Wanted an EDC shoulder bag and received a "First Responders Utility Bag" from NCStar from my family for Christmas. Fit my size/carriage profile and customizable w/PALS pouches. Great, cool beans, it's gonna be a lightweight day bag for lunch/work stethoscope/flashlight/compact FAK etc. Over the weekend, slipping the strap off the shoulder, one of the fastex-type buckles that secures the shoulder strap to the load-bearing wings of the bag body BREAKS right where it's sewn into the load-bearing wing. Can't do a lasting self-repair. Contacted the company with the issue yesterday, they state they have to fix it "under warranty." I have to ship it back at my cost. Because I don't have the receipt (and the gift-giver no longer does), they're charging me a $ 10.- "shipping/handling fee" to even look at it. I'm sure I'll have to pay shipping to get it sent back to me once it's fixed. I live in New England, they're in CA. A local vendor who sells the bag charges $40. for the bag. Checking shipping costs and the $10. fee, it'll cost me more to have them fix the bag (with <3 full months of LIGHT USE) than to junk it and by a new one. To top it, they call their warranty "America's Best Warranty." Yeah ... don't think so. Not impressed so far. Too bad, as the bag has promise. BUYER BEWARE
HP, you're not kidding. Very disappointed as this was a gift. The bag has such promise in it's design, too .... just gotta use quality parts and materials. Ya would think that, in this age where gear makers all over a a dime a dozen, you'd want your product's quality to stand out. The internet talks, after all .... 8)
Assuming you haven't, you might try a local tailor - they can be whizzes fixing things in ways
amateur seamstresses wouldn't consider.
Eclipse,
That's my next course of action .... however, I'm all about making people own their work. If I can be held to my standard of work, so can they. :-)
Tactical Taylor,SPEC OP, Eagle, and SO TECH are American companies and have excellent references. Being SWAT,EMT and disaster team these are where I have gotten items from. One bag from SO TECH is 30 years old and still in great shape.
I can recommend a couple good parachute riggers in the area who might be willing to give it a look. You might need to go get a replacement buckle (most skydiving and pilot rigs don't use that kind of hardware). Worth it if you want it fixed. Might cost you a couple bucks in gas, $5 or 8 for the buckle, and maybe $20 or 30 to the rigger... (I pay $75 for a reserve repack without any repairs. So honestly I have no idea if that's a $10 job or a $50 job. Might take 10 minutes, could take 45. Who knows. )
Quote from: NIN on January 11, 2022, 03:41:29 AMI pay $75 for a reserve repack without any repairs.
Imagine what you would be willing to pay if you need a repair mid-use!
Someone revived a nearly 2 year old post. I think they probably have the pack issue resolved by now.
Lol. Totally missed that. That post seemed oddly familiar
Quote from: Eclipse on March 10, 2020, 06:36:29 PMAssuming you haven't, you might try a local tailor - they can be whizzes fixing things in ways
amateur seamstresses wouldn't consider.
I totally agree with that. My dad was a tailor. He would fix and make everything from clothes to tarps and boat covers.
Hi all,
My thanks to everyone. A local cobbler (and former RI Air Guard rigger) did a fantastic job of the repair and did some customization on the bag for me as well. Now it's more solid. I stand by my comments re the OE manufacturer. Found out the retailer who sold the bag, who was local .... went to talk with them, went over the issues with them. Stand-up people ... they have discontinued sale and stocking of ANY of their items. Their comment was "we want people to be happy they parted with their hard-earned cash dollars. We're a small outfit and want people to come back." A good ending. Thanks for y'all and your support!
I think this can safely be shut off, having served its purpose and been necro'd twice.
Click.