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LuckyMan
08-31-2018, 22:08
I want to warn everyone not to order shoes or anything else from Altra Running - an extremely dishonest outfit with stunningly bad service. On my CDT hike I ordered badly needed, hard-to-find (size 14) shoes in Leadore, ID to be sent to Darby, MT with delivery promised in 5-7 days. Altra failed to give a tracking number. I slowed my pace and took an extra day to ensure I would not reach Darby before the shoes. A week later, no shoes in Darby. I stayed an extra day with additional costs for lodging and meals - still no shoes.

I called Altra for the 3rd time - each time being put on hold for at least half an hour - and an Altra employee promised she would ship the shoes express and they would definitely be in Helena when I arrived Monday. Not only were they not there, I found out from UPS they were never sent at all.

Now Altra refuses to return my phone message or respond to online inquiries. I had to buy shoes in Helena for considerably more than Altra's sale price.

I do not know why Altra thinks it can treat customers like garbage and tell bald-face lies. Word will get out - I'll see to it.

nsherry61
08-31-2018, 22:27
Altra customer service may not be good, at least when it comes to orders and shipping. But, they are not a dedicated mail order house either. They are a shoe design company that tries to provide mail order service to some customers. If you want reliable and prompt service that is finely tuned for demanding customers, like long distance hikers needing things in a hurry, at a particular time, and trackable, you're much better off buying through a retailer that specializes in mail order customer service and not buy directly from the manufacturer.

Probably the best reputation is Zappos. But even someplace like REI, or backcounry.com have reputations for doing pretty well for thru-hikers.

Just be glad you aren't trying to buy Adidas shoes directly from Adidas. I don't even know if they sell directly, and they may have improved over the decades since I was ordering them in quantity, but holly crap they were horrible. Heck, Adidas was even worse that Chouinard Equipment, back before they spun off into Patagonia and Black Diamond and the like. Back in the day, they were famous for having the whole company be completely unreachable if the surf was up because everyone took the day off to go surfing. As I understand it, one of the reasons Patagonia become it's own company was because the profit and sales potential was huge and there was no way to keep up with it and keep surfing as the highest priority in the company.

Altra makes some great shoes for the sport we love. It's important to keep them working hard to maintain design quality and availability of their product. We need to give them hell when they fail. BUT, I'd hesitate to condemn the whole company too harshly based on one horrendous experience. Make sure you get a letter off to Altra powers that be with as much detail as possible of their failings so that the rest of us might suffer less as Altra has their eyes opened wider by your input.

Good luck and thank you.

Cheyou
09-01-2018, 09:03
You need to change your name to bitter man . Get over it it’s not worth the effort.

Thom

MuddyWaters
09-01-2018, 12:16
Too bad

Not first time a mfg delivery is poor though to individuals.

Third party resellers are generally more dependable on 2 day delivery or such. This is what their business is all about.

Sometimes, price isnt whats important.

Puddlefish
09-01-2018, 12:28
Yeah, I'm going to keep buying Altras. I will keep your warning in mind if I ever need to order a pair delivered to a trail town however.

methodman
09-01-2018, 12:39
It seems unfair to call him bitterman. The guy has a good reason to air out a complaint .There is no excuse for a company to ignore the customer so severely.

4shot
09-02-2018, 09:14
It seems unfair to call him bitterman. The guy has a good reason to air out a complaint .There is no excuse for a company to ignore the customer so severely.

I agree with you. When I deal with a company or individual, I just want them to be honest. If you say you are going to to do something, do it. If you can't or won't do something, then tell me that as well and i will make other arrangements. I believe that our actions speak louder than our words. Apparently, this company does not see service as a priority at the individual customer level. That's OK. What is not OK is that they led him to believe otherwise. I don't think the OP is bitter. I think he is trying to prevent others from suffering from the same neglect that he did.

