Outstanding Customer & Product Service

[Sputnik]

We see a lot of stories about bad service etc, well I have a good one for a change:

In 2010 based on my own research and a tip from Thumper of this forum I decided to buy a used 2006 Hobie Mirage Outback kayak from Gordon Silverthorne who owns and operates the Kootenay Fly Shop & Guiding Co. Ltd out of Fernie, BC.

I brought the kayak home on 19 March 2010, after a couple of floats I noticed it taking on a bit of water, but being new to kayaking I thought not much of it. In April 2011 I attended the Outdoor Adventure Show in Calgary and Gord had an exhibit setup with his products and a Hobie company rep. in attendance. I posed the question asking how much water should I take on in a typical float and Gord said not much more than a cup, I said I was taking on about a litre and he said that is way too much.

Knowing it was a used kayak when I bought it I asked what I could do to repair it, Gord suggested that I take pictures of the leak and told me that he would take care of me, the Hobie rep said not to worry they would ensure I was helped out. I subsequently sent the pictures and was asked for the serial number off the kayak to pass the info onto Hobie.

A while passed and then Gord informed me that Hobie was replacing the hull as they considered this a warranty issue. They honoured the warranty to a second owner of a 5 year old kayak. That ladies and gentlemen is outstanding customer service both on the part of Gord and Hobie.

To top it off, when I asked if I should bring the old kayak with me to swap for the new unit, Gord told me that Hobie said it is not worth the cost of them shipping the old one back, so just keep it. If I wanted to try to fix it myself no issue. (They now have the serial number written off so nobody can do this twice.)

So I picked up my new hull today and purchased a bunch of new upgraded accessories to outfit it, now I have two kayaks. One leaks a bit, but definitely not enough to sink it, you just have to bail a bit at the end of the day. I’ll probably sell it as I don’t need two boats.

So if you want a kayak, buy a Hobie a company that stands by their products, and buy it from Gord a man who stands by his customers.

Of by the way Gord’s having a tryout weekend coming up for Hobie products, so if you’re in Fernie, or nearby drop in and have a tryout/look at the goods.

[catnthehat]

WOW!!! That's something to talk about , for sure!
Cat

[thumper]

Good on you for posting this!
I've always found Gord a straight-up guy to deal with too.

Hope you're having as much fun with your Hobie as we are with ours.
BTW - the sail kit works great on the Outback, not so great on the Sport model.

[Albertadiver]

great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Sputnik]

Thanks Thumper, for the tip in the first place and the info on the sail kit. One of the items I bought was the Sidekick AMA kit. Going to install it today and see how it works out.

Will let you know the results.

[thumper]

I've seen them in use, and they certainly add more stability.
If you're interested in adding an electric motor mount, let me know. I found a way to be able to quickly convert my 'plug-in' Hobie cart into e motor mount, giving me far more day-tripping range on long lakes like Minnewanka or Maligne.

[Sputnik]

Thumper,

Spent a couple of hours on the water today with the new kit attached. All I can say is they work great. Without the kit I was hesitant to try standing on the boat. Now it is no problem, I won't be doing any acrobatics with my 55yr old grow behind involved with gravity, but it is stable enough to stand on.

Very stable when sitting, without it I could lean over but had to be careful I did not do anything fancy, today I was sitting on the edge of the kayak with both legs over the side in the water and I could lean forward and pick items off the surface.

This is going to be a great improvement for fishing catch and release.

I'd be interested in pictures of the motor mount if you wish to share PM me.