Hockeymonckey.com (and CCM)

[gavin 0]

No not at all. Either way they seem VERY intent on forcing me to keep both pairs of skates. He offered to replace the holders on the ones I sent in, as long as I was clear that he was NOT admitting it to be a warrantyable defect. Because he had said that if there WERE a warrantyable defect, he would have refunded my purchase.

I have a strong feeling of getting seriously screwed, and I feel very strongly that he is doing everything in his power to make sure that I get screwed :(

[Ron 0]

im passing no judgement on any of the parties involved, but:

1) if it were a warranty-able issue, hockeymonkey would have sent it off to CCM to have the holder replaced. since CCM deemed it to be a non-warranty situation, then:

2) the hockeymonkey rep should now send you back your original skates with the hole in it, as is.

by replacing the holder for you, they are doing you a service out of their own pocket. no, its not necessarily that they are admitting the damage to be a materials or manufacturing defect. this is the decision of the manufacturer alone in most cases, not the retailer. what hockeymonkey is trying to do is to get the skate repaired for you at their cost. if it were a warranty issue, they would send the skates back to CCM and CCM would issue them credit for the skates, which then you could be credited back for for the original purchase.

now obviously, the problem herein is that in the meantime, you needed something to skate on and went on the advice of their agent to purchase another set of skates. yes, you got a bit of a run around, which is unfortuneate for you. but it does not sound like John is 'trying' to screw you over right now. good business practice would have hockeymonkey refunding your original purchase because of bad advice given to you by their agent.

i'll have to admit, you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. best of luck in getting this resolved.

[gavin 0]

Thanks Ron. I guess you're right, I should just take the offer and try and sell one pair. Maybe I'm wrong to demand "good business practice," it seems like whatever is not "good business practice" is getting shafted. But this is just the way I see it. Perception is everything.

One thing that I'm wondering is... John only offered to replace the holder at his expence after I spoke with the CCM rep and the CCM rep then told me he would call John again. Is it possible in this business to have a "non-warantyable" item (wink wink) but, we'll fix the problem anyways? I know this sounds really anal on my part (sorry) but in my situation this is the difference between getting a refund and having two (expensive) pairs of skates (albeit the defect is fixed). Which with my financial situation is a BIG difference. :(

[Ron 0]

possible, sure.

retailers dont wake up in the morning and ask themselves "hmm, i wonder how i can screw my customer over today", not even some of the shadiest. perception IS everything in the retail industry. you provide good service to one customer, they'll tell 2 or 3 maybe and then it kind of fades. you do a disservice to one customer, they will go out of their way to tell 10, 100, people down the road about this disservice, especially in this day and age of the internet.

customers dont realize the power they have over retailers in this regard, lots of retailers do not understand this either. the key is to get the disgruntled customer to understand the situation and to work with them. in a large multi-level company like hockeymonkey, sounds like a rep tried to take the easy way out to temporarily satisfiy you, and in the end at least so far, you are the one to lose out.

[gavin 0]

You are really perceptive. You should get into the business, if you're not already.

[j8Zt8r 0]

I have heard similar stories to this one about them. I will only buy from hockey giant online myself. And only for little things, practice jerseys and such. I had to contact their customer service once, about 5 years ago, and they were great. Had it been like your experience, i would have never gone back. I now drive to my LHS but, they know I drive there and always do something extra to make sure I know that they appreciate it.(a free roll of tape, sharpening, or something like that) I still have not saved enough money to warrant not giving them my business. Plus, they know me well now and if I am looking to change something will always guide me in the right direction.

[DarkStar50 679]

Gavin,

Pardon my inability to keep all the characters straight but what is the full name of the CCM rep? I am curious as to whether or not I or any other board member who has been in the biz a long time recognizes this CCM rep by name. The bottom line is that there are 2 million + dollar companies involved in this situation: Hockeymonkey and CCM/RBK. They are both squeezing nickles with a customer(you) that at the end of the day adds up to one half of less than one percent of their total business for that day! In other words, their obligation(IMO) to you is to make it right and make it right now! Instead both companies are being incredibly stupid in their inability to solve a very minor problem. This has gone on far too long. Both companies stance on this "warranty issue" is bs.

