Why Repair & Care?

Service

What items can be washed / repaired?

• The type of items we are focusing on are down/synthetic sleeping bags & jackets for washing, shell jackets, insulated jackets and sleeping bags for repairs 

• If the customer has a different product, they need fixing and they have asked for our help, please refer to the additional service list to check if this is something, we can help with

• Please ensure to the best of your ability that the product is in sufficient quality to warrant a wash/repair (see Section “Description of Type of Damage & Appropriate Repair”)

• Please ensure there is no excess dirt, waste, mud etc on the product that could easily be removed by the customer before handing it over. This is to keep our teams and the teams of our repair provider safe. Moreover, non-compliance with this will cause a £50 fine for the customer.

How do I know which repair is the right one?

• Please refer to the description list in Section “Description of Type of Damage & Appropriate Repair”

• If you are unsure still unsure about the exact repair the customer should select, please try ringing our Account Manager Emma Burberry at Scottish Mountain Gear at +44 131-564-1000 stating you are working for Outdoor & Cycle Concepts.

• If you cannot get hold of them please advise the customer that if they submit the product, listing the best fit type of repair, we would always be in touch with them in case the repair service selected does not fit with the type of damage to get their confirmation on new cost.

What happens when I have selected the wrong service / the service cannot be completed on my product?

• Our Repair & Care Team (the Aftersales Team) will be in touch with the customer to discuss options, new costs, lead times and procedures and will not commence without the customer’s consent.

• Should the customer decide at this point that they no longer want to continue with the service, they will be charged a processing & inspection fee of £15

What condition does the item have to be in?

• The item must be of good enough quality to withstand the wash a/o repair service. E.g. if a down product has a tear, it will not be suitable for washing unless the tear is repaired prior to washing.

• Products sent in for repair should not be heavily soiled with mud, dirt, clay, alluvium, peat, grass, waste, bodily fluids, faeces or the like where the excess could be removed by the customer before handing in to OCC. If customers do not follow these guidelines, they may be charged £50 fine for putting our teams at risk.

• Products for washes must be tumble-dryable.

• If a customer submits a product that ultimately turns out not to be repairable or washable, they will be charged a processing & inspection fee of £15.

What will the repaired / washed product look like?

• Materials used for repair may vary from those of the original manufacturer. The nature of availability of materials from brands and manufacturers means we may not be able to offer an exact match to the original cloth or parts used. We normally offer a cosmetically sensitive repair in as close a match as possible or using stable colours like black which normally appears in another part of a product.

• Washing their product will reinstate the “fluffiness” and insulating properties of their insulating kit. However, some stains are so well & truly embedded in the fabric that even multiple washes would not remove them. This is particularly true for dark stains on light fabrics.

Can I get a different repair not listed on here?

• Yes, upon request we offer additional repair services (see Further Services List).

• However, the lead times might be more towards the 8-10 weeks if it is an unusual repair

Prices

Why are the services so expensive?

• Repairs: All these services are technical repairs using technical fabrics such as waterproof shell fabrics and are more complicated than normal tailoring of standard fashion garments and as such take more skill, time and more expensive spare parts to complete the repair than standard fashion repairs

• Washes: Washing insulating products involves using a specialised washing detergent that cleans and preserves the insulating & hydrophobic properties of the insulating content of the product (down or otherwise). We use Grangers Down Wash as our cleaning detergent to give your products the best detergent that is currently out there. Moreover, insulating products often take multiple cycles of tumble drying with unpicking the down / synthetic insulation between cycles to ensure we reinstate the insulating performance of the product often taking between 4 – 8 hours of drying time in total.

• Postage: If the customer wishes the product to be sent directly to their designated address, then the return postage is also included

Will I be informed if the prices change?

• Yes, we will contact the customer if the cost of the repair or wash is MORE than the cost of the service the customer has selected

• If the cost of the service is LESS, than the new, cheaper service will be carried out and the customer will be charged the cheaper service. (E.g. If a zipper replacement was selected but all that was required is a new zip slider, we would only charge the cost of the zip slider which is cheaper than a full zip replacement)

Why do we charge more for non-Explore Members or for products not bought from one of your stores/ websites?

• This is a benefit to our members who have bought with us in the past. 

• The cost of offering repair & care services on items we do not ourselves stock is more expensive.

Does the price include postage?

• It includes the return postage, if the customer wishes the product to be sent to their home address.

• It does NOT include the postage required to send the product directly to our Repair & Care team in our warehouse rather than dropping it off in stores

• If dropping it off in store and collecting from stores, all transport costs are already included in the price

Is there an inspection fee?

• Yes, there is a processing & inspection fee of £15.

• This will be charged when the selected repair & care service has to be amended and the customer chooses not to proceed. OR if the product cannot be repaired/washed and must be returned to the customer, in which case they will not be charged the selected service price but the processing & inspection fee of £15.

