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Backcountry.com predatory practices

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porter
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I've been a backcountry.com customer for years and bought a huge amount of gear form them -- probably a lot of yall have, too. Boy, do I regret it now.

https://coloradosun.com/2019/10/31/back ... -business/
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theKENDOG
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I read that article too on reddit. Glad I never bought anything from them. How in the world can you trademark the word backcountry?
WOOOOOO!

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davidski
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true

this is serious, grassroots need to make them pay, obviously I will never buy from them again (and I have before, so they are losing an actual customer) but they should be called out across all available platforms


Also:
"Last year Backcountry.com announced it was joining venerable outdoor manufacturers Flylow, Black Diamond, Smartwool and skimaker DPS to launch its first-ever namesake lifestyle and backcountry ski touring collections. The new products carry the company’s signature white mountain goat."

I love DPS but...
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Glad everybody feels the same because I'm launching a new business "SkiSoutheast Backcountry Tours".
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This was posted on a rock climbing forum page too. I hadn't purchased anything from Backcountry.com in quite awhile until earlier this summer. I won't even consider checking their site again.
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Latest news is a written statement from the CEO. Bottom line is that the suit against Marquette is being dropped.

This 11/6 article includes background about Backcountry as a company, as well as the complete statement. The decision to start protecting the trademark from 2007 came in 2017 as Backcountry started working towards having house-branded stuff. Note that REI is a major competitor that has REI-labeled gear, luggage, clothing, etc.

https://www.snewsnet.com/gear/backcount ... ark-blowup
2023-24: Wolf Creek in Dec, Massanutten in Jan, Feb; GT, Big Sky; Crested Butte; Alta/Snowbird in April.
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theKENDOG
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marzski wrote:Latest news is a written statement from the CEO. Bottom line is that the suit against Marquette is being dropped.

This 11/6 article includes background about Backcountry as a company, as well as the complete statement. The decision to start protecting the trademark from 2007 came in 2017 as Backcountry started working towards having house-branded stuff. Note that REI is a major competitor that has REI-labeled gear, luggage, clothing, etc.

https://www.snewsnet.com/gear/backcount ... ark-blowup
So they dropped a single lawsuit and expect everyone to forgive em?
WOOOOOO!

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marzski
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theKENDOG wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:14 am So they dropped a single lawsuit and expect everyone to forgive em?
The lawsuit being dropped was against a small company that decided to fight instead of rolling over like others did in the last year. Clearly CEO is trying to do damage control. Doubt it will help in the short run. In the long run . . .

What's complicating the situation for some people is that TSG owns a lot more than just Backcountry.com . PBR, Planet Fitness, Vitamin Water, the list is pretty long if someone wants to boycott the parent company and not just Backcountry and it's other retail outlets for outdoor activities like cycling.

http://www.tsgconsumer.com/portfolio

I have bought very little from Backcountry.com or Steep&Cheap, and nothing in the last 4-5 years. So don't really make much difference to me.
2023-24: Wolf Creek in Dec, Massanutten in Jan, Feb; GT, Big Sky; Crested Butte; Alta/Snowbird in April.
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porter
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marzski wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:03 pm Latest news is a written statement from the CEO. Bottom line is that the suit against Marquette is being dropped.

This 11/6 article includes background about Backcountry as a company, as well as the complete statement. The decision to start protecting the trademark from 2007 came in 2017 as Backcountry started working towards having house-branded stuff. Note that REI is a major competitor that has REI-labeled gear, luggage, clothing, etc.

https://www.snewsnet.com/gear/backcount ... ark-blowup
That was one of the worst corporate mea culpas in a long time. I think that since then they have walked their actions back further, but for the CEO to say, We didn't see this coming, I mean, come on.
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marzski
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porter wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:20 am That was one of the worst corporate mea culpas in a long time. I think that since then they have walked their actions back further, but for the CEO to say, We didn't see this coming, I mean, come on.
Yep, the legal stuff started around two years ago when the trademark coverage was expanded. At some point, you would think the CEO would have seen the list of companies being uncooperative to the point of requiring more money being paid to the legal firm.

Here's a commentary about what's been happening related to the Backcountry trademark by the CEO of Icelantic Skis. She's been with the company since it was founded in 2005, soon after it opened, and became CEO in 2013. Icelantic has an ongoing business relationship with Backcountry.com .

Nov. 7, 2019, The Colorado Sun, by Annelise Loevlie
https://coloradosun.com/2019/11/07/back ... l-opinion/
2023-24: Wolf Creek in Dec, Massanutten in Jan, Feb; GT, Big Sky; Crested Butte; Alta/Snowbird in April.
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