Klim Adrenaline GTX Boot replacement - GORE-TEX® Warranty
I am posting a new thread on the topic of Klim Boot warranty to hopefully help others whose boots leak past the one-year warranty backed by Klim.
Previous thread: http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412086
- Thanks to whitefish and nuttyn01 for giving me the idea of going through GORE for replacement.
PROBLEM
I purchased the boots at the Boise snow show in November, 2013.
My boots would pool up with water in the bottoms after only a couple of hours of riding. Not a lot, but enough to know it wasn't from sweating. It felt like I had walked over a wet floor in my socks. My feet were never cold, just wet. It was nothing more than an irritation to me, but the product did not function as advertised. The problem started a year after I bought them and I tolerated the problem for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
SOLUTION
About a month ago, I read the aforementioned thread and decided I had nothing to lose by trying to get the boots replaced through GORE. After cleaning them up, I looked the boots over carefully and noted that there were no compromises in the construction of the boot. No split or cracked seams. The wear of the soles was typical given their use but again, no sign of holes or cracks in the rubber. Lastly and importantly, there were no tears in the exterior or interior fabric. I think that would have been a deal breaker.
Knowing that the problem was with both boots equally, I believed I had thoroughly assessed the boots to the best of my ability, in that I found no damage beyond normal use. This led me to believe that the issue was with the GORE-TEX® fabric on the sides of the boots and/or with the tongue.
I decided to try getting them warrantied through GORE. Here are the steps that I went through to get my 2 1/2 year old (three seasons) Klim Adrenaline GTX boots replaced.
Here is the full process with dates and times included. GORE makes this process really easy by simply asking that you reply to the email they send to you. This verbiage is at the top of every email I received:
[IMPORTANT] Please reply directly to this email to maintain continuity with your case for this and future communications. Thank you.
Saturday 4/9/2016:1257
I contacted GORE through this link and described the problem I was having with the boots:
http://www.gore-tex.com/en-us/support/contact-us
Monday 4/11/2016:0640
By email, GORE thanked me for contacting them, and requesting the following information:
Monday 4/11/2016:1239
By reply email, I provided all the requested information along with the five pictures included in this thread. I guessed on the price ($280+6% sales tax) but everything else was accurate.
...20 minutes later...!!!
Monday 4/11/2016:1301
By email, GORE requested that I send the boots to:
Friday 4/15/2016:1215
Along with my full contact information - Name, phone number, email, plus mailing and shipping addresses, I added the case number and the case item number inside the box and taped it up. I shipped the boots via USPS ground for $31.16 with case number and the case item number on the shipping label. Expected delivery date on shipping receipt was 4/21/2016.
Wednesday 4/27/2016:1025
By email, I received the following from GORE:
"We have tested your footwear and we will be replacing your Klim Adrenalin GTX boots with the same style under our Guarantee to Keep You Dry® promise. Please let us know what size and color you would prefer for your replacement."
Wednesday 4/27/2016:1207
By reply email, I told them Color: Black; Size: 11, and thanked them enthusiastically!
Monday 5/2/2016:0830
By UPS, I received a brand new pair of Klim Adrenalin GTX boots directly from Klim. No charge.
Monday 5/2/2016:1211
By email, I received from GORE care instructions for the boots.
I have nothing but great things to say about GORE based on this experience. I believe I did my part by giving them a completely honest assessment of the boots in question. If this process helps anyone else with similar issues I would encourage that you completely, and above all HONESTLY assess the condition of your boots.
Regarding the Klim one-year boot warranty - I believe their product held up beyond expectations. The problem was with the GORE-TEX® fabric, not with the construction of the boot through normal wear & tear. My takeaway would be to buy new boots (any brand) in the middle of the season rather than in the fall, because I got one good season out of the boots as a whole. Had I bought these boots in December or beyond, I think they would have shown the problem at the start of the second season and before the year was up. Just my amateur parking lot posing opinion.
I am posting a new thread on the topic of Klim Boot warranty to hopefully help others whose boots leak past the one-year warranty backed by Klim.
Previous thread: http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412086
- Thanks to whitefish and nuttyn01 for giving me the idea of going through GORE for replacement.
PROBLEM
I purchased the boots at the Boise snow show in November, 2013.
