a new pair for my time in reporting it.
Bought gronels before and since and never had an issue, one pair lasting 5 years before the leather died.

Had bad experience trying to claim warranty on boots, the store came to the party for me.
I know that lowa did have problems with those z8s separating at the sole, mate got a sponsored a pair and that happened, they were quickly replaced.
I think you defiantly have a case with consumers act - that’s if you can be fucked wth it.
If not rubbish the hell out of them on social medial and buy yourself a pair of haix, best boot I’ve owned that’s for sure


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have a link there please @Smiddy

They can be a bit slow to deal with. But the few pairs of boots I have sent to BM have been replaced even a pair that had really been thrashed.

Ask Lowa themselves instead of the local agents

What @SiB said, and may be have your witness record on video, then if no action, take it straight to Fairgo.

soooooooooooooo many stories out there like this with that brand.

I bought a pair of imported Tibets of FB.
The TPU sole went on them after 2hrs hunting on a paddock.
Long story short, importer has covered the cost of resoling them. Lowa aren't interested, and I didn't want to start breaking in a new pair.
So importer is covering the repairs. He's a good honest guy. He said its not the first pair that have gone crap.

The importer as in beattie matheson?

Just got an email from them saying that even though the initial assessment has been made the final outcome is still to be decided on.

I emailed them directly expressing my disappointment with their initial assessment.

It seems like some back paddling, they told the store to ask me what I want done with the boots before I emailed them. I m skeptical. Will post up the result when they reply

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Smiddy

Had bad experience trying to claim warranty on boots, the store came to the party for me.
I know that lowa did have problems with those z8s separating at the sole, mate got a sponsored a pair and that happened, they were quickly replaced.
I think you defiantly have a case with consumers act - that’s if you can be fucked wth it.
If not rubbish the hell out of them on social medial and buy yourself a pair of haix, best boot I’ve owned that’s for sure


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Had the exact same problem with my Lowas. Rangers fucked to shit with rand falling off, never used in the bush. Renegade sole separating after 6 months. Now the rand on my Tibets are starting to crack. Hopefully, armour all will fix it. My HAIX P6 boot, that I bought in 2011, are still going bloody strong. Should've just gone Haix again.

I had a similar experience with another brand - red setters. A good Canadian brand. I discovered that boots have a use-by date of about two years from manufacture. If they sit on the shelf that long unused they go off. The leathers and rubber hardens. Things tear because they can't stretch any longer. Shops know this but sell the boot anyway. And because the boot is out of date the importer can refuse warranty. That was what I learned.

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Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

I had a similar experience with another brand - red setters. A good Canadian brand. I discovered that boots have a use-by date of about two years from manufacture. If they sit on the shelf that long unused they go off. The leathers and rubber hardens. Things tear because they can't stretch any longer. Shops know this but sell the boot anyway. And because the boot is out of date the importer can refuse warranty. That was what I learned.

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The warranty is from the day sold, not date of manufacture, it could take up to six months for a product to reach the seller, who ever sold you that tale was one hell of a salesman

Lowa angst is not uncommon. Some people are of course happy with theirs, but for an expensive boot there are many tails of wow and there seems to be a lack of support for the product here in NZ. Personally I would never touch a pair.

when u buy something through a retailer (store). It is the store you only have to deal with, not the distributor. That is the stores responsibility.
If something fails. Under the CGA, it is the store that has to put it right. they can then have the shit fight with the distributor.
Always keep the receipt. even take photos of it as the receipt paper & ink always fades over age. and some paper fades faster that others.
i have heard of some shops purposely buying the receipt paper/ink that fades fast.
You can also use for CC statement from the bank to help back you up if you have lost the paperwork.
Record who you speak to each time u talk to them. also the date and time.

remember, u dont have to accept store credit either if being paid out. In fact, it they offer u store credit, ask for at least another 50% on top of it. if they want your business, you'll get it. AND they will still be making money off you.
otherwise take the cash and run

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Originally Posted by Scooby

when u buy something through a retailer (store). It is the store you only have to deal with, not the distributor. That is the stores responsibility.
If something fails. Under the CGA, it is the store that has to put it right. they can then have the shit fight with the distributor.
Always keep the receipt. even take photos of it as the receipt paper & ink always fades over age. and some paper fades faster that others.
i have heard of some shops purposely buying the receipt paper/ink that fades fast.
You can also use for CC statement from the bank to help back you up if you have lost the paperwork.
Record who you speak to each time u talk to them. also the date and time.

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You mention "receipts"
Have you or anyone else noticed in recent times - often the retailer will ask "do you want your receipt" - while they are actually holding it out from the Eftpos machine ???
Your comment above sparked me into wondering - is there a reason for this change of pattern ??

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Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

I had a similar experience with another brand - red setters. A good Canadian brand. I discovered that boots have a use-by date of about two years from manufacture. If they sit on the shelf that long unused they go off. The leathers and rubber hardens. Things tear because they can't stretch any longer. Shops know this but sell the boot anyway. And because the boot is out of date the importer can refuse warranty. That was what I learned.