nsherry61
09-02-2018, 09:41
I agree with you. When I deal with a company or individual, I just want them to be honest. If you say you are going to to do something, do it. If you can't or won't do something, then tell me that as well and i will make other arrangements. I believe that our actions speak louder than our words. Apparently, this company does not see service as a priority at the individual customer level. That's OK. What is not OK is that they led him to believe otherwise. I don't think the OP is bitter. I think he is trying to prevent others from suffering from the same neglect that he did.
Come on. Of course the OP is bitter. It doesn't mean he doesn't have every right to be. And it doesn't mean he should be ridiculed for being frustrated and angry about how he was treated. But I'm sorry, don't go claiming that you honestly think that the OP's only intent was to protect the rest of us, especially with a thread title "Altra shoes - worst service ever (https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/130624-Altra-shoes-worst-service-ever)". He's sure as heck reeking a little revenge on the company that frustrated him as well as warning the rest of us. I'd do the same thing. Don't get me started on Medtronic and their inability to supply my son with his diabetes supplies in a responsible manner!!

That being said, companies are made of people and the owner of the company may well be as outraged by how a person or department within that company treated a customer as the customer is. And, as with me and Medtronic, other aspects of their customer service may be exemplary and other orders have processed promptly as expected, BUT, holly crap!!! Did Medtronic ever screw up a couple times and in some extraordinary ways!! In the end, we're all people, and at times we end up dealing with others that don't act helpfully. And then, we can let the people know when their actions are not appreciated and share our experiences with others AND ALSO take the time to share our experiences with the powers that be above and/or around the person/people who's actions were, in our minds, inappropriate.

It sounds to me like Altra needs to either up their shipping game or more clearly define their limitations up front to their customers.

4shot
09-02-2018, 10:32
That being said, companies are made of people and the owner of the company may well be as outraged by how a person or department within that company treated a customer as the customer is. It sounds to me like Altra needs to either up their shipping game or more clearly define their limitations up front to their customers.

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away I was the manager of a large manufacturing company. Data said that roughly 2% of all orders shipped were the recipient of a complaint (delay in shipping, damage in shipping, price, specs or tolerance, backorders, etc.) I do agree that companies are made of humans and therefore errors occur. The real, truest glimpse into a company's values and management style is not in the error itself but in how they respond to the error. Sounds like you and the OP are dealing with companies that simply do not value customer service. There ARE, sadly, companies that have other priorities. Of course NO company will admit to thatas that would be a PR disaster. But you can tell from their behaviors.

Deacon
09-02-2018, 13:21
I want to warn everyone not to order shoes or anything else from Altra Running - an extremely dishonest outfit with stunningly bad service. On my CDT hike I ordered badly needed, hard-to-find (size 14) shoes in Leadore, ID to be sent to Darby, MT with delivery promised in 5-7 days. Altra failed to give a tracking number. I slowed my pace and took an extra day to ensure I would not reach Darby before the shoes. A week later, no shoes in Darby. I stayed an extra day with additional costs for lodging and meals - still no shoes.

I called Altra for the 3rd time - each time being put on hold for at least half an hour - and an Altra employee promised she would ship the shoes express and they would definitely be in Helena when I arrived Monday. Not only were they not there, I found out from UPS they were never sent at all.

Now Altra refuses to return my phone message or respond to online inquiries. I had to buy shoes in Helena for considerably more than Altra's sale price.

I do not know why Altra thinks it can treat customers like garbage and tell bald-face lies. Word will get out - I'll see to it.

I echo nsherry’s suggestion to buy from a retailer like Zappos. If you become a VIP member at Zappos at no cost, they will deliver overnight free shipping. What’s more they cover shipping both ways. They’ve saved my heiny a couple of times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Venchka
09-02-2018, 15:18
I echo nsherry’s suggestion to buy from a retailer like Zappos. If you become a VIP member at Zappos at no cost, they will deliver overnight free shipping. What’s more they cover shipping both ways. They’ve saved my heiny a couple of times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I think that an aside RE: Overnight Shipping to the Boonies is in order here.
In this day and age of Hybrid split shipping, FED EX, UPS, DHL, etc. handing off to the local post office for final delivery, Overnight Service to rural addresses is difficult at best.
I live approximately 35 miles from an urban P.O. or shipping company store. I can pay for Overnight Shipping. I might get second night delivery unless a weekend is involved. If the big companies hand off to the city post office who hands off to my rural P.O. that adds 1-2 or more days.
I’m not defending anything about the experience of this thread.
Just a heads up on the current facts of life in the Overnight Shipping world.
Back to the original subject.
Wayne

methodman
09-02-2018, 15:33
I think the term bitter man was used as an insult and I think that is what was uncalled for.

