Avanta Boot Labs Slam Karen Chen For Boot Problems

[Wyliefan]

Karen never spoke a word of blame against Avanta in the first place. She simply said she was having boot problems and showed a picture.

 

[BlueRidge]

I agree, I already talked with the owner and it's in the process of being removed.

Well they need to know that many people have seen it. Removing it is of course required, but it certainly will not undo what has been done.

 

[Carolla5501]

Karen was supplied a new pair of Avanta boots every 3 months. For the Olympics, Karen was supplied Olympic boots + 2 backup pairs. Avanta spent countless of hours (Unpaid) with Karen, adjust the boots to her satisfaction. The Olympic boots had temporary screw mounts on. She was told to come back to the shop to have her permanent mount to be place. She did not feel that she needed to go back to the shop to have them mounted, instead, she went to a third party.

Avanta stands behind every boot and customer, for someone who was sponsored to blame the boots was totally uncalled for. Avanta asked Karen to tell the truth, that the damage done to her boots was from a THIRD party.

Well the shill showed up! You are not helping your cause by continuing to blame the customer. "Standing behind your customer" generally doesn't include acting like a 12 year old who was told they can't go to the mall with their friends

When you resort to hysteria and name calling... you lose!

 

[SNG]

Yes, the picture depicts the boot sole has separated from the bottom of the boot. The reddish/brown stuff is traces of the glue that once held the sole to the boot. The edges of the grey sole at the separation points, appears frayed and curled away.

Assuming for a moment, the company is correct about alterations, what could they have seen in this picture? Wrong colour glue indicating the sole was re-glued? Was the curled frayed sole edges an indication someone had once attempted to pry loose and remove the sole, re-gluing it incorrectly? Of course, the frayed curling could be due to skidding on the ice.

ETA:

I was just wondering the same thing.

Avanta Rockerz soles are mounted to the boots in a special way. The third party must have tried to heat mold the boots, which would destroy the Rockerz soles, causing them to split. Avanta has a special way molding the skates at a certain temperature. The picture that was posted indeed look like someone tried to pry the Rockerz soles off. Rockerz soles are made with hard plastic material (the same material used to make the Rockerz skate guards).

 

[Debbie S]

It is unfortunate that neither Karen nor her coach or her mom took the time to make sure Karen gets her blades permanently and adequately mounted prior to her departure to the Olympics. Karen’s family have said it was impossible to have access to Avanta before Karen’s competitions.

Karen wouldn't be the first skater to not have the permanent mounting done, although, yeah, it's not recommended.

Re access to Avanta...They are in NoCal, near where Karen lives, although Karen trains in SoCal, and probably didn't have time to take her boots up the coast while she was training for the Olys. I can understand why Karen would just take her boots to a local fitter.

In terms of alignment, when I got my Klingbeils, there was a caveat/warning that the blades had to be mounted down the middle or Klingbeil would void the warranty. My skate guy (who has been the skate tech at Nats, Worlds, and Olys in the past) was annoyed, since he usually mounts blades slightly to the inside, but he said that Klingbeil claimed to resolve pronation issues when they built the boot. Don't know if Avanta has the same policy but since it's the same bootmaker it wouldn't surprise me. But what I heard from multiple people was if they went directly to the Klingbeil shop in NYC, Don would move the blade - so they trusted their own blade-moving but not others? Luckily for me, the blades down the middle worked fine so I never needed to press the issue.

As far as the wedges/sole....Avanta boots do come with a Rockerz sole underneath the leather (you can choose the color, or just have plain leather, like I elected when I got fitted). If you look at some other pics on the Avanta IG, you'll see. It looks like Karen had a black sole and that was what separated from the leather? I can see how using the wrong screws could cause that...since Avanta soles would be thicker than average, it seems to me that they should provide instruction with the boots that skaters can/should take to their local shop when they get the blades mounted.

 

[BlueRidge]

I am not a skater so know nothing about boots. Avanta may not care what I think but I am a stakeholder in so far as Karen Chen is a US Olympic athlete and she represents my country. This company chose to take a disagreement with her to the public and attack her personally. This is not acceptable and no discussion about the boot situation addresses how the company chose to communicate about one of our Olympic athletes.

 

[SNG]

Well they need to know that many people have seen it. Removing it is of course required, but it certainly will not undo what has been done.

Well the shill showed up! You are not helping your cause by continuing to blame the customer. "Standing behind your customer" generally doesn't include acting like a 12 year old who was told they can't go to the mall with their friends

When you resort to hysteria and name calling... you lose!

I totally agree that this situation could have been handled differently, I was not the one who posted it. I am working with them and I can only offer my suggestions. We did stand behind Karen for the past two years, but the #bootproblems and lies (using a third party to modify Avanta product) could only go so far. If she mentioned that her boot problem was an issue after using the third party it would be a different story, right?

