# BEWARE: Costa Del Mar Warranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on...



## bamachem

Well, i just joined the "I H8 CDM" group.

Short story: Sent a 1-yr-old pair of Silver Mirror 580 Triple Tails off for a warped/defective frame. Lenses were PERFECT but loose, frame was "out of shape", etc. I listed the problem as "WARPED FRAMES AND LOOSE LENSES, ARMS OPEN TO DIFFERENT ANGLES". 

I got them back today - ~10-day turn around. 

They GLUED the lenses into the defective frames and replaced the temple arms with new ones. Not only that, but the SCRATCHED MY LENSES!!! WTF???

I call customer service. I'm going out of town TOMORROW and need replacements here ASAP! "Sorry" is all I got. I offered to BUY another set with OVERNIGHT shipping if they would accept this pair as a return under warranty and credit me later. "Sorry". "Send them back and we'll take a look". I took pictures and had to ask the guy THREE times if I could send the pictures to him to see what they could do. Finally got an email address to send them to. They looked the pics over and I got another "Sorry, but you'll have to just send them back".

No more CDM for me or my wife and I refuse to put another pair on my head if this is not made right TODAY. Here's the email I sent after I got off the phone w/ them along w/ the pics I originally sent.




























*From:* Andy ***** 
*Sent:* Thursday, April 28, 2011 9:37 AM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* RE: Warranty - RI0455966


Please pass this message on to the supervisor who decided that these defective glasses cannot be replaced in a timely manner.

I have been and continue (until today) to be a long-time Costa owner and user. I have owned (3) previous pairs of MP2 and Triple Tail glasses with 400-series lenses in addition to the TWO pairs of 580 TT-11’s that I currently own. I purchased the additional set of TT11’s for the sole purpose of having a “back-up” pair while my Silver Mirror TT11’s were being repaired under warranty. Do the math, and I currently own $600 worth of your glasses, with an additional $600 in recent years. This doesn’t even include the $500+ we have spent on my wife’s eyewear – also all Costa Del Mar.

I have always read the horror stories of the Costa warranty issues on internet forums through the years, but since I had received good service (up to this point), I blew it off as just being outliers to the customer base. However, today my opinion has been swayed.

I sent my pair of TT11 Silver Mirror 580’s in for warranty repair (RI0455966) due to defective frames that allowed the temple arms to open to different angles. It was obvious that the FRAMES were warping as the glass lenses were also loose – _I stated this in the warrant description_. What did your repair team do to correct the issue? They sloppily GLUED the lenses into the defective frames and put new temple arms on the defective frames. _Yes, you are reading that correctly._ The core issue of the problem was NOT addressed and a poorly “repaired” set of $300 glasses were sent out – complete with a NEW scratch on what used to be perfect lenses. _The lens was scratched while it was in your possession!_

What I have asked is NOT unreasonable for a company that did not correct a warranty issue when it was CLEARLY explained to them AND damaged the merchandise beyond what can be repaired (lenses glued into frames and a scratched lens). I simply asked for a replacement pair to be sent to me via Overnight Mail. I have offered to provide a CC number so that you know you are not going to lose valuable inventory to a scam. Needless to say, this request has fallen on deaf ears.

You, and your pathetic excuse for customer service has left me with no other recourse but to move on with life. In other words, I (and my wife) will be moving beyond Costa Del Mar as my choice of eyewear. I cannot continue to support a company that refuses to help a long-time customer when it is YOU who did not perform and execute when honoring YOUR “LIFETIME” WARRANTY! I also have no choice but to warn my family, friends, and acquaintances in the fishing industry here on the Gulf Coast about my experience and how you do NOT stand behind your words that you put on the warranty card.

Your FORMER Customer,


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## biggamefishr

this is the reason i have 4 pairs of costas (two broken pairs, and two pairs in my closet somewhere) that i never wear. I wouldn't spare a drop of piss on a burning pair of costas. switched to guidelinea a few years ago and i couldn't be happier, better quality glasses, better warranty, and quite a bit cheaper. i can't tell the difference looking through a pair of 250 dollar 580s and a 150 dollar pair of guideline elites


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## ACTIONJACKSON

Sorry that happened, at least now we all can benefit with this info, so "thank you". They must have a few rose colored pair down there, but it will catch up with them.


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## TNguy

Post it on their facebook wall. They usually respond to that from what I've seen.


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## Fish On

Check out a pair of Ocean Waves. They are the best I have found. I busted the frames one time and they sent me a new pair within a week. No questions asked. I have been wearing the same pair for over 10 years with no problems. I love them.
I also have 2 pair of Costas that are all scratched up. There crap!


