UKC

I have a pair of 5:10 guide tennie shoes i've had for around 4 months. the sole has come away on both shoe's. On one the complete heel area is nearly detatched.

I've searched the 5:10 site under "contact us" and it just gives a german phone number for "5:10 europe"..... does anybody know of a e-mail for customer support?

I bought the shoes's from outside in Hathersage.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

Well contact Outside then you dummy.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

I've just today sent my three month old guide tennies back to the ebay seller for refund/replacement after the toe rubber started splitting where it meets the sole. So clearly there is a quality issue.

As already stated, contact the retailer, that's who is legally responsible for correcting the problem under the Sale of Goods Acts.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

I had the same problem a few years back. Got no joy from Outside or the distributor. Good luck, but don't expect much.

In reply to Adam Long:

You didn't shout loud enough then

In reply to radddogg:
Well I had a fair go in person and then later on the phone. As far as they were concerned it wasn't their problem but up to the distributor, who weren't prepared to exchange kit that 'had been used' either. Considering one boot appeared almost new whilst the other's sole had fallen off I can only assume they thought I'd been doing some very aggressive hopping. Not what appears to be the law but then I wasn't about to take them to court over it.

In reply to Adam Long:


Whenever I've had a problem like this, I write them a letter, and tell them I expect a response by a certain date or I'll consider further action. Companies will usually be aware of their responsibilities and will generally give up once they have to put something contradictory in writing.

Only once did I have to file a small claims, against Evans Cycles, and they folded straight away.

In reply to Adam Long:

a friend had a similar issue
He did 1 big wall in them & they were totally knackered

5.10 accused him of cutting them & would not repair or replace

In reply to ashtond6:

Five ten are not responsible. The retailer are. Anyway I'm not going to waste time telling people how to exercise their statutory rights if they aren't arsed.

Mine went back yesterday and I'll update this thread gloating once I get my exchange or refund

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

5:10 May not be legally responsible, but I'd expect better customer service from any top end outdoor manufacturer.. This post alone will stop me ever buying a pair of their climbing shoes!

In reply to ScottTalbot:

I'll tweet them a picture and see what they have to say

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:
Im on my second pair of the original tennies and both have been bombers!!!

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

I the same issue, after just under a year of infrequent light use the sole on both shoes started to come off. I took them back to store (Gooutdoors) and they refunded me in the form of store credit straight away. Go into the store if you can and ask for replacements or a refund.

In reply to Tigger:

I'll contact outside . I have another pair which are at least 12 months older and heavily used ..... which no issues at all.

Thanks for your thoughts.

In reply to radddogg:


So what if your buying them as trade, direct through the 5.10 rep? Smart arse

In reply to ashtond6:

That is a B2B contract and totally different.

In reply to ashtond6:

He bought them from a shop,

Read the sale of goods act. Smart Arse!

In reply to Dave Perry:

the shop being the 5.10 rep, who works for 5.10? yep, should have gone to the retailer!

In reply to ashtond6:


I'm pretty sure 5.10 don't pay the Outside staff wages and even if they did they are still subject to the sale of goods act.

If he bought from a shop its sale of goods act. If it was direct from 5.10 its sale of goods act. Any company that sells to a private individual is subject to the sale of goods act.

Only if the transaction was explicitly a business transaction with a separate B2B contract in place would it not fall under SoGA.

In reply to ashtond6:

Was this a kosher deal with a receipt from the rep?

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:




Mine started to seperate at the toes, a few pennies worth of superglue and they are still going strong 6 months later. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

I just had the same issue in France. The retailer sent them back to 5 10 who sent me a new pair.

In reply to cp:

I've contacted outside and they will return them to 5:10 , i've sent photos of the shoes and they've already started the returns process.

I'd have glued them but I feel its missing the point... and they might peel further while i'm out.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

How did you get on?

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

My five tens started unbonding slightly after five months, I took them to go outdoors and asked if they could ask five ten to glue them back for me or something because I really liked the shoes. Two weeks later I got a call from the guy at GO saying 'Five Ten have been in touch and are going to give you a full refund.' I then went and bought a down jacket with the money as winter was coming in.

Manners help a lot in customer service. Failing that, throw the sale of goods act at them.

In reply to MischaHY: Very similar experience myself although after fourteen months. I would have settled for a repair but GO retained the shoes then soon rang to say they would give a full "refund" by voucher. I would love to get a new pair as I thought the originals were fantastic but there would seem to be a design/quality issue which makes me hesitate.

In reply to radddogg:

Still awaiting a outcome ..... gotta get the shoes back to outside in Hathersage, but they've already started the returns process with some photos I've sent , a new pair is fair I think. I could glue them myself but that's not the point! I also am prepared to stand by using them as I've a much older pair which i love.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:
Ok so my journey is complete. In a nutshell it went like this.

1 I noticed a split in the slide of the toe rubber per this picture https://twitter.com/RobPowell7/status/641029865328771073
It was caused by the deflection of the rubber by the midsole upon each footstep - imagine the sidewall of a tyre being run flat.
2 Sent back to LD Mountain Centre
3 Tweet sent to Five Ten soliciting their views - no reply
4 Follow up tweet to Five Ten - no reply
5 Email to Five Ten customer service - reply received forwarding to Five Ten UK - no reply from Five Ten UK
6 Phonecall from LDMC saying Five Ten think it is a tear and not a warranty issue - I kicked off - agent said he would speak to the boss
7 Snotagram sent to Five Ten and LD providing more support for my claim then finishing with a reminder to LDMC that even though this was a Five Ten quality issue the contract is with them and as such I would be writing a Letter Before Action requesting a full refund
8 Phonecall from LDMC offering a full refund
9 Full refund received from LDMC
10 Email received from Five Ten UK asking me to send them back for inspection...

I will NEVER buy a 5.10 product again based on my experience of their products and customer service. It clear that their focus is shifting away from climbing.

So, what do I buy in replacement? La Sportiva or Scarpa?

In reply to radddogg:



As your problems seem to have been with LDMC presumably the better choice would be not to use them again? Why not get some 5.10s from a retailer with a better history of resolving problems? Every manufacturer has some duff products and they are generally not geared up to deal with the public to sort it out as it is the retailer's responsibility.

Joe Brown's and Rock & Run have been pretty good for me in the past when something needed sorting out.

In reply to BarrySW19:

While LDMC weren't brilliant here they were just following their procedures. They asked for the shoes to be returned, consulted with 5.10 who denied any issue and LDMC still have me a full refund. So really I can't say that LDMC were the bad guys here.

LDMC maintained a level of communication throughout this but wanted professional opinion from the manufacturer. 5.10 only contacted me after numerous tweets and emails and failed to acknowledge my concerns

In reply to radddogg:

Yes, but the point is that communication between LDMC and 5.10 shouldn't be your concern. If the shoes were clearly faulty LDMC should have taken them back and refunded or replaced them. They are then free to argue with 5.10 at their leisure. Fobbing you off by saying they need approval from 5.10 to do anything sounds like poor service to me.

In reply to BarrySW19:

Under the Sale of Goods if it was within a few weeks then yes I'd agree but after that claims get more nuanced. I think LDMC would go out of business quickly if they upheld every frivolous complaint.

The bottom line for me is that this thread alone has highlighted a serious quality concern with Guide Tennies and maybe all 5.10 shoes and my personal experience of 5.10's communication has been poor.

In reply to radddogg:


Six years.


Why did you make a frivolous complaint?

Assuming you did not in fact make a frivolous complaint, then you can expect the retailer to deal with it. I can not agree with any idea that as time passes responsibility passes to the manufacturer. The manufacturer never has any responsibility to the customer, and I would not at all be dissatisfied if a manufacturer completely refused to even discuss a specific case where a product has been purchased from a retailer. I would only hope a manufacturer would provide technical details of their product.


