Oakleys new return policy?

[antone]

I tried returning two pair of broken Oakleys. Used to be a no ? asked deal. Now they laugh at my "classic" sub zeros that cracked in the middle of the lens and my newer, (yes over a year old), plastic frames that broke at the temple, " that will be 29.95 to asses the ear piece". I just threw them both in the trash. No more Oakley anything for me!

 

[biker7]

Biggest issue is to prove a manufacturing defect versus negligence on your part...not easy for Oakley to sort out and they will always err in their favor.
I am an Oakley wearer and believe they are the best sunglasses. Have had them for years. All sunglasses will fail over time. Lesser sunglasses will generally break sooner. My Oakleys have been the most durable. I find the M-frames to be the best. Speaking of which...to expand the thread, any Oakley wearers...M-frame owners in particular with Rx inserts embedded in your lenses? If so, where did you purchase your Rx lenses?. I am not a big Rx insert clip on fan.
Thanks,
George

 

[lohsnest]

I tried returning two pair of broken Oakleys. Used to be a no ? asked deal. Now they laugh at my "classic" sub zeros that cracked in the middle of the lens and my newer, (yes over a year old), plastic frames that broke at the temple, " that will be 29.95 to asses the ear piece". I just threw them both in the trash. No more Oakley anything for me!

I have to disagree with you on that.... Oakley has always charged to repair their sunglasses. In fact, I don't think any manufacturer will put themselves on a limb like that and take care of such critical problems....your glasses sound they were pretty well used and abused. Biker7 is right...it is extremely difficult for a manufacturer to determine whether or not a pair of sunglasses is defective.

Personally, I own a pair of Oakley E-Wires and a pair of Oakley Zeros and never had any problems whatsoever, given normal use. I have had scratches in them and have had to pay a small minimal amount to repair them each time. Of course, I saved $ on them by bringing them into the facility myself.

Right now, I also use a pair of Rudy Projects for cycling. Rudy Project has a guarantee on their lenses. They are supposed to be highly scratch resistant....no such luck! They will replace my scratched lenses for a nominal fee (shipping only). To me, it's a matter of replacing/repairing what I consider almost an invaluable tool in cycling, and if it is necessary to protect my eyes, then so be it....spending $15 or $20 to repair my glasses is far better than buying a new pair each time, and to be disappointed when the next manufacturer also charges you to repair theirs.

Regardless, it is unfortuante that you had such a bad experience with them. Oakleys really are a great pair of glasses.

Regards

 

[snyper0311]

I also am sworn to Oakley. I will never wear another brand of sunglasses again. I have returned Oakley's to the manufacturer and have had no problem getting them fixed. True, you do have to pay for the repair, but compared to the price of a new pair of glasses, it is well worth it.

I have a pair of M-Frames with the RX lens. I had them made/ordered from my eye doctor. Oakley makes the lens with the RX in the lens. Well worth the money.

As I said above, I will never wear another pair of glasses other than Oakley. I had a pair of M-Frames save my eyes when I got hit by a bee at a high rate of speed. Broke my glasses in two but when I went to the Doctor, he said if it wasn't for the glasses, I would have had some serious eye damage.

 

[lohsnest]

I also am sworn to Oakley. I will never wear another brand of sunglasses again. I have returned Oakley's to the manufacturer and have had no problem getting them fixed. True, you do have to pay for the repair, but compared to the price of a new pair of glasses, it is well worth it.

I have a pair of M-Frames with the RX lens. I had them made/ordered from my eye doctor. Oakley makes the lens with the RX in the lens. Well worth the money.

As I said above, I will never wear another pair of glasses other than Oakley. I had a pair of M-Frames save my eyes when I got hit by a bee at a high rate of speed. Broke my glasses in two but when I went to the Doctor, he said if it wasn't for the glasses, I would have had some serious eye damage.

Funny you bring the bee up.... My lenses were scratched by flying debris. The same thing could've happened to my eyes if I hadn't been wearing glasses.

 

[snyper0311]

Funny you bring the bee up.... My lenses were scratched by flying debris. The same thing could've happened to my eyes if I hadn't been wearing glasses.

In my opinion, the $200 spent on the glasses was well worth it! I'm sure you would say the same thing.