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## hjorgan

*I will never own another pair of Costas*

Same type of experience here.

So many better brands for actual use without the marketing hype.

But ALL the kiddies want a pair..... sheesh!


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## bamachem

TNguy said:


> Post it on their facebook wall. They usually respond to that from what I've seen.


Thanks for the tip. Just posted under "What ever happened to Customer Service?"


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## PurpleNGold

Its sad but most warrantys are as such.


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## Xanadu

They must be schizophrenic. I sent two pairs back within a week of each other both old Havanas one with amber and the other blue mirror. On the older set which must have been 10 yrs old and had scratches, they replaced the lens, straightened everything out including new temples and sent them back. On the other pair, they said they were no longer in production and let me choose a replacement.

Sounds like they need a new boss.


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## gator7_5

Fish On said:


> Check out a pair of Ocean Waves. They are the best I have found. I busted the frames one time and they sent me a new pair within a week. No questions asked. I have been wearing the same pair for over 10 years with no problems. I love them.
> I also have 2 pair of Costas that are all scratched up. There crap!


X2

I'll put Ocean Waves green mirror lenses up against any brand. Especially when cobia fishing or bay fishing. Just unreal clarity and color. I haven't seen anything that comes close, plus their warranty dept is great.


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## TNguy

bamachem said:


> Thanks for the tip. Just posted under "What ever happened to Customer Service?"


Keep us updated. I am a big Costa guy, but I havent had to use their cust. service yet.


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## CostaSunglasses

Hey Bamachem, 

I received your email yesterday, and I hear that everything was worked out with the manager. I hope you're able to enjoy your glasses today. 

If anyone has any questions for me about their repair, I work with Costa and you can email me at [email protected]. 

Thank you, 
Laurie


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## Cruiser

Customer service is why I use nothing but Smith, plus they are great glasses. I sent in 2 pair that broke at the same place, they promptly called me after receiving and told me to go to their website and pick out any 2 pair, no charge and they payed shipping. You can usually find good deals on them at Sierra Trading Post.


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## kelly1

CostaSunglasses said:


> Hey Bamachem,
> 
> I received your email yesterday, and I hear that everything was worked out with the manager. I hope you're able to enjoy your glasses today.
> 
> If anyone has any questions for me about their repair, I work with Costa and you can email me at [email protected].
> 
> Thank you,
> Laurie


Welcome to the forum, Laurie


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## Biller48

Guys, i fish the hell out of the 20.00 calcuttas from outcast, best IMHO for the price, i can afford to have a few pair lying around and when i trash one or it goes overboard, i am out 20 bucks vice 150-200 and i have another reason to stop by the bait store. Just my 2 cents.:thumbup:


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## bamachem

CostaSunglasses said:


> Hey Bamachem,
> 
> I received your email yesterday, and I hear that everything was worked out with the manager. I hope you're able to enjoy your glasses today.
> 
> If anyone has any questions for me about their repair, I work with Costa and you can email me at [email protected].
> 
> Thank you,
> Laurie


Thanks for following up on this and working for a solution.

In the end, I was told that you guys did not have any Black Triple Tail frames with Silver Mirror 580 glass in stock. I was told that there was a pair of Tortoise, but just no black frames. I would rather have the correct frames, so I followed the advice I was given and had these frames adjusted at an optometrist enough that made them usable until I receive the replacements in the mail.

Overall, I believe I will be satisfied in the end. However, the sad part is that it took emails to various people at Costa, a post on your facebook page, and emails copied to the President of the company as well as two VP's before something was done about the issue. I hope that situations like this are reviewed at an executive level so that changes can be implemented that will correct the Customer Service "black eyes" that you guys have deservedly received over the last few years.

It's difficult to get a valuable and marketable product on the shelves that customers love. It's next to impossible to keep it valuable and marketable if you don't take care of your customer base when they look to you for answers on a maufacturing defect and a warranty repair screw-up.


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## hebegb

I have had flawless warranty service from them every time

my 8 year old beat to death glasses basically got completely replaced for the low warranty cost and my 4 year old pair had every defect fixed :thumbup:


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## shanester

i have never had a problem with the warranty service on any of my costas, either.

but i will put my oceanwaves on before my costas when going fishing anyday. hands down a better fishing sunglass.


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## Go_Sic'm

Shipped my 4 yr old costas back with broken and scratched lenses fully expecting to pay bout $60 for repairs and shipping. Just got a new pair back after only 2 weeks saying my others were replaced under warranty:thumbup:. Only paid $12 for shipping. Laurie, don't know if you had anything to do with that, but if you did, many thanks!


