Is this mount job acceptable?

[Dug]

Cross posted most of this at EpicSki but someone suggested I post it here too. Hopefully someone can help me out.

One binding was mounted with the heel about 3mm off from the center from sidewall to sidewall, while the other had the toe mounted about 2mm off. Got home and immediately saw that they were off so I went back to the store today. Measured the screw holes and found that in general they were off by about 2mm. Talked to the shop manager and he told me that the such error happened occasionally and was not out of the norm, that it was probably caused by normal thickness irregularities in the bindings or jig, that I wouldn't find a better mount elsewhere, and that he wouldn't do anything for me for such a small "deviation".

Basically he kept throwing excuses at me and even called the "Tyrolia Rep" to get him to come down and talk to me to try to convince me that they had done nothing wrong. Even if said "Tyrolia rep" came down, how does that have anything to do with mounting and the fact that my bindings aren't straight on the ski??

Looking at the remounted binding, you can immediately tell the binding isnt parallel with the ski, and feeling the amount of ski on either side of the binding makes it even more apparent.

Did what the manager say sound reasonable? Am I just being paranoid? I think I'm stuck with it.

[PNWbrit]

Unacceptable mount and customer service.

Which store?

[skibackwards]

let him call the rep. they'll say they fucked it.

[descender]

It should be dead center. Raise hell.

[Dug]

Sturtevants. The tech thought it was an issue and brought it to the shop manager. The shop manager didn't agree.

Going to go there again right now and try talking to someone through the main desk instead.

Guy kept talking about how plastic parts in bindings are made in a cast and that irregularities in thickness were common and that that was as good a mount as I was going to get. Sounded like bullshit to me.

[assgasorgrass]

Sounded like bullshit to me.

Sounds like you should be able to smell it as well.

[El Chupacabra]

Sturtevants. The tech thought it was an issue and brought it to the shop manager. The shop manager didn't agree.

Going to go there again right now and try talking to someone through the main desk instead.

Guy kept talking about how plastic parts in bindings are made in a cast and that irregularities in thickness were common and that that was as good a mount as I was going to get. Sounded like bullshit to me.

It is bullshit. That mount should be absolutely dead centered on the ski.

I'm now doing all my binding mounts by hand, measuring carefully. It takes a few minutes, but it's not that hard. That shop tech screwed up, and they owe you new skis.

[PNWbrit]

Sturtevants

Guy kept talking about how plastic parts in bindings are made in a cast and that irregularities in thickness were common and that that was as good a mount as I was going to get. Sounded like bullshit to me.

Complete and utter bullshit. Demand a refund and go buy skis elsewhere - pro ski, evo gear or greenwater skis (others will add suggestions) not somewhere that sells tennis raquets half the year.

[iggyskier]

bring you skis elsewhere. That is complete bullshit. I've had pretty good results from Kenny in the puyallup store, but he is pricey....

what PNWbrit said - evogear, pro ski, or greenwater.

[beb42000]

threaten with the better buisness burrow if he refuses to refund. Call his bluff and call tyrolia yourself. They'll cave, their just trying to avoid eating that set of skis. I worked at a shop where they tried to pull the same thing on someone. Their techs are certified(hopefully) and that makes them responsible for mounting tyrolia's bindings correctly. Tyrolia is never going to admit that mounting their bindings off center is acceptable or common practice. Make that shop eat their own words. The last thing they'll want to do is lose their abbility to mount or sell tyrolia.

[karma]

Personal eperiance same shop, same problem, they replaced the skis...

[3eyedsmiley]

Definitely get that replaced, should be. Let them call in the rep and then watch the rep make him replace it. It definitely shouldn't be off-center.

[leroy jenkins]

That shop tech screwed up, and they owe you new skis.

YES

It is such a scam to just offer a refund (and these guys didn't even do THAT). A refund covers the cost of the screwed up mount, leaving you to worry about your now devalued skis. This is why I am always paranoid when I take skis to get mounted. The guy I use now does them in front of me while I wait. $$$$$

[Dug]

Just got back. Front desk couldn't do anything and the manager with an attitude was the only one there. Fuck that. I'm gonna drop by on monday again and talk to the general manager instead, try to get this sorted out.

Really appreciate the suggestions. This was my first time buying skis/bindings (after 15 years of skiing) and so far it's sucked.

[El Chupacabra]

Did you pay with a credit card? That's another line of defense (can call the card after you get your bill, dispute the charge, etc.)

[Powdurr]

Heh. Sturtavents. Psh. I would guess the job isn't acceptable.

