Equipment: New skates, small defect - to return or not to return?

[Devil Dancer]

Hi HF,

If you read the skate buying advice thread yesterday you know I just bought new Easton Mako II skates from a Total Hockey brick & mortar store. Last night I noticed that one of the seams on the right skate isn't flush with the rest of the boot like it is on the other skate.

What I'm trying to decide is, should I return them? I don't much care about the aesthetics, but I don't want the steam issue to become a bigger problem down the road. Pics:

What do you think? Would you return them? I'm leaning toward yes.

Click to read more...

 

[AIREAYE]

How is it attached to what's beneath it? Glue? Double stitching? Is what's beneath it carbon?

 

[Summer Rose]

I would just to be on the safe side. Since it's a manufacturing defect, the store probably won't have to eat any of the costs of taking them back (they'll send them back as defective to Easton and be provided with a replacement for their inventory).

Or, at least that's how it should work.

 

[AIREAYE]

I would just to be on the safe side. Since it's a manufacturing defect, the store probably won't have to eat any of the costs of taking them back (they'll send them back as defective to Easton and be provided with a replacement for their inventory).

Or, at least that's how it should work.

Yeah that's how it should work. OP, if you try this, let us know what they say, because Easton laid off all of their sales and support staff save for a handful.

 

[Devil Dancer]

How is it attached to what's beneath it? Glue? Double stitching? Is what's beneath it carbon?

Hard to tell, but it looks like glue on the good (left) skate and nothing on the bad (right) skate.

I decided to pull the trigger on the return. First I used the online chat feature on totalhockey.com, and they told me it shouldn't be a problem and to call the store. Called the store and they said they'd be happy to do it, but they need to get another pair of 8.0s from another store, so I should be able to pick them up later this week.

I'm not surprised, in my experience Total Hockey is pretty customer friendly.

 

[AIREAYE]

Sounds good, hope it's smooth sailing from here on. I will be very interested to hear your experiences and reviews on it as you skate on them!

 

[NickWTH]

Hi,

I work at the TH corporate office. I would recommend taking them back to the store to have them looked at. It appears, given the toe box separation, that this should be covered under the warranty. If you have any questions, please email or call us, we're happy to help!

Nick
Total Hockey Customer Service
[email protected]
866.929.6699

 

[roffleburger]

Hi HF,

If you read the skate buying advice thread yesterday you know I just bought new Easton Mako II skates from a Total Hockey brick & mortar store. Last night I noticed that one of the seams on the right skate isn't flush with the rest of the boot like it is on the other skate.

What I'm trying to decide is, should I return them? I don't much care about the aesthetics, but I don't want the steam issue to become a bigger problem down the road. Pics:

What do you think? Would you return them? I'm leaning toward yes.

As someone who had to return his Mako 1's for some stitching coming out in the heel, I definitely recommend returning them if they're still under warranty and getting a new pair. Otherwise it will become an issue down the line.

Cheers

 

[Devil Dancer]

Hi,

I work at the TH corporate office. I would recommend taking them back to the store to have them looked at. It appears, given the toe box separation, that this should be covered under the warranty. If you have any questions, please email or call us, we're happy to help!

Nick
Total Hockey Customer Service
[email protected]
866.929.6699

Thanks Nick. I called the store and they're shipping in a new set for me, so I should be all good.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I finally got to use them and man, this is going to be a big adjustment. I felt totally discombobulated when I first got on the ice. The last couple of times I switched skates it was a quick adjustment because there wasn't much difference in the skates, but the Mako 2s are nothing like my old EQ40s. The runners are pitched forward more and they seem to be placed slightly differently on the boot, so everything was thrown off.

They feel great on my feet, and they seem to be a lot lighter than the EQ40s, but actually skating is rough at the moment, and I've always been a naturally good skater relative to my peers.

The hardest bit was crossing over to the left for some reason. The blade isn't where I think it should be, so the whole process becomes awkward.

I'll update in a few weeks when I've skated on them more than once.

 

[AIREAYE]

Are the holders mounted in alignment? Blade straight? Eyeball it.