[ShootSkybusters]

Hey gang, I seem to have bad luck when buying new waders. Last 4 pair have leaked out of the box! One pair was Lacrosse, excellent customer service and instant replacement, paying for shipping too. Other 3 were Gator Waders. No support at all, rude customer service, basically said I should not have bought them on clearance. Looks like I'll be eating them. Amazing! Even worse than modern day Cabela's leaky wader policy, which is a far cry from their top-notch replacement policy of about 5 yrs ago. Curious what other folks have experienced with good/bad wader customer service before I try something else and end up with another Gator Wader issue?

 

[dduckman]

No comment on customer service but if you are stuck with the gator waders go to high and dry waders website and order some 3m 5200, it will repair any wader damage permanently!

 

[HNTFSH]

Hey gang, I seem to have bad luck when buying new waders. Last 4 pair have leaked out of the box! One pair was Lacrosse, excellent customer service and instant replacement, paying for shipping too. Other 3 were Gator Waders. No support at all, rude customer service, basically said I should not have bought them on clearance. Looks like I'll be eating them. Amazing! Even worse than modern day Cabela's leaky wader policy, which is a far cry from their top-notch replacement policy of about 5 yrs ago. Curious what other folks have experienced with good/bad wader customer service before I try something else and end up with another Gator Wader issue?

My experience with both hunting and fishing waders from a "Customer Service" perspective with lenient replacement warranties is they get burned by consumers. What largely happened w/Cabela's. On top of clearer warranty guidelines they didn't produce and fact is we all know waders leak a lot, sometimes out of the box. Made in China. Guess a "lucky pair" might sometimes give ya 2-3 years with light use before you're gooing seams and crotches if the boots don't crack open first.

So great customer service is only gonna come from expensive purchases. Simms USA made waders have kick-arse warranties but that's not the case with their white labeled Simms Chinese made waders.

As far as clearance sales...that's always been the case. No returns. Risk/reward on that deal.

 

[ShootSkybusters]

so that 3M 5200 isn't too stiff/brittle for waders? Maybe I'll give that a try...have used lots of it to build/repair boats through the years and have always been impressed. But wader repair I've always used Goop...with so-so results.

Actually other than modern day Cabelas, I've had great luck returning waders purchased on clearance. I only by on clearance, so I should know! Lacrosse seems to be the best, Gator Waders now trumps Cableas as the worst for customer service I have to say. I hung the last of 3 pairs that leaked out of the box, and the boot actually fell off! Sent a pic in and the Gator Wader customer service said "sorry for your experience, this has been a known issue with a few lots of adhesive. Although we can not do anything to assist you, measures are being taken to solve the problem now." So comforting!

 

[HNTFSH]

I wouldn't want to be in the wader business. Seems like there's two choices, either high quality materials and craftsmanship at a price fewer people are willing to spend or cheaper, lesser quality that are sketchy and made in China. Lots and lots of returns. When things are on clearance, they've been marked down to clear inventory to a point where there maybe be little to no profit for a retailer.

USIA went under for the price reason and I assume Cabela''s changed their policy from abuse of it and/or losing money.

Cheap and good don't align.

 

[APBT]

Best customer service I’ve had hands down has been Sitka. Price for the gear is expensive but I had a leak in my boot and figured I would be paying for new boots. They replaced the boots for zero dollars and sent them back to me. I didn’t pay for shipping both ways.

 

[Rick Hall]

Best customer service I’ve had hands down has been Sitka. Price for the gear is expensive but I had a leak in my boot and figured I would be paying for new boots. They replaced the boots for zero dollars and sent them back to me. I didn’t pay for shipping both ways.

You already paid for that CS up front. Would have really sucked not to get it.

 

[California Sprig]

Best customer service I’ve had hands down has been Sitka. Price for the gear is expensive but I had a leak in my boot and figured I would be paying for new boots. They replaced the boots for zero dollars and sent them back to me. I didn’t pay for shipping both ways.

For what you are paying for Sitka I’d expect good customer service and replacement of a flawed item. You can buy 2 items of a different quality brand for what you pay for 1 Sitka. I generally buy the best or the best I can afford when it comes to outdoor gear. Although the most expensive isn’t necessarily the best. I don’t own any Sitka gear but I hear that it great top quality gear. I think I can get as good of brand name gear for a lesser price than Sitka. I’m not bad mouthing Sitka I just don’t want to pay their prices for something I can get cheaper and still good dependable quality. I haven’t had any problems with clothing gear that I had to return them.

 

[APBT]

Lots of great companies out there, making good stuff. Buy the best of what you can afford. It is expensive and I’m sure you can get great quality gear with the same customer service but for me, I bought it after talking to them for deer season gear. I called and talked to the same person several times and I didn’t own anything at the time and never made the assumption I was buying any. They were still amazing and great to talk to. Now my wife and I own a lot of the whitetail line. I haven’t been duck hunting very long but so far, everything I’ve bought has been amazing and well worth the money IMO.