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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 3 of 8. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 80 | 81 to 100 | 101 to 120 | 121 to 140 | 141 to 143
Author
dodgy retailers
Richard Delaney
3-Sep-2009
10:40:24 PM
I've had always great experiences in ME Sydney.

I've bought 7 pairs of climbing shoes (I know that's not many compared to some here!).
My first were too big, my second were just right (after a bit of use), and my third were
too small. I know it's really hard but you get that with shoes.

My first pair of plastic boots were too small and I now have to deal with the bone spurs
on my heals as my ego wouldn't let me admit I'd stuffed up with a $400 pair of boots.

We look for advice from others but you're the only one that can see/feel what your foot is
doing in there and so, regardless of any advice, it's your decision. Sell 'em and move
on.
Wendy
4-Sep-2009
7:51:26 AM
I find that the chances are that you know as much or more about what you're buying than the sales assistant (this isn't just in outdoor stores actually!). Amongst my pet peeves are when you do ask about something and the sales stuff start reading the labels. I too can read labels. If the answer was there, I wouldn't have to ask. Or they spout the products stats at you which are also freely available through looking at the product/label/catalogue. Once in a while you still get someone with heaps of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, but the growth of the outdoor industry has lead to less specialisation and more staff who largely (as someone mentioned earlier) sell travel packs and expensive clothing. I back up my shopping trips with internet research and talking with people I know use the stuff. If the person in store has useful extra info, that's a bonus more than an expectation. Still, they can do other useful stuff for you, like the guy at Macpac I spoke to on the phone, who measured up the daypacks I was thinking about so I'd know if they'd fit as carryon luggage.

Back onto the shoes, Phil can stretch them for you. Maybe the shoes need to come on an Arapiles trip. I'm actually a fan of getting unlined, leather shoes super tight. I've found they do become fantastic after maybe 2 months of tearing them off at the end of every pitch, but I have these anazasis and evolves I bought on the same theory and can't deal with them at all. Synthetic just doesn't like to conform to my feet.
Guniea Sauras Rex
4-Sep-2009
8:26:28 AM
I have had patchy experiences with both ME and other climbing stores.

All other equipment purchases have been fine. However purchasing shoes has never been a great experience.

So many times I have been told to purchase shoes that are way too small. I really enjoy slippers - because I don't like tying shoelaces all the time. But I am not a cranking, dogging an overhanging sports route type person. My slippers only get loose towards the end of two years. But how the shop assistants love to tell you they get loose!

One guy even told me I should put them on while watching TV and wet and stretch them and suffer the pain. I summoned my best cold contemptuous look. "Why not get a pair that fits?"

Now when I go in to get new shoes I tell the shop assistant to get a variety of sizes then leave me alone. Invariably I will find the right size for me then buy online.

The only time I purchase shoes in a store is when all the assistants are pestering other people.

Why, oh why must they let the most idiot and annoying shop assistants service the shoe area? Climbing shoes are a more personaly fit than most clothes. The shop assistant doesn't know how my feet feel in a pair of shoes - yet they will pressure you into purchasing shoes that suit them - not you.

Rant over.

nmonteith
4-Sep-2009
9:05:20 AM
Does anyone else feel guilty using the local shops as a fitting room for their online purchases? If
everyone does that I'm not suprised that the shops dont bother employing knowledgable staff.

ajfclark
4-Sep-2009
9:13:49 AM
I would if I did it Neil, which is why I don't. If think I need to try something on or compare it physically or whatever, I should happy to pay the premium at the shop.

anthonyk
4-Sep-2009
10:02:01 AM
i think you guys are missing the point, its not a problem that the staff make mistakes, thats par for the course. the issue here is that they were so pushy about it, and more importantly, that management weren't willing to stand up for the advice their staff have used to push a sale. its an issue of the managers response, not so much about decisions the staff make.

imagine you are looking to buy a car stereo and the retailer asks you about your car and tells you that x stereo is perfect and will fit great. you spend $200+ on it, take it home and after cutting wires to try and install it find out that its completely wrong for your car. lets say for arguments sake its not returnable any more. you go back to the shop and they tell you sorry, we were wrong, but you can buy a second one, also for full price. my guess is you'd most likely brand them assholes and never go back.

why would you consider this acceptable because its a climbing shop?

ajfclark
4-Sep-2009
10:07:04 AM
On 4/09/2009 anthonyk wrote:
> why would you consider this acceptable because its a climbing shop?