 

[triguy98]

I am also an Oakley opponent. Ear piece broke after TWO months. Nope, not covered. Not even offered a repair. Kinda soured my taste.

Currrent shades are Wally world perscriptions. Not exactly the sportiest out there, more apt for casual wear. But they work. $100 for the frame and polarized lenses. Better than the $100+ for the Oakley perscription lenses. Had my current shades over a year with no problem.

 

[lohsnest]

In my opinion, the $200 spent on the glasses was well worth it! I'm sure you would say the same thing.

Oh, absoultely, 100%.

 

[antone]

The, "policy", is new. So all you Oakley fans may feel different when you deal with their return dept. again. There are so many really good inexpensive glasses I think the name gets the big dollars not the inovation or quality. My main problem was the great exchange policy the company used to have is now very strict and the guy on the phone was not out to help me with the change in attitude. Don't you guys remember that if they were broke you sent them in with 15.00 and got a new pair? Now you need a, "return authorization number", before sending them back. Ever hear of Slips? Great riding shades, 3 interchangable lenses, hard case, and great air flow. Lots of glasses for way less than 200.00!!!!!

 

[lohsnest]

The, "policy", is new. So all you Oakley fans may feel different when you deal with their return dept. again. There are so many really good inexpensive glasses I think the name gets the big dollars not the inovation or quality. My main problem was the great exchange policy the company used to have is now very strict and the guy on the phone was not out to help me with the change in attitude. Don't you guys remember that if they were broke you sent them in with 15.00 and got a new pair? Now you need a, "return authorization number", before sending them back. Ever hear of Slips? Great riding shades, 3 interchangable lenses, hard case, and great air flow. Lots of glasses for way less than 200.00!!!!!

I'm sorry, I've had Oakleys for over 8 years now and have continued to use their products, which are outstanding. I have never experienced the level of hassle that you are describing from their customer service department. Everytime I've had a problem, I've just had to bring it in to their repair facility in Northern Orange County, and had it fixed for a nominal price. Believe it or not, nobody in their right mind would fix or replace a cracked lens or cracked frame for free or for only $15....not Rudy Project, Not Tifosi, nobody!

Your first statement....

I tried returning two pair of broken Oakleys. Used to be a no ? asked deal. Now they laugh at my "classic" sub zeros that cracked in the middle of the lens and my newer, (yes over a year old), plastic frames that broke at the temple, " that will be 29.95 to asses the ear piece". I just threw them both in the trash. No more Oakley anything for me!

Sounds like your glasses have gone through excessive punishment and abuse to me. A pair of glasses does not just snap at the temple unless you bent it or pulled on it in a way you should not have. I wouldn't expect plastic to hold up to well when you drop it, stomp on it, or fall on it... You should try to be a bit more careful with your next pair.

 

[lohsnest]

I am also an Oakley opponent. Ear piece broke after TWO months. Nope, not covered. Not even offered a repair. Kinda soured my taste.

Currrent shades are Wally world perscriptions. Not exactly the sportiest out there, more apt for casual wear. But they work. $100 for the frame and polarized lenses. Better than the $100+ for the Oakley perscription lenses. Had my current shades over a year with no problem.

You can't fix plastic like that. You could try crazy glue but that too will snap eventually. If you broke the earpiece, you most likely would need to replace the entire arm. Warranties cover normal defects in manufacturing.... I highly doubt that the earpiece just snapped on its own. Let's face it, plastic is delicate and one can't expect it to not break when we sit on it or drop it or it accidentally gets jerked from one's face.

 

[warrior1]

A friend and I had M frames back in 1995, they both broke in the center where they are injected. I sent them both in and got new ones for free. Now just last summer my replacement pair and a second pair of M frames broke at the ear piece. Not from abuse like some people might think, but just from wear. I called the customer service center. They said due to the age that they would give me a twenty dollar credit for each pair. But, I had to use the credit on two pairs of glasses, not forty dollars on one pair. I figured that wasn't an option so, I mailed them blindly to oakley. In about four weeks a fedex truck pulled up to my house. I was happy to see they replaced the frames on both pairs but used the original lenses. That was fine with me. They did charge me for the frames, but only $22.50 per pair. I figured mine were the original style and they replaced them with the new style so I was happy with that. I have been wearing oakleys glasses since the early 1980's and will continue. So if you have a problem try just sending them in, no note or anything just to see what happens. If they are broke you have nothing to lose.Like I said earlier the one pair I wore for nine years when they broke! Now I think that's quality!