[Jim A 4]

Peter, the major player in the online world won't even deal with the SoCal rep (if he's still the same guy as in '04) to help line his pockets with commissions he's a joke..and if by chance reading this..knows it

**the best rep I've ever dealt with is Marcelo** that guy does more for his accounts than anyone else I've worked with on a day to day basis

[DarkStar50 679]

Bill F from RBK? Major player in online world? name names, let the wizard of Oz come out from behind the curtain. Who are we trying to protect here and why? Gavin is the name and the face of every potential online buyer who reads MSH who could be the next to get screwed. I run a pro shop. I could care less about online buyers. I know they effect my biz but this issue isn't about that. Its about 2 companies acting like children instead of solving Gavin's problem. Give the guy his $ back and move on to the next f'n customer! What is so difficult about that? As my good friend JP Marquis says at SOR on Friday night "thats booshit hockey!"

[Jim A 4]

Can't name names out here...not Bill F, retailer I was talking about was HockeyGiant and we cut our CCM order by about 90% because of the rep and I believe went straight through corporate to order so no commission..can you imagine going from being HG's #1 account and likely CCM's to not making a penny off it...HockeyMonkey corp and that guy were made for each other

**JP is the man!! One of the only team pics I have kept over the years is from the year he was my coach, may even still have that Little Rangers jersey (although not as good as the old school Roc-Ice one from Stony Point)

[Slapsht25 0]

Does anyone else out there with t'blades have a problem with longevity of the holders? Cause this is what happened to my brand new t'blade holders after 90 minutes of easy skating:

I don't think that this is normal, I'm hoping that there was only a (hopefully rare!) defect in manufacturing. But has anyone out there experienced problems with t'blade holders breaking after the first skate? Or any such problem?

Well for all you who have expresses frustration with hockeymonkey, I would like to add that CCM seems to have the same attitude towards problems.

I spoke on the phone with a CCM rep who had inspected my skates and he stated in no uncertainty that this hole here is NOT the result of a manufacturer defect, and that it is normal for their products to break in such a way.

While I am not an expert, and cannot argue with his expert conclusion, I would like to say that In My Opinion, CCM puts their label on the nicest-looking, best-fitting (in my opinion) PIECES OF CRAP in the hockey business. Just my experience after skating on atop-of-the-line skate for 90 minutes and having it BREAK under use.

I'm more sad than I am angry, because I have always bought CCM, as my father did before me and as did his father before him. CCM fits me great, I have probably bought 10 pairs in my lifetime. But if it is TRUE that this is normal for CCM skates nowadays, and they do send me back this skate with the hole in the holder, I'm afraid it's over for me and CCM skates, as I need something that will last me longer than ONE PRACTICE. I can't beleive they would charge so much money for a POS. I can't believe I paid so much money for this POS. And now I have a pair in my locker room and a broken pair coming back from California.

gavin, not to rain on your parade but i've skated on tblades since they came out and I don't think i'll go back to regular steel ever. when I look at the pic of the hole and the "cut" on the stabilizer it looks like you might have been kicked and the toe or heel of another skate did the damage. the reason i say this is that it happened to me and the hole looks very similar on mine. I don't know if that is what happend but I'm just letting you know what happened with me.

[gavin 0]

Gavin,

Pardon my inability to keep all the characters straight but what is the full name of the CCM rep? I am curious as to whether or not I or any other board member who has been in the biz a long time recognizes this CCM rep by name. The bottom line is that there are 2 million + dollar companies involved in this situation: Hockeymonkey and CCM/RBK. They are both squeezing nickles with a customer(you) that at the end of the day adds up to one half of less than one percent of their total business for that day! In other words, their obligation(IMO) to you is to make it right and make it right now! Instead both companies are being incredibly stupid in their inability to solve a very minor problem. This has gone on far too long. Both companies stance on this "warranty issue" is bs.