 

[BlueRidge]

I totally agree that this situation could have been handled differently, I was not the one who posted it. I am working with them and I can only offer my suggestions. We did stand behind Karen for the past two years, but the #bootproblems and lies (using a third party to modify Avanta product) could only go so far. If she mentioned that her boot problem was an issue after using the third party it would be a different story, right?

So you intend to continue attacking Karen?

I am a customer service professional. No company who treats customers this way should stay in business.

No aspect of the boot situation is relevant to the wrong done here to the Olympic athlete.

 

[SNG]

Karen never spoke a word of blame against Avanta in the first place. She simply said she was having boot problems and showed a picture.

The boot in the picture was a picture of an Avanta boot right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

So if I took a picture of my car and said #carproblems, it's just a car problem, right? The manufacturer of the car has nothing to do with it?

 

[Wyliefan]

I totally agree that this situation could have been handled differently, I was not the one who posted it. I am working with them and I can only offer my suggestions. We did stand behind Karen for the past two years, but the #bootproblems and lies (using a third party to modify Avanta product) could only go so far. If she mentioned that her boot problem was an issue after using the third party it would be a different story, right?

She did not give any specifics about her bootmakers or boot alterations at all, so how is that a lie?

 

[Debbie S]

Well they need to know that many people have seen it. Removing it is of course required, but it certainly will not undo what has been done.

And screen caps live forever.

If she mentioned that her boot problem was an issue after using the third party it would be a different story, right?

The purpose of the interviews Karen gave was not to give a meticulous breakdown of each step of her boot problems. She was asked about her performance in the mixed zone and said "boot problems". She didn't specify anyone or any company. And really, the reporters interviewing her were from general sports and entertainment media, not IN, and they were reporting for a general audience, most of whom only watch skating once every 4 years and know nothing about how boots are made and how many people are involved in their maintenance. And don't care. I think expecting Karen to name names and give a detailed explanation about the maintenance of her skates when she has 30 seconds to respond to a question is a bit much.

 

[SNG]

So you intend to continue attacking Karen?

I am a customer service professional. No company who treats customers this way should stay in business.

No aspect of the boot situation is relevant to the wrong done here to the Olympic athlete.

Like I said previously, I've talked with the owners and the post will be removed. Further actions will be done privately.

 

[BlueRidge]

Like I said previously, I've talked with the owners and the post will be removed. Further actions will be done privately.

If you are concerned in some way about the reputation of the company, I suggest you follow that course and cease discussing this here. People are going to make the assumption that you represent Avanta in some way and assume they are continuing to attack Karen.

 

[Wyliefan]

The boot in the picture was a picture of an Avanta boot right? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Many of us had no idea what kind of boot it was until Avanta decided to announce it to all and sundry, just for the record.

So if I took a picture of my car and said #carproblems, it's just a car problem, right? The manufacturer of the car has nothing to do with it?

Quite often they don't. Car problems can be a wide range of things, many of which have more to do with the driver or the environment than the manufacturer.

 

[hanca]

Like I said previously, I've talked with the owners and the post will be removed. Further actions will be done privately.

Too little too late. I hope the firm will go bankrupt. And if not, I am pretty sure enough people have seen the posts so at least the firm will face some serious financial consequences. That’s called karma.

 

[VGThuy]

What boot problems lies? She said she had boot problems and the picture shows she did. She never blamed Avanta nor did she say there was a product/design defect. You and the company chose to take it that way and now have opened yourself to a libel suit by posting what you did and saying she “lied” AND the IG post insinuating she messed with the skate to purposely give herself an excuse for a bad performance that may happen.

 

[AxelAnnie]

It’s unfortunate this latest incident of bootgate had to spill out into the public forum the way it has. A personal email between the two parties would have been the desired path to take.

As for the boot company, going after Karen Chen in such a manner … that is someone’s very horrible decision-making that now has the entire company on the defense. Heads would roll, and people would be dismissed in many companies for such unprofessional (and what appears to be) impulsive behavior.

Although not helpful for Karen, Avanta looks worse right now, a lot worse. Imho.

Avanta, IMO does not look worse - or better. She has been blaming her boots for her inconsistency for years. At some point it is just silly.

“I am extremely disappointed, I’m not going to lie, I know I’ve trained myself to skate better than that and not being able to deliver is a huge let down for myself and everyone who supported me,” Chen, who trains out of Riverside, California, told reporters after the event. “To be honest, I really was dealing with quite a bit of things, I was having some boot issues and I had to make some adjustments this morning during practice.”

She did not mention the company........but with all the complaining I would wonder who the heck was making her boots! Easy to find out in a couple of key strokes.

To say Karen had an inconsistent year would be a huge understatement. She changed her programs often (i.e. if she wasn't winning, it was her comfort level with the program)...or she needed different boots.

