SallyCat Posted January 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2018 11 minutes ago, mbike-ski said: i was looking at the 85 cti to mount tele, fun ski? a good deal at $239 Yes, very fun ski! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast21602 Posted January 5, 2018 Report Share Posted January 5, 2018 What bike shop?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltyant Posted January 5, 2018 Report Share Posted January 5, 2018 17 minutes ago, toast21602 said: What bike shop? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I'll take it to the bike forum so Eaf and SallyCat don't get mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2018 11 minutes ago, saltyant said: I'll take it to the bike forum so Eaf and SallyCat don't get mad. Good, because I would NEVER hijack a thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 Blue Mountian shop tech after inspecting my binding screw: "It's broken." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, SallyCat said: Blue Mountian shop tech after inspecting my binding screw: "It's broken." Two words or 100 posts anyway I hope you enjoyed the skiing today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast21602 Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 Blue Mountian shop tech after inspecting my binding screw: "It's broken." I thought you said you were sending them back? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, SallyCat said: Blue Mountian shop tech after inspecting my binding screw: "It's broken." That's beyond lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 10 minutes ago, eaf said: That's beyond lame. Wouldn't they have a tool box with some additional screws? We have that at work as we often screw on final death tabs on bronze markers and they sometimes get stripped or other screw issues so we keep backup of different sized screws.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 15 minutes ago, toast21602 said: I thought you said you were sending them back? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I think she was gonna make one last effort at the ski shop at Blue mountain to see if they had a solution..still sucks but at least free shipping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 48 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: I think she was gonna make one last effort at the ski shop at Blue mountain to see if they had a solution..still sucks but at least free shipping Exactly right. It was worth a try and didn't press the shop to do anything. It was the retail girl at the counter who took them back to the shop--I had to explain a couple of times what I wanted them to look at; I never talked to an actual tech. That's the one thing I'm not crazy about at True Blue. I don't really want to talk to retail people about repair stuff if it means everything gets filtered through them to the shop techs. I'm sure she was like "Some ugly old lady came in and said something ...'blah, blah, loose screw. or whatever' ...I don't even know. What should I tell her to make her go away?" I went in there last year to try on a pair of boots. The salesgirl was really nice and all, but she kept asking me what color my skis were to see if the boots "matched." I would never have gone back there for anything boot-related if someone hadn't insisted that JD was a good bootfitter, and it turns out he is. But Jeebus, with a little staff training they could be a much better regional option than Buckmans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFskiDan Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, eaf said: That's beyond lame. In your eyes, ok. But lets face it, she didnt buy them there. Why the fuck would they want to stop tuning my skis that i purchased from them, to see if they could fix a ski that wasnt purchased there, and from previous posts, its pretty obvious the bindings/ski should go back to where ever they came from so that they are right/safe/not superglued the fuck back together. The shop at Blue is actually pretty decent, and i have had nothing but good experiences there. i bought my last pair of skis there, and maybe its just me, but i think that goes along way for getting good service. RidgeRacer bought a pair of boots at the tent sale earlier this year. lost a buckle somewhere along the way. Dude took his boot in the back, came out with a buckle on it in 5 mins. Not beyond lame. 43 minutes ago, SallyCat said: Exactly right. It was worth a try and didn't press the shop to do anything. It was the retail girl at the counter who took them back to the shop--I had to explain a couple of times what I wanted them to look at; I never talked to an actual tech. That's the one thing I'm not crazy about at True Blue. I don't really want to talk to retail people about repair stuff if it means everything gets filtered through them to the shop techs. I'm sure she was like "Some ugly old lady came in and said something ...'blah, blah, loose screw. or whatever' ...I don't even know. What should I tell her to make her go away?" I went in there last year to try on a pair of boots. The salesgirl was really nice and all, but she kept asking me what color my skis were to see if the boots "matched." I would never have gone back there for anything boot-related if someone hadn't insisted that JD was a good bootfitter, and it turns out he is. But Jeebus, with a little staff training they could be a much better regional option than Buckmans. I'm pretty sure you knew going in you had about a 10% chance of them fixing them. I highly doubt they would want to assume the liability for fixing your skis if it was at all sketchy. Like most everybody else im a big internet shopper for gear, and it hurts the brick and mortar stores, but it is what it is. I would buy another pair of skis from them in a minute if the price was close. I think the shop at blue does a great job considering the fact most people they deal with in there clueless themselves, and im sure that gets old quick. Not sure Buckmans should be placed as high as you might think. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 12 minutes ago, JFskiDan said: In your eyes, ok. But lets face it, she didnt buy them there. Why the fuck would they want to stop tuning my skis that i purchased from them, to see if they could fix a ski that wasnt purchased there, and from previous posts, its pretty obvious the bindings/ski should go back to where ever they came from so that they are right/safe/not superglued the fuck back together. Everything was lame there. They called the screw broken, they couldn't even explain the problem correctly. Didn't quote how much it would cost to repair, didn't even say whether it's repairable or not. Just "the screw is broken". Duh. Thanks a million, it was worth a drive there to get this expert opinion. And the reason why they may want to actually take a break from mounting the skis that you've purchased from them is some extra money that they could've earned right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 (edited) I should be clear about a few things: 1. I only bought the skis online because they were not available anywhere locally in the size I needed. I didn't save enough money to make the hassle of waiting, paying for mounting, etc.worth it. I just didn't have another option if I wanted to get on them this season. 2. I have no quibble with Blue's shop regarding my binding. I just wanted a professional to put eyes on it and make sure it was indeed unfixable. I would have kicked myself if I'd gone through the shipping process only to find there was an easy fix. I actually thought it was funny that they were like "Yup. Broken!" which was what I thought anyway. 3. Slight annoyance at the clueless sales staff aside, I have always had very good experiences with True Blue when it came to the actual work. JD was positively heroic about molding my boots for my difficult feet and he even took a look at my ZipFIts and gave me some super-thin snowboard boot laces from the shop to try to reduce the liner volume a bit. He's knowledgable and patient, and actually listens to and problem-solves with you. And they've done some mounting and grinding (lol) that I've been very happy with. 4. Buckman's is awful. I meant to suggest that the bar is pretty low around here. Edited January 6, 2018 by SallyCat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 Also, #5: I really appreciate everyone here for taking the time to consider my issue and offer suggestions. I learned a lot even if I had to ship back. So thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFskiDan Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 7 minutes ago, eaf said: And the reason why they may want to actually take a break from mounting the skis that you've purchased from them is some extra money that they could've earned right there. A ski shop will always work on someones equipment that was purchased there, before working on something that came in from the internet. Its common business sense which apparently you lack. You really think they should stop mounting a pair of skis that were just purchased at their store, which someone is waiting for, to help fix something that just came in? I bet it was pretty apparent to everyone in the shop that she didnt just come of the slopes on them and was in a jam. You are also missing the liability they will assume when they do fix someone elses broken shit. I think its all for the best that SallyCat sends them back and gets a pair that doesnt have to be fixed before she can even ski them. This is a risk we all assume when we choose to buy something off the internet. Whats lame is the quality control from the manufacturer of the legendary RTM's. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 5 minutes ago, JFskiDan said: A ski shop will always work on someones equipment that was purchased there, before working on something that came in from the internet. Its common business sense which apparently you lack. You really think they should stop mounting a pair of skis that were just purchased at their store, which someone is waiting for, to help fix something that just came in? I bet it was pretty apparent to everyone in the shop that she didnt just come of the slopes on them and was in a jam. You are also missing the liability they will assume when they do fix someone elses broken shit. I think its all for the best that SallyCat sends them back and gets a pair that doesnt have to be fixed before she can even ski them. This is a risk we all assume when we choose to buy something off the internet. Whats lame is the quality control from the manufacturer of the legendary RTM's. ^Absolutely agree with everything here. Even if they could have done anything, I never would have expected them to do the work right away. That's why I went in there in street clothes prepared to pick up another day. I've just been sort of reporting my experiences. I haven't been the least bit disappointed with anyone I've worked with in this process (Except for Volkl's quality control). In fact, everyone from the online shop to Blue to the UPS guy who helped me with some customs forms has been fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enjoralas Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 23 hours ago, saltyant said: Absolutely. You guys almost have talked me into getting a lesson now. I made it as far as checking Camelbacks website but they only offer lessons for beginners. Maybe I'll get a lesson at Stowe since they probably have world class ski instructors. Camelback offers advanced lessons, just not in a group. One hour private lesson is $119. