Columbia Sportswear Company

My review is regarding Customer Service after placing an online order. HORRIBLE!!!
I question the speed of delivery order and after two full weeks still no package. I tied to trace it but it may no sense… Coming to California (on the west coast) package was in Chicago for several days. When I question the ‘Customer Care’ rep I was told delivery is between 8 – 13 days. I told her that was not what my email shipping notice informed me of. I was basically told I had to wait!
Still waiting package was now in Iowa again I’m on west coast as the company is too.
After several rude email from ‘Customer Care’ rep I was still left with no answers or package. So I went to the mall and purchase another Mother’s Day gift. Finally after two PLUS weeks package arrived I know one reason it took so long the box was re-​re-​recycled and previous labels were not removed. Now at checkout I did NOT check box to recycle box. Ask to speak with Supervisor still waiting all I received was another rude email for ‘Customer Care’ more like Customer careLESS rep.
I really love Columbia clothing but I will look for another company.

Beware – Columbia Customer Service may NOT repair or replace your item, but choose to give you a few dollars e-​credit. I asked for my item back but they recycle or donate them.
I did not know that was an option. I should have kept my item and gotten it fixed myself. Now I have lost my great rain garment that looked simple to fix. Seams splitting all over a garment that is worn a few times seems like a manufacturing error.

I would put a big old Goose Egg (0) If I could!!! I want to be clear that I am reviewing the company customer service here, NOT the products. The products have always been great, that’s why what happened to me disheartens me even more. :(
If you order from online, you should be aware that if your package is lost (or in my case stolen) while in transit with UPS or FED Ex, Columbia «customer service» becomes your worst nightmare. They should call it Columbia service instead of customer service, because they don’t treat you like a valued customer when this happens to you.
I placed an order with a coat and mittens that they had on a great sale! I tracked the package until it reached IL, and that is where it stopped, and my headache began! I called Columbia © and told them that my package has not arrived by the ETA, and I was told that I need to wait at least 7 days past the ETA to see if it shows up. Mind you, they have my $ 150. They were willing and happy to take that, but I had no product! So, I patiently waited the 7 days, tracked the package again to the same distribution center in IL. I called C back, and I was told that they would open up an investigation request. They informed me that this could take 10 – 14 business days to complete. So I asked, if I could have a refund or could they ship me a new package? I was told that this is not their policy (by several other people as well in the company). I was beside myself. How could a company this huge treat me (a great frequent customer) as though it was my fault the package was lost. they could have put a tracer on the package, and had (if found) it sent back to Columbia. In the meantime, I should have gotten a new package and been thrilled w my purchase! but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It didn’t end there. I wrote email after email call after call, and I kept getting told that the investigation with UPS was not complete (I have a friend with UPS access who said the invest was already closed and she sent me the notes). The notes said that they found the mittens (outside of the box), and the jacket was never found. The jacket was marked stolen, and the mittens were shipped back to C. You know what I was told at this point!!! I had to wait for the mittens to arrive back to C!!! I cant even tell you how livid I was! Why do I have to wait for them to get the mittens back whne the invest. was closed and completed.
I finally got my money back a month after I ordered. Thanks Columbia! You lost a great customer. Thanks but no thanks for the offer of 20% off an order. You are all heart!!!

I returned a pair of hiking boots after 3 months of light use. The left boot sole came unglued and fell apart. I had to pay $ 20.00 to ship them back on top of the original purchase price. 3 weeks later, I got the boots back. Columbia re-​glued them in a half assed way; you could see the gaps in the sole and toe piece– it was a joke! The letter that came back with the boots from «quality control» stated that the boots were out of the 1 year warranty period. I had included a copy of the receipt dated far less than 1 year. The boots were clearly defective, and still are. I threw them away. Because of the idiotic treatment I received, I would choose ANY name brand before a Columbia product. They could have done the right thing and gained a customer, but they chose to screw me. Nice work Columbia!

In general I’ve been a big fan of Columbia gear and especially their PFG line. Out of 30 PFG shirts I own or have owned I had one of my TAMIAMI II PFG shirts have a neck tag go bad after a hot day fishing in the Louisiana Summer. The tag got sticky and rubbed off on my neck. I washed the shirt on cold/​cold cycle like I always do and on removing it from the wash I noticed that the tag had transferred a rubbery residue to the collar of the shirt that wouldn’t come off. I emailed Columbia asking if they had a recommended treatment to remove this tag residue and was informed I should just mail it to the warranty dept. so I did. The warranty dept. mailed it back with no notice and the package was left with just a sheet of paper indicating the warranty wouldn’t cover my shirt? All I want is a way to remove the tag residue and they must know a way!!! This is so frustrating to have a perfectly good shirt ruined due to their goofy tag residue that should be easily removed by a known solvent to them that they won’t share the information…

I used to like Columbia clothing as it was generally constructed of quality material. The last two purchases have completely changed my mind. I just spent $ 70 on a sweater that began to pill after just two washes. The last sweater I bought turned into a giant ball of pilly fuzz within a week. I’ll not spend another nickel on anything made by this brand.

