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I firmly believe that exceptional customer service should be rewarded so I am writing today to tell you about one of those experiences that left me feeling really good.  I am sure you would agree that is more the exception than the norm these days so it’s worthy of sharing the experience.   So my story starts with a pair of Gore-tex Merrell hiking boots that recently failed to keep me dry one rainy day in October.  I own numerous Gore-tex jackets, Gore-tex footwear, Gore-tex pants, Gore-tex gloves, etc. so I am very familiar with the Gore-tex “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry Promise.”

Simply stated, Gore believes in its outerwear and backs it up with a promise: No liquid from the outside will get to you on the inside. This includes moisture from the wet grass you’re kneeling in to the sudden squall you get caught in. We take this guarantee seriously. If you are not completely satisfied with the waterproofness, windproofness, or breathability of your GORE-TEX® product, then we will repair it, replace it, or refund your purchase price.  The Gore-tex contact number is 1-800-467-3839 should you ever require it.

Needless to say I contacted the Gore-tex service folks expecting the Gore-tex warranty would cover this Merrell hiking boot even though the one year warranty from Merrell had passed me by.  I was greeted by a lovely person on the Gore-tex service line and she advised that they would absolutely help me out and she instructed me on the process to return the boots.  As a next step, Gore-tex would run the boots through a lab test to confirm whether there was a leak and notify me of the results.  Approximately two weeks later I had a call from the Gore-tex service Consumer Advocate, and he informed me that the Merrell hiking boots were indeed found to have a breach causing a leak and as such offered to replace the boots at no charge to me .

The Gore-tex service folks offered me two options:  1/ Go buy the new Merrell hiking boots and Gore-tex would reimburse me or 2/ Gore-tex would ship the replacement Merrell hiking boots to me.  I opted for option 1 and provided the size and new model I wanted for the replacement and within a week the new Merrell hiking boots were on my door step, and that’s from Maryland to Canada.  How’s that for great service folks. Oh yes, I must also mention that the Consumer Advocate I spoke with was perhaps the most pleasant guy I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with, keep up the good work Bill and team.:))

I close with a word to the wise.  Even though Gore-tex anything is more expensive, sometimes double, the Gore-tex “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry Promise” (which lasts the lifetime of the Gore-tex footwear, Gore-tex gloves or Gore-tex outerwear you purchase) is well worth the extra cost in my opinion and as such I buy Gore-tex whenever possible.  Let’s just say these Merrell hiking boots are not the first time I have taken advantage of the Gore-tex warranty.:))