HydroFlask has changed it's policy for the worse

[dis-happy]

Anyone can buy a Birkin. You may have to wait, but you can buy one.

This isn't supply and demand.

Walk into a Hermes store and ask to buy one. Unless you are a known customer with a certain purchasing history they will tell you they are unavailable. Add in the top tier specialty bags and you won't get one unless you're an A-lister who meets their profile for publicity.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Walk into a Hermes store and ask to buy one. Unless you are a known customer with a certain purchasing history they will tell you they are unavailable. Add in the top tier specialty bags and you won't get one unless you're an A-lister who meets their profile for publicity.

I own an Hermes bag.

They are not that hard to get.

 

[Bornteach]

That comment is redundant. If a child doesn't get their way then that means that way is not an option any longer. If mom says you can't have a cookie, that means the option of having a cookie is gone, rather or not there are cookies left.

Since you said you were in the golf shop, I'm assuming you golf. If a member or your foursome misses an easy putt or they are wronged in some other way, does that give them the excuse to throw their clubs and pout? Would you be OK with that? You can't excuse behavior because someone was "wronged".

It was poor form and immature to ask people to complain because something didn't go the way you would like. It is perfectly OK for him to be upset about it. The mature and reasonable thing to do would be to post a comment stating that, due to Hydro Flasks decision, Dreams would no longer be offering the product and ending it there.

Actually I have never golfed (short of Putt-Putt). I went into that store as the podcast raved about these bottles and that was the only store that offered them. At the time I was visiting Orlando and drove across town to get it.

And, BTW, redundant? I don't think so. It does not mean they can NEVER have a cookie again.

Name calling? Ironic....calling someone else a child.

 

[aykna]

Actually I have never golfed (short of Putt-Putt). I went into that store as the podcast raved about these bottles and that was the only store that offered them. At the time I was visiting Orlando and drove across town to get it.

And, BTW, redundant? I don't think so. It does not mean they can NEVER have a cookie again.

Name calling? Ironic....calling someone else a child.

None of this is helping the situation. If he chose to he could purchase them again. Just not in the way he did before.

I don't agree with Kevin posting the information because it caused people to send emails/call/post on Facebook when it probably won't help in this case with the way it is being done. I would be reluctant to deal with the company after the way it was handled, not all of the communication to Hydro Flask has been constructive and/or mature. It might have been handled better, if people wanted them to change their minds, that is.

No one is going to agree with a company's policies all of the time. It has happened on the DIS before. People haven't necessarily stopped being a part of this community because of those decisions. People should make the decision based on the facts and I don't think we have all of them because we only have Kevin's side.

 

[MikeTaylor]

Warning: take this post with a grain of salt; this scenario is just a possibility.

I remember some hoopla that had LL Bean submitting to the American Family Association weirdos (who boast over 500,000 members) two years ago since they were put on their "naughty list" for not using the word "Christmas" enough in their marketing. They changed their website terminology shortly thereafter to appease them (after phone calls and E-mails and threats that their members wouldn't shop there) and were finally put back on the "nice list" so the angry consumers could feel OK about shopping with them again. This tactic of using your organization to fuel your agenda is not new. In fact, there could be a correlation...

Since Hydroflask is now associated with LL Bean, who's to say AFA doesn't have their bigot hands taking the pulse of who they do business with? A lot of these people have nothing better to do with their time than to stick their heads in other peoples' business. What's their incentive not to, especially if LL Bean has a documented history of bending to their will? Give an inch, they take a mile. It empowers them. That intolerant undertone fits the "corporate-speak" letter too, doesn't it? "We want to convey our brand more clearly".

Looking further, according to rightwingwatch:
A major target of AFA's had been Disney and its subsidiaries; "Disney's attack on America's families has become so blatant, so intentional, so obvious, that American Family Association has called for a boycott of all Disney products until such time as this activity ceases." AFA ended its boycott of Disney in 2005, citing the departure of Disney CEO Michael Eisner and its divestiture of Miramax films as rationale, but openly stating "AFA had moved on to other important issues, such as an increasingly activist judiciary and the push for same-sex marriage."

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if an AFA member immediately got on the phone (freaking out on a Judy Garland reference) after listening to a podcast where you all plugged Hydroflask. I can hear it now, "It's either them or us! Those people are sinners, blah, blah, hate speech, blah, blah, etc." These "little victories" they claim make them feel important.

Either way, I guess it's already decided that the business relationship is over. No reason to troll the bearer of bad news other than the slim chance they respond to a DISer who forwards that E-Mail when they discover something liable you could then use to sue. Hence, no responses.

