True goalie, total failure

[Naz]

4 hours ago, Silence said:

 

….the new model can already be ordered…

Delivery August 2024

[bunnyman666]

There can’t be that much money in supplying pro gear. They buy in bulk with no warranty and at a deep discount. CCM HT2 would still be produced for pros if the last wearer didn’t retire, and they were sold for peanuts!  That, along with the original v8 helmet (a lawsuit prevents mass production), were special production items for many years! I know I gave an example of forward’s gear, but you get the idea. When I learnt what a pro team pays for pieces of gear, I was shocked. Yes, it’s visibility to sell to the masses, but if you’re missing the boat with paying customers, all the visibility on Earth won’t turn a profit and your dealers will not be happy. I am taking my assertion of most gear consumers buy will be made in Asia (likely Vietnam) to the bank. The Lefevre factory was never meant to handle mass production. And the indefinite lead times could be strategic, weird as it sounds.

Edited November 10, 2021 by bunnyman666

[coopaloop1234]

1 hour ago, bunnyman666 said:

There can’t be that much money in supplying pro gear. They buy in bulk with no warranty and at a deep discount. CCM HT2 would still be produced for pros if the last wearer didn’t retire, and they were sold for peanuts!  That, along with the original v8 helmet (a lawsuit prevents mass production), were special production items for many years! I know I gave an example of forward’s gear, but you get the idea. When I learnt what a pro team pays for pieces of gear, I was shocked. Yes, it’s visibility to sell to the masses, but if you’re missing the boat with paying customers, all the visibility on Earth won’t turn a profit and your dealers will not be happy. I am taking my assertion of most gear consumers buy will be made in Asia (likely Vietnam) to the bank. The Lefevre factory was never meant to handle mass production. And the indefinite lead times could be strategic, weird as it sounds.

Supplying gear to the Pros is a marketing expense. It's not mean to be a major revenue stream.

As much fun as it is to see these issues compound upon themselves for True/Lefebvre, we all know full well that these issues won't persist for any extended period of time.

Loading up a new manufacturing facility takes time. With the issues surrounding labour shortages, material acquisition, and just general shipping constraints, getting a new plant up and running right now is a hell of a feat. 

I don't anticipate we'll be talking about these issues in a year or so.

[bunnyman666]

Just now, coopaloop1234 said:

Supplying gear to the Pros is a marketing expense. It's not mean to be a major revenue stream.

As much fun as it is to see these issues compound upon themselves for True/Lefebvre, we all know full well that these issues won't persist for any extended period of time.

Loading up a new manufacturing facility takes time. With the issues surrounding labour shortages, material acquisition, and just general shipping constraints, getting a new plant up and running right now is a hell of a feat. 

I don't anticipate we'll be talking about these issues in a year or so.

It is, but keeping customers waiting could be trouble.

Likely no, as the new factory in (my guess) Asia will pump this stuff out by the hundreds.

[coopaloop1234]

14 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

It is, but keeping customers waiting could be trouble.

Likely no, as the new factory in (my guess) Asia will pump this stuff out by the hundreds.

Just kind of a short term marketing disaster.

Though, It's not like other manufacturers are slaying it in the delivery times right now either. They're just not as horrendous as True

[coopaloop1234]

Though, their advertising is pretty tone deaf. 

 

[DL42]

the pros get the equipment , people want it, retailers see nhl have it, mfr get retailer to front load orders in march april, mfg get the revenue and is happy , mfg make retail in offseason before the major upcoming season pro rush.

create the demand and then push the mfg offshore.

[JAM]

31 weeks and waiting. True having 15-17 weeks on their customizer as their current delivery is an insult to us all.

[ZeroGravitas]

1 hour ago, JAM said:

31 weeks and waiting. True having 15-17 weeks on their customizer as their current delivery is an insult to us all.

It's sad that no manufacturer has a good, retail-facing tool to help customers track the progress of their custom goal order.

I believe True has a portal for retail customers to track the progress of their custom skate orders.

Bauer was able to check the status on my custom order when I called them, so they do have some sort of system on their end to do the tracking.

Since Bauer and CCM rely on their customizer's generated ID code for custom retail orders, maybe they can use that ID code, link it to your order number and your e-mail address and put together a tracking system that way.

I'm not computer guru so I don't know how much work that would be but I imagine it's just not in the budget for the manufacturers to bother with something like that.

On the bright side, you'll probably be getting your pads in the next couple weeks. It sucks you had to wait that long and that True was less than helpful in telling you what was going on.

Edited November 17, 2021 by ZeroGravitas

[maxtm30]

What is funny to me is that CCM stopped making custom gear for non pros in Québec mainly because of cost, but also ridiculous lead times after the Reebok Revoke model, the larceny (next year) was the first offshore only pro model for ccm.

True fell into the same trap ccm escaped from a decade ago. It’s hard to keep customers when you can’t deliver fast enough, 8-10 weeks feels crazy long already.

[Windmill save]

Got to say that True/Leferve is the best goalie gear you can get out there in my opinion. You cannot beat Canadian crafted gear. Yes their shipping times are crazy, but it is expected for the quality and craftsmanship you get from someone who have been in the hockey business for years, and has probably made gear for pros. I ordered a set of true L12.1 when it was available, and it is still the same pads as it was when I got it. I say it is worth the wait for the gear you are getting. I would rather pay for true gear than get free vaughn gear. That is how good it is. 

[cuprajake]

Id you want top crafted Canadian gear has to be brians right 

Or leferve 

True is all about the money

[ThatCarGuy]

48 minutes ago, cuprajake said:

Id you want top crafted Canadian gear has to be brians right 

Or leferve 

True is all about the money

True=Lefevre

I agree Vaughn or Brian’s are where it’s at for Canadian quality. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by ThatCarGuy

[coopaloop1234]

9 hours ago, Windmill save said:

Got to say that True/Leferve is the best goalie gear you can get out there in my opinion. You cannot beat Canadian crafted gear. Yes their shipping times are crazy, but it is expected for the quality and craftsmanship you get from someone who have been in the hockey business for years, and has probably made gear for pros. I ordered a set of true L12.1 when it was available, and it is still the same pads as it was when I got it. I say it is worth the wait for the gear you are getting. I would rather pay for true gear than get free vaughn gear. That is how good it is. 

Everyone's allowed their opinions and preference for sure.

But I don't think I've touched a Lefebvre glove in my decade of playing that showcased 'Quality'.

Most of the gloves never close right.

[chile57]

Believe I read you were 13-ish somewhere here? Realistically with True's wait times they aren't even an option for you. At 13 and lead times definitely pushing you into the next season - by the time you got what you ordered you'd likely outgrow it.

Like @coopaloop1234 says - to each their own but there really isn't any debating that the lead times we're seeing here are unprecendented (regardless of the perceived quality or lack thereof). Lefebvre has most certainly made (a LOT) of gear for (a LOT) of pros - that's part of why people clamor for it. Doesn't make it the end all be all for all things goalie. I would echo that I ordered a custom set of Premier II gloves based on the feel of a set off the shelf and once I got my set - the glove felt nothing like it and closed atrociously. That said - nearly every time I've ordered something custom (Battram = 17 weeks instead of the 5 quoted, no double break, no two piece trapper, no no logos, etc... