A.S.Adventure

So, today I wanted to return a pair of winter gloves I had bought a few days ago, because they were about as warm as a merino liner glove with a waterproof over-glove (also from AS Adventure), and I preferred the versatility of the layering; also, the inside of the winter gloves kept being pulled out and bunched up. Took them to the shop in Antwerpen Oudaan, only to be told at first that I had already "used them". Well, guess what? To find out if winter gloves actually warm my fingers, I have to put them on outside, and for cycling gloves that means, on the bike, at minus temperatures, since my bike does not fit in our fridge. So, from that moment on we had established they really did not want to take them back and were just looking for some reason -any reason- to make that stick. When my argument made it sort of difficult to keep up the "no usage" claim, I was asked if I had brought the packaging. To wit: the gloves came with a sort of a plastic hanger and a label. No packaging. The label was significantly smaller than a credit card. Yes, I know you are supposed to keep the packaging if you want to return something, but what do you keep, if there is no packaging? Should I also have kept the plastic wiry things that kept the label attached to the glove? Was it wrong to cut them and take off the label prior to getting on the bike? Anyway, since I had already thrown that label away, I am now stuck with a pair of 30-euro gloves that I don't need and that do not fullfil my requirements because of a 6 x 3 cm (by my estimate) piece of thin cardboard that is not any sort of packaging by any stretch of the imagination. After I had already bought gloves and other stuff at the place in to the tune of 70 euro the days before and been a customer for three or more years and already left a few hundred euros there. Very disappointed. I used to make a point out of buying local. You know, pandemic and some such. Not anymore, at least not with AS Adventure. There are other alternatives here locally, or I buy online, where stuff also comes with some real packaging, where no-one asks if I have worn the gloves 20 minutes on a bike ride to actually try them out, and I can send stuff back without running a gauntlet of contrived reasons for not taking the merchandise back. There were rumours that AS Adventure were in dire straits financially, no idea if that reflects reality. But what I do know is that not accepting returns from long-term customers who are actually leaving sizeable amounts of money in the shop is not a viable strategy to get out of that hole, because once my business is gone, it's gone. UPDATE: So, after the response by AS Adventure happened, we got in contact. However, what ensued was all a bit an exercise in futility: we finally got back to exactly the point that I had already reached in the shop: A small cardboard tag (smaller than a credit card) apparently already constitutes a packaging and as thus its absence justifies a voidance of the return policy. Learning something new every day is good, but this particular learning I could have done without. So, this was the last time I bought something at AS Adventure, there are enough shops around, physically and online, who handle that part of customer interaction more to my satisfaction. I wonder why AS Adventure customer service even bothered to make it look like they were going to be doing something about it?

big shop, good quality products

you can always finds the right sizes with OK prize

Nice and clean. I love the way they decorated the store.

Nice store with a nice selection of backpacks and clothes.

When you are traveling in Antwerp and need another piece of gear or a great gift, A.S.Adventure has the high quality gear that you need.

Went to get some new hiking shoes. I had done some basic research beforehand, but was happy to be assisted by a knowledgable employee. He mentioned he had a similar pair and said he was very happy with them. Two minor things that could've improved the experience: - ask me about shoe care; I forgot to ask what I needed to treat the shoes and it would've been a couple of extra bucks in products. - I'm not a big fan of loyalty cards. I have too many already. So I reluctantly signed up. He did mention though that I could add them to my digital wallet, which was at least a nice touch. All in all, I would definitely recommend the store!

Big outdoor store in the center of Antwerp. It has three floors, but it has become more a clothing store and a specialized outdoor store. Still nice to browse through.