 

[Adam-from-SLO]

The, "policy", is new. So all you Oakley fans may feel different when you deal with their return dept. again. There are so many really good inexpensive glasses I think the name gets the big dollars not the inovation or quality. My main problem was the great exchange policy the company used to have is now very strict and the guy on the phone was not out to help me with the change in attitude. Don't you guys remember that if they were broke you sent them in with 15.00 and got a new pair? Now you need a, "return authorization number", before sending them back. Ever hear of Slips? Great riding shades, 3 interchangable lenses, hard case, and great air flow. Lots of glasses for way less than 200.00!!!!!

I agree with this member . Give Oakley 1-2 years, they will come to there senses, maybe... ....... however, in the mean time, they will probably loose a fair amount of client base ......., but Ohhhhh its "all about increasing Profits, Cutting Costs(ie. hooking up a loyal customer w/ a pair of ear-stems... simply because *at no fault of the customer* the Ear-stem broke. >>>> this has come to an end) , and "Being more Efficient" as an organaization (in effect, they will be more efficent in the short term- having to deal w/ less customers needing/wanting replacement parts for there glasses/ under warrenty, or not)...... however, like alot/most companies- organizations ..... they fail in **Thinking LONG TERM >>>>> ie. What will be the effect on our customer base in 3-5-10 yrs.

 

[Adam-from-SLO]

Biggest issue is to prove a manufacturing defect versus negligence on your part...not easy for Oakley to sort out and they will always err in their favor.
I am an Oakley wearer and believe they are the best sunglasses. Have had them for years. All sunglasses will fail over time. Lesser sunglasses will generally break sooner. My Oakleys have been the most durable. I find the M-frames to be the best. Speaking of which...to expand the thread, any Oakley wearers...M-frame owners in particular with Rx inserts embedded in your lenses? If so, where did you purchase your Rx lenses?. I am not a big Rx insert clip on fan.
Thanks,
George

I totally agree with your first statement, "Biggest issue is to prove a manufacturing defect versus negligence on your part...not easy for Oakley to sort out and they will always err in their favor."

Oakely does make a quality LENS....... , but thats it.

There frames/ ear-stems suck ....... I have heard numerous people in the last 7-9 years complain about an ear-stem snapping on them/ as a result of "NORMAL" "NON-ABUSIVE" use.

I use to have a pair of Oakely Eye-Jackets (1996-1998), and the ear stems snapped on me 7 times , at different times ... and I was not abusing my equipment. One time, I came in from a ride.... walked into a walk-in Refrigerator/ set at about 35 degrees... maybe a little colder, and one side of the ear-stem SNAPPED while they were on my head. Thats CHEESE BALL QUALITY !

You said "All sunglasses will fail over time."
Oakely uses PLASTIC on there frames/ ear-stems. In regards to your statement.. your right .

Why not give up "Plastic" for Carbon Fibre + Copper/Berillium (Rudy Project) ........ think that is going to be any more durable ??????????

"Lesser sunglasses will generally break sooner."

Dude, my buddy has been wearing a pair of Smiths(he got at Big 5 about 9 years ago for $25) ........... and he is still using those sunglasses daily, while riding. Theory>>>>>>>>>>>>> out the window

 

[Adam-from-SLO]

I'm sorry, I've had Oakleys for over 8 years now and have continued to use their products, which are outstanding. I have never experienced the level of hassle that you are describing from their customer service department. Everytime I've had a problem, I've just had to bring it in to their repair facility in Northern Orange County, and had it fixed for a nominal price. Believe it or not, nobody in their right mind would fix or replace a cracked lens or cracked frame for free or for only $15....not Rudy Project, Not Tifosi, nobody!

Your first statement....

I tried returning two pair of broken Oakleys. Used to be a no ? asked deal. Now they laugh at my "classic" sub zeros that cracked in the middle of the lens and my newer, (yes over a year old), plastic frames that broke at the temple, " that will be 29.95 to asses the ear piece". I just threw them both in the trash. No more Oakley anything for me!

