Kuiu Rant

dryflyelk

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LAST EDITED ON May-07-15 AT 03:00PM (MST)[p]I have had a love/hate relationship with Kuiu stuff ever since it came out. I love the product, I love(d) the idea. Initially I was sold on the technology and business model. Made in Canada? Sign me up. Direct sales with no middle man to keep prices down? Awesome, sounds terrific.

I bought a couple thousand dollars worth of their gear in those first few years. At that time it was tough to get some of their more popular items as they were always on backorder.

Then, Jason tells us he's frustrated as well, so he's moving everything to China to keep up with demand. He tells us the stuff is just as good and can make things faster and yada yada yada. Ok. I hate it, but OK. I feel like I've been sold a bill of goods about the whole "made right here in N. America" thing. Alright, I get it. If this helps keep up with demand, and it's just as good, whatever.

How long ago was that? A couple of years now? Since then, I have gone on Kuiu's website no less than a dozen times looking for things I needed. Pants, shirts, jackets, gloves. EVERY TIME it's out of stock. Without fail. Backordered, backordered, backordered. I just keep thinking it will be in stock someday, right? So I keep waiting.

This year I was set on buying an entire set of Verde Camo stuff to go with the Vias camo stuff I have. For 6 months at least I've been trying to buy things with the same story. Backorder. So, so frustrating.

Finally I decide I have to place the order soon, as I have a spring bear hunt coming up, and I hope to have it by then. I order about $1k worth of stuff - 8 items total. Every single one was on backorder. Now I wait. That was 3 weeks ago.

Since then, I have found a youtube video of Jason explaining why all of his stuff is on backorder - it's supposedly because of the shipping strike at the docks in California. He assures us all that the orders will be fulfilled in the next few days (this is a couple of weeks ago) when the ships are unloaded. Wrong.

I called them again today to see what the heck was going on. The lady that answered my call explained that "I had only been on backorder for most of my items for 20 days" and told me most of it *might* be here by Mid-June. It will not be here in time for my bear hunt in 3 weeks.

Jason and Kuiu can blame it on shipping or whatever the hell they want, but the fact remains that I don't think I have ever been able to order a pair of their pants when it was in stock. I thought that's why they moved to China? Right? So they could keep up with demand? How's that working out?

And what about that whole direct sales thing to keep the prices down? Kuiu stuff has to be the most expensive on the market. Where did the cost savings from moving the operation to China go?

At the same time, the new products keep coming from Kuiu. New packs. New tent. New boots. More new packs. New rain gear. New gloves. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Here's an idea: instead of spending the time, money and resources developing new products, how about making sure we can buy the ones you currently offer? Is that too much to ask?

It sucks because they make a lot of the best products on the market. My dollar talks and I know I could and probably should cancel my order, but I probably won't. Kuiu is the soup nazi of hunting gear. Shame on me, I guess. I'll just stand here in the line sulking and waiting for my opportunity to own more Kuiu stuff.

End rant.

Vi Et Armis Invictus Maneo
 
Here's an idea: instead of spending the time, money and resources developing new products, how about making sure we can buy the ones you currently offer? Is that too much to ask?
Cant argue about that. I'm waiting on that new mtn pant, but I don't need it till early fall.
 
A friend of mine ordered a few items during KUIU's black Friday sale , still hasn't received any of it . I called them awhile back to place an order , items were on backorder , when I asked when they should be in stock , I got a very weak sounding "who knows" answer from the man on the phone . I love my KUIU gear , I just hate everything associated with acquiring it .
 
I will never order anything thats "on backorder", esp. yuppy-flage.

I can get wool, microtek, polypropylene and Helly Hansen all day long.
 
Nobody hates importing anything more than I do, I resent everything I'm forced to buy that Ching Chong Ding Dong made
an american could have made better. that said, KUIU is like everyone else they can't compete if they don't offshore.

kuiu is a small company which can't afford to buy 100 million dollars of product at a time so backorders will always be an issue as long as the status quo holds. I've learned to live with it.

The backorders today are the worst I've ever seen in the several years since I've seen since I became a kuiu junkie and kuiu gave a logical explanation. blame the longshoremen. they've had containers held up for months. as they do come in the stock is already sold and now they're waiting on new orders.

I understand the frustration believe me, but they have the best products avalable at lower prices than Sitka so it's worth the hassle in my opinion.














Stay thirsty my friends
 
440,

I have been a Kuiu customer from the beginning. I've spent thousands with them. I have ALWAYS had to wait for what I wanted. Every time. The strike with the longshoremen is over and has been for a while. The backorder thing has always been a problem with Kuiu.

As I said in the original post, Jason has pointed his finger at many different things over the years. The latest thing is the strike. Watch his youtube video recently where he promised that all backorders would be filled once their boats came in. Wrong.