Feral Bill
09-02-2018, 23:08
Altras fit me extremely well. I will take my chances with the service.

Cheyou
09-03-2018, 06:24
I do not know why Altra thinks it can treat customers like garbage and tell bald-face lies. Word will get out - I'll see to it.[/QUOTT

BowGal
09-03-2018, 07:53
I’ve bought two pairs online from Altra. Fortunately, I’ve not had to deal with customer service. As for the runners, love them. I have a high arch, flat feet and wide feet, so these have been perfect. Did add insoles for high arch.

grubbster
09-03-2018, 08:52
I have a high arch, flat feet ...
Flat feet means you have little or no arch.

methodman
09-13-2018, 20:18
That is true.

Just Bill
09-14-2018, 14:13
Altra has been bought by VFcorp.

Not sure who actually runs it day to day, but it was sold to Icon fitness first before VF.

Not saying much either way really... but it ain't a mom and pop cottage company anymore.

You could pretty much insert any company into the line- I ordered XYZ from ABC to a remote location trusting on third party shipping and it didn't work out.

The follow up is ****te though. Everyone screws up- It's only when you fail to clean it up you get a black mark in my book.

Venchka
09-15-2018, 21:01
VF Corporation. The list of brands goes on and on. The North Face,
etc.
https://www.vfc.com/brands/all-brands
Wayne

Puddlefish
11-30-2018, 11:29
I just got an Email for a 40% off coupon, as an apology because they were changing warehouses or some such. It did take two weeks for my winter boots to be delivered.

Greenlight
12-02-2018, 14:37
I know I'm prolly being Mr. Obvious here, but please please please buy your Altras from REI. That way, if something goes wrong, you're working with REI's absolutely phenominal customer service agents, and you'll get money back at the end of the year for your purchases.

egilbe
12-02-2018, 17:11
VF Corporation. The list of brands goes on and on. The North Face,
etc.
https://www.vfc.com/brands/all-brands
Wayne

These are all brands I stopped buying because the quality got shoddy, cheaper. Crap. I liked Altras too.

Trail Lady
12-03-2018, 02:59
I bought Three pairs in a row. Olympus, Timps and Lone peaks directly from Altra and every single one of them had glue on the soles and sides fall apart with in 100 miles.

Greenlight
12-03-2018, 06:44
I bought a pair at Dick's last year, and have just over 100 miles on them, including a 60 mile section in northern Shenandoah, the first two days of which was rainy and mucky. They aren't falling apart yet. In fact, once they dried out and I brushed them clean, they still look pretty new. I'm not beholden to one company or one style of hiking footwear. I also love Merrill products, and wore out a great pair of Nike trail runners, too. They're doing okay.


I bought Three pairs in a row. Olympus, Timps and Lone peaks directly from Altra and every single one of them had glue on the soles and sides fall apart with in 100 miles. I know a lot of youtube hiking vloggers are hyping the hell out of these poorly made shoes but they really need to start getting honest and stop sucking on the tit of sponsorship viability. "I am not sponsored" claims are never followed with the words..."I paid full price". Usually...I have a free prototype but I cant show you. So you are sponsored. Or you are doing their Quality and Control work for free. There is no way you got the protoype for free, tested it, had to send it back, with absolute no compensation. Perception is reality. If they are recommending products the rest of us know are junk...credibility to corporate giants win, not the hiking community. Rant over.

Gambit McCrae
12-03-2018, 10:47
I agree the service sucks.
I think their mentality is this:
"We know people love our shoes, we know our shoes work for people. We know our shoes are not going to last a long time so in return, deal with what ya get and if you feel they wore out prematurely, buy ya another pair and try again."

here is my solution to customer service issues. If they are not willing to manage my product issues via email or on the phone, then I box my stuff up and address it to them ATTN Customer Service Management. Including a polite, typed letter.