Sounds like your glasses have gone through excessive punishment and abuse to me. A pair of glasses does not just snap at the temple unless you bent it or pulled on it in a way you should not have. I wouldn't expect plastic to hold up to well when you drop it, stomp on it, or fall on it... You should try to be a bit more careful with your next pair.

Sounds like the Bottom line here, folks , is *DONT* buy a PLASTIC framed sungless... .. if your going to use it for a high-performance activity. The ONLY benifit of using Plastic in a sungless , is that its LIGHT Weight. Well, there sure are alot of "Light Weight" Junkies in the Cycling industry/ pedal pushers, riders, etc. etc. Its one thing to buy plastic when you need some liquid detergent, automotive Oil , or Plastic wrap ............ , but not on sunglass frames/ ear stems , give it up ........ its 2005 already. Plastic is made from OIL , yeah...... so Increase the Peace in the Middle East

THINK Durability, Think Quality, Think Long Term. Oakely has become so BIG Time in the last 5-8 years, making back-packs , SHOES , clothing, Toliot scrubbers , that they have gone away from being so "specialized" in making just sunglasses in past years( well, also bicycle grips/ BMX) ............, no wonder the drop in quality. Kinda like the company "Specialized" .... yeah, not so "specialized" , they make basically just about everything to .... even pumps, tires, tubes (ohhhhhhh, those are manufactured in Taiwan... )

 

[lohsnest]

I agree with this member . Give Oakley 1-2 years, they will come to there senses, maybe... ....... however, in the mean time, they will probably loose a fair amount of client base ......., but Ohhhhh its "all about increasing Profits, Cutting Costs(ie. hooking up a loyal customer w/ a pair of ear-stems... simply because *at not fault of the customer*, the Ear-stem broke. >>>> this has come to an end) , and "Being more Efficient" as an organaization (in effect, they will be more efficent in the short term- having to deal w/ less customers needing/wanting replacement parts for there glasses/ under warrenty, or not)...... however, like alot/most companies- organizations ..... they fail in **Thinking LONG TERM >>>>> ie. What will be the effect on our customer base in 3-5-10 yrs.

But at what point do we draw the line? Companies that think too much of taking care of their customers and not enough about their own economic viability don't last too long either. I've seen plenty of companies that have gone out of business because they undercut the competition and go out on a limb to take care of the customers, but they go out of business because they cannot meet their costs.... they give away everything for free, willing to do the right thing, but at their own expense.

Sadly, this has become a "Let's bash Oakley for wanting to make money" thread. Unfortunately, there will always be people out there that want everything for everything for free.

Oakley provides a product that works and is free from defect. When something happens to it that is beyond their control, such as an accident, or misuse, or just age, why would they be responsible for that? You say they should because of good will, but I say "Get Real". Just MOVE ON!

If you all don't like Oakley for wanting to recoup their costs and you want to boycott their products, more power to you. If you all feel that Oakley has treated you unfairly in some way for not giving you a free earpiece, lens,or frame every time you break it, then I think you all really need to get a reality check and again, move on. I can assure you that that there are many, many more people out there that appreciate their products and will continue to buy their products for years to come.

 

[Adam-from-SLO]

But at what point do we draw the line? Companies that think too much of taking care of their customers and not enough about their own economic viability don't last too long either. I've seen plenty of companies that have gone out of business because they undercut the competition and go out on a limb to take care of the customers, but they go out of business because they cannot meet their costs.... they give away everything for free, willing to do the right thing, but at their own expense.

Sadly, this has become a "Let's bash Oakley for wanting to make money" thread. Unfortunately, there will always be people out there that want everything for everything for free.

Oakley provides a product that works and is free from defect. When something happens to it that is beyond their control, such as an accident, or misuse, or just age, why would they be responsible for that? You say they should because of good will, but I say "Get Real". Just MOVE ON!

