HUNTER WELLINGTONS

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northy

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To all concerned,DO NOT BUY HUNTER WELLINGTONS
These boots are not at all what they used to be now they are Manufactured in the far East
I have now had three pairs and all of them have split in several places including the sole and heel.
The latest pair are only 14 months old and decided to tackle my complaint with customer services at Hunter in Scotland.After several emails etc,they decided to collect the boots for examination by their Tech Dept...LOL
After several days I had heard nothing back form them after sending numerous emails.I decided to call them direct for some answers........here we go.Their famous Tech Dept came back with the following.The boots are over 6 years old,the splits are due to excessive wear and they will not be replaced.
Now bearing in mind I purchased these from a reputable Hunter stockist which no longer stock them and are no way 6 years old and only used them to walk the dog 15 mins a day.
Hunter will no way replace these boots for me and would not even offer a part payment voucher for another pair....what a joke.....PLEASE AVOID AT ALL COST....
 
A couple of years ago I'd have whole heartedly agreed with you, Hunter definately had big problems with quality. (apparently customer service is still rubbish!)

However, having had very little choice of wellies that fitted, last year I took the plunge and purchased a pair of neoprene lined Hunters (I have size 9 feet and long legs, not many ladies boots cater for this combo!).

They have been fab - warm, comfortable and so far (touch wood) quality looks good.

They have had so much bad press over recent years it looks as though the newer style wellies may be a return to form for them.

So sorry that you've had problems.
 
My whole family used to buy the standard hunter wellies even non horsey family but none of us do now due to them breaking down after a year. Even if they have improved them since then the damage has been done for me im afraid, i wouldnt risk spending £60 odd quid just to find out if they are ok now.
 
I'm going to add that Joules wellies are terrible! They split at the side of the ball of the foot on both pairs I got bought last christmas within 4 months of having them!!!
 
I think people now buy them as they look the part! ountry idyll. But for quite some time I constantly hear they fall apart. I like muck boots but I also like my Tenner Dunlops 3/4 for my chubby calf. Puts some thermal socks on and off you go. Rode in them all the time in case I had to hop off etc. Usually replace every 2 years and I hammer them.

If the neop...are good well hopefully Hunter have redeemed themselves

I was looking at Joules but they do look the same style(like there patterned wellies). Hunters have been mentioned on here before many times but I have heard this from friends 10 years ago etc.
 
Pretty much all the wellies I buy split, expensive or cheapies...I have found Dunlops to be the best rubberwise, but they don't have the comfortable soles of some of the more expensive brands. I saw some Hunters being sold for £84 at the weekend.......how ridiculous for a pair of wellies! They are very comfortable and look very nice but best suited to the odd country stroll imo rather than the more hardcore life of mucky stables and regular dogwalking.
 
I like my aigles with the neoprene lining and would reccomend them, the first pair lasted 8yrs and they get hammered and used everyday on the farm plus I walk a good bit in them, the second pair lasted 4yrs and one has now split at the heel, and am waiting for the third pair in the post - well worth the extra cost as I pretty much live in mine - certainly this year with all the water!!!:D
 
I won't buy them anymore i posted on here a while ago as I have had mine just a year and they have split!

I also wrote to Hunter to complain and they said take them back to the supplier but I brought them off an Ebay company (reputable!) and seeing as they are just over a year there is no way they will take them back!

Hunter apparently only give them a year warranty but I doubt many people will get their money back even if under a year as they just fob you off... I haven't finished with them yet but I cna't see i'm going to get anywhere with them :(

I have resorted to using my leather dublins as wellies and brought a pair of Ariat's from DH in their sale :) for riding in!
 
I won't ever buy another pair of Hunters when the current neoprene lined ones I have, (they were a present), die (which I suspect won't be long!);)
 
My Hunter Wellies are at least 8 years old and are the 'made in Scotland' ones and I wear them relentlessly for horses and dog walking :D So before production moved to overseas I presume.

I will not let them fall apart because I know I will not get a decent replacement. They were seconds at the time I bought them for £30 and best purchase ever.

On the basis they have mud, fence paint and are scratched to hell I hope people presume I'm not going for the 'country look'. Clean wellies are wrong on so many levels! :rolleyes:
 
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I hated my hunters, hardly ever wore them - they split from top to bottom although that was probably something to do with the scissors the paramedic was wielding as he strapped me to the spinal board :D

In all seriousness, I liked my ariats and love my dubarrys.

For the kids, I dont have a problem with hunters, they last about as long as she can fit in them although she wears the soles out after about a year. Joules kids wellies are truly hopeless and lasted 3 days in my house before they were returned. I picked up a pair of kids dubarrys in a sale at Harrods of all places and they were fab, she has now unfortunately outgrown them and looking at the sole they dont look like they have ever been worn!!

Now comes the dilemma what to replace them with. The only reason I like Hunters for children is that they look smart with the welly socks and she says her feet stay warm.
 