Are there any other fees?

• Products sent in for repair should not be heavily soiled with mud, dirt, clay, alluvium, peat, grass, waste, bodily fluids, faeces or the like where the excess could be removed by the customer before handing in to OCC. If customers do not follow these guidelines, they may be charged £50 fine for putting our teams at risk.

Payments

How & when do I pay?

• In Store Collection: If customer collects the product in stores, they will be charged at the till point at the point of collection. Once paid the customer receives their product(s)

• Direct to Home Delivery: If the customer selected the product to be sent to their designate address, then the Repair & Care Team (Aftersales Team) will send an email with an online payment link to the customer. Once payment has been confirmed, the item is dispatched.

Delivery & Lead Times

Is home delivery available?

• Yes, please tell our store colleagues when you are dropping off the item in store that you want it sent to your home/designated address OR if you are sending it directly to our Repair & Care team, please select the option to send it onto your designated address

• Postage is included in the price

Can I collect in stores?

• Yes, please inform our store colleagues of the store where you want to collect the item(s) from OR specify on the Online Order Form which stores to collect the item(s) from if you are sending the item(s) directly to our Repair & Care Team

Will I be guaranteed that my product is returned within the lead time?

• We will try our very best to return your gear back to you as soon as possible and we aim to have the majority of items returned to customer within our cited 6-8 weeks. Sometimes it can be even less than that.

• However, if the item needs particular spare parts or we need to check in with the customer first if the service needs to be amended, or during high volume periods we may need a little longer.

• We therefore suggest to expect a 8 week turnaround time to avoid disappointment.

Loss & Damage

What happens if the item is lost or damaged?

• Damage: There is a slim chance of your product being damaged during the transport and/or the washing and/or the repair service. If damage does occur, we reserve the right to repair the damage at our own cost.

• Loss or Irreparable Damage:  If the additional damage caused by transport and/or a wash/repair service cannot be repaired adequately or the item is lost, we will offer a replacement or if an exact replacement is not available, we will offer an alternative that is similar in product specifications, functionality and as close look & feel as the original as possible within the standard stock range we hold as a business. 

• If the alternative is not suitable to your preference, we offer a refund on a sliding scale based on the age of the garment and its original purchase value. Evidence of purchase and sale price must be provided.

• Sliding Scale:

Less than 2 years………………..70%

2-3 years…………………………….60%

3-4 years…………………………….50%

4-5 years…………………………….40%

Over 5 years……………………… 30%

Over 10 Years……………………. 10%

What if I am not happy with the alternative item offered to me?

• If the alternative is not suitable to your preference, we offer a refund on a sliding scale based on the age of the garment and its original purchase value. Evidence of purchase and sale price must be provided.

• Sliding Scale:

Less than 2 years………………..70%

2-3 years…………………………….60%

3-4 years…………………………….50%

4-5 years…………………………….40%

Over 5 years……………………… 30%

Over 10 Years……………………. 10%

What happens to my warranties?

• Please note that by allowing our team to undertake a Repair & Care service the manufacturer’s warranty may become void.

• The exception is for GORETex items, where any existing warranty will continue to be valid as our repairs are GORETex approved. The warranty period will not be extended form the original purchase date.

How long is the repair guaranteed for?

• The workmanship of our repairs is guaranteed up to 2 years from the date of repair. Any fault which becomes apparent with the repair due to substandard workmanship will be repaired free of charge (including postage).

• The guarantee of the Repair & Care service excludes faults caused by accident, neglect, including improper care, treatment or exposure to conditions deemed beyond normal conditions, misuse or where the product is deemed to have come to the end of its life through reasonable wear and tear. Any liability is limited to the repair & care service only and excludes any consequential loss.

How long do I have to claim / query a service? 

• You have 14 calendar days from receipt of your product to query the workmanship of our repair / wash service.

• If you submit your product on suspicion of substandard workmanship of the repair and upon inspection, we find no fault with the repair itself, you will not be reimbursed for the repair nor offered a replacement product. You will be charged an inspection fee of £15. We recommend you speak with our Customer Service team to check if your damage is likely due to substandard workmanship, to avoid unnecessary inspection & postage fees.

What if I don’t like the final look of the repaired/washed product?

• We advise all customers that materials use for repair may vary from those of the original manufacture. The nature of availability of materials from brands and manufacturers means we may not be able to offer an exact match to the original cloth or parts used. We normally offer a cosmetically sensitive repair in as close a match as possible or using stable colours like black which normally appears in another part of a product.

• Washing their product will reinstate the “fluffiness” and insulating properties of their insulating kit. However, some stains are so well & truly embedded in the fabric that even multiple washes would not remove them. This is particularly true for dark stains on light fabrics.