Think we can fix this budget buster - tent!

[mjkacmom]

I bought a $140 Coleman tent a year ago, to camp. It was a little rainy when we went, so we all squeezed into a cabin, instead of splitting up. It's time for our annual trip, and we only have a small cabin, so need the tent. DH takes it out to set it up in our yard - no poles! I call Coleman, and they tell me they were made exclusively for Target, and have been discontinued, so they don't even have poles.

Go to Target, and they no longer have our credit card information, since it was a year ago. However, they're still selling these tents, but we can't exchange. So, we buy the tent, and will be returning the one with no poles with that receipt, and letting them know the reason for the return is the lack of poles.

I'll make sure to take care of those poles, since they can't be replaced!

 

[WVMomof3]

Ut oh, I also bought a Coleman tent about a year ago at Target and have not taken it out yet. We are supposed to go camping next weekend. I guess we better make sure we have all the pieces first. If it would just stop raining....

 

[jessica52877]

Same here! It made me really nervous last fall when we didn't end up using it (rain) and then wouldn't know for a long time if everything was okay. Seems things are just made so cheaply anymore.

Don't care for Coleman or Target's customer service with you.

 

[Leajess99]

I bought a $140 Coleman tent a year ago, to camp. It was a little rainy when we went, so we all squeezed into a cabin, instead of splitting up. It's time for our annual trip, and we only have a small cabin, so need the tent. DH takes it out to set it up in our yard - no poles! I call Coleman, and they tell me they were made exclusively for Target, and have been discontinued, so they don't even have poles.

Go to Target, and they no longer have our credit card information, since it was a year ago. However, they're still selling these tents, but we can't exchange. So, we buy the tent, and will be returning the one with no poles with that receipt, and letting them know the reason for the return is the lack of poles.

I'll make sure to take care of those poles, since they can't be replaced!

You do realize that this is fraud and punishable by law?? You have had the tent for a year so you should have checked prior to now on the poles. How can Target be sure you did not lose the poles?? This is just wrong and the reason why so many others have to suffer with stricter return policies.

 

[msmayor]

I think what I find more surprising is that you never opened the tent up after purchasing it to "test" setting it up and making sure you had everything before you went on the trip a year ago.

 

[jessica52877]

I agree that this is why/how we all pay the price of higher costs and stricter return policies but in essence she is already paying the price by not being able to return it. It seems no one wants to help her. I would be livid if I bought a tent and it didn't have the tent poles in it. If that was the case then I would have not received what I purchased.

I would love to hear another solution to this, especially since she has contacted both already and they have decided not to help.

Not saying it is right, just wondering a better solution to the problem. BTW, DH just looked, ours has the poles, but if for some reason a seam isn't sewn shut I too will be SOL. Happened on my son's Star Wars tent, brand new out of the box and the machine just missed part of a seam completely!

 

[msmayor]

I agree that this is why/how we all pay the price of higher costs and stricter return policies but in essence she is already paying the price by not being able to return it. It seems no one wants to help her. I would be livid if I bought a tent and it didn't have the tent poles in it. If that was the case then I would have not received what I purchased.

I would love to hear another solution to this, especially since she has contacted both already and they have decided not to help.

Not saying it is right, just wondering a better solution to the problem. BTW, DH just looked, ours has the poles, but if for some reason a seam isn't sewn shut I too will be SOL. Happened on my son's Star Wars tent, brand new out of the box and the machine just missed part of a seam completely!

I think the problem is the timing. I mean, come on...most people are not buying a tent and then not even opening the box for a year. Its just not reasonable for someone to claim a year after purchase that NOW they realize something is missing. A response of "Sorry, but you should have told us much sooner...shortly after purchasing" is really quite reasonable.

My family camped for years when I was a kid. We would never have dreamed of taking any trip before checking our equipment ahead of time, and testing things after purchasing to make sure they worked and we had everything we needed. Often, you are camping in areas where replacement parts are not readily available.

 

[Mickey527]

I bought my grandson one of those easy set pools last year at Target at the end of the year. I paid $35 on clearance, they are selling now for $249.
I brought it in Oct. but I took it all out of the box and made sure all the parts were there just in case. If they weren't then that $35 would have been wasted. You have to check anything you buy.
If I were you I would take the poles from the new tent and measure them then see if you can maybe come up with something useable somewhere else. I would think you could find a PVC pipe at Home Depot that is the right thickness and cut it for the height you need. If not PVC then maybe some kind of metal pipe or pole.
Or if that won't work for you maybe go to a cmping store and see what they might have. I bet lots of people lose or break the pipes to their tents and have to come up with some kind of replacement if the tent is basicly still in good condition.

