RealSurf Surfers' Forum

I boght a Channel Islands POD off the rack 2 weeks ago - rode it three times and the deck has more dents than a year old board already - its even got depressions from my fingers on the rail.
Shop boards are 4+4 oz deck with a tail patch and 4 oz bottom. The last custom board I got was the same glass without the tail patch and no probs - so question is - do I cop it sweet or is it justifiable to take it back to the shop and ask for a refund? replacement?

JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

TrevG wrote:JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

I feel for you, I have had the same thing, most surfers would have at some stage in their lives but you will have buckleys going to Dept of Fair Trading (ACCC has nothing to do with an issue like this). Surfboards dent, and being a surfer you would be expected to know this. Its the reasonable person test and a reasonable person knows nothing is industructile especially in the surf. Take it back, dont whinge, just explain what has happened and ask them what they are prepared to do. Dont be surprised but if the answer is nothing.

bohdidontsurf wrote:

TrevG wrote:JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

I feel for you, I have had the same thing, most surfers would have at some stage in their lives but you will have buckleys going to Dept of Fair Trading (ACCC has nothing to do with an issue like this). Surfboards dent, and being a surfer you would be expected to know this. Its the reasonable person test and a reasonable person knows nothing is industructile especially in the surf. Take it back, dont whinge, just explain what has happened and ask them what they are prepared to do. Dont be surprised but if the answer is nothing.

most of my boards are badly dented on the deck after the same amount of surfs.
Some boards dent easily, but most of the time it is the surfer
Even with a patch i fuck the decks up.

Doesnt bother me anymore if the go well.
Well its sort of depressing seeing dings after one surf

bohdidontsurf wrote:

TrevG wrote:JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

I feel for you, I have had the same thing, most surfers would have at some stage in their lives but you will have buckleys going to Dept of Fair Trading (ACCC has nothing to do with an issue like this).

Yes, they do. And I think that his previous board wasn't a problem would be reasonable evidence he doesn't abuse his boards. Not saying it's clearcut, just that this is a good starting point.
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.pht ... anties.pdf

I would take the board in with the wax removed so they can clearly see the damage. Boards are so individual and sometimes boards with less glass hold up better than one with heavier cloth but its usually te foam I have found. Also depend on how much of the outer layer of the blank has been shaped away coz PU gets softer the further you get in towards the centre of the blank. Sanding and glassing also plays a part too...I would be taking it in but when you buy a lightweight board ( which all 4 oz is ), you are knowingly buying something built for performance more so than longevity...although you can get boards with less cloth that are still very solid...it is a tricky one. If they are willing to replace it, then you have to work out if you want another one coz the same thing might happen again, maybe get a shop credit and get a better quality board from a local shaper... best of luck with it...
I have been thru this first hand as a shaper and always try to make sure the customer is happy by ensuring the quality is good but it sounds like you may have just got a soft blank, they will know when they give it a squeeze....

i had this happen about 10 years back with a custom board from a well known shaper in mona vale. took the board back to the factory, they said it was a soft blank. offered me a replacement, and were cool about me using the soft one till the new one was ready...

read that again salty, it was a 4+4+patch x 4

Sounds like a soft blank btw

Not so much a soft blank, perhaps, as a blank ill-fitted for the shape. Maybe they cut too far into it along the deck line.

jack jack, until recently a lot of PU blanks were substantially tougher near the blank's original skin. Thus if the design caused the shaper (or profile machine) to cut too deeply into the blank, it exposed the softer core foam, which invariably dented almost no matter how much glass you tried to use.

Thus the pathetic state of many PU boards after just a few surfs -- dented all over the bloody place.

Market pressure from the appearance of things like Surftech have caused top foam makers to reconsider their techniques -- refining the formulas and blowing the blanks to a closer tolerance -- and more precise cnc work has also helped boardmakers keep solid foam on the decks.

This has meant a marked improvement in the general post-surfed state of PU/PE boards over the past 18 months. Which means there's less excuse than ever for massive deck failure.

Where was it made? I wonder if anyone can tell you that.

Been a Burton company, I believe your chances to be much higher.

While, I have no experiences on the channel islands/surf side of Burton, as a large company with lots of $'s behind them, Id assume they would have a more liberal warranty policy as they can easily absorb the costs.

It should come under implied warranties. But I really don't think they will argue with you, providing you have your receipt.

If a snowboard delams, it is accepted within the industry that this is covered by warrnty, providing it is not caused by impact.

I managed to get a new snowboard within 8 hours of noticing the board had delamed. Talk about turnaround. I was however working in the industry at the time and had an exam in a couple of days where i needed the board.

^^^ My understanding is the CI boards are made under licence here by Onboard (Insight). I don't think Onboard are owned by Burton.