It's a textbook example of a business spreading themselves too thin across too many areas. Sleeping bags, tents, packs, boots, whatever. I just want to buy a damn pair of pants. It has nothing to do with the size of his business and everything to do with poor management. He's too worried about chasing the latest and greatest technology in his next item that it's made it virtually impossible to buy the stuff they currently have on their website.

Vi Et Armis Invictus Maneo
 
I recently started buying KUIU stuff and am also waiting for backordered items. But it really is good stuff and I knew I was going to have to wait before I placed my order. So I made the decision to wait and wait I will.
There definitely are other name brands out there who also have great stuff but I really admire how KUIU is stepping it up to make great gear better. So I will wait. fatrooster.
 
EVILNR, I love the term yuppie-flauge. My buddy calls swarovski, Leica, Kowa and Zeiss binoculars- yupp-noculars. Another term that makes me laugh. fatrooster.
 
This subject is on the Kuiu forum today as it often is. the port problem created a backlog of backorders which are being filled with nothing left for inventory. the other problem as Kuiu stated is their growth has far exceeded their expectations and they simply didn't order enough product.

All this means is Kuiu is more successful than they had expected for all the right reasons. and to it's customers it only creates more waiting and problems.

This is the point where most companies have exceeded their ability to finance expansions and sell to Gore or someone like Sitka did. I hope Jason doesn't do that and he says he won't , but it's obvious he needs to think bigger and order bigger. and that takes lots of money, so we'll see what happens.










Stay thirsty my friends
 
I feel bad for the folks that are waiting for their backordered KUIU gear . I went to the KUIU garage sale on Saturday and they had a TON of gear on the shelf and said that the show room and shipping depts. were totally separate . Some people simply asked if they could pick up their backordered gear while they were there and received a variety of different answers that amounted to "no".
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-01-15 AT 04:52PM (MST)[p]EDIT - Alpine pants are shipping. I guess posting my concerns was good luck. Excited to see these pants, I think they'll be the new go-to hunting pants.
 
Nice. Good to see them filling some orders. Maybe I should have waited a few more days before I cancelled, ha.

Here's what my last order looked like:

lFtIgrV.png


I guess if I got it into my head that I was ordering custom hunting clothing and I had to wait 6 months for it, it might be a little easier to take, but the constant excuse train has become tiresome. If only they didn't make the best stuff out there I'd kick them to the curb and be done with it.

Vi Et Armis Invictus Maneo
 
I also ordered stuff at the Expo and haven't received 3 clothing items but got all the other 5 or 6 things. I also ordered the Alpine pants so hopefully I'll also get an email soon. Was going to order the Kenai jacket recently but wasn't sure I want to wait for 3 or 4 months as I'd miss the hunting season so I'm looking at other stuff. (Anyone know if Kenai jackets take a long time as well?) Glad I ordered when I did as I also really like their gear and comparatively reasonable prices but the backorders and wait times are worse than most companies. I understand the reasons so I guess it is what it is.
 
The Kenai is a neat jacket. I think I'm going to get by with it for most of my October hunting and it can be used as a layer later on. I have the superdown too but it's to light of material to be worn alone.


The more of you who give up the better it will make my orders come faster. I wait years for the tag I can wait months for some cloths.











Stay thirsty my friends
 
LAST EDITED ON Jun-03-15 AT 10:27PM (MST)[p]I love the gear! The wait kinda sucks but I understand. The gear is great the price is good and everyone wants it. It was my bday yesterday and this is what my AWESOME wife got me haha. Pretty much sums it up!
2363image.jpg
 
Just got an email: "Your order has shipped" Two days, not bad

Kenai jacket in Vias Camo size xl
 
Received my Kenai Jacket today. 5 days, I guess I'm lucky no one else was ordering Kenai jackets.
 
Got an email today that my Alpine pants and guide jacket arrived which I ordered at the Expo in early Feb. Merino not yet arrived.
 
Got my email today that my Super Down jacket finally shipped. It's been 33 days since I ordered it. Order it early if you want it by the season.
 
Just got email yesterday on my 145 merino base layers. I ordered them March 10th. Long wait but after getting a pair of attack pants im hooked on there products.
 
I ordered $800 worth of Kuiu camouflage and 1 wk later it all arrived except my gaitors which are on back order....overall very happy with speed of delivery.....I guess not too many order medium size.....
 
Are these long shipping times on items that show as in stock, or did they show out of stock when ordered?
 
I have been buying a lot of stuff since the beginning. Have had to wait a few times for backorders.Never affected a hunt.In my experience they have done a great job with all the new inovations.I am a very happy Kuiu customer!
 

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