 

[Leajess99]

I think the problem is the timing. I mean, come on...most people are not buying a tent and then not even opening the box for a year. Its just not reasonable for someone to claim a year after purchase that NOW they realize something is missing. A response of "Sorry, but you should have told us much sooner...shortly after purchasing" is really quite reasonable.

My family camped for years when I was a kid. We would never have dreamed of taking any trip before checking our equipment ahead of time, and testing things after purchasing to make sure they worked and we had everything we needed. Often, you are camping in areas where replacement parts are not readily available.

Yep and seriously, some tents do have warranties but again they are not lifetime warranties. Before I go camping with a tent I like to know how to put the thing together. Even the military does training on how to put a tent up so when it is time for field or war the tents can be put up quickly.

 

[tommya60]

Check your local Goodwill. Lots of Target items end up as surplus at the Goodwill, so perhaps they will have a tent.

 

[mjkacmom]

You do realize that this is fraud and punishable by law?? You have had the tent for a year so you should have checked prior to now on the poles. How can Target be sure you did not lose the poles?? This is just wrong and the reason why so many others have to suffer with stricter return policies.

We didn't use the tent until now. How many people buy something to use later, and open it to make sure all the parts are there? Maybe we're too trusting? Why should we be out the $ for a product that is defective? We don't camp often, and the weekend we planned to camp called for rain, so we left the tent at home, and didn't need it again until this year. Coleman, who had a contract with Target, provided at product that was defective (since a tent is useless without poles). In fact, I think Target is wrong having a discontinued product on the shelves, because you can't get replacement parts for them.

 

[KevGuy]

You do realize that this is fraud and punishable by law?? You have had the tent for a year so you should have checked prior to now on the poles. How can Target be sure you did not lose the poles?? This is just wrong and the reason why so many others have to suffer with stricter return policies.

That's funny, I'm pretty sure the "tent fraud police" are busy with other things and won't be punishing anyone ahahaha!!! If their return policies weren't so strict to begin with then people wouldn't have to do these things. Just another example of the little guy getting screwed. Good for you OP for resolving your situation and making sure you get what you paid for!

 

[bear_mom]

I guess this a good reason that we always set up new tents in the backyard as soon as we buy them. I've never considered doing it to make sure parts were missing, but more of an - I don't want to look like an idiot trying to set up a new tent in a campsite .

Emily

 

[bdoyledimou]

We didn't use the tent until now. How many people buy something to use later, and open it to make sure all the parts are there? Maybe we're too trusting? Why should we be out the $ for a product that is defective? We don't camp often, and the weekend we planned to camp called for rain, so we left the tent at home, and didn't need it again until this year. Coleman, who had a contract with Target, provided at product that was defective (since a tent is useless without poles). In fact, I think Target is wrong having a discontinued product on the shelves, because you can't get replacement parts for them.

The first rule of tent camping is to immediately set it up before you head out. It's just common sense!!! (although i do see your point of view..)

Two years ago my family went camping in the Massassuga Region of Ontario Canada, on a private island about 15 KMs from the main land (we had to rent a 15 foot fishing boat that only ha an 8 hp outboard motor) and we busted a pole while setting it up. It was an older tent we had used many times before..

We went to the store to pick up a new pole, but they didn't have any so we ended up purchasing a new tent.

Once we got back to the island and set this tent up, it was really late and ark, we just climbed in an went to sleep...

It was REALLY cold in that tent... and when the sun came up we found out why... apparently someone had replaced the tent that was supposed to be in the box with another one that had screen mesh 3/4s of the way around it.. only one side was Nylon!!! it wasn't the tent on the box at all.

We ended up staying with it for the week we camped and then stopped off on our way back, explained the issue and they refunded us.. (We did get the tent we originally went in to purchase)..

 

[camlace]

Coleman, who had a contract with Target, provided at product that was defective (since a tent is useless without poles). In fact, I think Target is wrong having a discontinued product on the shelves, because you can't get replacement parts for them.

Umm, stores sell discontinued product all of the time, what do you expect them to do with it, throw it all away? They paid for the merchandise from the supplier...they need to get their money and profit back by selling the product.

Also, there is no guarantee coleman is to blame. Someone last year may have done exactly what you are about to do...they bought the tent knowing they only needed the poles as a replacement. Returned the tent to Target without the poles, possibly without telling anyone there were no poles in the box, then Target put it back on the shelf and you bought it. So there is really no way to know when/how/where the poles went missing. I agree with other posters its in the consumer's hands to be sure they got what they paid for and a year later is a little too late to expect someone to correct the error.

 

[mjkacmom]

The first rule of tent camping is to immediately set it up before you head out. It's just common sense!!! (although i do see your point of view..)

.

We're not big campers, but we always set up new tents before we go (and I hate to think of what would've happened if we didn't in this case...). This was the first time we were taking the tent camping. Putting up and taking down a tent isn't considered a fun activity here, so it's done "as needed." When we decided not to take it last year, it was put away.

 

[msmayor]

We're not big campers, but we always set up new tents before we go (and I hate to think of what would've happened if we didn't in this case...). This was the first time we were taking the tent camping. Putting up and taking down a tent isn't considered a fun activity here, so it's done "as needed." When we decided not to take it last year, it was put away.

Well apparently not, since it "needed" to be put up after you bought it to make sure you had everything required.

 

[DISdreamin']

You do realize that this is fraud and punishable by law?? You have had the tent for a year so you should have checked prior to now on the poles. How can Target be sure you did not lose the poles?? This is just wrong and the reason why so many others have to suffer with stricter return policies.

Honestly, I've done something very similar to what the OP is describing. I bought two sets of water "shooters" for my kids, and one of them ended up being defective. Because the set was already opened and the packaging thrown out before we discovered this (who thought you had to test every single piece to be sure it worked), I tried to exchange my defective one at Target. Nope, no packaging, so even with the receipt and it being within their return time limit (we'd only had them about a week) they refused to do it. I brought one of the items up so they could get the UPC code off it - nope. Not good enough. So I bought a new one, opened it in front of them, and returned the defective item along with the other unused item right then and there. What else could I do? I wasn't going to be out the money...I had paid for a defective item, had the item and receipt and they STILL didn't want to do an exchange. I didn't even want my money back, I just wanted a working toy! Crazy.

So you know what, while I see the OP situation being quite different, I DO understand the frustration of unknowingly buying a defective item. And what should the OP do? Just be out $140 because they didn't unpack and item?

 

[msmayor]

Honestly, I've done something very similar to what the OP is describing. I bought two sets of water "shooters" for my kids, and one of them ended up being defective. Because the set was already opened and the packaging thrown out before we discovered this (who thought you had to test every single piece to be sure it worked), I tried to exchange my defective one at Target. Nope, no packaging, so even with the receipt and it being within their return time limit (we'd only had them about a week) they refused to do it. I brought one of the items up so they could get the UPC code off it - nope. Not good enough. So I bought a new one, opened it in front of them, and returned the defective item along with the other unused item right then and there. What else could I do? I wasn't going to be out the money...I had paid for a defective item, had the item and receipt and they STILL didn't want to do an exchange. I didn't even want my money back, I just wanted a working toy! Crazy.

So you know what, while I see the OP situation being quite different, I DO understand the frustration of unknowingly buying a defective item. And what should the OP do? Just be out $140 because they didn't unpack and item?

After a whole year? Yes. Its unfair to the retailer to expect them to shoulder responsibility for an item purchased that long ago just because you think they have deep pockets.

As for your situation, there were indeed other remedies. Did you call the manufacturer? Most are quite willing to help when you can prove that it is a recent purchase, and even without the packaging I suspect that with a receipt showing the UPC code they would have been more than happy to help. Why? Because I've done it before. Toys purchased at Christmas that either are missing parts or have parts that break shortly after...all I've done is call the toll-free number, explain the problem, and have had NO issues getting replacements.

And yes, I realize that at this point no replacement poles are available. But I still think that cost should be on the OP due to THEIR error in not checking the product thoroughly within the return timeframe.

 

[mjkacmom]

After a whole year? Yes. Its unfair to the retailer to expect them to shoulder responsibility for an item purchased that long ago just because you think they have deep pockets.
.

What difference should it make if I return it now, or last year? And I didn't even want to return it, I wanted to exchange it for the same item, which they have on the shelf, the same thing I would've done a year ago. It's obviously brand new, and the tent has never been taken out of the bag, and obviously factory packed. They know it came from Target, because Target was the only store selling these tents.

How many people on the board are done Christmas shopping by the time summer rolls around. Should they open and assemble everything?