Bill Finneran from CCM/Rbk. I find it kinda weird that his name was mentioned several times before I even saw your post. :o

[Ron 0]

You are really perceptive. You should get into the business, if you're not already.

i am involved in the retail industry, but i have no plans yet to dive in and really commit my own time and effort into it. my own personal beliefs and commitments as a retailer do not mix well with most realities of the industry (making $$ first and foremost), and unfortuneately, it is money that makes the world go round. i would rather serve customers than worry about staying out of the red at the end of the day.

please keep us updated on this situation

[MissConduct 1]

Does anyone else out there with t'blades have a problem with longevity of the holders? Cause this is what happened to my brand new t'blade holders after 90 minutes of easy skating:

I don't think that this is normal, I'm hoping that there was only a (hopefully rare!) defect in manufacturing. But has anyone out there experienced problems with t'blade holders breaking after the first skate? Or any such problem?

Well for all you who have expresses frustration with hockeymonkey, I would like to add that CCM seems to have the same attitude towards problems.

I spoke on the phone with a CCM rep who had inspected my skates and he stated in no uncertainty that this hole here is NOT the result of a manufacturer defect, and that it is normal for their products to break in such a way.

While I am not an expert, and cannot argue with his expert conclusion, I would like to say that In My Opinion, CCM puts their label on the nicest-looking, best-fitting (in my opinion) PIECES OF CRAP in the hockey business. Just my experience after skating on atop-of-the-line skate for 90 minutes and having it BREAK under use.

I'm more sad than I am angry, because I have always bought CCM, as my father did before me and as did his father before him. CCM fits me great, I have probably bought 10 pairs in my lifetime. But if it is TRUE that this is normal for CCM skates nowadays, and they do send me back this skate with the hole in the holder, I'm afraid it's over for me and CCM skates, as I need something that will last me longer than ONE PRACTICE. I can't beleive they would charge so much money for a POS. I can't believe I paid so much money for this POS. And now I have a pair in my locker room and a broken pair coming back from California.

gavin, not to rain on your parade but i've skated on tblades since they came out and I don't think i'll go back to regular steel ever. when I look at the pic of the hole and the "cut" on the stabilizer it looks like you might have been kicked and the toe or heel of another skate did the damage. the reason i say this is that it happened to me and the hole looks very similar on mine. I don't know if that is what happend but I'm just letting you know what happened with me.

Yea I was gonna say that it looks like something hit that defintely.

[gavin 0]

Does anyone else out there with t'blades have a problem with longevity of the holders? Cause this is what happened to my brand new t'blade holders after 90 minutes of easy skating:

I don't think that this is normal, I'm hoping that there was only a (hopefully rare!) defect in manufacturing. But has anyone out there experienced problems with t'blade holders breaking after the first skate? Or any such problem?

Well for all you who have expresses frustration with hockeymonkey, I would like to add that CCM seems to have the same attitude towards problems.

I spoke on the phone with a CCM rep who had inspected my skates and he stated in no uncertainty that this hole here is NOT the result of a manufacturer defect, and that it is normal for their products to break in such a way.

While I am not an expert, and cannot argue with his expert conclusion, I would like to say that In My Opinion, CCM puts their label on the nicest-looking, best-fitting (in my opinion) PIECES OF CRAP in the hockey business. Just my experience after skating on atop-of-the-line skate for 90 minutes and having it BREAK under use.