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaf Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 1 hour ago, SallyCat said: ^Absolutely agree with everything here. Even if they could have done anything, I never would have expected them to do the work right away. That's why I went in there in street clothes prepared to pick up another day. Yeah, I don't. I thought that their techs were good based on everybody else's opinion, but as far as "business common sense" they lacked it all along. Take my recent experience with test-driving skis when they just stubbornly refused to prorate, reschedule, etc a test drive of the 3rd pair that they couldn't do the same day because their techs have left for the day. Needless to say, they never warned that their techs are leaving way before the store's closing, and when I came in and signed up for the test, I explicitly asked when they were closing. But hey, "it's a policy", was their final word, "to have test drives of all skis done on the same day". Their shops are overpriced retail. Not just on a regular winter day, but also on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Everybody else, whether it's an internet shop or a BM one, is running sales, but they're stubbornly burning lights and a salary of two "may I help you" girls getting zero sales. Some common sense for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 22 minutes ago, eaf said: ake my recent experience with test-driving skis when they just stubbornly refused to prorate, reschedule, etc a test drive of the 3rd pair that they couldn't do the same day because their techs have left for the day. That's actually bullshit. Did the manager tell you that or the counter girl/guy? Sheesh, how hard would it have been to just give you a rain check for one ski demo? Especially since the purpose is to sell skis and you presumably paid sixty dollars for the demo. It's the sales/retail side of the store that annoys me a bit. The shop does good work, but I wanted to talk to the tech today, just for a moment, to hear what he had to say about the binding, not have some teenage sales girl blow me off. Like I said, they could promote themselves as a bootfitting specialty shop like the Boot Lab at Windham under Marc Stewart or Nick at Mount Snow. JD is on par in terms of skill. And because the Lehigh Valley utterly lacks a decent bootfitter, that would be a significant draw. But I think they just coast on the money they make selling expensive clothing to New Yorkers in a cramped, underwhelming shop. Which is a waste of potential in a market with a real demand for a serious, high-quality ski shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast21602 Posted January 6, 2018 Report Share Posted January 6, 2018 Ok. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 I don't blame them for not wanting to set up another demo thirty minutes before closing. I don't like setting up an appointment with a family 30 minutes before we close cause it could take two hours. Anyway there's only one ski shop at the base of blue they have no competition so they will do what they want and most have had good experiences. You can't please everybody. Also why don't people like buckmans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyCat Posted January 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 6 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said: Also why don't people like buckmans? They don't do mounts or repairs in house, they ship everything to one of their shops down south I think. Got my first pair of ski boots there. My feet are like 94 mm wide. They put me in a boot with a 104 mm last. I didn't know any better until I did. Then I was pissed. Went in to try on a particular pair of boots that I knew they carried (Reviews said it ran narrow, but I wanted to see for myself). Asked for my size (26.5). Very cranky shop assistant measured my feet and said he'd bring e a 27.5 because that's what my feet measured. I said I preferred to size down and he looked at me like I had four heads. He eventually got me the 26.5s but he was a pissy jerk about it. I think I've told this story before, but at one point he literally fell of his stool. Onto the floor. Their tent sale is lame. They are in Whitehall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 Whitehall bad? I actually lived in Whitehall right near the Allentown border near 22 and it's gone downhill. I don't like that Buckmans is closed on sundays and the wrong side of 145 if you are headed to Blue. I've only bought a few pairs of goggles, ski socks, gloves and underarmor. I bought my current boots at sports chalet which is as near 309 in west Allentown but it's shutdown now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrilledSteezeSandwich Posted January 7, 2018 Report Share Posted January 7, 2018 Most newer skiers use a boot that is too large. I'm a size 11 street shoe and use a 27.5 ski boot but I used to wear a 28:5 ski boot. Getting out of my boots today was not fun I was on Bender knee like my third favorite boys 2 men song(Motown Philly and Water Runs Dry are 1 and 2 respectively). Despite it being difficult to get out of my boots due to the hard stiff 110 level plastic I know the exact tightness to ski comfortably for a whole session without making any micro adjustments on cold days my boots are awesome. On warm days like over 45 degrees they are a bit soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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