I have always gotten a positive resolution this way.

stephanD
12-03-2018, 11:39
Salomon. Best. Shoes.

Gambit McCrae
12-03-2018, 12:49
Salomon. Best. Shoes.

That is of opinion. I wore out 3 pair of Salomons and lived with absolute terrible foot pain and toe damage on every hike I went on. Then came along Altra to solve my problems. I don't care if their CS sucks or not, I will continue to buy their shoes

stephanD
12-03-2018, 13:07
I hiked close to 1000 miles with my first pair of Salomon until they gave up, not a single blister. I have Oboz now which i bought only because I had a coupon, and they are falling apart after 300 miles. Maybe you did not have the right size.

CalebJ
12-03-2018, 13:09
Or perhaps this is the wrong place for a discussion of a completely unrelated brand.

Gambit McCrae
12-03-2018, 13:17
or perhaps this is the wrong place for a discussion of a completely unrelated brand.

bingo...........

rdljr
12-03-2018, 15:39
Is this how we measure products now? they last for 100 miles ect? That is less than two weeks of easy at home use. I think less of my boots if they don't last 2000 easy miles. I say easy miles cause at work thinks mostly stay dry and much more clean than on the trail. But I still get my 10+ miles aday in and expect my feet to feel comfy.

CalebJ
12-03-2018, 16:10
Is this how we measure products now? they last for 100 miles ect? That is less than two weeks of easy at home use. I think less of my boots if they don't last 2000 easy miles. I say easy miles cause at work thinks mostly stay dry and much more clean than on the trail. But I still get my 10+ miles aday in and expect my feet to feel comfy.

No, 100 miles is certainly unacceptable. I think for most people 500+ is a more typical number.

Greenlight
12-03-2018, 19:01
The hundred miles I mentioned were on trail, rocky, rooty, muddy, sloppy, miles. So, I have a good start with them. I'm expecting them to last at least 500 miles under those conditions. If they don't, I won't cry. Everything coming from mass production these days is pretty much designed to fail after a certain point. So that we buy new ones. If someone makes a pair of light, durable, grippy, comfortable footwear that lasts 2,000 miles, I'd spend.


Is this how we measure products now? they last for 100 miles ect? That is less than two weeks of easy at home use. I think less of my boots if they don't last 2000 easy miles. I say easy miles cause at work thinks mostly stay dry and much more clean than on the trail. But I still get my 10+ miles aday in and expect my feet to feel comfy.

Feral Bill
12-03-2018, 19:43
Replacing some number of defective units is most likely cheaper than maintaining quality control. It happens on many products. I wear one or another pair of Altra's almost every day. They seem to last as long as anything as light as they are.

TX Aggie
12-03-2018, 22:57
Altra has been bought by VFcorp.

Not sure who actually runs it day to day, but it was sold to Icon fitness first before VF.

Not saying much either way really... but it ain't a mom and pop cottage company anymore.

You could pretty much insert any company into the line- I ordered XYZ from ABC to a remote location trusting on third party shipping and it didn't work out.

The follow up is ****te though. Everyone screws up- It's only when you fail to clean it up you get a black mark in my book.

Interesting, I thought they were still family owned. Thanks for the update.

Puddlefish
12-03-2018, 23:30
You can only review a shoe based on how long you've owned it, and the miles, and conditions you've hiked in them. I loved my Merrill Moabs for 500 miles of dayhikes through NH, then loved them for 300 miles of the AT... then kind of hated them once it started raining and they were slow to dry, then a sole fell off, and I glued it on and it lasted another 100 miles til I could get to a shoe store. Turns out they were better for dayhikes, when they could dry at home every night, less enjoyable in constant wet conditions.