Unfortunately Ive seen a few 'suspect' boards come out of Onboard. I guess that's the challenge when you pump out so many boards so quickly and have guys that only quickly finish the board. I also think that they have em glassed all over the place so it also depends on who glasses the things. But as you are talking dents its either an issue with the blank or an issue with the surfer.

Goodluck but keep in mind that all boards dent.

I got a CI board from Onboard some time ago. Never again. The board was a dog and the workmanship was very suspect.

Though just because I had a bad experience does not mean everyone will. There are plenty of people that are happy with boards from there.

Dont worry about it,dents are cool.Just take the board down the beach and tell everybody(especialy chicks)that landing all those 8'airs will do it every time.

nu boy wrote:Dont worry about it,dents are cool.Just take the board down the beach and tell everybody(especialy chicks)that landing all those 8'airs will do it every time.

outlaying 6 0r 700 of your hard-earned for poor quality is not cool...

TrevG wrote:

bohdidontsurf wrote:

TrevG wrote:JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

I feel for you, I have had the same thing, most surfers would have at some stage in their lives but you will have buckleys going to Dept of Fair Trading (ACCC has nothing to do with an issue like this).

Yes, they do. And I think that his previous board wasn't a problem would be reasonable evidence he doesn't abuse his boards. Not saying it's clearcut, just that this is a good starting point.
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.pht ... anties.pdf

Ummm Trev, no they dont. No one could argue that denting decks represents a breach of an implied or express warranty on a surfboard. Given that, then there can be no refund. If the board didnt surf, but sunk for example then yeah, it wouldnt be fit for purpose, but it didnt sink.

Natho wrote:^^^ My understanding is the CI boards are made under licence here by Onboard (Insight). I don't think Onboard are owned by Burton.

Unfortunately Ive seen a few 'suspect' boards come out of Onboard. I guess that's the challenge when you pump out so many boards so quickly and have guys that only quickly finish the board. I also think that they have em glassed all over the place so it also depends on who glasses the things. But as you are talking dents its either an issue with the blank or an issue with the surfer.

Goodluck but keep in mind that all boards dent.

I got a CI board from Onboard some time ago. Never again. The board was a dog and the workmanship was very suspect.

Though just because I had a bad experience does not mean everyone will. There are plenty of people that are happy with boards from there.

Your spot on about Onboard making CI under license.

bohdidontsurf wrote:

TrevG wrote:

bohdidontsurf wrote:

TrevG wrote:JJ, Go back to the store with your story. Explain rationally as you have here, with reference to your previous board's specs.
If you get no joy, I'd suggest you read up on the ACCC website on the "fit for purpose" guidelines. Sounds like your product wasn't fit for purpose (ie capable of doing what you expected it to do).

I feel for you, I have had the same thing, most surfers would have at some stage in their lives but you will have buckleys going to Dept of Fair Trading (ACCC has nothing to do with an issue like this).

Yes, they do. And I think that his previous board wasn't a problem would be reasonable evidence he doesn't abuse his boards. Not saying it's clearcut, just that this is a good starting point.
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/item.pht ... anties.pdf

Ummm Trev, no they dont. No one could argue that denting decks represents a breach of an implied or express warranty on a surfboard. Given that, then there can be no refund. If the board didnt surf, but sunk for example then yeah, it wouldnt be fit for purpose, but it didnt sink.

Not to overcomplicate the issue but to me the salient point is he had a previous board which, if I understand his original post was of a similar standard but didn't dent to the same level, then, yes he would have a case. And, as several others have said on here, there can be blank issues which contribute to this. If that is so, then he has a right to expect the thing to not dent so readily.
Also I'm not talking about implied or express warranty. I'm talking about "fit for purpose" which he could argue his previous board was, but the new one wasn't.
I'll be interested to hear what happens when he goes back to the store.

Here's a long shot - if you bought it on a gold credit card, the bank will take on some additional warranty conditions which might help you out. Give them a call.

are you a regular customer at the store you bought the board from? If so I'd definately be taking the board back. I had a bad experience with a custom CI awhile ago. The board took 2 months to get to the shop, came in the wrong dimensions, was badly finished, and compressed majorly after two surfs. Now i'm quite heavy on my front foot but this was rediculous. The bloke at the shop felt bad about the whole situation and sent the board back immediately and gave me a store credit. Any shop that values its customers and wants repeat business should look after its customers this way. He would have sent it back wether it was a custom or not.
This is not a dis to Onboard...I know a whole bunch of the local rippers who have got great boards from them... but positve support to good local board shops that look after their customers.
I also got the impression that onboard are quite prepared to replace boards that are obviously not up to standard.
All Pu boards compress...yes, but they shouldn't be falling to pieces after threee surfs. The two boards I have had since where glassed to the same weight, where perfectly finished and have easily handled my heavy footed beatings over a long period of time.