My boots would pool up with water in the bottoms after only a couple of hours of riding. Not a lot, but enough to know it wasn't from sweating. It felt like I had walked over a wet floor in my socks. My feet were never cold, just wet. It was nothing more than an irritation to me, but the product did not function as advertised. The problem started a year after I bought them and I tolerated the problem for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
SOLUTION
About a month ago, I read the aforementioned thread and decided I had nothing to lose by trying to get the boots replaced through GORE. After cleaning them up, I looked the boots over carefully and noted that there were no compromises in the construction of the boot. No split or cracked seams. The wear of the soles was typical given their use but again, no sign of holes or cracks in the rubber. Lastly and importantly, there were no tears in the exterior or interior fabric. I think that would have been a deal breaker.
Knowing that the problem was with both boots equally, I believed I had thoroughly assessed the boots to the best of my ability, in that I found no damage beyond normal use. This led me to believe that the issue was with the GORE-TEX® fabric on the sides of the boots and/or with the tongue.
I decided to try getting them warrantied through GORE. Here are the steps that I went through to get my 2 1/2 year old (three seasons) Klim Adrenaline GTX boots replaced.
Here is the full process with dates and times included. GORE makes this process really easy by simply asking that you reply to the email they send to you. This verbiage is at the top of every email I received:
[IMPORTANT] Please reply directly to this email to maintain continuity with your case for this and future communications. Thank you.
Saturday 4/9/2016:1257
I contacted GORE through this link and described the problem I was having with the boots:
http://www.gore-tex.com/en-us/support/contact-us
Monday 4/11/2016:0640
By email, GORE thanked me for contacting them, and requesting the following information:
- Size of the item?
- Style or model name, if known?
- Where did you purchase the item?
- What was the price you paid?
- What year did you purchase?
- Is the item damaged? (tears,punctures,heavy abrasion etc)
- Where is the specific location/s you are experiencing the leak ?
- Can you attach picture/s of the item’s current condition, area of leakage the GORE-TEX tag and the manufacturer's tag?
- Please describe the conditions or activity in which you experienced the leak.
- Please include your address, phone number and size of the item.
Monday 4/11/2016:1239
By reply email, I provided all the requested information along with the five pictures included in this thread. I guessed on the price ($280+6% sales tax) but everything else was accurate.
...20 minutes later...!!!
Monday 4/11/2016:1301
By email, GORE requested that I send the boots to:
WL GORE
315 Primrose Lane
Suite G
Mountville, PA 17554
They asked that I provide the case number and the case item number (both included at the bottom of the email) on the outside of the shipment box and my contact information inside the box. 315 Primrose Lane
Suite G
Mountville, PA 17554
Friday 4/15/2016:1215
Along with my full contact information - Name, phone number, email, plus mailing and shipping addresses, I added the case number and the case item number inside the box and taped it up. I shipped the boots via USPS ground for $31.16 with case number and the case item number on the shipping label. Expected delivery date on shipping receipt was 4/21/2016.
Wednesday 4/27/2016:1025
By email, I received the following from GORE:
"We have tested your footwear and we will be replacing your Klim Adrenalin GTX boots with the same style under our Guarantee to Keep You Dry® promise. Please let us know what size and color you would prefer for your replacement."
Wednesday 4/27/2016:1207
By reply email, I told them Color: Black; Size: 11, and thanked them enthusiastically!
Monday 5/2/2016:0830
By UPS, I received a brand new pair of Klim Adrenalin GTX boots directly from Klim. No charge.
Monday 5/2/2016:1211
By email, I received from GORE care instructions for the boots.
I have nothing but great things to say about GORE based on this experience. I believe I did my part by giving them a completely honest assessment of the boots in question. If this process helps anyone else with similar issues I would encourage that you completely, and above all HONESTLY assess the condition of your boots.
Regarding the Klim one-year boot warranty - I believe their product held up beyond expectations. The problem was with the GORE-TEX® fabric, not with the construction of the boot through normal wear & tear. My takeaway would be to buy new boots (any brand) in the middle of the season rather than in the fall, because I got one good season out of the boots as a whole. Had I bought these boots in December or beyond, I think they would have shown the problem at the start of the second season and before the year was up. Just my amateur parking lot posing opinion.