 

[solfan68]

Bathroom break while waiting in line for Anna and Elsa ?

 

[ColoradoDisney]

Why not blame the North Koreans? Maybe Jeb Bush called demanded HydroFlask end their relationship Dreams Unlimited?

Agree or disagree with the decision of HydroFlask. Agree or disagree with how Kevin reacted. But this conspiracy theory is a bit over the top.

Warning: take this post with a grain of salt; this scenario is just a possibility.

I remember some hoopla that had LL Bean submitting to the American Family Association weirdos (who boast over 500,000 members) two years ago since they were put on their "naughty list" for not using the word "Christmas" enough in their marketing. They changed their website terminology shortly thereafter to appease them (after phone calls and E-mails and threats that their members wouldn't shop there) and were finally put back on the "nice list" so the angry consumers could feel OK about shopping with them again. This tactic of using your organization to fuel your agenda is not new. In fact, there could be a correlation...

Since Hydroflask is now associated with LL Bean, who's to say AFA doesn't have their bigot hands taking the pulse of who they do business with? A lot of these people have nothing better to do with their time than to stick their heads in other peoples' business. What's their incentive not to, especially if LL Bean has a documented history of bending to their will? Give an inch, they take a mile. It empowers them. That intolerant undertone fits the "corporate-speak" letter too, doesn't it? "We want to convey our brand more clearly".

Looking further, according to rightwingwatch:
A major target of AFA's had been Disney and its subsidiaries; "Disney's attack on America's families has become so blatant, so intentional, so obvious, that American Family Association has called for a boycott of all Disney products until such time as this activity ceases." AFA ended its boycott of Disney in 2005, citing the departure of Disney CEO Michael Eisner and its divestiture of Miramax films as rationale, but openly stating "AFA had moved on to other important issues, such as an increasingly activist judiciary and the push for same-sex marriage."

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if an AFA member immediately got on the phone (freaking out on a Judy Garland reference) after listening to a podcast where you all plugged Hydroflask. I can hear it now, "It's either them or us! Those people are sinners, blah, blah, hate speech, blah, blah, etc." These "little victories" they claim make them feel important.

Either way, I guess it's already decided that the business relationship is over. No reason to troll the bearer of bad news other than the slim chance they respond to a DISer who forwards that E-Mail when they discover something liable you could then use to sue. Hence, no responses.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

What if you went to buy a car and you were told that you couldn't...because you don't fit the mold. You are not the "right kind of person"? Still okay? Still want to support that car maker?

You go the grocery store and go to buy the same bread you've bought for years and the grocery manager tells you that this bread is only for certain types of people. Still okay.

This sums it up for me. Hydroflask has the right to decide because of "branding" to ditch a company that promoted them, and DU and the podcast team have the right to let the people to whom they promoted the product know they've been dumped. I bought the product based on the recommendation on the podcast, and I think Hydroflask's decision stinks. I won't be buying more, just like I don't patronize other businesses or brands when I don't like their practices, so I appreciate that Kevin shared the information here and on the podcast.

Laurie

 

[WDW Crawl]

That comment is redundant. If a child doesn't get their way then that means that way is not an option any longer. If mom says you can't have a cookie, that means the option of having a cookie is gone, rather or not there are cookies left.

Since you said you were in the golf shop, I'm assuming you golf. If a member or your foursome misses an easy putt or they are wronged in some other way, does that give them the excuse to throw their clubs and pout? Would you be OK with that? You can't excuse behavior because someone was "wronged".

It was poor form and immature to ask people to complain because something didn't go the way you would like. It is perfectly OK for him to be upset about it. The mature and reasonable thing to do would be to post a comment stating that, due to Hydro Flasks decision, Dreams would no longer be offering the product and ending it there.

Can't say Kevin was in the wrong or childish at all. There is nothing wrong with letting a company know how customers feel whether it's about how their product is made, the condition of the product, issues with the product, or yes even where their product is bought and sold from. Companies need to be held accountable for the products they make, and the way they hold themselves. Sharing the experience and allowing others to voice an opinion is not childish... He didn't place a ransom on the company.

 

[tjevans]

Calling someone a child, when they have been wronged is just pouring salt into a wound.

I think we had different definitions of "wronged." I don't think being told you can no longer buy a product to sell (presumably at a profit) is being wronged, especially when there are competitors to that product.

It is not uncommon to create artificial demand for your product by limiting the number of resellers of it. Steve Jobs did that when he returned to Apple. A decision which, in the long run, paid off for Apple. It may pay off for Hyrdroflask; it may not. Only time can tell.