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Use by date did they still taste ok

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Originally Posted by northdude

Use by date did they still taste ok

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Let me tell you something about these "modern" boots
Yes - they do have a "use-by" date

With the tread peeling off problem
Mostly is to do with age-lack of use and/or storage in humid atmosphere

So if a boot is manufactured in say 2103 and sold new in a shop in 2019 - AND - it came from a humid storage - its a ticking time bomb for the peel off tread
There is a material/compound (maybe the scientist on here can give a more accurate description) between the Vibram tread and the inner sole your foot is on
Its a PU material - Polyurethane foam type product that deteriorates over time - sped up by the above scenarios

This is what it looks like when it starts to happen - I liken it to dry crumbly cottage cheese like texture - but black not white

PS
This is a guy that @JoshC recommended some time ago and he resoled the following and a few others I sold to chaps that failed

Hamish Murie
Bennetts Shoe Service
169 Tay Street
Invercargill
0274904748

Send them away to him with a pre-paid return Post Bag and leave the rest to him
Include an email address and he will bill you when completed


Attachment 111479

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarvo

Let me tell you something about these "modern" boots
Yes - they do have a "use-by" date

With the tread peeling off problem
Mostly is to do with age-lack of use and/or storage in humid atmosphere

So if a boot is manufactured in say 2103 and sold new in a shop in 2019 - AND - it came from a humid storage - its a ticking time bomb for the peel off tread
There is a material/compound (maybe the scientist on here can give a more accurate description) between the Vibram tread and the inner sole your foot is on
Its a PU material - Polyurethane foam type product that deteriorates over time - sped up by the above scenarios

This is what it looks like when it starts to happen - I liken it to dry crumbly cottage cheese like texture - but black not white

PS
This is a guy that @JoshC recommended some time ago and he resoled the following and a few others I sold to chaps that failed

Hamish Murie
Bennetts Shoe Service
169 Tay Street
Invercargill
0274904748

Send them away to him with a pre-paid return Post Bag and leave the rest to him
Include an email address and he will bill you when completed


Attachment 111479

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Yep , worth noting that this is not brand specific, any pu soles can do this I believe.

I had the rand on my Meindls fall apart after a short period of time where the NZ agent said that’s normal & wouldn’t help

I emailed Mendl HQ who in turn emailed the NZ rep & my boots were replaced!

Pays to go to the top!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarvo

You mention "receipts"
Have you or anyone else noticed in recent times - often the retailer will ask "do you want your receipt" - while they are actually holding it out from the Eftpos machine ???
Your comment above sparked me into wondering - is there a reason for this change of pattern ??

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Because a lot of the time people dont want another bit of paper that they will just throw out . I put the receipt in the box or bag with higher end stuff .
But all shop staff will pick discarded / not taken receipts off the counters often.

I'm getting the jitters now as I am looking at getting a new pair of boots and was going to go for the Lowra Tibets but am worried now :huh:

If - you guys are interested
I will post pics of Boot soles/treads
You will not see the brand (may recognize from prior experience) so as to not be bias or look bias
I have a good (and not so good) experience in these "top end" boots now and can show from my observations the soles that appear to be best for lasting/wearing and not peeling off

Hit the like if you want and will see if many interested

As Savage says above
"this is not brand specific, any PU soles can do this"
Correct - but there does seem to be a pattern or particular design that is more prone

while I tend to keep receipts on more important items, something I have meant to do more often is take a photocopy, or I suppose nowadays a pic from your phone of the receipt somewhere as long as you save it.
I have seen ink on a carefully stored receipt fade so much after 12 months it was almost useless hence the photocopy.

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Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

I'm getting the jitters now as I am looking at getting a new pair of boots and was going to go for the Lowra Tibets but am worried now :huh:

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A lot better options available!

Following are photos of "used" boot soles (treads)
These boots are ex street boots and most had never seen dirt - only snow
Hence they look in "as new" condition.

First up Pictures are soles from boots I have witnessed as been more likely to peel
Second lot - been no issues (sure there is still exceptions)

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Honestly dont know why so many people rave about Lowa boots, so many stories about them being crap, my own experience with them also (Tibets, rand fell off both of them and whole sole started coming away on first hunt)
They seem very hit and miss to me.

I think Lowas are good when they re good. They re really comfortable and I don't get blisters in them.
But yeah, you can get unlucky and get a bad pair that dies quickly.
I m just pissed because I bought them in country because I wanted to have less hassle when and if it came to a warranty claim.... But the importer has disappointed.

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Honestly dont know why so many people rave about Lowa boots, so many stories about them being crap, my own experience with them also (Tibets, rand fell off both of them and whole sole started coming away on first hunt)
They seem very hit and miss to me.

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As said above - its not just the Tibet's - but they do seem to be the worst offender - maybe because they are the most common out there ??
My exp shows the worst in order of worst are

Lowa
Hanwag
Scarpa
Meindl

But I am sure Lowa are the most prevalent boot out there

So this saga is finally coming to an end. Beattie Matheson is replacing the boots. Which they should be under warranty.
I think this warranty experience could have been better, especially when you can get the same boots landed for 250nzd from eBay.
I guess this thread can just be a FYI to anyone who experiences this in the future. Just stand your ground when you believe you have a legitimate claim.

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Originally Posted by scottrods

I bought a pair of imported Tibets of FB.
The TPU sole went on them after 2hrs hunting on a paddock.
Long story short, importer has covered the cost of resoling them. Lowa aren't interested, and I didn't want to start breaking in a new pair.
So importer is covering the repairs. He's a good honest guy. He said its not the first pair that have gone crap.

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No, guy off FB https://www.facebook.com/europeanboots/

Seems to be a common problem ,got issued a pair of SteelBlue work boots recently and in the box was some guff on boot care where it stated that the glue used to join the sole to uppers can harden and fail if boots are not used for long periods,whether sitting in a box before purchase or in the cupboard at home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by northdude

Use by date did they still taste ok

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:thumbsup: I'm still using them and they're great, except they click like a jandal after an hour of use because some of the layers inside the sole have separated. Unfortunately I bought them at a closing down sale so didn't have a shop to return them to.

@Sarvo has more shoes then Imelda Marcos. :D:D:D

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Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

@Sarvo has more shoes then Imelda Marcos. :D:D:D

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Boots - yes but only 2 pair for me and 120 pairs for whomever

All those pics above are long gone - hopefully walking around Aotearoa