Who of you buys board/sail through online stores?

[SpockDoc]

Hi,

I have recently moved to the US and bought a brand new JP 2008 freestyle board through an online store in the US (a reputable one). The board arrived damaged and I had to return it immediately. The replacement board arrived without outer damages but after only two windsurf sessions I realized that the board is leaking somewhere (probably through the mastbox). It's a brand new board and I am totally sure that I have not done a single thing wrong with it.

After this 100% failure quote I ask myself: Have I just been unlucky or was it a really dumb idea of mine to buy a board somewhere far from here and have it shipped (rather than going to a local store - which I did not do because the store nearby has absolutely no freestyle gear; I should also add that I do not have a car, therefore it is not so easy for me to reach a shop that is not within bicycling distance - I go windsurfing with my bike and bike trailer).

Therefore my question to those who read my thread: Do you buy (some of) your boards and sails over the internet? Have you encountered similar problems?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.
The SpockDoc

[isobars]

I can't address your side of the question directly, but here's a flip side to it.

A Santa Fe, NM shop sold several brands of boards. They said it was not uncommon to receive boards damaged in shipping from manufacturers' U.S. wholesalers. They finally stopped carrying the major brand because it refused too many warranty and/or shipping damage claims with excuses like, "We don't know for a fact whether it's our or our shipper's fault, but we've got other shipment quotas to meet anyway, so don't call us; we'll call you. Bub-bye."

It's been many years -- maybe even decades -- so I hope that's not still going on. Must not be ... that company is still one of the very biggest names in the industry. If I thought that was still going on, I'd name them. I've got to guess it's not inconceivable, but your source will probably support you; any leak not due to an obvious ding should be fully warranted.

Mike \m/

[SpockDoc]

I looked at the shop's webpage after receiving the replacement board. They had meanwhile changed their shipping policy. Now, I would have to pay $300 shipping costs to return the board to the shop and have it and shipped back to me again.

I am so fed up with the whole issue that I will just try to fix the leak myself and hope the board will not break too soon.

[isobars]

Gotta find it first. I cool a suspect board (e.g., basement, air conditioning), quickly dab soapy water or leak-detection liquid (Home Depot) on all suspicious spots (deck and fin box, foot strap screw holes, dings), heat it (e.g., sunshine), watch for bubbles, mark them, and thoroughly rinse and dry the board before it can start cooling and sucking soap and water back in.

Bubbling spots need sealing, but too much water sealed into a board will ultimately destroy it, I presume. Of course, getting water out effectively requires equipment, technique, and experience (i.e., $ and maybe shipping to a water extraction facility). What a nightmare in most parts of the country!

All that, plus seeing buds run back to their vans sucking water out of fresh epoxy board dings knowing their sailing is over for a while, is why, when I lived a thousand miles from a repair facility, I used mostly Clarke Foam polyester boards, put pads at all impact and heavy use points on my epoxy boards, and used the latter sparingly. I also make certain my footstrap screws cannot bottom out and seal all footstrap screw holes anyway.

None of that would have helped prevent your leak if it's in a deck box or fin box. I'd guess that if it's a box, the box has split and must be replaced. If not, it's probably loose ... and must be reinstalled. Again, What a nightmare in most parts of the country!

Beyond that I can't offer anything but sympathy. Good luck.

Mike \m/

[rswabsin]

I bought 4 boards over the past eight years or so via mail order and over the internet. Never had any problems with any of them including JP. Don't give up yet on returning the board. Be persistent with the shop who sold you the board. Maybe even offer to ship the board directly back to the manufacturer if it will save some shipping. Make sure you save all your receipts, and credit card invoices - these are you records for your date of purchase. Also, google the board manufacturer and get on their web site. Many have a forum in which you can post problems or complaints or even contact them directly. If you present you problem through their forum honestly, you'll likley get some positive response from a company rep. Look for the problem area as isobars described above but don't do any repairs yourself just yet as you might void your warranty. Good luck.

Rob

[PeconicPuffin]

[isobars]

You do have one more option to at least get your purchase price back: dispute the credit card charge under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We don't have to pay for merchandise that does not work as advertised. I've invoked it several times, once years after the purchase (VISA paid me 19% annual interest on the charge). This is a stiff law in the consumer's favor, and it's never failed me. Google it to find the procedure, file a written notice ASAP, and keep records. I'm guessing you may not even have to pay return shipping if your claim prevails: "It's yours, now, dudes. Come and get it; it's on my back porch waiting for you" ... maybe.

Mike \m/

[jp5]

I have purchased 3 boards online with no damages. The store told me not to sign for the delivery until after inspecting the board for damages. If the board was damaged I was not to sign for it, otherwise it was mine.

There was this one trucker who was real nervous and wanted my signature right away. I made him wait while I pulled the board from the box and inspected it.

[bred2shred]

Having worked for a shop for a couple years and being close friends with the owner, I can say that the board manufactures have a tendency of sucking when it comes to shipping and in some cases warrantys. My shop got to the point of requiring the wholesaler to double box boards that were shipped to him. And immediately inspecting the boards before signing for them or refusing them if there is obvious damage (truck drivers generally don't like that, but it puts the onus back on the board company).

I would definitely suggest going through a shop. The board you purchase will (should) be in one piece when you get it. And if you have a warranty issue, hopefully your dealer will back you up. Having a good dealer on your side can mean the difference between getting a warranty claim and not.

sm

[booog]

shops can get reamed too.
We recieved a board damged by an obvious puncture, can you say forklift.
had to call an inspector and has to suck up the loss of 50% of the boards value.
the buyer was offered the board for less with a repair but who wants that , didnt blame the guy.
finally sold the board years later nil profit.
on the wholesalers end, they dont want it back, it wasnt there fault.
some shippers just have plain bad shipping!!!