It is a little like fixing the refrigerator when it is the stove that is broken.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Too little too late. I hope the firm will go bankrupt. And if not, I am pretty sure enough people have seen the posts so at least the firm will face some serious financial consequences. That’s called karma.

Now, that is a very mature response. Please consider the financial impact what you are wishing for would have on the people who rely on their jobs.

 

[Frida80]

Now, that is a very mature response. Please consider the financial impact what you are wishing for would have on the people who rely on their jobs.

It's just three people. They can get new jobs in other companies. Except for Will he's probably black listed.

 

[Deleted member 221]

Time for the USFS to step in and ban Avanta from exhibiting at any USFS sponsored event. A company attacking an 18-year-old USFS Olympic skater, completely unprovoked, is beyond unacceptable. This is a violation of customer trust and possibly confidentiality; it's cyber-bullying; and frankly, it makes me question the mental stability of the person who posted it.

An apology is not enough here. I join the chorus of drive them into bankruptcy. The USFS should lead the charge and formally ban the company and its employees from any events for a year.

 

[WildRose]

I agree that Avanta should not have said what they did, and that it was completely out of line.
However, Avanta has been sponsoring Karen’s skates. While the general public wouldn’t have known that from her comments at the Olympics, many of Avanta’s customers may well have known, and they are the people who buy skates. Anyone who follows her on her website would also have known. So while Avanta definitely shouldn’t have reacted like they did, I do think that Karen also needs to be more careful about how she treats her sponsors and understand that her comments can also affect them. I also have to wonder why an elite skater wouldn’t have her blades mounted properly and her boots checked by her skate expert before she left for the Olympics. Her equipment should have been a priority.

 

[Vagabond]

FSU, where problems get solved!

 

[Anita18]

Now, that is a very mature response. Please consider the financial impact what you are wishing for would have on the people who rely on their jobs.

Considering they had regular staff “volunteering” their time, I don’t think it makes much of a difference...

 

[Carolla5501]

I totally agree that this situation could have been handled differently, I was not the one who posted it. I am working with them and I can only offer my suggestions. We did stand behind Karen for the past two years, but the #bootproblems and lies (using a third party to modify Avanta product) could only go so far. If she mentioned that her boot problem was an issue after using the third party it would be a different story, right?

Perhaps you should start handling it differently by taking your fingers off the keyboard. You are digging a deeper hole every time you hit "post reply" LOL!


And no I don't believe your story that your are trying to sell that you aren't affiliated with the company. You start posting today on this by coincidence???? Just hysterical!

All in all, I am not impressed by your company's behavior and I doubt you are winning customers with this behavior. But it's your business to run (or ruin as the case may be)

 

[icie]

I also have to wonder why an elite skater wouldn’t have her blades mounted properly and her boots checked by her skate expert before she left for the Olympics. Her equipment should have been a priority.

You should ask Kevin Reynolds the same question. He spent a season complaining about his boots

 

[hanca]

Now, that is a very mature response. Please consider the financial impact what you are wishing for would have on the people who rely on their jobs.

If the people did their job properly, there wouldn’t be negative consequences. It may teach them something for the future.

 

[UGG]

Well I am not a skater and know nothing about boots, but when Karen posted her "prayer" request, I did wonder if her boot manufacturer sucked because she always seems to have "boot issues". But like I said I have no use for figure skates so I never took the next step to look up who they were, but I bet other people did. The Instagram post by the boot company was wrong and will hopefully get taken down, but Karen just should not have posted or said anything about her boots as it did make the manufacturer look bad and from what everyone is saying, the issues with the blade were due to a third party. The excuses from the US ladies..I mean its like...when does it end? 'I missed my mom" "Boot problems" "I had a cold shower" I was exhausted" .They were the strangest US Ladies Team ever with all the excuses.

 

[WildRose]

You should ask Kevin Reynolds the same question. He spent a season complaining about his boots

What does Kevin Reynolds have to do with Karen Chen not getting her blades mounted properly and her skates checked before she went to the Olympics?

 

[icie]

What does Kevin Reynolds have to do with Karen Chen not getting her blades mounted properly and her skates checked before she went to the Olympics?

Boot problems that lasted a long time.

 

[hanca]

It is not that rare that the boots don’t fit (even custom made boots), or that they have some other problems. No pair of boots are exactly the same. I remember when ordering new boots, I asked Klingbeil to do my new boots according to the measurements and foot mould of the old ones, to have them identical, and yet the new boots always felt completely different than the old one. At various times Lipnitskaya had boot problem that lasted more than a half of the season, and so did Stolbova... I don’t think it is an excuse. It is a matter of luck. They either fit or don’t fit. Even having slightly different shape, or being a half inch higher on the shin can make a difference. Or the heel can be tiny bit higher, it all affects skating. And then it depends on the skater, whether that particular issue is manageable or whether it causes a big problem.