A few months ago I bought a pair of Timberland classic work boots. Unfortunately, the direct attached sole is beginning to separate from the upper. I brought them to the Timberland store where I bought them to show them the problem after a girl told me over the phone to bring them in but when I get there a different girl tells me that their warranty policy has changed. Apparently the family that owned the company for years has recently sold it and the new ownership is changing some of the company policies. I was told by the employee in the store that they were specifically told they cannot replace any boots that were purchased more than 60 days ago. After that 60 days you are out of luck. Now the Timberland website states that they have a 60-day return policy as long as a product is not worn or damaged but it also says that after that 60-day period they still cover any type of defect in materials and workmanship. The store did not honor this policy. I know Timberland is not the BEST boot out there. That is why I bought a pair of Red Wing Heritage boots. But when they charge $180 for an imported pair of boots that they don't even cover for more than 60 days I have a problem with that. This will be the last pair of Timberlands I ever buy.
What has happened to Timberland?
- Thread starter rfn379
- Start date
Thanks for the info..Never bought anything from them except one pair of lousy sun glasses...I suspected other items to be just as bad....
So many of these trusted old guard companies are selling out and sending thier manufacturing over seas with what I would call mostly disasterous results. If I were going to spend that much on a pair of boots I would stick to the few trusted brands that still have unwavering customer service policies, have boots that are recraftable and are American made if possible... the two that come to mind for me are Danner and Red Wing... I'm wearing a pair of Danner's right now!
- Thread starter
- #5
That is exactly why I made sure the new Red Wings I bought were made in the USA and not one of their Chinese imports. The quality of these Timberland boots is absolutely terrible. It is really a shame that such a good company has reduced itself to what is has become.
It's so sad that many companies are selling crap and living off their prior hard-earned reputation.
I have a pair of Made in USA Danner boots that I've had for 10 years that I absolutely love. If there is an American alternative, I will not buy Chinese shoes.
The same goes for Ecco. I had a pair of beloved Eccos from Denmark. My next pair was from Asia, and I hate them.
I have a pair of Made in USA Danner boots that I've had for 10 years that I absolutely love. If there is an American alternative, I will not buy Chinese shoes.
The same goes for Ecco. I had a pair of beloved Eccos from Denmark. My next pair was from Asia, and I hate them.
Another thing that turns me off about Timberland (at least in regard to their classic work boots) is that thanks to the advent of gangsta rap, it will probably from now on be associated with that type of thing. However, I remember a time when anyone and everyone wore them. And in Europe and the rest of the world, from what I've seen Timberland classic boots have NEVER had that connotation!
I purchased some USA Made Danner boots a couple of year ago, when they ran a special sale, I picked up another pair for future use. I recently did the same thing with some Allen Edmonds Park Avenue dress boots. Currently I have 3 pairs of Danners, 4 pair of AE dress boots, and three from Russell Moccasin. I wear a 12a or b width so when I can find a style that I like and fits well, I grab them. Some of the Danners are made overseas, I do not know if it is CHina, but I watch the country of orgin and try to stick with the USA.
My wife gives me crap all the time because I have Timberland boots and they are Gangsta.... But I have two sets, each are probably 8 years old (but had a 4 year break from use while I was in the Army). I love those boots, and had one for a work pair thats pretty much finally worn out, and the other was bought as a back up during a BOGO sale. Unfortunately, I will never buy another pair because they aren't of the same quality, and have gone more towards the not work boot they once were.
- Thread starter
- #10
Anyone here know anything about Frye boots and shoes? I see some of them that look very attractive and was wondering what some of you think of the brand.
Seems as though Timberland lost their touch soon after their style and wares were adopted by rappers and wanna-be rappers. Formerly a respectable manufacturer of workboots, they now seem more concerned with styles catered to their new demographic than something actual working people can trust and buy to, you know...work in. Not long ago, I bought a pair of Timberland Pro Pit Boss workboots and they're barely even fit for yard work.
Since they've chosen to abandon their (now former) user-base and chose form over function as their selling point, I'll gladly spend my money elsewhere if I want a decent pair of workboots. Red Wing (including those made in China), Wolverine, Georgia, Carolina, Danner, White's, etc. are all better choices.
Since they've chosen to abandon their (now former) user-base and chose form over function as their selling point, I'll gladly spend my money elsewhere if I want a decent pair of workboots. Red Wing (including those made in China), Wolverine, Georgia, Carolina, Danner, White's, etc. are all better choices.
- Thread starter
- #13
Without a doubt Timberland has decided to aim their stuff toward a different demographic than the one it originally did years ago. I agree with the last comment on even some of the Chinese made Red Wings being far better than anything Timberland produces these days. I still would rather buy a pair of American made boots but even the Chinese Red Wings I looked at before I noticed where they were made seemed like they were of far better quality than any of the garbage I saw in the Timberland store. All Timberland is selling now is the name. The product isn't any better than something you can buy at Wal-Mart.
Bought a pair of Haix boots made in Germany awhile back. Built like a tank and took some time to break in too but man what a boot. Recently they sent me a bag with postage already paid to have them resold if I needed to. Now that's paying attention to your customers. I avoid at all cost made in China shoes.
Buy a pair of Red Wings ... I believe they are still made in America. Mine are ... and are holding up great going on 4yrs. of heavy usage.
Red Wings , Carolina's , and Docs have always treated me well .... the Amish guy where i buy boots gives you a year on the Red Wings , any issues and its taken care of with a receipt
the op is way ahead of you there.
ok
The country of manufacture is the symptom, not the disease. Once a company exports their manufacturing, it usually signals other cost saving measures, namely quality deterioration. For lots of companies it has become necessary, sadly, as consumers have become increasingly price sensitive (both due to the economy and other money outlets, such as smartphones) towards clothing in general. The cheap stuff looks 90-95% the same from casual glance so its hard to convince people of the actual quality difference. Its further exasperated by the fact that, due to lower demand, companies like Red Wing have to increase prices to stay profitable, which further widens the price gap between quality and junk. Like lots of areas in society, its the middle that is being squeezed out, though there is good stuff to be hand if you know where to look (this is where the internet/message boards have shined).
Unfortunately, it is a lot easier to let one's product quality decline, and keep earning profits off the hard-won reputation from past quality. Taking a middle-of-the-pack brand and increasing the quality? It takes a while for people to stop thinking that the product is crap. If Mercedes-Benz decided to make a car "worth" $50,000 and still charge $100,000 for it, people would buy it for years to come because it's a Mercedes. If Kia started making cars "worth" $50,000 they'd still have to sell them for $20,000 for a decade while people cottoned on to the idea that it wasn't crap.
It's possible to have quality stuff made in China ... but almost never done. Back before China was the bete noir of cheap overseas manufacturing, it was Taiwan. And before Taiwan it was Hong Kong. And before Hong Kong ... and here we're reaching back to the 1950s ... it was Japan.
Seriously.
Fifty years ago "made in Japan" was synonymous with "cheap crap". After the war, the Japanese economy was in shambles (often literally, in the B-24 sense of the word) and making cheap trinkets quickly was what they had to do to get by, relying on cheap labour to get an edge. Of course, we all know that a few decades later "made in Japan" was a byword for high quality in all sorts of advanced stuff like electronics, cameras, automobiles and so forth.
Of course, the Chinese are different from the Japanese culturally. But if a Chinese factory wants to ... and is paid to do so ... it can certainly train its workers enough, and have the workers focus enough on quality over speed so that the end product is of high quality. But nobody wants to do that ... when manufacturing is sent to China, it's usually with the instructions "make cheap $h!t fast".
Hence, Timberland.
