Customer Service
Frequently Asked Questions
S1 What does the Life Time Guarantee cover?
From the date of purchase, all White Mountain™ products come with a Lifetime
Guarantee against material and manufacturing faults occurring during the useful
life of the backpack. It is very difficult to measure the life of a product,
at White mountain we carefully select fabrics and components that will provide
weather resistance and functionality after prolonged use. However, the life
of a product will depend how much and in what conditions the product is used.
Damages caused by fair wear and tear, abuse or misuse are not covered by this
guarantee, and this particularly applies to zippers. More information on zipper
maintenance is available at
Do It Yourself Repairs /Zippers
This does not limit the assistance or advice available in correcting any problem
related to your White Mountain™ product.
S2 Where can a White Mountain™ product be repaired?
White Mountain™ recommend taking your backpack to a reputable
outdoor equipment repair specialist,
or to return your product to the store where the backpack was purchased for
assistance in obtaining a qualified repair. Simple repairs can be carried out
by a local canvas manufacturer, boot repair store, or furniture upholsterer
that have the necessary machinery to carry out such repairs. If you have problems
in locating a suitable repair service, contact one of your local White Mountain™
stockists or contact White Mountain™ direct.
S3 What about White Mountain™ warranty repairs?
If the repair is a warranty claim, please detail the repair in a letter,
obtain a repair receipt and send this letter, repair receipt to White Mountain™.
Once the repair has been validated, a reimbursement for the repair costs will
be sent to you. White Mountain™ do not ask that the product be sent to us, simply
to avoid freight costs and delays for yourself. White Mountain™ products rarely
fail, but anything is possible.
A receipt of purchase is not required when returning the product to a White
Mountain™ Retail Agency or White Mountain™ direct. Please note that the cost
of freight to White Mountain™ for repairs will be borne by the customer.
S4 How do I clean my backpack?
Be very careful of harsh cleansers or even household detergents. While these
cleansers may not damage the outside of the fabric, the inside of the backpack
fabric is coated with a layer of polyurethane. The polyurethane keeps the backpack
water resistant and can be easily harmed by harsh chemicals causing it to delaminate
(peel off) if mistreated. We recommend using only warm water and a soft cloth
to clean the backpack. If you must use a cleanser, use a mild soap and do not
use it on the inside of the backpack. Avoid immersing the backpack in water
for long periods of time, particularly in salt water, as this may also cause
the delamination of the cold bonded PU Coating on the inside of the backpack.
If your backpack is exposed or immersed in salt water at any time, rinse thoroughly
in fresh water immediately after exposure and allow to air dry in the shade.
And NEVER, and we mean NEVER, PUT A BACKPACK INTO A WASHING MACHINE, or SPIN
DRYER.
S5 How is it that prices at White Mountain™ are so much
lower than an average retail store?
White Mountain™ is a leading manufacturer, wholesaler and online backpack
store. We offer our customers high quality backpacks and backpack accessories
at discounted prices of up to 50% below other manufacturers suggested retail
prices. Because of the large combined volume of products that are manufactured
at our factory and by supplying products direct, we are able to provide the
White Mountain™ products at lower prices. Additionally, since White Mountain™
operates a virtual store, we do not have the overhead expenses associated with
operating a traditional store. As such, these additional savings are then passed
on to you, our valued customer.
S6 How is it that White Mountain™ products cannot be obtained
anywhere else?
White Mountain™ is based in Australia and has a much more efficient inventory
model, one warehouse serving the world. It is then cost effective for us to
carry a much wider variety of products targeting all kinds of niche customer
demands. Traditional retail stores outside of Australia do not have access to
the White Mountain™ products. However, in Australia we do have a few select Retail
Agents that sell the White Mountain™ product and supply to referred White
Mountain™ Members and API Members
at web prices.
S7 Can the customer be assured that they will be able to
continue to purchase from White Mountain?
White Mountain™ is committed to ensuring complete customer satisfaction.
You can be assured that White Mountain™ will always carry a wide selection of
backpack products and continue to expand the products available, while living-up
to our 'World's Best Backpacks at World's Best Prices' slogan.
S8 Does White Mountain sell other brands, superseded and
or sample products?