I consider it acceptable from pretty well any shop. If I make an incorrect purchase decision, I wear it because I made the decision. Yes, I've been talked into buying stuff that wasn't right before (and hiring stuff for that matter), but if that's the case I beat myself up for allowing myself to be talked into it or not knowing enough about what I'm getting into, not blame the shop or the staff.

anthonyk
4-Sep-2009
10:24:08 AM
On 4/09/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>if that's the case I beat myself up for allowing myself
>to be talked into it or not knowing enough about what I'm getting into,
>not blame the shop or the staff.

right.. ripped off AND self-loathing, nice work


if anyone's familiar with game theory, this is more a case of prisoners dilemma. i'm not going to explain it but look it up if you want.
Guniea Sauras Rex
4-Sep-2009
10:26:03 AM
On 4/09/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>I would if I did it Neil, which is why I don't. If think I need to try
>something on or compare it physically or whatever, I should happy to pay
>the premium at the shop.

It is not about paying premium - it is about service. The service in the shop is crap - but you still need to try on the shoes before you purchase, which is a little difficult online. So I go into the store.

I don't feel guilty at all.

The whole experience is much like purchasing a bike if you are a girl. For a lot of bike stores the staff are of the opinion that girls can't ride so are only looking for comfort bikes - despite your many years of riding freeride and downhill.

Similar to climbing shoes purchase. Regardless of your many years climbing, the service staff will disregard any of your input and only serve you within the narrow confines of their experience and opinions. As it is usually young men who serve you this means sport climbing on overhanging routes - those sorts of shoes are not suitable for all people and all climbing types.

ajfclark
4-Sep-2009
10:35:34 AM
On 4/09/2009 Guniea Sauras Rex wrote:
>It is not about paying premium - it is about service. The service in the shop is crap - but you still need to try on the shoes before you purchase, which is a little difficult online. So I go into the store.

I mean premium in terms of paying a higher price than I would online because it costs more to run a store than sell stuff online. If I need to try the things on or whatever, I feel I should support the store that offers that to me.

ajfclark
4-Sep-2009
10:42:53 AM
On 4/09/2009 anthonyk wrote:
>right.. ripped off AND self-loathing, nice work

That's the thing, I don't feel ripped off. Shops have a vested interest in selling as much as they can. That's what they are trying to do. As a consumer I think it's my responsibility to be informed about what I'm buying and take everything they say with a grain of salt.

I bought some shoes not so long ago that turned out to be 1/2 a size too small in very similar circumstances to you (They didn't have next size up but I figured they'd stretch enough). In the end they didn't stretch enough to be comfortable to wear for long periods. What did I do? Went back to the same store, ordered the next size up and took the whole thing as a learning experience.

Why go back to the same store? They stock the shoe I want and even though I knew my size, next time I want to try on shoes, I want there to be a store where I can so I support them.
Guniea Sauras Rex
4-Sep-2009
10:45:06 AM
On 4/09/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>I feel I should support the store that offers
>that to me.

Ahh. Perhaps said store should mind their P's and Q's then, and offer good service as a draw card over the convienience of online shopping. Especially if they want my patronage and cash into the future.