If Dreams is looking for a replacement product, I suggest Klean Kanteen. I've never used them, but they look very similar, and even come in children's sizes.

 

[DisneyKevin]

<---- Not a reseller....just ordered off their website and paid the price they listed.

 

[tjevans]

<---- Not a reseller....just ordered off their website and paid the price they listed.

I'm confused. Weren't you buying them to sell them at the Welcome Center?

We have sold them at their mandated cost at the Welcome Center

If so, by definition, you (or more properly, Dreams Unlimited) were a reseller, whether authorized or unauthorized.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I'm confused. Weren't you buying them to sell them at the Welcome Center?


If so, by definition, you (or more properly, Dreams Unlimited) were a reseller, whether authorized or unauthorized.

Don't be confused.

A re-seller usually buys wholesale. We did not.

We paid retail and then branded them with our logo (at our cost).

We gave many of them away.

 

[kuzco-like]

I wonder how many people would be okay with this kind of business decision if it was DCL or ABD which decided that they could no longer do business with Dreams because of an apparent lack of alignment?

 

[kuzco-like]

Sorry. Don't know why the double post except I was doing it through the app.

 

[CastawayJP]

This is particularly upsetting to me since I am the guy that sent the Podcast Team the HydroFlasks as a gift...

At the time I was managing a tennis shop and we were selling them, and I had used mine in the parks to great success. I also thought that their 5% to charity model was awesome and thought it fit in well with the DIS Unplugged support of GKTW.

I obviously thought that they made an awesome product, and thought that the team would enjoy them, and that if they shared their thoughts it might help out a new business that I thought was making a great product, and doing some good charitable work as well.

HydroFlask's actions in this situation are in my opinion appalling! When The Dis started to support their company hardly anybody knew about them. When I sent the first bottles to the team, I think they still hasn't decided if their logo was going to be permanent. It was just a new company that one of my racquet reps was starting to rep, and when word started spreading on the boards I shared it with him in hopes that it might help his standing with the company. To see that they are now turning their backs on a group that really helped them get started is very disappointing.

I too will share my thoughts with HydroFlask.

 

[NedsTJ]

None of this is helping the situation. If he chose to he could purchase them again. Just not in the way he did before.

Well, he really can't. To get the Hydroflasks with the custom branding on them, you need to go thru them (per their website). So either Hydroflask's minimum quantity for custom branding is higher than 1500, OR imprinting a Hydroflask with a "Travel Agency" logo is what doesn't fit their "brand".

I'm hoping it's the first and not the second - it's easier to see that their minimum run quantity (for custom printing) could be higher now then it was (they didn't explain that so we don't know). I'd hate to think it's because they're a "Travel Agency" and not a "Sports Arena" (or, simply because they're "Disney"!)...to me that's just a loss of sales.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Well, he really can't. To get the Hydroflasks with the custom branding on them, you need to go thru them (per their website). So either Hydroflask's minimum quantity for custom branding is higher than 1500, OR imprinting a Hydroflask with a "Travel Agency" logo is what doesn't fit their "brand".

I'm hoping it's the first and not the second - it's easier to see that their minimum run quantity (for custom printing) could be higher now then it was (they didn't explain that so we don't know). I'd hate to think it's because they're a "Travel Agency" and not a "Sports Arena" (or, simply because they're "Disney"!)...to me that's just a loss of sales.

We never got to customization.

I was told that I can't buy them.

They just will not sell them to us.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Well, he really can't. To get the Hydroflasks with the custom branding on them, you need to go thru them (per their website). So either Hydroflask's minimum quantity for custom branding is higher than 1500, OR imprinting a Hydroflask with a "Travel Agency" logo is what doesn't fit their "brand".

I'm hoping it's the first and not the second - it's easier to see that their minimum run quantity (for custom printing) could be higher now then it was (they didn't explain that so we don't know). I'd hate to think it's because they're a "Travel Agency" and not a "Sports Arena" (or, simply because they're "Disney"!)...to me that's just a loss of sales.

Also...none of the Hydro Flasks ever carried the Dreams Unlimited Travel info.

Every single one was customized with The DIS logo.

 

[NedsTJ]

We never got to customization.

I was told that I can't buy them.

They just will not sell them to us.

Ok...then my reaction is just...wow. Bizarre. Well, obviously you don't share one or more of their "highest values:" (from their website):

...you’re showing your shared passion for and commitment to our highest values – high quality, high performance, giving back, living a healthy lifestyle, and of course, having fun!

(yes I'm taking it out of context, but not that far!)