[Dug]

It's not so much the cost of the mount that annoys me. It's that I gave them my equipment to mount trusting they'd do it right, being that they are supposedly quite reputable, and having my returned equipment in poorer condition, permenently; and getting attitude and b.s. when I pointed it out.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Seeing the responses here answers the question I had in our PM.

beb42000 is on the money. Call their bluff and watch that bastard eat his words. Just make sure whoever shows up is truly a Tyrolia rep and not some stooge of the manager's....

I guess I got real lucky. Had that shop mount my bindings and no problem. I bought neither bindings nor skis from them either, just paid them for the mount. I've since learned of other shops I'll deal with in the future for such things. It's worth more $$$ to be sure the people doing the work are careful and concerned about quality.

[bossass]

Deviations right or left on bindings are pretty common, but not by that much. And fuck that guy for trying to blame it on the bindings plastic molding or whatever. Pull those binders off and I godguarendamntee those holes are off. They're lots of shit that can go wrong with jigs, and by their nature they're not always precise. If a jig is very old it can have pull to one side or another. And if it's not seated on the ski correctly it will def. pull to one side.

They probably are fine to ski, but you probably just dropped serious coin on some new gear and you deserve it to be mounted correctly. And if it's off you shouldn't be able to visually notice it. Measure each binding heel from the tail, I'll bet those are off too if the tech mounted off the topsheet mark (which are rarely ever laid on correctly. If that's off too, you'll have more ammo to make them give you a refund.

Here's an idea. If they won't give you your money back and pay for your skis, then we'll start a call in campaign. Give us the number and whoever wants, I'll do it, can call in and say I'll never shop there again unless you take care of Dug. I'll bet if 10 or so peeps call, they'll do what's right.

[Core Shot]

Are they really that fucked up?

2 millimeters is about one sixteenth of an inch

If these were real manly fat skis with a waist of 99mm, you are talking about the binding being offcenter by 2% of width, which would be hard to see by eye. Are you sure they are off center, or is it just the topsheet graphics (which are often out of whack)?

2mm is about the width of this "n"

[addict]

If you travel by plane and the pilot lands 45metres left of the runway is it OK? Fuck no.

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! This happened to me and they cut me a cheque for new skis. If their jig is bent than others are out there skiing around with mismounts. Mounting is not difficult with a jig, this is pure incompetence. Raise hell, if they do nothing, stand at the local lift line and tell your story, this will apply sufficient pressure.

[beb42000]

second that, do you think that a 1/16 of an inch is acceptable in a sport where it comes down to hudrethes of a second. I know that none of those skiers we watch on TV have their skis mounted off center, and what makes your skis worth any less? I worked at a shop for twelve years and I have seen it all. The people who got their money back raised hell, and they were usually sexually unsatisfied soccer moms. Techs at many shops work there b/c it's an easy job to get. Turnover is high, and if you stick it out for as little as one season, you can become a jigger(as we called it). Mounting is easy. And that's why this shit happens, it's too easy to slap that jig on and start making swiss cheese. I agree though, pure incompetence!

I don't work at a shop anymore but I tune out of my garage, and I'm trying to start-up a new shop of my own--shit like this infuriates me b/c it makes us all look bad. No wonder everybody buys their shit over the internet anymore.

If the shop absolutely declines to refund, you have to take to the next level. And that's Tyrolia. Customer sevice is usually your best bet if you can get their number, beware of the reps b/c sometimes they live in the back pockets of the shop...kinda like congressmen. To get tyrolia's number, go to the shops fiercest competitor and I'm sure they'll want to help. Although ski shops play it off like their all chill with each other, there is a small window of yearly sales and that creates mad tension. Plus you can find out if other shops think that mount job is acceptable>it's only' "not that bad" if you let them convince of it.

[azzure]

Just an FYI Sturtevant’s did the same crap to two pair of my skis and said the same BS. They told be they called the Look rep and he said I would never notice the bindings being 2mm off. Then they went back and forth with excuses etc. Shop manager would not cop to the f-up so I left pissed. Bottom line, this is a shady shop and I’ll never purchase or have anything mounted there again. Next pair of boards I get will be mounted in Canada via real the experts at Snowcovers. STAY AWAY FROM STURTEVANTS, THEY BLOW!

[cj001f]

If you can accurately measure 2mm of deviation on a binding mount, why didn't you mount them yourself? As for "dead" center - tolerances.

[Idris]

beb42000 has the right idea.

Sounds like somone is using a jig with the rubber feet missing off one side but still on the other. I know somone who mounted more than 1000 pairs this way! No one noticed because they all skied powder. Plenty who have the skis now however notice.