I then switched to breathable Altras, and loved how fast they dried, how light they were and put 200 AT miles, and another 400 NH miles on them, so far. My newest pair of Altras is more waterproof for cold weather, I've only put 100 miles on them but they're great so far through slush and snow. The mark of a good shoe review for me, is just being honest about how long, and where you've hiked with them. People can decide for themselves if that info is useful to them, or not.

egilbe
12-04-2018, 07:41
My Altra Lone peaks have about 150 miles of hard NH miles on them and probably another 100 in ME. Yes, they are starting to fall apart, but ME and NH are hard on footwear. Overall, happy with them

Dogwood
12-04-2018, 18:14
When you called Altra the third time did you ask why your shoes weren't in Darby...supposedly when they said they should have been there? That would have been my first question. Next, did you explain to Altra your situation? Very often when I do as a LD hiker and that timing of delivery is critical I receive added customer service and assurances. Altra's market does include reliably servicing trail running shoed LD backpackers. And, when I ordered the Altras in Leadore I would have asked for my Tracking # even if they didn't initially offer it OR MAYBE it was included in an eMail confirmation and the purchaser failed to access that info. That's just a wise thing to do on a longer hike in a remote area for such a harder to find size 14 critical piece of gear. It's also wise, at least from my perspective since I mail often on/to LD hikes, to ascertain contact info for the places I'm shipping to. I often check before physically arriving the mailed box has arrived at my shipping address. That's what modern 'connectivity' awareness can facilitate. ;)


To be clear the shoes were being sent UPS(United Parcel Service) to where in Darby? In some remote towns or regions especially smaller towns mail deliveries take longer. As stated ACTUAL DELIVERY TIMES MAY VARY. Also, UPS uses SurePost with the USPS to deliver mail to it's final destination in some, but to my best knowledge not all, areas or towns. This theoretically could lead to handing off mailing delivery delays. Some private shipped to locations such as hostels, motels, campgrounds, etc particularly in remote locations may have mail sent to a larger holding facility or off site USPO or mailing location where the owner has to pick it up. This can cause delays. Prime examples, are VVR and MTR on the JMT/PCT OR Benchmark Ranch on the CDT in MT. ALWAYS asks questions about any particular instructions on delivery times and mailing provided by the company you're purchasing something from and the place of delivery PARTICULARLY when critical!


Lastly, there are at least two USPO's in Helena. I know; I sent a box there on a CDT thru, as well as to Leadore. Helena is a state capital. Most state capitals or larger towns nowadays have more than one USPO. Make doubly sure you are at the right USPO if you send items to a USPO! I've done that a couple of times, being at the wrong USPO to pick up a resupply box. OMG I just sent a resupply box with critical meds in it to Asheville on a MST hike. There are four USPO's there alone.

I feel your pain. That's a remotish CDT area and I too have a hard time finding appropriate size 14 hiking trail runners.


When I have issues, even though I can lash out, first thing I try to do is check myself to see if I could have done anything better. Almost always I find that I could have and quite likely avoided being mired in the issue.

Dogwood
12-04-2018, 18:57
Very interesting statements made of durability and miles of usage. :rolleyes:

On one pr of Altra Olympus 2.5 with always a sub 20lb pack and moderate pace not using trekking poles:
a. as a best guesstimate 410 overall trail and paved road walking miles on a Oregon Coastal Tr Thru. This is not all wooded duff underfoot headlands and beach hiking. Sometimes it's on abrasive Acadia NP rocky like shoreline. There's salt that gets shoes wet too.
b. 104 overall trail only miles on a Lone Star Tr Thru(some out and backs added). This was a very non abrasive to footwear woodland thru hike never carrying more than 12 lbs.
c. 405 overall trail only miles on a Ozark Highlands Tr Thru with some Buffalo River Tr miles. As abrasive as much of the southern AT. A sub 14 lb kit with consumables. Never had to carry more than 1 L H20.

This does not include distances worn getting to these hikes from Atlanta or Kailua-Kona AP's or resupplying or worn casually at home.

I'm confident in stating emphatically this pr of Altra Olympus 2.5 has 1000 miles on them. Beaten up but still good enough for mowing the lawn once new inner soles were added. Cush is largely shot. Placed a few dabs of Seam Grip on them in key places.

Pros and cons about nearly everything and that includes Altra trail runners used for backpacking

Not an Altra fanboy across the board.