Their clothing is fair, but their customer service in the online ordering is horrible. I paid $ 12 for expedited shipping. The item got to me later than promised. No apology, no refund on shipping. I could have had free shipping and gotten the items about the same time. There are too many online companies out there with quality merchandise for me to support one that has poor customer service. When will companies understand, that makes ALL the difference to the consumer? I won’t be placing an order again. I contacted them twice about it and still not relenting.
I’m done with them. Better companies out there…

Bought a pair of mens Birke Trail light weight hikers on 2÷17÷15. Wore them maybe 20 times and the toe box failed and wore/​tore through due to substandard suede. I sent them in to Columbia and they proceeded to loose them for two weeks after they received them. After numerous phone calls they finally found them and I was told in late April that they would get back to me ASAP once they were evaluated. Here is it 6÷5÷15 and I had heard nothing so I called and was put on hold for 10 minutes while the rep looked up the info. He them informed me that they could replace them and they were waiting for me to contact them. NOT what they told me back in late April. Either way they don’t have the shoes I had purchased so they will replace them with a similar shoe and it will be another 2 weeks before I get them. Columbia used to be a great company, not any more. I will buy from anyone but them in the future. Most likely Lands End, North Face, etc.

They offer free shipping, but you have to pay for returns. There is not a choice to evenly exchange an item for a different size. You return the item for a refund and place a new order. The jacket I bought is now 1.5 times as much.

I am flabbergasted by some of the bad reviews posted here. Columbia sportswear has consistently been a winner for me. I love that they offer good quality, REAL sportswear in plus sizes for women. Their clothing is good quality, well fitting and BEAUTIFUL!
I don’t live in an area with a Columbia store, so I order online. Even so, I have never purchased a product from this website that I needed to return. And every single time I wear a Columbia garment, I get scads of comments and compliments from folks who want to know where I buy my clothes. The last time i purchased a shirt from Columbia, my husband told me that I looked beautiful and said I should get one in each color they offered!
As a plus sized woman, I have often felt victimized by companies who cater to people with hard-​to-​fit bodies; charging premium prices for poor quality goods, simply because our choices are scarce. I cannot express how much I appreciate a mainline business who makes quality garments in all sizes and treats their larger sized customers exactly the same as their smaller counterparts. When I wear Columbia, I feel comfortable, beautiful and dressed appropriately for the Rocky Mountain region where I live.
I heartily recommend Columbia!

I purchased a set of Columbia Pow erdrain shoes in Spring 2013. They were great for hot summer days but the lacing mechanism failed on one side. So I sent them in for warranty replacement on ¹¹⁄₁₆. I was told on ¹¹⁄₂₆ that they were out of stock and they would send asap. That was almost half a year ago without a peep from Columbia. I inquired again this week, and Columbia Support informs me that they’re still out of stock of the Powerdrain and Drainmaker, yet I can somehow order one right now from their website?! I loved this product and half my closet is Columbia. Too bad I can never trust this company again nor will I ever see my shoes. Was that $ 90 really worth it to you Columbia??? Sad.

Like several other notable, formerly proud, and once market leading companies (see Ray-​Ban, Hoover Vacuum, et al.)Sorel has been purchased for it’s brand cache and is systematically being transformed into a made in China (or Viet Nam) fashion focused, inferior product oriented, over priced corporate cash cow. The heritage of quality and performance has been traded for return on investment.
My expensive Sorels lasted exactly one hour in the sub-​zero January temperatures that we have suffered recently in the midwest, before they completely disintegrated. I returned them to the factory, based on the instructions provided by the customer service person at Sorel, and the warranty evaluator rejected my claim. Technically, they were out of the warranty period, but when you drop a buck fifty on a pair of winter boots, you expect them to out perform your daughter’s Hello Kitty boots. That wasn’t the case.
If you want an exceptional pair of extreme weather boots, grab a pair of US Army surplus «Mickey Mouse» boots manufactured by BATA. They are absolutey the warmest, most durable boots you’ll ever own, and they’re available all over the internet for bout $ 60. Skip the junk that Columbia is cranking out in China and calling Sorel.

I disagree with the orange head review, Columbia is the bee’s knees.
I bought a Bugaboo parka in 2008 from some rando sporting goods site and we had several good years together. Sadly, the zipper died and I needed to send it in for repair just in time for a cold snap and of course I have a trip to Iceland coming up as well. Womp womp.
So. Off to Oregon it went. Once I saw they received it I gave them a call to check on it and explain that I kinda needed it back and was answered by a lovely woman who listened to my plight and set about helping find a solution for me. She told me I was getting a replacement and we went through the options I had available to me, in less than half an hour a new coat was ordered and Columbia had made a huge fan out of me.
A spankin new coat arrived at my office today and I love it. Columbia stands behind its products with great customer service, what more can you ask for?

Have had very disappointing, lack-​of-​customer-​service experience with this company online. Their sizing is very inconsistent; an order i placed several days ago arrived and the items were extremely off-​the-​mark regarding size. I have several other similar items from Columbia, all the same size that I ordered, that fit. These new items didn’t even begin to.
The real annoyance, however, is that I paid over 20 dollars to have them shipped to me and then turn around and ship them back immediately; company paid $ 6.60 to ship and I paid $ 14.39 to the same carrier to ship back. (same box;same weight)
I will not buy from this company again. They need to offer a return shipping policy that is more user friendly, at the least.

Columbia does not compete well in the outdoor apparel world. I recommend Patagonia and The North Face.