Backcountry

Not only does this company treat their employees like slaves and terminate them because they broke their ankle and could no longer sprint around the warehouse an average of 12 miles per day (I have met other people who have been terminated for similar reasons despite the will to work. They refused to switch me to a desk position and "didn't feel like extending my leave"). But now they have decided to TM the WORD "backcountry" and sue 300+ businesses with the word "backcountry" in their name. The amount and "reason" they are suing these businesses for, is grotesque. I hope all of these boycotters turn enough folk away from them to prevent them from being a functional business any further! If I could give zero stars, I would.

Ordered a North Face jacket for my son. It didn't fit so I paid the $6.99 to return it. (Tags still attached). I received an email it was received and I would be refunded. A month passed and still no refund. I email and am told it takes 3-5 days for the refund to go through. I write back stating it's been a month. They then tell me that I'm actually not being refunded because the jacket was returned "used" and had a mark on the back. They offered a $37 credit for a jacket I spent $60 on?!?! I responded that is absurd and asked how to appeal the decision. No response. I write again asking how to go about appealing this decision. No response. I call them and get disconnected. I call back and am told they can't help and will transfer me but again I'm disconnected. This company is a disgrace.

Preface: This began around 8/1/19. Ordered $600.00 Western Mountaineering Versatile down sleeping bag from Backcountry.com, through Amazon. The entire transaction was administered by, and fulfilled by Backcountry.com. First order was received from Salt Lake City, the replacement, second order was from West Virginia.

The first box arrived on my doorstep, delivered by UPS. It appeared like someone had smashed the box in the center with a sledgehammer, then, whacked open the seams with a chainsaw. I was in shock. Was it UPS, apparently not, as the investigation determined.

The product was shipped in a box that looked like it had been drug from the bottom of a cardboard recycle shredder. Moreover, they'd only applied tape to 4 of 8 box seams. The tape was only adhering on two small outside points. The down sleeping bag was oozing through and outside all of those seams. Who knows what damage was inside, or what the product had been exposed to in transit. I did NOT open the box. Only and idiot would have opened the box. I was disappointed beyond reason.

The only good: Backcountry did indeed send a return lablel, and apparently approved an immediate refund. The grossly damaged, unopened box was placed inside another box, so their receiving dock could see the results of the shipping departments poor workmanship and lack of pride.

That said, I needed this for an upcoming trip and time was wasting. In good faith, I tried again (what a fool I was!) and placed a replicate order for the same sleeping bag on the same day I shipped the grossly damaged box back to Backcountry.com.

To be sure, I tried again because the single incident was out of character, and an anomaly in my 10+ years receiving stuff from BC. Only a week prior, I'd received and ice axe in a stout box, taped around every perimeter. Couldn't happen again, right? Wrong!

I had the second attempt shipped to the local UPS store so I'd have a witness, just in case another arrived in such poor condition. My jaw dropped when the clerk came from the back room with this replacement. To be sure, it was a significant improvement over the first, however, it was yet another inexcusable, slap in the face, stab in the back, and sent the message loud and clear that customers don't matter to this company.

The second box had a crushed corner. The structural integrity of the cardboard was similar to parchment paper. It was only taped along the length of the middle seam of the top and bottom flaps. The tape was cheap, had come loose so the flaps were gaping open about 2", exposing the contents to whatever. The UPS clerk commented "what's with these guys and skimping on tape." I agreed, tape is cheap, and what little they used appeared like they were stoned or drunk when they boxed it up. A chimpanzee would've done a superior job. It was not acceptable.

I needed this sleeping bag. Reluctantly, I opened the box with care. The fabric and insulation appear okay. But, if any small thing ever fails like a thread coming loose or whatever, I will always wonder if it were due to some initial damage from being exposed in transit through those gaping seams.

Indeed, throughout all of this I utilized all their worthless "live chats," 1-800-no-response, and multiple form emails. All were a waste of time. As well, every communication was dumped into an infinite queue. Each time I was forced to regurgitate the same order information, and explanation because no single person could see it through. Their communication venues are engineered to discourage the customer, with hopes they'll surrender and Backcountry walks away with the cash with a smirk on their face. And I did surrender because I was in a corner and needed the gear.

The last form email explanation from some worthless "gearhead" was "well, sir, we at Backcountry are ecological minded and do everything to reduce waste. We use a machine to box and tape shipments and it makes its own boxes." I suggested perhaps, they consider having a human inspect the boxes on occasion to ensure the little robotic boxing machine works. I'd fire the robot, and hire a chimpanzee to box their shipments.

The box "robot" was yet another of Backcountry's infinite lame excuses to dance around responsibility for the very worst shipping protocols, and horrible customer service. I expected them to show some backbone, take ownership of a mistake, acknowledge the issue, correct, and move on. It was asking too much. Their arrogance is indisputably the very worst I've dealt with.

At the end of the day, I was cornered, and left holding the bag. I needed the sleeping bag and had patiently spent (wasted) more than 2 weeks on this already with scores of attempted communications with Backcountry.

I was slapped in the face, and they swept me under the rug like dirt on their feet. My confidence in Backcountry.com is forever shattered, and I will inform as many persons I can in the local outdoor community and retail about them. I showed images to several local outdoor retailers including REI so they could see how low their competition has stooped.