There must be more threads on this forum all about how useless Hunter wellies are, compared to any other threads moaning about the same subject!

It's true though - dont bother with Hunters unless you want continously wet feet. However, there is a way to beat the Hunter blues - here is what I did for a while (I don't now as I can't be bothered, and I wear Aigle which are superb and still going strong) Most Hunters come with a years guarantee... (well, they used to a couple of years ago).

1) Buy the boots at a local shop, which is easy to travel to, and keep the receipt somewhere safe, and easily to hand! (make sure they are guaranteed for 1 year, and confirm with the shop that if they fail, the replacement will be free and also guaranteed for a further year)
2) Buy Sealskinz socks, which are waterproof, so on the day when your Hunters fail you wont get soggy feet, which will usually be between 1 - 3 months after purchase!
3) Go to the shop with your leaking/split hunters and exchange them for another brand new pair and you will get another years guarantee rolled over for another 12 months.
You can have free wellies forever by doing this, if you can be bothered!
 
I pretty much agree, my very expensive Hunters split after a year of moderate use. Then last year I got the free ones that came with the H+H subscription (now currently running again but only, I note, to the first 300 that subscribe). They are heavier duty ones, heavier to walk in, thicker sole, I wouldn't ride in them. They are actually pretty good, walked the dogs in them almost every day for months now and no sign of wear or leakage at all.

Can I also add that Dublin River boots are crap? I've had 3 pairs and all have leaked within a year. All have come away from the soles, and 2 pairs split at side seams. Rubbish (but very warm and comfortable if you only want a fashion boot)
 
About 3 years ago I sent Hunter aa very long letter detailing the shortcomings of their new China made HUNTER ORIGINALS WHICH ARE ONLY A COPY OF THEIR ORIGINAL SCOTTISH MADE BOOTS and they sent me a FREE pair of Balmoral Bamboo Carbon Boots which have been superb.

I still prefer my Dubarries 3 years old second set of soles worn through everthing but properly cared still 100% Waterproof.

Dublin River Boots 7 pairs returned for spliting leaking and falling to pieces long letter sent to Weatherbeeta and they wont even acknoledge they have a problem and are not interested in sorting their boots out also China made rubbish. And they are now no longer sold as waterproof not that they ever were our are waterproof.
 
Many thanks for all your replys regarding Hunter wellies,it is just so disappointing when you spend good money on what you are thinking is a quality boot.Just to let you all know I am still sending emails to customer services with no response at all....oh joy
 
Completely agree.

I got Hunters for Christmas, loved them. Last for 6 months until they were completely un-waterproof and so uncomfortable they made my feet bleed.
 
I am lucky enough to have a pair of the original 'made in scotland' Hunters, which are still waterproof after 10 years, despite looking rather a mess! Every pair that I bought subsequently, after the company was sold and changed the manufacture to China, split within 6 months.

I would love some less worn 'made in Scotland' vintage hunters. I wonder if there are any kicking about for sale.....
 
i bought 2 pairs and they both split. in the price i paid for 2 pairs i could have had a nice pair of dubarrys or something that would keep my feet dry and warm! The thing with hunters they are trying to hard to become a trend on the normally shopping market when the are forgetting what there purpose is for!!:mad:
 
Hunter apparently almost went under a few years ago so moved production from Scotland to the far east.

The method used to make them changed too, new one is different to the dipping process or whatever the old one was.

Hunter are now essentially just fashion accessories for Glastonbury!

I have The Muck Boot Company 'Trent' welly boots with a neoprene calf. Worth every penny of the £65 or so I paid for them :)
 
I live in Dumfries (the home of the original Hunter welly) and sad to say its missed dreadfully in our town both as an employer and manufacturer of the original and best wellies! If anyone is interested I have a pair of Hunters in pale blue which are unworn in a size 4. I miss the factory shop badly for my Hunters and the Huntress which had the wider calf. We could buy lots of different colours in kids sizes too../..
 
I got hunters last year for Christmas (so they are almost a year old) and are still like new, dont splits, they dont leak etc (touch wood!) maybe I just got lucky and got a good pair?? well they are warm and I love them!
 
frozzy said:
I live in Dumfries (the home of the original Hunter welly) and sad to say its missed dreadfully in our town both as an employer and manufacturer of the original and best wellies! If anyone is interested I have a pair of Hunters in pale blue which are unworn in a size 4. I miss the factory shop badly for my Hunters and the Huntress which had the wider calf. We could buy lots of different colours in kids sizes too../..
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Shame I now look at labels to see where products are manufactured and feel very happy when its UK and now even Europe is ok? M&S bras are not as good....but when I moaned to them they were not interested, I took my old tatty best friend one in with new same type and Made in China..seams dug in etc and sharp. They dont care the shops.

But love Made in UK.(v hard to find).
 
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