Kathmandu Reviews 27

My wife and I have bought Kathmandu products for years and they used to have quality products for which you did not mind paying higher prices. However in recent times I have had shoes that fall apart, a neck pillow that broke after one flight and now my wife bought an Interloper pack and two buckles snapped after only 4 days on a 7 week trip. The store could not help me and the customer service response was (summarised) "go the website, work out what buckle you have, pay for new ones" on her return she will be seeking full repair or a refund. No wonder they are losing market share. Such a shame as they WERE a great company.

Buying online today, I found at checkout that GST was added as an extra to the price, even though the initial price I thought I would be paying was labelled 'price inclusive of GST'. As my item was $119 NZD, this came to an extra $17. This is fraudulent practice.

I have supported this brand for years, but I will not be purchasing from them again. The quality has dropped significantly—the materials feel cheap and poorly made. It is obvious, and customers do notice.

The sizing is also completely inconsistent. As a petite person,it's strange to buy extra large to get a reasonable fit. The decline in standards is disappointing.

On 29/11/2025, I ordered Shoe Laces (Black) using a promotional code from Kathmandu's Black Friday "Mystery Codes" promotion.

On 16/12/2025, Kathmandu agent Thomas cancelled my order, stating: "Our stock is constantly updating and at the time of fulfilment your item was unavailable." However, the shoe laces remained available for purchase on their website and in Victorian stores at that time.

On 17/12/2025, after I challenged this with evidence, Thomas changed his explanation, stating the order "would not have proceeded regardless of stock levels" due to promotional code breach. Notably, my other identical shoe laces order received a different cancellation email on 03/12/2025 citing only promotional terms breach - no stock issues mentioned.​

Kathmandu engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct under ACL Section 18 by:
* Making a false representation about stock unavailability when the product remained orderable​
* Providing contradictory cancellation reasons for the same transaction​
* Using inconsistent explanations across identical orders​

We bought a pair of trail runners a couple of months ago from Kathmandu, but the lining developed large holes within a month of wear, and from only being used lightly. I have never seen anything like that, even in cheap brands. Brought them in to store and was told it was normal wear and tear and they would not even ask the manufacturer to consider it under warranty. I also contacted online customer service, it has now been over a month and still no response, despite following up multiple times. I even contacted the manufacturer directly and they confirmed that they would have considered the claim but that it needs to be lodged by the retailer, and they copied in Kathmandu in the email, but still no response. We used to shop there a lot, but this has really put me off.

Pickup address was incorrect.And for the last nine days there has been no communication from them.I have been sending emails and verbal contact

Purchased a Solomon shoes within 3 months the sole came off, wrote to customer service with issue no reply for 10 days wrote again no reply another week or so. Bad customer service . At least they need to acknowledge either way. Not buying from them again.

Hi my name is Kerry Wallace from New Zealand, approx 6 months ago I purchased shilajit gummies from Kathmandu, that experience was very disappointing and hence I wrote a review with a rating of 1
Kathmandu have responded well hence the 5 star rating.
Meliska contacted me and terminated the auto subscription as I had been trying do for many months.
Meliska also refunded the amount which was taken from my Bank account without my ok.
Meliska also appogised on behalf of Kathmandu and also offered product discount .
I rated this a 5 star simply because Kathmandu fronted up , acknowledging the fragility of customer relations and taking full responsibility in putting it right . Re- establishing trust.
I have no problem with the product but how I and many others were treated as a customer.
My trust Kathmandu has got there people, process and company values right has given me confidence to continue using shilajit. Which I intend to do.
Kind Regards
Kerry Wallace

Brought a pair of your boots and travel gear plus a pack to ride a motor bike across mongolia. Your equipment never let me down. Nothing broke. Tore or gave up in anyway.I have a few photos of your equipment. Very robust and comfortable. I was very impressed. Thanks for the service and the ladies in Gisborne excelled them selves.

I had such a wonderful experience at the Masterton, Kathmandu store, with a lovely young lady, Emily.
The store was warm, clean, tidy and I was greeted with a smile & "hello, 👋 how are you today?" within the first 3-5 seconds I walked in, which made me feel very welcome.
At first she asked if I was interested in anything particular or just happy to brouse.
I was quite happy to look, but she was there if I needed her.
Once I had a look around, I did call her over, Emily was so great, so knowledgeable, very accommodating, if they didn't have the size or style I wanted she was happy to get it from another store.
I have never felt so comfortable, being a bigger lady I didn't feel ashamed of my size once, like I do in other shops.
Thank you for such a wonderful shopping experience.
Definitely go back in when Emily is working.😊

Disappointed with the quality of the new rain jacket. Bought as a replacement for the old (red) one. See pictures below in comparison. You can see the cheapening in everything, in the fittings, in the thickness of the material itself, in the gluing. The new one just feels like a plastic bag. And the price is clearly higher than the red one I bought five years ago. And it is unlikely that the new one will last long. It is very sad that manufacturers, even such well-known ones as Kathmandu, save on customers, thanks to such “optimization”.

Shocking service from both the local store and head office. Local store sold me incorrect shoe size then wouldn't replace. Lodge complaint with head office and no response after two weeks except sorry we are busy. Not good enough when you charge such exorbitant prices and don't give decent service.

Purchased a jacket 29th May I returned it the next day original packaging. Now 6ty June no refund or response. Keep reviewing auto emails. Willing to take your money but when you are not happy won't return your money. Customer service sucks 😡

Terrible customer service, no replies in 2 weeks after sending them multiple emails. Grrrrrr

I purchased a new rain jacket in Queenstown. It was 400 NZ$ discounted to 300NZ$. We went on a Fiordland cruise. It didn’t keep me dry in quite a modest downpour. Both shirt sleeves were wet through and the central chest area. A really disappointing result given the price.

Prices are rising (as with everything else) but the quality at least continues to impress

I ordered a pair of children's hiking boots at least 2 weeks ago for my grandsons Christmas present. Arranged with the staff in store to have them sent to our address. Despite several phone calls asking when they will arrive I still have no answers 2 days before Christmas. The store refuses to refund me so I can use the money to buy another present for him. They say the problem lies with the dispatch centre. I'm angry and frustrated at this poor service and unhelpfulness to enable me to get the boots or a refund! Thumbs down Katmandu 👎

Disappointment with pricing and customer service

I am writing to express my frustration with a recent experience at your store. On 7th October, we purchased a Retreat 280 tent for NZD 950. Before buying, we specifically asked the sales assistant if there were any upcoming discounts on this item. We were told there would be none, so we went ahead with the purchase.

However, just three days later, we discovered the same tent was discounted to NZD 769. As loyal Kathmandu customers, we were shocked and disappointed, especially since we made the effort to confirm pricing ahead of time. When we contacted customer service, we were informed that nothing could be done to address our concern.

We value the quality of Kathmandu products and have shopped with you regularly. However, this experience has left us feeling frustrated and disappointed. We hope you will take this feedback seriously and consider providing a solution that reflects Kathmandu’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
Dean Freeman

My experience in store was rather good actually, with a lovely staff member helping me out.
This review is more directed at the company itself as they appear to have articles of clothing on hefty $200 discounts only if you sign up to be a member.
I find this tactic to be a rather dirty way of enforcing people to sign up with companies loyalty schemes.

Disappointed with purchase of this travel bag intended for many trips overseas, BUT after just one trip, would return it if I could. It's an unstable swiveler when packed with even just 12-15kg - given even the smallest turn it swivels on the handle. Also the (only two) wheels are too small for the size of the bag and this dosn't help. Highly recommend you do not purchase. I'll be looking for a better option from another company!