Note: I attempted to upload an image but was unable, even with reducing size.

Placed order on 8/5 for backpack I needed for a hiking trip on 8/10 and requested 2 day shipping. It didn't go out on 8/5 because of a mistake on their end with my billing address, however I was assured it would go out on 8/6 and with the 2 day shipping I would have it by 8/8. Fine, no problem. But on 8/8 no backpack so I called them (3rd phone call) and they could not give me an explanation. I was on the phone for 30 minutes with them and was told it would ship overnight that day and would arrive on 8/9. When I got home from work on 8/9 no backpack! I called them again -- 4th call -- and again they could give me no explanation. I cancelled the order. They kept promising I'd have it and I really believed them each time and they never called or emailed to say there was a delay. Now I have no pack for hiking trip I'm leaving on tomorrow.

I placed an order with Backcountry.com on Tuesday, 07/09/19 for two shirts I need for a trip I'm leaving on Saturday, 07/13/19. The free 2day shipping should have left room to spare, but instead they completely left me in the lurch. A short timeline:

- Although the order is placed on Tuesday, no confirmation is immediately sent. I have to get an order reference number from PayPal.
- After placing the order but long before shipment one of the items is reduced in price. No refund of the difference is ever offered.
- On Thursday I chat with an online rep. She informs me that the delivery will take 2 business days from shipping, which would be that afternoon. I tell her to cancel the order if it can't be delivered by Friday, as it will no longer be of use. She states that she's changing the service to overnight and that it will be there the next day. Neither of these things happen, but I do finally get email confirmation of the order.
- On Friday I get an email that the order is shipping 2day service and will arrive on Tuesday. I immediately respond to cancel and catch the order. I receive a message back from Gearhead Trevor H. That they were going to intercept the shipment and that I'd be issued a full refund when they could confirm possession. These two things never take place.
- On Tuesday, 07/16/19, while I am out of town, I receive an email that the shipment has been left on my doorstep. On the road, I speak with Gearhead Keith J. He asks when I'll be home and how close I live to a UPS store. It will be my responsibility to return the items before a refund will be issued.

Now, after twice telling them to cancel the order, I'm less then inclined to deliver this package back to UPS for them. After a bit of discussion, Backcountry reluctantly agreed to have it picked back up from my front porch. Still, they've yet to do a single thing that they've said, so I'll probably just take it to the store.
The real point is that they're completely undependable, and they don't seem to care. Missing a couple of quick dry shirts has been less than ideal, but it didn't ruin the trip. If this had been a couple pieces of critical gear for a bike tour or whatever you're in to, it could have been far more difficult to work around. This is a store that sells pricy outdoor equipment to people who are need quality gear. They call themselves "Gearheads." Not a single person out of the three I had contact with seemed to have any idea that what they sell could be important. They sure didn't acknowledge that they created any kind of inconvenience. I guess this was an easier way to learn an important lesson about company with equally low levels of competence and integrity.

If I could leave a 0 stars I would. I asked one of there associates before ordering(on Friday) some Danner boots from them if I paid extra would I receive them on a particular date(Monday). They assured me no problem, I ordered paid the money, even paid extra for next day delivery. The Next day(Saturday) I noticed that I hadn't been notified of their shipping so I called to see the status of my order. The first call they hung up on me when I tried to give them my order number. The second time I was able to give them my order number to be told that after I paid and was assured of delivery(on Monday) that it wasn't going to be shipped until the day I was supposed to receive it(Monday). They were unapologetic in fact they could have cared less. They just wanted to refund me my money and move on to the next customer. I will NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AGAIN! I would use caution as the customer means nothing to them. Even after I asked them what I was supposed to do that I NEEDED those boots(for Tuesday) and counted on them. They could've cared less and came up with some lame excuse and wanting to move on to the next customer. BEWARE DOING BUSINESS WITH THEM! As they told me no problem you'll get them on Monday and then left me with nothing but a canceled order! NEVER AGAIN!

We ordered two Patagonia backpacks that were heavily discounted because the color had been discontinued. Backcountry.com shipped next business day. We got the free 2 day shipping. They were able to ship those UPS Ground to our Atlanta address by using their Virginia distribution center. They arrived via UPS is 2 days as promised.

The backpacks are is perfect shape, in the original unopened clear bag that Patagonia used. All tags are in place. "Newer" than picking one up from off the rack at our local outdoor store.

So happy, we ordered another discounted Patagonia pack from them in a larger size.

I placed an order for a pair of shoes, but when they arrived I found that they were too narrow, so I returned them. I got a partial refund of my order, but couldn't make out why. Their website talks about how easy their returns are and that their returns are 100% guaranteed, or some other nonsense. What they don't make obvious when you're making a purchase is that if there's a problem the customer has to eat the return shipping. If this was a small shop it might be understandable, but this is unacceptable for a large company that sells clothing items. Essentially I paid $7 to try on a pair of shoes. Neat. When I called customer service I was told, "Yep, we don't pay for return shipping." They should be ashamed of themselves for this policy. I will never do business with them again. Stay away.