I'm more sad than I am angry, because I have always bought CCM, as my father did before me and as did his father before him. CCM fits me great, I have probably bought 10 pairs in my lifetime. But if it is TRUE that this is normal for CCM skates nowadays, and they do send me back this skate with the hole in the holder, I'm afraid it's over for me and CCM skates, as I need something that will last me longer than ONE PRACTICE. I can't beleive they would charge so much money for a POS. I can't believe I paid so much money for this POS. And now I have a pair in my locker room and a broken pair coming back from California.

gavin, not to rain on your parade but i've skated on tblades since they came out and I don't think i'll go back to regular steel ever. when I look at the pic of the hole and the "cut" on the stabilizer it looks like you might have been kicked and the toe or heel of another skate did the damage. the reason i say this is that it happened to me and the hole looks very similar on mine. I don't know if that is what happend but I'm just letting you know what happened with me.

Slapsht, I'm not complaining because my skate broke. In fact, this whole situation arose because my holder/boot (CCM Vector, e-blade holders) snapped while in a game (I was chasing down an icing, yes I went into the boards because of the breakage, yes I laid on the ice for about 5 minutes, yes I walked it off in the locker room, yes I finished the period/game, yes coach thought i chipped/cracked my tailbone, yes I went to the hospital, yes I have x-rays to prove it, yes it took me a week before I could walk properly etc etc. What did I do? I certainly didn't complain to CCM! It's not their fault! I had used those skates and they had been kicked and shot at and slammed in hockey games (hockey IS after all a contact sport) and one day everything just BROKE. What did I do? I gave CCM MORE money on a brand new pair of Vector ZG130's. . I didn't complain at all I didn't whine. I just gave them money. Problem is, when the new skates came in, they broke before I could even use them. I find this unacceptable, maybe you would not.

So the situation here is not me whining about breakage. And I yes I like the t'blades too, although this whole situation leaves me with a funny taste in my mouth, I think the actual holders themselves are good, I just know I got sent a bum pair.

So yes, I agree with you, if next season I'm skating on t'blades and someone kicks me and a hole gets knocked in the holder, I'm not going to whine to CCM about it, just like I didn't whine when my (traditional blade) vectors snapped. I'm not the kind of guy that would sue CCM for the damages to my lower back (although there was damage aplenty). I just sent the bill off to my insurance company (they are paying like 80% of 400 dollars for the xray/rehab bill) and went on with life, because I'm not a jerk. And I don't believe I'm being a jerk to ask them for a full refund in this situation.

*Note: In case anyone is confused, I currently own 4 pairs of CCMs: (1)old pair of Supertacks (at home in Canada, too small to wear otherwise I'd be using them right now), (2)the Vectors with traditional blades which snapped in a game, forcing me to buy (3) Vector ZG130's which got a hole after an hour long easy skate, a week before my biggest road trip of the season, which forced me to buy (not liking the idea of having another holder snap on my whilst chasing down an iced puck) (4) a second set of ZG's, which I purchase ONLY AT THE ADVICE of the hockeymonkey rep who said she could not just rush to me a set of skates to play on w/out me paying for me.

That is not counting the other 5-6 pairs of CCM that I have bought over the years... trust me these guys have had my business... every time they wear out, I go back to CCM and buy another pair.

[gavin 0]

Update: Just got off the phone with Bill F from The Hockey Company and he said that yesterday he decided that "for the cost of a half a pair of holders" he would make "a happier consumer" and that The Hockey Company would give me a new holder. Now I just have to get ahold of HockeyMonkey and see if that means they'll hold up their agreement to refund my skates.

[gavin 0]

Alright this is (hopefully) my last post. I just spoke with the HockeyMonkey representative for (hopefully) the last time.

My skates are coming back to me with the hole in it. There is no refund no nothing. I'm not going to say anything more (than the bare facts) for fear that I would be slandering hockeymonkey.

Of course now I have 2 pair of skates:

(1) ZG130s with a hole in the holder. I think I will keep those, if you really really want them PM me.

(2) ZG120s, in perfect condition, skated on 2-3 times, never been baked or anything. I will be selling them over in the "Sell" section, if you're interested in a great skate that I would keep if I could afford to, check it out over there.

[mrusse01 0]

Wow, I read this whole thread and it really sounds like you got a raw deal.

I'll never buy from HockeyMonkey.