If you all don't like Oakley for wanting to recoup their costs and you want to boycott their products, more power to you. If you all feel that Oakley has treated you unfairly in some way for not giving you a free earpiece, lens,or frame every time you break it, then I think you all really need to get a reality check and again, move on. I can assure you that that there are many, many more people out there that appreciate their products and will continue to buy their products for years to come.

and I quote:
"I've seen plenty of companies that have gone out of business because they undercut the competition and go out on a limb to take care of the customers, but they go out of business because they cannot meet their costs.... they give away everything for free, willing to do the right thing, but at their own expense. "

*Dude, its not about giving anything away for free, or undercutting the competition" , its simply about puting out a Quality / durable / virsitile product. Shoot, alot of products that come out are "tested" , but the REAL test is the REAL WORLD test ...... and thats not something you can replicate in some Test-tube factory.

"Sadly, this has become a "Let's bash Oakley for wanting to make money" thread. Unfortunately, there will always be people out there that want everything for everything for free."

Again, its not about getting anything for free... personally, I dont want anything from Oakely... accept an appology for putting out a cheese product>> over the last X amount of years. Also, I'm not "bashing" Oakely, I'm just telling it like it is

"If you all don't like Oakley for wanting to recoup their costs and you want to boycott their products, more power to you. If you all feel that Oakley has treated you unfairly in some way for not giving you a free earpiece, lens,or frame every time you break it, then I think you all really need to get a reality check and again, move on. I can assure you that that there are many, many more people out there that appreciate their products and will continue to buy their products for years to come."

This is exactly the attitude that is jacking up our society. Its not about "consumerizm" .... BUY... BUY... BUY , "Nothing last forever" mentality. Thats BS. Why should someone have to buy 10 pairs of sunglasses in there lifetime.... , when 1-2 would due just fine Seems to me, that MANY people are simply afraid to TRY out a different product then Oakley , and Oakley's name is heard COUNTLESS times in advertising/media..... that it just gets ingrained in your brain that Oakley = high quality.

Again, there Lenses are definite quality, but there frames/ear-stems suck... and they have sucked for 7+ years now- that is a fact... I only speak the facts. Its one thing for a SG manufacturer to have put out a **** product(ie. countless ear-stems coming back for defects) for 1-2 years ............ but Oakley is simply riding the "popularity contest wave"........... , and that wave is pulling up lame , use to be a 10 footer .........., hopefully now is white-wash.

 

[graf zeppelin]

I wouldnt want this to be an Oakley bash topic either. They make a great product, but that said, its a durability vs cost issue I think. I've been using M-frames for years. Hardly wish to use anything else. I dont abuse them at all, yet the last two broke at the temples after a little over a year's use. The first I was simply putting on (this frame was the Pro, with no hinges, which I do not recommend), the second just gave out. In both cases, Oakley would not sell me the temple piece, despite my being willing to buy it (I wasnt even trying to get a free replacement pair). I instead had to buy all-new glasses.

I have another pair now. Its lasted more than a year. Visually in perfect shape, since I care for them. Structurally I dont know - I may have gotten unlucky in both previous cases. If these last at least a couple years great - I dont expect more than that out of a plastic sunglass (though Oakley should sell all sunglass replacement parts, ie temple pieces). If it continues that, on average, I am buying a new sunglass at Oakley's prices almost each year, then I will go Rudy instead next time. Oakley charges too much for a full sunglass purchase at that frequency, imho. Starting to wonder about Rudy quality and how long they last.

That said, I also have Half Jackets (also plastic, hinges are getting a bit loose) and e-wires I have had for years and years and years now (metal frame, glass lens). I'd buy the e-wires and their descendants again without hesitation.

 

[lohsnest]

I totally agree with your first statement, "Biggest issue is to prove a manufacturing defect versus negligence on your part...not easy for Oakley to sort out and they will always err in their favor."

Oakely does make a quality LENS....... , but thats it.

There frames/ ear-stems suck ....... I have heard numerous people in the last 7-9 years complain about an ear-stem snapping on them/ as a result of "NORMAL" "NON-ABUSIVE" use. How does it just snap? Plastic is one of those things that you need to be somewhat careful with, even though it's supposed to be durable. I've had an old pair of plastic Oakleys for over 6 years and it hasn't snapped

I use to have a pair of Oakely Eye-Jackets (1996-1998), and the ear stems snapped on me 7 times , at different times ... and I was not abusing my equipment. One time, I came in from a ride.... walked into a walk-in Refrigerator/ set at about 35 degrees... maybe a little colder, and one side of the ear-stem SNAPPED while they were on my head. Thats CHEESE BALL QUALITY ! I cal it a fluke

You said "All sunglasses will fail over time."
Oakely uses PLASTIC on there frames/ ear-stems. In regards to your statement.. your right . As does carbon

Why not give up "Plastic" for Carbon Fibre + Copper/Berillium (Rudy Project) ........ think that is going to be any more durable ??????????
Would you pay for the extra $$$? Besides, if those broke, you thinklRudy Project would replace those for free?
"Lesser sunglasses will generally break sooner." Anything will break if you're not careful or even if you're just an active person.

