The Complete Golfer customer service and Galvin Green lifetime warranty

[LIG]

Bear with me please because I can't keep silent. :blah::blah::blah:

Several years ago I purchased (say invested in) a Galvin Green goretex suit - Alf trousers and a GG jacket. Having used the suit in the very wettest of conditions I was extremely happy with the comfort, breathability and water repellency. It was also easy to put on in the middle of the fairway as a hailstorm passed over. I had never before been perfectly dry walking into the clubhouse after playing in torrential rain and could not have been more pleased with my choice. So far so good!

When I resumed playing, after a 3 year interlude, the GG trousers came in for some serious, muddy punishment and were washed almost weekly. Despite this treatment they retained their ability to keep me dry, except, eventually, on the right leg. On inspection I found a small tear in the outer fabric in the ankle area. I surmised that I may have been at fault; the way I walk or snagging a spike or simply washing too often. Some months later a further tear developed in the same postion on the other leg but I just shrugged my shoulders and accepted that sometimes "price is not an indicator of quailty".
Once I happened on a comment online about "problems" with the GG Alf trousers but I ignored it as, after several years, I considered that the warranty on my purchase would have expired. Or so I thought!

Just before Christmas I was treating myself to a few goodies at my current golf shop and happened to mention the problem. "Bring the trousers in and we'll send them off to GG" I was told, although I explained that I had bought them from another proshop years earlier and didn't have a purchase receipt. Within a couple of weeks of dropping them in, I had a call back, "Your replacement trousers are ready to collect."

Wow!

It took me a while to get back there to pick them up, as it's no longer local to me and I also had a couple of other waterproof trousers that I could use, but I have to say that I was very surprised by GG customer service - very pleasantly surprised! :clap:

High praise also to The Complete Golfer in Northwood,:thup: who have been extremely helpful, not only in this unusual situation, but with competent advice on any number of occasions. If any of you has the chance to visit the shop, it's a treasure trove! Just leave your wallet/purse at home if you don't want to be tempted!

I am now the proud owner, once more, of a brand new pair of GG Alf trousers. Woburn here I come! :whoo:

 

[duncan mackie]

good to hear

 

[drawboy]

In this day and age it is nice to hear of great customer service such as this. Well done to them and to GG. I'm in the market for new waterproof troos and I own a GG jacket so I'll stump up for the matching troos after hearing this,

 

[Foxholer]

Great to hear positive recommendations!

I'm occasionally in that neck of the woods, so will make sure I call in.

I too have a pair of Alf pants that have a tear in the right ankle, but that was my fault.

 

[need_my_wedge]

I'm astonished..... I "invested" in a GG waterproof jacket just over a year ago. It was fine for a couple of months, but last spring, wearing it in heavy rain, I came into the club house soaked through. When I took the goretex top off, it was running water top to bottom inside, all through the shoulders and down the sleeves. I drove straight to Direct Golf from whence it came and showed it to them. The agreed it was not good and would sendit back to GG, which they did. Upon inspection GG determined it was not faulty, but the leak was a result of 3 tiny snags near the bottom hem at the back. Obviously I'd backed into bush at one point and pierced the jacket. The snags were minute, and not obvious, not to mention a full body length away from the shoulders and sleeves. They agreed to repair the snags, which they did. The next week wore it in heavy rain, guess what....... Completely soaked running water inside again. back to DG who sent it back to GG again, who again refused to replace it. They sent it back to DG who to be fair continued to argue my case agains GG. I stood beside the manager and the area manager as they had a phone calls with GG, but they refused to budge. I've still got the jacket, can only wear it as a wind top, can't trust it in the rain.

I'm glad you had a better experience than me, but makes me feel rather bad given that I'd paid £150 only a month or two before, and the "damage" was almost invisible, neither myself nor DG spotted it, and the problem remained after they fixed it, which indicates the problem wasn't the snags anyways....... I'm afraid Galvin Green do not get any kind of thumbs up from me.....still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am not a fan of GG. Don't like the style and baulk at paying between £300-400 for a full rain suit when there are other, better in my opinion, versions out there at much cheaper. That said in this case I am really impressed by the GG level of service in the OP.

 

[LIG]

NMW - That's not good to hear.

Did GG say anything else about the condition of your jacket? I ask because they do want to know that you have looked after it following the care instructions.

My GG jacket started to get let in the damp around the shoulders but only once I had been carrying for a while. I've been told this was due to the dirt build up and the fact that the bag straps compress the water through the shoulder area. ALL jackets do this with age and more if there is oil/dirt build-up and also if the fabric is "stretched"(damaged) when stored scrunched up for a long time eg in a golf bag. I think it must be the stitched shoulder area that is more susceptible to storage damage.

In my case, I just washed with nixwax and ironed it and it was a good as new.

May not be of help to you, but if you haven't already tried the clean and iron (for heat activation of the water repellent coating) technique I thoroughly recommend it. Instead of ironing you could just tumble dry - I don't have a dryer so ironing the only solution.

 

[pbrown7582]

That's great customer service, just bought a jacket and am weighing up splashing out on the alf trousers.
Reports like this don't dissuade me!

Let's hope you get to use them at Woburn, looks more like salopettes are more need at present .