201 of 214 people found the following review helpful
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This review is from: GustBuster Metro 43-Inch Automatic Umbrella (Sports)
Let me begin by saying that, I research things VERY carefully before I buy them. And as an avid amazon shopper, I have never written a bad review... until now.
Like most of you, I was tired of buying cheap umbrellas, only to have them die on me within months. So I decided to invest in a "nice" one that would hopefully last longer and actually keep me dry. When I read the reviews for this umbrella, I decided I would take the chance to buy it since so many people were rating it favorably, despite the bad reviews. The aggregate customer rating was good, I reasoned to myself. Admittedly, the shoulder strap carrying pouch is extremely convenient... other than that, that's about the only design aspect that's done well about this product. I am an extremely responsible owner. I've never stuffed the umbrella into a backpack, have always carried it carefully, have never swung it around, have always followed the directions for drying as directed on the manual, etc. But the bottom line? It lasted for about 11 months before it COMPLETELY came apart--which maybe means about 15-20 days of use TOTAL since obviously it didn't rain every day for the last 11 months. Once one of the joints breaks on the metal ribs that provide the underlying structure for the bell-shaped canvas part of the umbrella, rest assured that the rest of them will soon follow suit on this thing. And the first metal rib broke quite easily... Again, I'm not even sure how, since the umbrella NEVER suffered any impact or unusual torsion. The second broken metal rib soon followed, and I got a few more months out of it since I didn't mind using just a slightly busted umbrella. Today though--again, not even a year after I purchased it online--after I walked out in the rain with a moderate wind, the ENTIRE THING JUST SNAPPED. There is literally only one rib remaining, and the umbrella is now essentially useless. For an umbrella brand that prides itself on durability, I would absolutely not recommend this particular product. Furthermore, the product warranty requires you to essentially pay near the full price of the umbrella to repair it. If you insist on buying a GustBuster, look into one of their other umbrellas. But mostly, do yourself a favor and DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID. LISTEN TO THE BAD REVIEWS ON THIS ONE. Avoid this umbrella and go for a sturdier golf umbrella or different make instead!! (I live in New York) Comments
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In reply to an earlier post on
May 31, 2013 5:13:33 PM PDT
E.Smith says:
Did not purchase on amazon but got mine from a pro shop in manhattan n y. It has life time warranty forms and had mine close to 5yrs.Would still have it if not stolen getting another.
Posted on
Aug 12, 2013 5:15:58 PM PDT
[Deleted by the author on Aug 12, 2013 5:16:07 PM PDT]
Posted on
Sep 28, 2013 3:18:29 PM PDT
[Deleted by Amazon on Apr 4, 2014 2:20:51 AM PDT]
Posted on
Nov 1, 2013 1:42:21 PM PDT
William J. Stanley says:
KP, on the strength of your review, I decided not to purchase this umbrella. Still, I was initially perplexed by the comments your review elicited. One comment came from a clearly satisfied customer who would still have his umbrella after 5 years, had it not been stolen. I'm not sure what to make of the other commenter's remarks. He seems to be saying your review was a fake - or at least insincere.
I can't imagine what motive a happy product owner would have to write a thoughtful, detailed - and quite literate - criticism of a product if he had no complaints. So, I accept that you did indeed have a bad experience with this umbrella. Normally, I might wonder if you were unlucky and just got a defective umbrella. However, I note this product only has an overall rating of about 3.5 stars - not a very good rating for an umbrella touted as virtually impervious to wind. I can only conclude that the seller must have poor control over the quality of its manufacturing process. So, I've decided not to take a chance at $32.95 a copy. Instead, I'll continue to buy $5 to $10 umbrellas every year or so - until someone builds a truly wind resistant one. Since everyone seems to want an umbrella that is light weight, compact and "spindly" by nature - it may not be possible to make them as indestructible as we would want.
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