# Durability of 686 pants/jackets?



## chronicsmoke (Nov 30, 2011)

I've had good luck with their stuff, especially the pants, knock on wood.


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## readimag (Aug 10, 2011)

Call the help number sounds like a defect it happens from time to time with everything.


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## tecknojoe (Jan 6, 2008)

That's gotta be a defect. I had about 100 days on my last pair of 686 smarty pants. They finally got a hole on the right thigh after 7 years so I bought the same pair again


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## rscott22 (Sep 21, 2009)

I just sent them back for warranty (they made me pay for shipping back which I wasnt happy about either). The warranty person was helpful, but the fact that they failed and then they made me pay the shipping to send them back was just wrong in my opinion.


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## smokebelch109 (Nov 6, 2012)

You should've just refused to pay, the failure is their error not yours


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## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

:eusa_clap: LOL ^^^ refusing to pay shipping means they don't get shipped, and he doesn't get warranty assistance... Good solid advice there! 

IMO a few dollars shipping to possibly a NEW pair of 200.00 pants seems like a great investment.


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## AssassinMonLV (Jan 15, 2013)

No I have jacket and pants from them. They have about 300+ days on them and they are holding up extremely well, while also being very warm.


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## rscott22 (Sep 21, 2009)

racer357 said:


> :eusa_clap: LOL ^^^ refusing to pay shipping means they don't get shipped, and he doesn't get warranty assistance... Good solid advice there!
> 
> IMO a few dollars shipping to possibly a NEW pair of 200.00 pants seems like a great investment.


The prblem is I bought these pants new and were still like new they only had 15 days on them which is nothing and they came unsewn? I should not have to pay for there quality mistake. I paid for a good quality product and did not receieve that andIi think thats why I am so mad right now.


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## mb889 (Feb 14, 2012)

I had a problem with my pants last season with one of the buttons. They sent me a ton a buttons and a nice little care package of stickers and a beenie. I know it sucks to have to pay for shipping on a possible faulty product, but like the post above said, if it nets you a new pair of pants for $10-20, that sounds like a good deal to me. A lot of other companies would tell you sorry bout your luck.


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## tlake2568 (Dec 22, 2011)

rscott22,

Unfortunately, 686 sees it as this:
Were they ripped when you bought em?

In their eyes its out of their hands and in yours what you do with your pants after you buy them. If you start trying trying to do splits in your boarding pants and accidently rip them, its not their fault.

NOW, not flaming, just playing devils advocate....

The fact that they ripped after 15 days of use is a little crazy. thankfully 686 has a great warranty program. i wouldnt complain about shipping product back because thats ALL merch from ANY company when you buy online. Just as long as the compnay takes care of you, it should be a wash for any shipping costs..

Good luck to you sir!


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## smokebelch109 (Nov 6, 2012)

racer357 said:


> :eusa_clap: LOL ^^^ refusing to pay shipping means they don't get shipped, and he doesn't get warranty assistance... Good solid advice there!
> 
> IMO a few dollars shipping to possibly a NEW pair of 200.00 pants seems like a great investment.


Your attitude is the kind that enables larger corporations to take the piss with the general public... 'Oh you bought a faulty jacket? well if you pay some more money then we will send you a jacket which does what it should have done when you first paid for it':icon_scratch:

You do have bargaining power with big companies especially when their products are faulty and it is not your fault. Just tell them that straight up and they will normally acknowledge this and waive the shipping fee...they just say it at first to see if they can get away with it....Basically taking advantage of people like you Racer.. if everyone stood up and refused to pay shipping when a product goes wrong because of a manufacturing defect this business practice would not be profitable or sensible. However because of some peoples lazy attitude it is a good way for a business to protect its profit margin.

I speak from experience on both sides of the fence...OP good luck getting this solved, manners are very important when dealing with issues like this and they go a long way. hope this helps


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

I had good luck with my 686. Got three seasons out of it with minor wear. But then again, this jackets now 6-7 years old...not sure what 686 has been up to since. Could be cheaping out to meet price points.


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## racer357 (Feb 3, 2011)

smoke, I like how you assume... I buy my gear local. If I have a problem, I go talk to the local shop owner. He calls his regional brand rep, the rep tells him to hand me new product he will warranty it. Problem solved. I have never had a problem with service. 

The people at 686 cannot waive the shipping fee, they are a snowboard company, not UPS. They could possibly send you a shipping tag, but that requires the OP to wait longer.


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## smokebelch109 (Nov 6, 2012)

If you buy local then your ability to contribute to this thread is likely to be minimal?

