Feelfree customer service

Advice
#1

Can I bounce something off you guys? I bought a kayak from Feelfree during their closeout sale. I had done a lot of digging comparing different models before deciding which one to buy.

They sold me an Aventura 140 ($760) and marked my order “fulfilled” within a few days. Three weeks later I still had still received nothing so I tried contacting them through 4 different mediums: Social media (where they were still very active), email, and telephone…and was totally ignored. All I asked for was a general ETA, and I was polite each time because I know stuff is upside down with the pandemic. At wit’s end I finally sent an email explaining that if I didn’t hear within 24 hours I’d initiate a chargeback with Visa, and (surprise!) within 30 minutes I had a response, and it was an excuse basically saying how super busy they are and I had just slipped through the cracks! I was told my order would likely ship in the next week. I can give them benefit of doubt and wait, but 4 or 5 days later get an email from someone else more or less saying “whoops, we actually don’t have the boat we charged you for a month ago, would you like to switch to a hideous baby blue one…?” I’d like the one I ordered because the blue is ugly and I’m spending over 750 for something I want to enjoy.

I reply that I’d please like the boat I was charged, and get a reply from yet another person saying how busy they are and what a terrible time it is, it’s all their fault, and they don’t have the 14’ touring model maybe I’d like to switch to the 12’ recreational boat.

I ask if they’d consider bumping me to a 2020 model in the same color, the only difference being what? 4 or 5 pounds lighter, and get a terse reply to the effect of ‘Sorry for the mess here’s a refund.’

To my thinking, a quick refund with a two-line reply is a lousy way to brush off a new customer who’s given them plenty of time, benefit of doubt, and been absolutely, totally ignored only until mentioning a chargeback. I don’t use my credit card much which means that $760 bucks is tied up for the next 5 months, and my budget for a new kayak is effectively toast for the summer, just in time for stuff to begin opening up again here in New York. They didn’t charge me when it shipped, they charged me instantly for an item they had no intention of actually sending, and ignored me - only bothering to respond after I wanted my money back. In the meantime, because I’m waiting around for Feelfree to decide whether they want to reply or not, I’ve missed more than one deal on Craigslist.

Am I out of line in being peeved about this? I’ll never touch Feelfree kayaks again, which is disappointing because the Aventura really looked like a good boat.

1 Like
#2

The only thing I know about Feelfree is that along time ago they were refereed to as Free Feel… sorry

They use to sell on Ebay…

#3

GH, you old guys are a trip!

#4

Nope, you’re not at all wrong in being angry about their lousy customer service. Especially as their website Covid-19 response states:

However, we want make sure we continue to support our customers, dealers and partners. The majority of our staff will still be operating during normal business hours of 9am - 5pm EDT remotely.

Even worse was their suggestion you downsize to a lesser boat but at the same price, after admitting they lost your order.

A bummer experience.

On the bright side, you didn’t order a Trak 2 kayak. They require either $1,800 down or full payment of $3,600 and some folks have been waiting over a year to get their boats.

2 Likes
#5

Yikes! Yeah I guess it could have been worse. But still…thank you for the perspective. I was sitting here steamed about it but not entirely sure if it was just me taking it the wrong way. I don’t deal with large purchases like this that often.

It’s a major bummer because I’ve seen better boats come along around my area but haven’t looked at them because I’d already paid Feelfree. Any other boat I buy would be second hand, not someone who takes a credit card…where the money is tied up.

The sad thing is it could have been avoided if they’d have just taken 2 minutes to let me know weeks ago. The Aventura 140 looks great, but Feelfree customer service absolutely sucks.

#6

I think that if you get the money back it is a good thing.

#7

PackMac, I don’t understand your problem with having your money tied up. If they refunded it to your credit account you should have been able to shop for another boat immediately after that; if they sent you a check you could have used it to transfer the money to your credit account.

#8

I used my credit card but paid it off with savings from my bank account. So now, the refund came back on my credit card. The problem being I don’t use me card often and no second hand seller is going to accept plastic, so the money is technically there but I can’t use it. If I had not paid it off in the first pay period, I’d be stuck with interest on a kayak I don’t have, and then I’d really be pissed off.

And no one else online has a 14’ kayak for that price point.