So I buy a new Gold series carbon hybrid. Sail it once and the grip releases around the back hands. Add a little adhesive - must have been me.

Sail again - it starts to peel around the front hand. looks like there is no glue.

a good day in the waves and 20C piece size pieces start lifting and one eventually rips off peeling another 3-4cm with it.

Call the local shop who are absoluteley fantastic and take the boom arrange so I can use my old boom with a new tail piece and "I'll contact the distributor and get it sorted".

Here lies the problem.

Big aussie importer - we dont import them so wont cover it anymore (was a brand new previous year boom).

The new mob - we didnt distribute it so we wont cover it - but possibly might come up with a plan.

Six weeks on - repeated attempts from the local shop still no satisfaction, no gold hybrid boom, no response via the international brand web contact.

So what do you do - the shops caught and have come up with a few suggestions but allround I am totally pissed and after 6 + weeks still am running my old boom ( a silver series).

I have tried, been patient and am out of pocket - the shop guys are trying but I dont believe the distributors are covering there warranty requirements.

Get your ****ing act together North distributors - I want my boom and i want it now I bought it in good faith that it would last more than 5 weeks. i have a North silver series that I have used for 2 years and the grip is still good.

Stop messing me around.

demand a refund. you are entitled to one and the shop is responsible regardless. thays why i dont sell appliances to my clients.

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saltiest1 said...

demand a refund. you are entitled to one and the shop is responsible regardless. thays why i dont sell appliances to my clients.

Yes agreed..... refund. Depends how much you like the shop.

By law if it is of unmerchantable quality at the point of sale (not fit for purpose) the shop has to give you a refund. Not exchange, not repair, a full refund.
You could eaily argue unmerchantable quality as it failed so quickly and the fact that a boom with no grip is impossible to use.
The shop has to refund you and then get their money back from the distributor.
This is not warranty - that is for a failure a few months later - this is a DOA / unfit for purpose / unmerchantable quality.

The customer never has to run around and ask distributors, shop, manufacturer etc, as the law says the shop gives you refund, period.

However, like I said, depends how much you like the shop. There is not many of them in our small WS community so personally I'd be nice to the shop and get onto the distributors who used to import them. Get Fair Trading / Consumer Protection onto them, both distributors ducking for cover is bullsh!t (and morally wrong, wankers)

The same thing happened to two of us that bought the maui sails carbon wave booms from the auction, after one sail all the boom grip released and fell away as if it hadnt been glued properly, I hope warranty sorts your problems Russ unfortunately we didnt have that option. New grip with kwik grip and careful rolling on sorted the other one with good results Im just waiting to see that it stays on and I'll do the same!

Ditch that ****ty overpriced brand and spend your money in the same shop or elsewhere on a different brand as it is quite obvious the brand won't do anything about it.

I had a problem with the same brand - they took me for a ride a couple of years ago: one party was saying "the 5 year WTY for the structural parts (downhaul corner of 1.5 y.o. sail got ripped off while rigging) of the sail is only in Europe", another party was saying "It is worldwide", Head company webpage just forwarded my problem back to distributor. At the end I had no options but split the costs of repair with the shop. Since then I am 2 x very careful with WTY issues. I can understand the frustrations caused.
I have also heard that the problem with the boom grip is not a new one - the glue was wrong or something like that.

Russ, phone the Office of Consumer Affairs. They might be able to give you some advice!

Buy Severne next time, don't stuff around with the other brands.

Unfortunately I believe Windsurfing & Warranty are mutually exclusive terms.

Companies need to learn that consumers have realtime and honest (albeit sometimes subjective) peer reviews of gear at their finger tips. A search for "Gold series boom" quickly takes you to this thread, which had I been contemplating buying one would now be rethinking my purchase options. That's what's so incredible at the internet and the very specific information it can provide.

As Russ' problem only involves the grip not being applied correctly (it wasn't damaged in a catapult, surf etc) I find it incredibly frustrating and somewhat of a constant theme that the original importer want's to wipe their hands of "his" problem. Yes not theirs but his! I know it's a painful process but contacting Consumer Affairs as Mark has suggested may just be what is needed to get some action.
Rant over

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sausage said...
A search for "Gold series boom" quickly takes you to this thread

Man, that's incredible! 6 hours to get on the front page of google... (albeit result 10).

