Columbia Factory Store — Attraction in Gloucester Township

Columbia products aren't what they used to be. I bought these waterproof boots a month and a half ago and have only used them a handful of times. Today I noticed my foot got wet walking thru a puddle and noticed an issue with the sole delaminating along the tread, resulting in an open tear when the sole is flexed. Warranty info online says to take it back to the store you bought it from...glad I did, but there's a catch. I was greeted while walking in the store and showed/explained the issue. Instead of swapping out the defective boot, I was given paperwork with a number to call to put in a claim. 🤦 I decided to leave the store and called right away... After several minutes of waiting on hold, the Columbia operator confirmed my boots were covered under warranty, and sent me an email for me to complete my claim online. So I'm supposed to box these boots up and pay to ship them to Oregon and wait 4-6 weeks just to find out if they'll actually fix or replace them!??! Why can't I just exchange them at the store I bought them at? Getting back to why I'm glad I went back to the store... It's at Gloucester Premium Outlets. Leaving the store with my phone at my ear, on hold with Columbia, I walked past Mountain Warehouse and noticed sale signs in their windows. By the time I got to speak with someone from Columbia on the phone, I had already found and tried on a pair of Mountain Warehouse boots originally $70 on clearance for $20. Needless to say, I'm not wasting my time or money to ship back the Columbia boots when alternatives were purchased a couple stores down for a fraction of the price. VERY...

Make sure you save your tags AND you receipt! I attempted to exchange a shirt I purchased a week prior because the stitching along the bottom seam completely unraveled after one wash. I presented the sales receipt but was told they could not exchange it because I didn't have the original pricetag from the garment as well. When I asked about Columbia standing behind the quality of the merchandise another worker (manager?) overheard and tried to salvage the situation by directing me to the warranty department. Nice try but sending a shirt back to the manufacturer is a huge inconvenience. I did read the warranty policy though, which interestingly states that most issues can be handled at the retailer where the purchase was made (obviously not). I could understand if the shirt was purchased a while ago or if I DIDN'T have the sales receipt but come on- a shirt that is originally priced at $40 should make it through at least one wash cycle. SOOO take your chances if you're a Columbia fan but for me and anyone I have the ability to influence we'll be shopping at Eddie Bauer or Mountain Warehouse...

Manager was so rude while trying to return a jacket. I called Columbia’s warranty department prior to coming in and was told I could get a full refund due to damage in the lining causing a weird smell. I was also told I could get a full refund without tags or a receipt because I had already worn it as long as I had the credit card it was purchased with or they could look up the receipt using their points system. I had both the credit card & phone number for the points system. The manager gave me such a difficult time getting my money back and only offered store credit multiple times. Eventually got credited the same amount to my card but wow she was...