I'm not going to part with cash to a snotty nosed kid who tells me to climb well I need tiny shoes. Training and technique will do that. Besides I have seen many the hard climber blitz my routes in joggers. Obviously tiny shoes don't help all that much.

mattjr
4-Sep-2009
11:02:13 AM
On 4/09/2009 Nmonteith wrote:
>Does anyone else feel guilty using the local shops as a fitting room for
>their online purchases? If
>everyone does that I'm not suprised that the shops dont bother employing
>knowledgable staff.

I can't feel too guilty when retail prices for climbing gear in Australia are ridiculous. Purchasing online from the U.S. saves you serious money if you are smart about the way you purchase.

ajfclark
4-Sep-2009
11:22:24 AM
On 4/09/2009 Guniea Sauras Rex wrote:
>Ahh. Perhaps said store should mind their P's and Q's then, and offer good service as a draw card over the convienience of online shopping. Especially if they want my patronage and cash into the future.

I don't think good service will differentiate a physical store from an online one, both can offer good service. The only thing I can see that differentiates a physical store from an online one is that you can try the good on and hold them before purchase. I like that and will support it for some things (like shoes) and not for others (like a set of nuts or a book or whatever) where I think it makes sense.

If you don't mind occasionally ordering the wrong size or style or whatever online than that's fine too. I suspect that everything will move that way in the not too distant future as the physical stores struggle to compete on price and that's the defining characteristic that most people go for.

All I was trying to get at was that I thought what Neil mentioned (going to a physical store to try something on then ordering online) was slack as you've used the service the shop supplies but then gone somewhere cheaper that doesn't offer the same service (and is likely cheaper because of that).
Duncan
4-Sep-2009
11:45:15 AM
On 4/09/2009 anthonyk wrote:
>imagine you are looking to buy a car stereo and the retailer asks you
>about your car and tells you that x stereo is perfect and will fit great.
> you spend $200+ on it, take it home and after cutting wires to try and
>install it find out that its completely wrong for your car. lets say for
>arguments sake its not returnable any more. you go back to the shop and
>they tell you sorry, we were wrong, but you can buy a second one, also
>for full price. my guess is you'd most likely brand them assholes and
>never go back.

Sorry Anthony, this is a very different situation. Climbing shoes aren't yes or no - it comes down to personal preference. You didn't HAVE to take the staff members advice, and you've been climbing for long enough to be able to make your decision. Seems like you learnt an expensive lesson - sometimes you need to say no.
widewetandslippery
4-Sep-2009
12:32:45 PM
anthonyk as I said in an earlier post: you lost.

I don't think there was a conspiricy to rob you.

You went in and bought a high end climbing shoe that many wear as tight as they can get on there feet. This is common.

You felt pressured? man up. say no. order a different size. go somewhere else.

I like many here have bought the wrong equipment and the wrong sized equipment numerous times. Sometimes you lose.


skink
4-Sep-2009
12:36:42 PM
According to anthonyk's original post, the assistant insisted the shoes would stretch - this would be reasonable to believe - some shoes stretch, some don't.

These didn't.

The shop assistant was wrong and I think the shop manager should've taken this into account.

Quite simple really.

skink
4-Sep-2009
12:41:10 PM
On 4/09/2009 widewetandslippery wrote:
>
>I like many here have bought the wrong equipment and the wrong sized equipment
>numerous times.
>
Ah, but have you bought this incorrect gear after shop assistant advice, or did you f..k it up on your own?
Duncan
4-Sep-2009
12:42:16 PM
On 4/09/2009 andesite wrote:
>According to anthonyk's original post, the assistant insisted the shoes
>would stretch - this would be reasonable to believe - some shoes stretch,
>some don't.
>
>These didn't.

Nope. They're katanas - they stretch if you're willing to stretch them.
widewetandslippery
4-Sep-2009
12:46:53 PM
Both. I'm a bad shopper. I walk in either informed and walk to the shelf pick up and buy it or say sell me X product and expect they don't stuff up.

On the flip side I'm pretty sure when young, zealous and keen and working in gear stores I've sold way, way to tight boots to people just because I thought that would be what I would want. Sorry anyone.

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