I'm impressed

this is a bit off the thread but I had an issue with a 2nd hand but new Starboard Isonic that completely "unlaminated" the whole 2/3rds of the board's bottom after about 15-20x of use..since it was out of warranty and with the prodding of a different brand importer decided to file a claim to see what could be done and to the man himself Mr. Rasmussen with pics, serial numbers and a follow-up letter from a friend who found it "unbelievable"..Svein answers back to email everything to him and cc: their customer service..since then the board was picked up by their man and sent to Thailand..up to this date after several emails back and forth describing the same thing and remailing the pics and all to the same group of person's nothing has happened.. For a company this big it's a shame there is no definite answer..am even contemplating on just getting the footstraps and board bag back at least what they could do is just repair the damn thing or replace it with a test board of the same specs..our importer supposedly had it as a gift from the Co. and wasn't allowed to sell it in principle...nice really nice!

email Nik Baker and ask him what he thinks as he is apparently the North Product Manager.
be interesting to hear his take on it?

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westozwind said...

OK, it's a thread hijack, but this has just gained more credence.
I apologise in advance.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/12/google-personalisation-internet-data-filtering
It's not on the first page of Google for me!

Apologies, I actually googled "Gold Series Windsurf Boom" which comes up with this thread in 8th position. Of course the more we write "Gold Series Windsurf Boom" or "Gold series boom" on this thread the higher the search engine will place it (I think?)

Interetsing article too WOZW

Hmm I actually googled "gold series boom north" without the quotes as well...

As has been said before, go back to the shop you bought it from and demand a refund. They are obliged by State and National law to give you a refund.

http://australia.gov.au/topics/economy-money-and-tax/consumer-protection

www.treasury.gov.au/documents/1586/PDF/Issues_paper_20090726.pdf (page 4)

There are three criteria:
Fit for purpose - it has to do the job it is made for. If you can reasonably use the boom for sailing then it is fit for purpose. If you cannot use it then it is not.

Of merchantable quality - it can't fall apart in normal use and it must last a reasonable time. Yours didn't. Demand a refund.

Perform as described - if they tell you how great and robust and reliable it is, and you find that it is not, then get a refund.

Most States have a Small Claims Tribunal where you can take the shop to get arbitration. Of course you don;t want to go there but if you politely point out the actual situation, the legal requirement and the option of a visit to the tribunal the shop should see sense.

PS. You have to be sure that your claim is reasonable and fair. You can't wade in like a bush lawyer with a cannon for a minor scratch or something silly like that.

Had the same problem here with two North Gold Booms grip came off after one afternoon sailing.Replaced very quickly under warranty,but the same thing happened again.
Have now got Severne booms and very happy with the build quality and strength of them.
Will not buy North again.

As suggested nik baker is a good option. I tried and tried to get in touch with the north global team and got nowhere, one email to nik baker and got a new harness 2 weeks later, very impressive support from him.

iFRONT Honestly, can't we leave the "i" to Apple!

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nebbian said...

sausage said...
A search for "Gold series boom" quickly takes you to this thread

Man, that's incredible! 6 hours to get on the front page of google... (albeit result 10).

I'm impressed

Create quick video on the problem and that should jump you up close to the top of the search ranking.

It peaves me off to hear about these issues particularly when you're paying top dollar for a premium product.

Going down the consumer affairs track is not that easy either, it takes time and usually they will only play a mediation role.

I have to say that while Neil pryde sometime get flack for product quality atleast, for me, their warranty service has been great. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to the local shop vs distributor manufacturer, either way, it allways been hassle free for me.

Regardless whether or not the ex- distributor no longer imports them, they are bound buy the terms of the warranty they sold you. And sell you a warranty they did as it would have been factored into the cost some where.

They should honor the warranty ... If they don't name and shame, and buyers beware of any 'bargain' reduced stock they might be selling at clearance ... Since it is obviously not under warranty !

a good customer service worth's more than actual quality of the product...in field I work in, sometimes the customers contact me directly, if they run into deaf ears of the distributors or even dealers...since they pay even 3x more than they would for competition products we are aware we cannot afford to leave the customer with a faulty product...

Publish a video on youtube with a title North sails boom or something....and show what the issue is...send a link to their direct contact mail....

any takers for the North / Fanatic team riders wanted thread?