I expect a manufacturer to do nothing. If they do anything I understand it is above and beyond what is expected by law, and I would appreciate it, but this trend of going to the manufacturer is partly driven by a desire from retailers to push problems away from them and is bad for consumers. Your first and probably last port of call should be the retailer.

Consumers will always get the best deal in the long run when they get the retailer to deal with problems. Letting retailers get away with palming customers off on the manufacturer is a long-standing diversion tactic. In this case you bought some shoes, they broke after limited use, the retailer gave you a full refund. I don't really see what the issue is here...

In reply to andrewmcleod:

The six years is the total time depending on the item. I would expect a pair of trainers to last six years in pristine condition. You are only entitled to an immediate full refund within the first four weeks, hence why I said a few weeks


? I didn't. I was referring to hypothetical scenarios

Perhaps I never worded it correctly but clearly my point has been missed. Given the time that had passed, it is not unreasonable to suggest that I might have just worn them out or misused them causing the damage. After the first four weeks the retailer have a right to investigate the cause of the fault. I do not think its unreasonable for the retailer to ask the manufacturer for their opinion in order to make a decision. At no point was I forwarded to five ten. I contacted five ten on my own, hoping to expedite the situation. From reporting it last Monday to getting a refund today I think the running had been reasonable given we are for months down the line from purchasing. These were purchased online too.


Agreed.


There is no issue

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Not quite sure why you've said 6 years. I can guess, but it's only the first 6 months where the retailer has to prove that the fault wasn't there at the time of purchase, after that the onus is on the consumer to prove it was.

And whilst the previous poster may not have made a frivolous complaint themselves I know that there is a high percentage of 'chancers' who would try and get a refund when they know full well that a product is just worn out. Similarly there are a lot of people who have unrealistic expectations on how long their kit will last. Consumers who imagine that an ultra-lightweight waterproof will last for 10 years just because it's GoreTex. These days where everyone is out to get a bargain, and people complain about the price of kit going up, it's not wonder that people are trying to get a freebie. I can't blame LDMC for at least considering that wear and tear might have been a factor.

FWIW I'm not referring directly to this case, but am making general remarks. In my opinion this case sounds like it was a genuine fault.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

My new pair of Scarpa Crux arrived today

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

5:10 have issued a credit note New pair on route once they are back in stock.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

For what its worth, I'm on my second pair of tennies. My first gen ones lasted 18 months of heavy use, the second gen ones I'm using now are going strong after 4 months and 2 bigwalls with only minimal signs of wear

I had similar experience with 5.10 tennies. Had holes in upper and sole was all gone after two weeks of via ferratas this summer. Worst shoes I ever had.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

I have a pair of camp fours, which are a replacement for the first pair I had. The rand on one of the first shoes started to separate about a month or so after buying them, following which the rubber on the heel cup slowly began to disintegrate as well. I had only worn them kicking about on grassy campsites so they hadn't been heavily used. I couldn't return them immediately as I was out of the country by this time. When I returned, the shop agreed to take them back reluctantly, suggesting that I should expect the level of wear on them and that I had not looked after them properly, but saying that they thought 5:10 would replace them anyway as they have a good record on customer service. Sure enough, brand new pair arrived a few months later.

In reply to radddogg:

As a follow up to this, a few days after LDMC had refunded me I received an email from 5:10 US apologising for the issue and the poor service received from 5:10 UK and offering to replace the shoes remotely from the US. After explaining I had already bought Scarpas in replacement they agreed to send me some new rock shoes of my choosing. Despite the Tennies retailing at $130 they let me take a pair of their Team Black at $160 and FedEx'd them to me in a week.

So I am now back to loving 5:10 again. Can't wait to try out my new shoes at the wall this week.

Thumbs up 5:10

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

May I ask if you machine washed the old pair?

In reply to radddogg:

I have never machine washed the faulty soled newer pair , but my older (2 1/2 years) pair have been machine washed once at low temperature.

In reply to Pkrynicki1984:

That's ok, was just trying to see if there was an outside cause. I've seen soles come off raiders after being machine washed at to high a temperature. My Tennies were machine washed at 30 with no ill effects