I just wanted to see if there are any experiences with ordering kayaks through Sierra Trading Post. There are several models on the website that seem to be priced very well, even with the shipping cost. Thank you.
No boats, but lots of gear. Good
people to work with.
those boats happen to be blems
or second quality. The reasons vary. Not automatically wrong for you, but you will not know beforehand why the manufacturer rated them blems as you cannot inspect your boat if you buy it online.
The folks at STP are helpful, but may not be able to discuss each specific boat in the model(s) you are considering.
Some “buyer beware” applies here.
Make sure you understand the return policies, if warranties are affected (some blems don’t carry any warranty at all) and if there are big shipping costs how that would be handled if you want to return it.
i think that some are also marked as
Closeouts…so that would mean a 1st quality boat that most likely did not sell well so Confluence blew their inventory of those out to Sierra Trading Post just to get rid of them…
never had a bad deal with STP…gotten lots form them over the years…
our blems
are cosmetic blems. nothing structural or design altering. tweaked hulls/decks and such are re-cycled NOT sold.
the Cape Horn series is dis-continued/ retired so…
good deals can be had.
steve
checking Web Exclusives…
and doublechecking my memory 
only the Cape Horn 150 w. rudder is offered as both a “Closeout” and as “2nd”.
Every other kayak there is called a “2nd”… lots of those Perception Airalites - guess those didn’t exactly “lite” it up this past season.
Corgi, any one of them would be fine as a “slave” toting bottles and small casks of Guinness!
I got one
I ordered a Wilderness Systems Cape Horn 170 and so did two of my friends. We ordered the ones marked closeout. Me and one of the other guys both got first quality boats, the third guy however got one marked demo with limited warranty. Other than the engraved word “demo” the demo kayak looks just like the 1st quality boats. They all arrived missing atleast one item, two arrived without the protective grommet material around the cockpit combing, one was missing the neoprene hatch covers, and one was missing the bolts to install the rudder. The kayaks themselves are great, we have had them out twice now and all three of us love them. We are now trying to recover the missing pieces from Sierra Trading Post, but we may have to appeal to Wilderness Systems.
Missing parts, not good!
That is definitely a show stopper! I can understand one boat arriving without parts, but three boats missing parts is unacceptable. Glad I posted my question.
If it’s any consolation
I have ordered many items from Sierra Trading Post in the past and have always been very happy with them. I have no doubt that they will do the right thing and get us the parts that we are missing. As a matter of fact, the guy missing the bolts got a package of bolts from Sierra Trading Post yesterday. I am pretty sure that the boats were just as they were when they received them from Confluence.
well yeah
and any parts or accessories u need or want, maybe it’ll be harder in a year or three, as these models are being discontinued. WS is a big company, but some of these parts might be model specific.
Maybe it’s not a big deal. I wouldn’t know, but if I was buying one, I’d want some WS owners of older kayaks to chime in on that.
Sierra Trading Post
Will make it right and likely pay to have the boats shipped back if you ae not satisfied. . STP is the best retailer I have ever dealt with, period. Of course, winning the 20th Anniversary Grand Prize last year has biased me.
did you get
a Suunto Orca compass in the Grand Prize package?
LOL.
Saw you.
Do you favor Black or Yellow?
just curious
Why did you decide on the Cape Horn 170?
No compass
I did get a bunch of clothes for Jun cycling and paddle gear for me and shot off a couple of gift certificates to some PNet friends.
Cape Horn 170
I was looking for a light touring kayak that was stable and comfortable. I had already tried out a WS Cape Lookout and really liked it, so I decided that for the price I could take the chance that I would like the Cape Horn as much. I was not wrong, I really like my Cape Horn.
YEah, STP Is Great!
just because I was a secondary beneficiary of TChuck’s win. Just wish it was an even louder color, yeah… 
sing
PS
– Last Updated: Feb-27-07 7:33 AM EST –
I have bought gear from STP and have considered among those 'net retailers with better CS. Things always arrive actually a bit sooner than I expect. But the test of CS is when something is wrong or the gear doesn't fit. First time I wanted to get and give a surfing wetsuit a try, I did not particularly want to blow a lot of money and find it doesn't work. Saw some Bodyglove suits at STP and ordered it. With no familiarity, I ordered the wrong size. That was exchanged quickly with no problems whatsoever. Since then I bought another wetsuit from them and two more -- winter suits -- at a shop. With the winter suits, I decided it was more important to get the fit right and to have a knowledgeable sales person tell me what to look for. The person actually told me to not get a 5/4 and go up to 6/5/4. Said I would be much warmer, if I truly do waveski year round, and that the flexibility difference is negligble between the two thickness with respect to the newer neoprene. I have been absolutely happy with that wetsuit. (I'll be back there to get a board soon.) This where a good (as the people know their stuff) specialty store kicks in.
sing
sing
Dont get me wrong
I’ve purchased plenty from STP over the years and have been happy. However, ordering a boat online is not like ordering a pair of sneakers online. They have the best service and return policy in the business, but I just do not want to have to deal with returning a boat that arrives damaged, missing parts, or is less than advertised. It’s comforting to hear they corrected their mistake.
Boats From Afar…
all have the same risk in the sense that something can be missing and/or damaged. Doesn’t matter if it’s STP, another internet seller like QCC, or a private party. All require going through the hassles of shipping the boat back if it’s bad. What you want to make sure though is that the entity on the other side is not only willing but responsive to doing what it takes to get things straightened out.
If the extra steps are scary, then the best option to buy local. Here you may encounter the problem of not having access to perhaps the range models that may interest you.
sing
As your image consultant
I advise to start riding regularly