Buy Loft booms

i understand the frustration as i have brought back a few things as well and have had them immediately replaced because they had more in stock but i have seen many a product from north coming through and seen it all fall apart days later, even the shop owner was like eeffinnn products,

warranty claims here in australia are shocking for north, realistically don't expect a refund or replacement any time soon... if we have a few claims here imagine how many there are overseas...

Sounds like North are going South

yea but they are bringing out some pretty flash and super super light gear this year

Few years ago, I tried to buy a North Boom in the UK, the 'Brand New Shape' ones (in alloy), cause I'm a sucker for that stuff.. I was refused sale cause they were all breaking, shop said they were only prepared to sell them to 'elderly lake sailors'..

After they had been on the market for a couple of months they became known as 'Cheese Booms', and whatever that means, it's real bad. The iFront was dubbed the CheeseFront.. Comedy geniuses, those English..

North's carbon booms are have an even worse reputation, the previous model was a disaster..

While having a bad batch of glue is not the end of the world, it should be pushed through the warranty process ASAP, but I guess the North warranty department must be pretty busy with all those Power-XT extensions..

I don't know how North can let through such **ty quality products into production.. Power-XT, Booms that fall apart, and Sails can't be rolled up..

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Little Jon said...

Buy Loft booms

My 1st thought was 'who are Loft again??'

So I did a search for Loft booms.. no thanks!! $160 for a boom, El Cheapo Cheese..

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barn said...

Few years ago, I tried to buy a North Boom in the UK, the 'Brand New Shape' ones (in alloy), cause I'm a sucker for that stuff.. I was refused sale cause they were all breaking, shop said they were only prepared to sell them to 'elderly lake sailors'..

After they had been on the market for a couple of months they became known as 'Cheese Booms', and whatever that means, it's real bad. The iFront was dubbed the CheeseFront.. Comedy geniuses, those English..

North's carbon booms are have an even worse reputation, the previous model was a disaster..

While having a bad batch of glue is not the end of the world, it should be pushed through the warranty process ASAP, but I guess the North warranty department must be pretty busy with all those Power-XT extensions..

I don't know how North can let through such **ty quality products into production.. Power-XT, Booms that fall apart, and Sails can't be rolled up..

Little Jon said...

Buy Loft booms

My 1st thought was 'who are Loft again??'

So I did a search for Loft booms.. no thanks!! $160 for a boom, El Cheapo Cheese..

I've got 2 loft booms..one was thrown in as a freebie 2nd hand.No problems and they do a good job.I am a lightweight & sail on the lake but I go out in gales so they aren't that bad.Ill buy more..

^^ I'm sure they are good for that, but anybody who would dish out for a Gold North, clearly is after a top quality, sturdy product. So Loft is instantly out of the question..

I imagine Loft are fully aware their booms will not be bought by a large proportion of the windsurfing public..

--

I just remembered a mate of mine is sponsored by a distributer in the UK and he was given a Streamlined carbon boom, which was an ex warranty job because it had a nick in the grip!.. The nick was half the size of a 5c piece!..

I always get annoyed at the waste of good gear by warranty jobs, a carbon North boom could be re-gripped easily and be donated to someone needy.. Same with boards, they get sawn in half, when most repairs are fixable..

Cheers Guys - thanks for some good advice - sorry to vent but I felt like I'd run out of options. The squeaky wheel gets the oil

Hopefully will be resolved soon.

Its a jungle out there for an unsuspecting consumer of stuff expecting that it will meet its advertised standard.

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barn said...

^^ I'm sure they are good for that, but anybody who would dish out for a Gold North, clearly is after a top quality, sturdy product. So Loft is instantly out of the question..

I imagine Loft are fully aware their booms will not be bought by a large proportion of the windsurfing public..

--


price is not always a good guide. often you get what you pay for, but in the case of booms i've had many of a well known and not cheap brand that just kept breaking. Bought a $130 loft boom that has well out lasted that over priced rubbish.

one loft boom that last three time longer than a niel pryde that is three times more expensive..... does that mean they 9x better value?

Nah it means Neilpryde are terrible value!!

I could't sail Loft cause their grip is 30mm, too big, I can't hold a boom that fat.. It's not 1994 anymore..