O'Neill Customer Service

For the past 7 years or so of my surfing life, I have loved wearing O'Neill Wetsuits and their clothing, especially their hyperfreak boardshorts.  The first wetsuit I ever purchased was an O'Neill, and all my subsequent purchases have been O'Neill too. 

However, my most recent customer service debacle with a Zhende (jen-duh) of customer service has left me with no other option but to discontinue purchasing O'Neill products.  

I sent in one of my older wetsuits that I no longer wear in hopes of getting it repaired.  I explicitly asked if the wetsuit was covered under warranty, which a different customer service agent said "Yes, if it is a small repair, we will repair it for free."  I sent it in via FedEx, and awaited their response.

Their response was that they will have to charge me $40 for the repair.  Now, I'm not trying to nickle and dime about $40, but that was contrary to the information I received earlier.  I discussed this matter with Liz, another customer service agent, and Vicki, and they both recommended I speak with the manager, Zhende.  

It took nearly three weeks of ME calling O'Neill for Zhende to get in touch with me.  

The following conversation ensued:

1.      She expressed that she did not receive any messages that I had called. 

2.      She explained to me that my wetsuit will cost $40 to repair, including additional shipping charges.

3.      She repeatedly told me that it’s either a repair job, or no repair job, and that was all she was calling for.

She then started to talk over me and say, “What do you want?  Do you want the repair or not?  That’s all I want to know.”  

 I told her, “An apology would be nice to start.”  

 She replied, “I am sorry for hurting your feelings,” with an ensuing scoff.  

 I expressed how I didn’t want her to apologize about hurting my feelings, but rather for not getting back to me for weeks, and that I did not find this situation comical. 

Now, call me old school, but I think customer service is the #1 priority for any sales representative, and especially a manager.  This was not the case for her.   She treated me like crap, and I was on the verge of hanging up on her, but I still wanted to get the wetsuit repaired in hopes of lending it to a friend or family member who might want to use it.  So, I told her to go ahead with the repair, and she took down my credit card number. 

She assured me that she will waive the shipping charges, and that they will expedite the repair job.

I wrote them a letter, stating what had happened, and they have not responded (big fucking surprise there.)

However, I check my credit card statement, and what do I see?  I see a charge in the amount of $51.36 from O’Neill.  It doesn’t take a math or econ major to see that is above the promised $40 charge; instead the O’Neill customer service includes an asshole fee, ahem, a shipping fee of $11.36… something Zhende verbally expressed she would waive.  

So here I am now, with a repaired wetsuit from O’Neill that I don’t wear, $51 in the hole, and in a frustrated feeling that I had just been fucked by O’Neill.  

So O’Neill, you have lost a loyal customer that swore by your wetsuits for the last 7 years.  Thanks for keeping the cold out, but you guys fucking suck at customer service.  This will be the last piece of clothing that I will ever buy from you.