Any company can accept shipping charges or send you a refund to cover shipping, i meant 'waive' in the sense that they would and should ensure that the customer does not pay for shipping out of their own pocket for a faulty product, that would be bad for business.

I dont need to discuss this with you any more. 

OP...long and short, its basic consumer rights. You did not receive a satisfactory as described product and it was not fit for purpose and did not last a reasonable amount of time. State this to them politely and they will oblige. Photo evidence always helps, citing date bought etc when possible.

Good luck


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## rscott22 (Sep 21, 2009)

racer357 said:


> smoke, I like how you assume... I buy my gear local. If I have a problem, I go talk to the local shop owner. He calls his regional brand rep, the rep tells him to hand me new product he will warranty it. Problem solved. I have never had a problem with service.
> 
> The people at 686 cannot waive the shipping fee, they are a snowboard company, not UPS. They could possibly send you a shipping tag, but that requires the OP to wait longer.


I bought my pants from a local shop called Under The Sun here in Frederick, MD. The issue is they went out of business in July this past year..... So I was forced to contact 686 directly not that there warranty team wasnt great just some things erked me a little bit like shipping and the product not lasting long.


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## smokebelch109 (Nov 6, 2012)

Ah ok so it is not such a normal circumstance for you then, hopefully 686 can help you out.

I just had some wristguards break on me after 1 fall and some other errors, i paid £16 for them and the company offered to cover shipping back to them up to the value of £10 which is more than enough to cover return shipping. It is also over 60% of the total cost for my item...case and point.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

Most companies are required to ask for the customer to pay the return shipping to save themselves the money. Usually though, if you ask, they'll pay it for you if it's a situation like this or you want to exchange it. I've ordered from many decent online stores numerous times, and when I've asked to return something they usually tell me I need to pay for the label at first. They've always then happily payed for it themselves after I've told them the situation( like this one, exchanges, or just unused refund returns).

You probably could have easily talked them into paying the return shipping for you.

Also, be nice to them the whole time and they'll be a lot more likely to just offer a free return label without even asking you to pay initially. :thumbsup:

My personal favorite online store is dogfunk.com/backcountry.com. Those guys are awesome!

I don't know whether or not you did with the pants, but for future purchases, *do not* order from privately owned online stores. They usually (but not always) have the worst return policies and can be a real pain in the ass to get stuff sent back. 
The worst I've had to deal with was Christy Sports. I think it's a privately-owned company, but anyway... It was a helmet return because they had the color pictured and labeled as the one I wanted, but when I got the actual helmet it was a completely different color. I hadn't used it, and I had to deal with some kid who works there who refused to allow me to return it because "it was *my* fault", which was bullshit in its purest form. (Keep in mind I was being nice, respectful, and patient with them the whole time. Until this kid started to reveal his bad attitude)
_Eventually _ (2 long hours later) I got a hold of his manager, got it taken care of, reported that bastard, got the refund, and concluded that those assholes at Christy Sports really are, indeed, idiots who don't give a shit about their customers. At least they were when I was there.

Oh, and another quick tip: *order through UPS*. I've ordered products through Fed Ex from the *same locations* and they usually take over a week to ship, whereas UPS only takes a few days. It's also harder to track and return a Fed Ex order.

Good look with your pants. I hope everything works out for you!


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

Never owned any of their pants, but have had a couple different jackets. Both were insulated and lower pricepoints only like 8-10K too. One of them held up great after 3-4 seasons. The other one did as well except for the velcro cuff on one sleeve ripped off after only a couple days, but it was replaced so no big deal there.


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## BrendanMorgan (Jan 22, 2013)

I've got a pair of the Original Cargos that worked wonderfully. Just took them out all day in the rainy wet snow and stayed totally dry. Very nice.


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## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

I'm wearing the 686 plasma pants - very nice. no problems. On the other hand, my 686 plexus shell is disturbingly thin and has practically worn in through at the pockets from 2 seasons of the boards edge rubbing on it....other than that, I love the jacket, too.

I had worse issues with the Sessions stuff I had before. All of their stuff kept coming unsewn...but the fabrics were bomb-proof (and heavy).

sounds like a defective item to me. I wouldn't have any problems paying to ship it back to them for warranty...most snowboard companies have asked me to do that anyhow


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

im still wearing my 686 pants from like 5 years ago, and recently retired a 686 jacket from a few years ago, so i hop into a local shop that carries 686, and holy fuck their shit feels so fucking cheap now, so i bought a special blend jacket instead.

theend


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