White Mountain™ do not carry or sell any competitor brands. We do from time
to time have superseded, or sample items available and these can be viewed and
purchased through our online store in our
specials selections. All of our products are of the same high quality and
come with the White Mountain Lifetime Guarantee.
S9 Does White Mountain have any catalogues, or inventory
price lists that can be mailed to their customers, or are the items presented
on the Internet the only products that they carry?
Unfortunately no, White Mountain™ supplies PDF
Catalogues and PDF Price Lists that can be downloaded from this website
for customer use, or sent by e-mail upon request. Products are continually upgraded,
and prices change without notice. The White Mountain™ web site is continually
updated and is a much more effective channel to purchase backpacks than a catalogue.
All available products, shipping and pricing information can be obtained at
our web site.
S10 Does White Mountain™ expand the assortment of products
offered at it's web site?
Our product selection is frequently updated, expanded and growing rapidly.
S11 Can White Mountain™ mail customer orders to a White
Mountain™ Retail Agent for pickup?
Unfortunately no, we do not ship customer orders to White Mountain™ stores
for customer pick-up. It is much more efficient for White Mountain™ to ship
directly to the customer. One of the main reasons behind White Mountain's ability
to offer deep discounts is our efficient business model. It is more cost effective
to ship orders directly to you, your family members, or friends. White Mountain™
members, API Members and referred customers in Australia can purchase White
Mountain Products at their local White Mountain Retailer at web prices, provided
there is a local store available. Please check your local area for a
White Mountain™ Retail Agent.
S12 Can customers return items purchased over the Internet
to the nearest White Mountain retail store for an exchange or credit?
Unfortunately no, all merchandise purchased over the internet to be returned,
must be shipped directly to White Mountain™. We require that you ship all your
returns to us so that we can continue providing our customers with a cost efficient
customer service and greatly reduced discounted prices
S13 Is White Mountain™ able to tell customers which of
White Mountain's Australian retail stores carry certain backpacks?
Yes, our customer service representatives do have access to normal Australian
Retail Agent product selections. However, we cannot guarantee that the product
you seek is in store at all times and suggest phoning the selected store for
confirmation of product availability. You can easily find the phone number and
address of the White Mountain™ store nearest you by using our
web site's store locator.
S14 In Australia is it cheaper to purchase the items over
the Internet, or at a White Mountain Retail Agent?
Generally the products on the White Mountain™ website are considerably less
expensive than at the White Mountain™ Retail Agent. However, due to retail store
promotions, it is difficult to determine generally which mode of shopping is
less expensive. Our online business model is more efficient, allowing us to
provide additional discounts on the products offered. Retail stores can conduct
promotions that are not offered over the Internet. As such, it is impossible
to determine if it is cheaper to shop at the Internet store, since the value
is contingent on each specific purchase. Even if the price were more at your
local Australian White Mountain™ Retail Agent, White Mountain Members, API Members
and referred customers are ensured the best price. White Mountain™ Retail Agents
guarantee our members the best price, personalised fitting of internal frame
backpacks, local service and local support and may well be able to offer discounts
on further purchases.
S15 Can White Mountain manufacture specially requested
items for their customers?
No, unfortunately the price would be prohibitive to manufacture a one off
backpack product. White Mountain™ will be providing further details on manufacturing
quantities and minimum purchases in a new section of this website at a later
date. Meanwhile this information can be obtained from a customer service representative.
S16 Does White Mountain provide the contact information
for the designers and manufacturers of the various backpack products?
All White Mountain products are designed and manufactured by the White Mountain
team.
S17 How are the products delivered?
All orders are shipped via Australia Post.
S18 What are the shipping charges?
Please see our Freight Directory page.
S19 Can my order be delivered on the weekend?
No, Australia Post does not pick up, nor deliver packages on weekends.
S20 Can I have my order delivered to a post office box?
Yes, Australia Post does deliver packages to post office (PO) boxes.
S21 Does White Mountain deliver to international destinations?
Yes, Australia Post does deliver packages to international destinations.
S22 Have there been many complaints about damaged products
due to mishandling during delivery?
No, backpacks are not easily damaged in transit and to date there have been
no complaints about products being damaged as a result of shipping.
S23 Is the web site secure?
