You may be missing some points. First, Arc'teryx gear has LONG useful lives many yrs beyond some of the itsy bitsy UL or shabbily built sometimes pricey in its own right outdoor gear. It's bomber gear. It's designed and built by those that live adventure in often extreme and/or abrasive places, useful for, but well beyond, adventure in the sense of fringe UL hiking/thru-hiking on established maintained trails! It's gear for when extreme needs are involved but I find equally useful employing at other times.
Arc/teryx is a company based in Vancouver British Columbia Canada that designs and builds highly functional highest quality long term reliable gear for adventuring with no compromises. I 100% agree with Arc'teryx when they state their paramount design process goals are quality, durability, and absolute reliability. This they take much pride in. IMHO, Arc'teryx goes beyond being just another run of the mill quality gear manufacturer with a return policy. In short, they are not designing throw away in a short time gear! It's also why some S&R teams, Rangers, LEOs, professional guides, mountaineers, remote back country stationed/working personnel, combat professionals, etc have chosen Arc'teryx products.
It's not unheard of to get 15 yrs use out of a decently constructed and maintained Arc'teryx jacket. It's obvious by Cadenza's pics he's taken care of his jackets. That repaired jacket before it was repaired obviously had more yrs of useful service beyond the cord seam opening up and tangled/disintegrating cord issue. I think Arc'teryx Customer Service knew this jacket was NOT worn out beyond reasonable repair by Cadenza submitting some good pics of the jacket and issues in question. I wouldn't be surprised to learn Cadenza shared with Customer Service the number of gear pieces he has from Arc'teryx. I would think it points to Cadenza as a loyal Arc'teryx customer and conscientious maintainer of his Arc'teryx jackets and the long term functional reliability of Arc'teryx gear.
Arc'teryx Warranty as it pertains to Cadenza's seam and cord issues:
What is and isn't covered under the Warranty Policy? Defects in materials or workmanship are covered for the practical lifetime of the product. Material refers to zippers, buckles and fabrics. Workmanship refers to seams, seam tape and construction. Damage due to wear and tears such as rips, tears, abrasion or UV degradation, misuse or neglect is not covered under our warranty policy but may be repairable for a fee.
What does 'practical Lifetime of the product' mean? We build our products to last over extended periods of use, but nothing lasts indefinitely. Materials will deteriorate and fade over time and moving parts will wear out. We will cover your product under our warranty policy until such a time that we have deemed the product to be worn out beyond reasonable repair. If the product is showing the signs of its age—for instance, the material has become thin or faded, there are rips and tears, the zippers no longer catch, the cuffs are fraying, or the soles are worn—we will take this into consideration when assessing your product for a warranty request. All gear will suffer from differing degrees of wear-and-tear, depending upon the user. Equipment used by an outdoor guide for 150 days a year will by comparison, degrade faster than gear used by a weekend skier. By taking care of your equipment you will ensure a longer lifetime for your gear. We recommend that you visit our Product Care page for more information on how to wash and care for your equipment. Use your judgment when assessing whether your product is likely to be covered under our warranty policy. It may simply be time to replace your product, and we hope that Arc'teryx will have the opportunity to provide you with superior quality products and service in the future.
It would seem plane to me both Arc'teryx and Cadenza lived up to what was expected of themselves which is quite pleasant to witness both from a gear company and outdoor enthusiast. Cadenza aptly demonstrates a valid customer service under warranty issue according to Arc'teryx's WELL COMMUNICATED Warranty Policy and how to wisely go about submitting a warranty claim. Cadenza, by all that he shared, amply demonstrates he was NOT abusing a Return Policy. This is not the same as what happened at REI as REI has related it!
Good for Cadenza. And, good for Arc'teryx by not just marketing a bunch of yakkety yak or covering their arses with ridgid inflexible lame arse in the name of profit Return Policy changes as other companies have but standing behind what it designs and manufactures obviously living up to EXACTLY what it claims! I have to agree with Cadenza, "
I have been recommending Arc'teryx products to people for years,....with the caveat that they are "hideously expensive."
Lots of companies offer guarantees and waranties. Few deliver like my experience with Arc.
If something is guaranteed for life, and the company stands behind the product, then the price is not so hideous."