Five Tango
12-04-2018, 20:14
OP has a right to be upset.If a CS employee promises to do something,then they should do it.Period.Hindsight is 20/20 but if you had gotten the employee's name you could have at least ratted them out to management who really needs to know what their employees are doing.

Oddly enough,I ordered my first pair of Altras today from REI.I have been wearing the other well known brand but they are a bit tight in the toes and hold water forever when wetted out.

scrabbler
12-04-2018, 22:30
If any place says they are using SurePost, RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN. SurePost sucks in every way possible. It's hard to find a slower service.

Dogwood
12-05-2018, 01:02
Like Keen shoes or Microsoft or ZPacks or Mountain Laurel Designs or Brooks introducing new products to markets the products go through an evolving process hopefully for the better. Products don't always, and probably rarely do with long duration production runs, stay static in their design and build quality. At one time Keen was experimenting with new 'green' adhesives. It didn't work optimally. Keen, to their credit, recognized this and went with different better performing adhesives and seam technologies making overlays, rands, and soles less prone to delamination. Keen was offering part or full replacement value applied to newer evolving models. Different versions of Windows were released with Microsoft knowing there were still issues with the platform. To Microsoft's credit they addressed these issues providing free downloads to tweak performance and applicability issues. Likewise, Altra recognized their uppers had durability issues as their number one complaint. Altra, again to their credit, recognized this with a different upper in their Olympus 3.0 version verse the Olympus 2.5. *That amounts in my book to addressing customer concerns considering customer input! What is Brooks on their 12th or 13th generation of the Cascadia model?

SO, when offering reviews I like to see included what version shoe one is referring and as Puddles stated, "You can only review a shoe based on how long you've owned it, and the miles, and conditions you've hiked in them" or minimally, as Greenlight stated, "The hundred miles I mentioned were on trail, rocky, rooty, muddy, sloppy, miles. So, I have a good start with them. I'm expecting them to last at least 500 miles under those conditions. If they don't, I won't cry." Why might Greenlight not cry? Maybe, he recognizes that lighter wt trail runners have pros in their light wt but are sometimes lacking in durability?


Let's get real. Some of the top rated light trail runners are not as durable as a light hiking shoe or boot...which is why it might be sensible to have different footwear for different hiking situations.


For myself two of the important criteria affecting durability of trail runners beyond the particular model shoe and better matching it to the terrain is whether I'm day or LD hiking with little(UL/SUL) kit wt and whether I'm on maintained single track verse going rogue off trail on abrasive and mixed routes. My body wt has a lot to do with the longevity of a light trail runner as well! At one time I used to drag my toe going through trail runners rapidly. I eventually found out why. When I reduced the kit and body wt and stay on maintained ST paying attention to better ergonomic non pounding mechanics as a hiker I saw better durability in trail runners.


How much wt do we carry in our kits and on our bodies? How efficient and ergonomic are our mechanics? How well are we matching footwear to our hikes?


Maybe, just MAYBE, it's not all the gear's fault! :-?

GankenBerry
12-06-2018, 17:28
i've never dealt with customer service but im not really a fan of how easily and soon these shoes crumble apart.

Deacon
12-10-2018, 09:19
i've never dealt with customer service but im not really a fan of how easily and soon these shoes crumble apart.

I wore my Altra Lone Peak 3.5’s 489 miles from Rutland to Katahdin last summer, the worst terrain for shoes possible.

Yes they fell apart when I finished, but I knew they would do that because they are so light and flexible, and grip slippery surfaces like no other shoe I’ve ever worn. I never fell once on this trip.

That’s the reason I accept quick degradation of Altras. I’d rather buy a brand new pair each LASH, than put on a pair of clunky “long lasting” boots.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

FreeGoldRush
12-10-2018, 17:11
No, 100 miles is certainly unacceptable. I think for most people 500+ is a more typical number.
The way the shoe connects your body to the trail is far more important than how many total miles you can get with them. We are too fragile to prioritize anything else.

Gambit McCrae
12-11-2018, 11:01
I get about 500 miles out of a pair. I typically replace them once a year. The 3.5's I used this year I have 440ish miles on them and they still have some good life left