Worst's plays in Gördalen to go to you cant even bit q Beer ute the Wistrand plats down here I can't even drink

Background: I received a sweater as a birthday gift that was bought on Amazon (by my mom), but was sold by & shipped from Backcountry. I expected a quick and easy return on Amazon, but when I printed the return label, it is shipping to Backcountry. I have to drop it at UPS. It looks like I need to pay for the S&H.

COMPLAINT: It says right on the paper with the label: "INSTRUCTIONS FROM BACKCOUNTRY: If you'd like one of our discounted return shipping labels, please let us know and we'll send that to you. You'll be refunded the full amount of the item minus $6.99 for that label." Not exactly what I wanted for my birthday, but fine.

I called Backcountry's customer service # expecting a quick and easy request label; get label; drive to UPS, drop off sweater. But no. FRANCIS was rude. Instead of listening and trying to understand my request, he insisted I go through Amazon. I DID GO THROUGH AMAZON. And this return label with these instructions are what I got.

I asked him direct questions, like: is this label prepaid? He did not answer. I told him repeatedly that I have gone through Amazon and he kept telling me to look at Amazon's site, like I haven't done that or am stupid. I asked if there was someone else I could talk to and he told me, repeatedly, that anyone else there would tell me the same thing he was and I would get nowhere. I had to insist he pass me to a manager and that was about 15 minutes ago. I've now spent over a half hour on the phone with them (thank you hands-free phone) trying to simply get a label they offer customers in print. By the way, mansplaining to me that it was sold on Amazon was beyond condescending and unhelpful. Refusing to answer my questions or pass me on to someone who might actually hear what I'm saying and respect that I'm really frustrated, instead of informing me EVERYONE at Backcountry will only continue to deny me any form of customer support, also unhelpful, unsupportive, and obnoxious. If these businesses want our dollars, why do they treat us like they couldn't care less about our experience buying from them?

I don't know if I'm on hold while he $#*!es about me to his manager or if he's put me on hold and is doing nothing at all. I even asked if I could text or email him a picture of this mailing label and the instructions from backcountry on it. (image attached) He said, "Well you could, but I can't do anything about it." Never mind that his company is choosing to do business on Amazon and take returns from those sales and they wrote out instructions inviting customers to request this discounted shipping label. I am so frustrated. I will NEVER buy gear or outdoors stuff from Backcountry. And yes, I am an outdoors enthusiast as are my friends. I hope REI still has good customer service, since my gear budget will be going there. Outdoorplay.com has been good in the past. So has the kayakcenter in RI--really helpful phone support there. And I do love my local mom & pop, Midwest Mountaineering, of course!

And...49 minutes and the call was disconnected. Francis was definitely F-ing with me. Somebody give that man a raise!

Me? I'm going climbing so I can laugh about this. The sweater? Who knows...

I had ordered shoes and didn't end up liking the style so I had returned them. I had no issues with getting a shipping label or anything so I mailed them and they received the shoes on 2/17/22. I messaged them around 3/1 to ask for an update on my refund, I was told it could take 7-10 business days and this was about the 9th business day so I said okay fair enough. Another week passes with no refund. I messaged them again and they told me they did receive the shoes but maybe they got put in the "issue bin" in shipping, so he would email the dept and it could take 1 business day to hear back, but since he knew they did receive the shoes, he could go ahead an issue my refund and that he would email me when complete- never happened. Another week went by and I messaged them again, the first employee ended the chat on me, then the second employee told me that the refund was issued to me that day and even emailed me a receipt for the refund. 3 days go by and I still don't have a refund. This is 3/24/22 now and I message them and told them I wanted a refund TODAY and the employee says " I reached out to your bank rep, and they said the refund wasn't authorized so they rejected the refund" I have worked in banking for 5 years and I worked for the bank I have my account with- that was a straight LIE. That does not happen in a bank. So she "issued me another refund and I should see it in my account in a couple hours" well at 10pm I still did not have a refund. So I go on the chat again, but this time I threated to file a formal BBB complaint against them if I do not see my refund. So the employee tells me the refund was issues yesterday (3/24/22) I did not speak to them that day, and so far I have now had 4 employees "Issue me a refund". Then I gave him the receipt number from the email the employee had sent me on 3/21/22 (that never came) and he tells me that credit had been "zeroed out". He tells me it could take 1-4 business days to see my refund and to message them if I don't see it by next week. I again reminded them that I will be filing a BBB complaint, and that I will be actually calling tomorrow to speak to a manager. Well guess what showed up in my account a couple hours after this chat, my refund. I will NEVER order from this company again.

They charge for returns and don't do exchanges through amazon. Seriously, WTF!

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.

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.