Ensuring secure online purchasing is a vital part of our commitment to honour
your privacy. The White Mountain site uses SSL (secure socket layers) to protect
your personal information, including credit card numbers. SSL is used in order
to encrypt all personal information, including your name and credit card information,
so that it can't be read while being transferred from your web browser to our
Internet site. All pages on the site that require our customers to enter sensitive
information are protected with SSL. Other pages that do not require you entering
personal information do not need to be protected. That is why you will only
see the padlock on your browser when indicating the use of a secured page or
when you are modifying your account or entering sensitive information during
the checkout process. The bottom line is, our site is secured to protect you
and your privacy. Please visit our page on
privacy and security
to find out more about the security on our site and our Secure Shopping Guarantee.
S24 Is it safer to place orders over the phone than on
the Internet?
Both means of ordering are secure. However, if you feel more comfortable
placing your order with one of our customer service representatives, please
do not hesitate to phone White Mountain™
direct.
S25 Does White Mountain sell customer information or customer
lists to other companies?
All information submitted to White Mountain remains confidential. Customers
can be assured that we do not sell any of the provided information to other
enterprises, nor do we transfer information to other enterprises for marketing
purposes. For more information on how we protect your privacy, visit our page
on privacy and security.
S26 What navigational information is collected and how
is it used?
An individual is not linked to their IP address. IP addresses are only analysed
in aggregate form for general tracking use.
S27 How do users modify personal information?
The customer can modify personal information by going to the shopping cart
and logging in with their email address and password that the customer chose
at the time of their first purchase.
S28 Why is it that the customer is required to give their
billing address when they do not want their package sent there?
One of our policies is to verify the cardholder's name and billing information,
thus minimizing the number of fraudulent purchases and thereby protecting both
our customers and ourselves. Reducing fraud makes it possible for us to lower
our prices.
S29 Will the customer's order be sent to their billing
address?
All orders will be sent to the address that the customer has listed as their
shipping address.
S30 How long will it take before orders are processed
and shipped?
Generally, orders that are received before 10 AM Eastern Standard Time are
processed and shipped that same day or the very next day at the latest. However,
processing time is dependent on whether the billing and shipping information
is accurate.
S31 What is White Mountain’s policy on customer returns?
Within 30 days of receiving your package, you may return any unopened merchandise
in its original sellable condition. NOTE: Return authorization is required and
all free gifts must be returned with the products. Email us at
info@whitemountain.com.au prior
to shipping your package back to us. White Mountain™ can only refund shipping
costs if the return is a result of our error, but we do offer some compensation
for delivery costs incurred in returning products. Further information can be
viewed on our policies page,
refund policy.
Any discrepancy in your order should be reported to White Mountain™ immediately.
S32 Are customers required to pay the shipping charges
for items that are being returned?
As mentioned above, we can only refund shipping costs if the return is a
result of White Mountain's error. If we have made a mistake, we will pay for
the shipping costs.
S33 What is White Mountain's policy on issuing customer
credits for returned merchandise?
Once it is determined that the returned merchandise is in a resalable condition,
we will then issue the customer credit for the merchandise.
S34 Once packages have left White Mountain's premise,
who has the responsibility for product delivery?
Once merchandise has left our premises, the responsibility for safe delivery
is with our carrier Australia Post. On behalf of its customers, White Mountain
will seek recourse from the carrier in the event of loss or damage and subsequently
seek compensation for damaged products.
S35 Can I pay for my order by CHEQUE?
Yes, all you need do is choose 'Post Cheque' in the shopping Cart payment
options. Placing an order using a cheque will take longer allowing additional
time for the clearing process. Please allow approximately 3 days from receipt
of your cheque. Simply post a copy of your order invoice with your cheque, and
once the Cheque is received and cleared, we will process your order.
S36 Can I pay using a MONEY ORDER?
Yes, as mentioned above all you need do is choose 'Post Cheque' in the shopping
Cart payment options, and then mail in the money order to us with a copy of
your order invoice. Once the Money Order is received, we will process your order.
S37 How are users notified if an item is on backorder
or out of stock?
Orders are usually shipped within 24-48 hours. If there is any problem with
the order the customer is notified by email.
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