Dude, my buddy has been wearing a pair of Smiths(he got at Big 5 about 9 years ago for $25) ........... and he is still using those sunglasses daily, while riding. Theory>>>>>>>>>>>>> out the window

As mentioned earlier, I have had my Oakleys for about 6 years...no problems... I take it to Oakley for a lens change, no problem. They charge me nominal fee for replacement, to cover their costs of materials and labor, ist that so bad????

 

[lohsnest]

and I quote:
"I've seen plenty of companies that have gone out of business because they undercut the competition and go out on a limb to take care of the customers, but they go out of business because they cannot meet their costs.... they give away everything for free, willing to do the right thing, but at their own expense. "

*Dude, its not about giving anything away for free, or undercutting the competition" , its simply about puting out a Quality / durable / virsitile product. Shoot, alot of products that come out are "tested" , but the REAL test is the REAL WORLD test ...... and thats not something you can replicate in some Test-tube factory. As said earlier, quality is a matter of opinion... I've had my my first Oakleys for about 5-6 years, no problems. Oakley makes a great reliable product and I can assure you, they don't just put stuff out there without testing.

"Sadly, this has become a "Let's bash Oakley for wanting to make money" thread. Unfortunately, there will always be people out there that want everything for everything for free."

Again, its not about getting anything for free... personally, I dont want anything from Oakely... accept an appology for putting out a cheese product>> over the last X amount of years. Also, I'm not "bashing" Oakely, I'm just telling it like it is Okay, maybe not bashing per se. Why would they apologize for this "cheesy" product? They didn't do anything wrong. Actually, will a "I'm sorry it broke on you" be enough???

"If you all don't like Oakley for wanting to recoup their costs and you want to boycott their products, more power to you. If you all feel that Oakley has treated you unfairly in some way for not giving you a free earpiece, lens,or frame every time you break it, then I think you all really need to get a reality check and again, move on. I can assure you that that there are many, many more people out there that appreciate their products and will continue to buy their products for years to come."

This is exactly the attitude that is jacking up our society. Its not about "consumerizm" .... BUY... BUY... BUY , "Nothing last forever" mentality. Thats BS. Why should someone have to buy 10 pairs of sunglasses in there lifetime.... , when 1-2 would due just fine Seems to me, that MANY people are simply afraid to TRY out a different product then Oakley , and Oakley's name is heard COUNTLESS times in advertising/media..... that it just gets ingrained in your brain that Oakley = high quality. Let's be practical here... It would be ideal if things last forever...they don't, and especially something made from plastic.... I also have Rudy Projects that I wear......is that someone who's afraid of trying something different? Rudy Project would charge me too if I snapped of an earpiece....things happen.... My brother used Oakleys in the military...their goggles... He doesn't think they're cheap.

Again, there Lenses are definite quality, but there frames/ear-stems suck... and they have sucked for 7+ years now- that is a fact... I only speak the facts. Its one thing for a SG manufacturer to have put out a **** product(ie. countless ear-stems coming back for defects) for 1-2 years ............ but Oakley is simply riding the "popularity contest wave"........... , and that wave is pulling up lame , use to be a 10 footer .........., hopefully now is white-wash.

That's why you spend money on Ewires or metal frames...they last longer. Plastic is fallible (as is metal). Okay, I have three Oakleys... an older pair which I cannot name, a pair of X, and Ewires. Two of my Oakley are plastic...never had a problem with them snapping. Everytime I have a problems, they take care of it.... they fix it and charge me.... Is that so bad? $30 for a scratched lens and labor isn't the end of the world my friend. I got a scratch just by wearing them and having debris hit them. It would be nice if they would just give me a new one, but again as I have indicated, that's not how it works.

Regards