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## bamachem

"Lisa" had told me that I could use my current pair until they got a set in stock and could ship them to me.

So, after almost two weeks of waiting, I finally emails Laurie again about my glasses. I was told that I was still supposed to send my set in and that they were just waiting on them to arrive before shipping out my new ones. After a few emails, we worked out a deal where I would return my original defective set under an RMA with return label and they overnighted the replacement set to me at the same time.

Although it took WAY too long to get the correct results, I can say that I am happy to have a decent set of glasses back. I hate that I had to jump through hoops due to THEIR warranty screw up in the first place.


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## SebastianInletz

Costa Del Mar Warranty and customer service is crap. They used to be good, no they are too big to fail. Have sent in pair recently and was told the factory defect was not covered. Not too long ago I had a very similar issue with the glasses that they did in fact cover, however this was over a year ago. DO NOT BUY THEM THINKING THEY WILL STAND BEHIND THE WARRANTY. BUYER BEWARE


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## 153 Large fish

I dont know what yaw think of Maui Jims, but i had a pair of the titanium frame style...I wore them to work, used them as safety glasses etc...they eventually looked like they were found on the side of the road, but not broke...i sent them in and they just sent me a brand new pair, new case and lens cleaner within 5 days ...im extremely hard on sunglasses and they are almost impossible to break


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## BigRed38

Never had any issues... have had several pairs replaced under warranty. Most I ever paid was $75.00 to replace a pair of 580 lenses, they even upgraded my frames free of cost due to them not offering the model anymore.


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## BigRed38

SebastianInletz said:


> Costa Del Mar Warranty and customer service is crap. They used to be good, no they are too big to fail. Have sent in pair recently and was told the factory defect was not covered. Not too long ago I had a very similar issue with the glasses that they did in fact cover, however this was over a year ago. DO NOT BUY THEM THINKING THEY WILL STAND BEHIND THE WARRANTY. BUYER BEWARE


First post and you dig up a 3 year old thread and bash a consumer... Get Lost


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## Salt4Lifer

I've heard too many horror stories to ever buy Costas. In the age of information, poor customer service will get you what you deserve.


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## BCNGATOR

I just received a pair back that broke while putting them on. $9 for shopping and it was a new pair I got back. Previously I had a pair fall off of the console and the lens cracked. Sent them in and was only charged $9 for shipping of a new pair. I have only had good experiences with Costa's. One bad experience will last a lifetime.


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## Fish Sticks

I love costa and will always love costa. Just wish I could afford more pairs haha But every time our sunglasses have had issues or even just a scratch there service was just awesome! We even had a 4 year old pair with interchangeable lenses and they asked us what new pair we want them to send us. We picked a pair and now have been wearing them for the past year! Its been awesome!:thumbup:


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## Blake R.

Always had great service. Last pair I sent in had a cracked arm and shattered lens. $12 for s brand new pair is hard to beat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jack Hexter

I've returned several pair. The last pair I sent in had a temple break off, totally my fault. I explained this in the form. $12 and I got a new pair in the mail. When they received them, they noticed the lenses were fading around the edges, a defect I had not noticed, so it was apparently minor. They replaced the whole pair. No problems with CDM Warranty.


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## afishanado

Personally I'm not a fan of Costa DM, however my non-fishing wife loves them for some reason. She recently accidentally broke a pair that had to be 5-6 years old. Costa no longer makes the style so they told her to pick out a new style from the website, shipped them in about a week and only cost her (me) $12. No complaints about their customer service here.


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## shipoke

Nothing but good service. 15 years worth. They have been so good to me, I don't see how they have made a profit.
Shipoke


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## Safari III

*Stay away from Ocean Waves.*



Fish On said:


> Check out a pair of Ocean Waves. They are the best I have found. I busted the frames one time and they sent me a new pair within a week. No questions asked. I have been wearing the same pair for over 10 years with no problems. I love them.
> I also have 2 pair of Costas that are all scratched up. There crap!



They aren't what they used to be. They used to have a good product and reputation but their customer service really sucks. Last year I sent the same pair of glasses back for repair 3 times for the same issue (A brand new pair of glasses at that). They would send them back and the problem would be even worse or there would be new problems. One time they even returned a completely different color frame to me. They have no quality controls at all. Totally incompetent people there. I also caught them in numerous lies. The the fourth and final time I sent them back they claimed to have never received them although I had delivery confirmation that the post office had indeed delivered them. That was how they finally resolved the issues. I filed a claim with the post office but they wouldn't pay it since they had a delivery scan. Ocean Waves didn't offer me anything, couldn't even get a return call from the owner/manager. Long story short I lost $200.


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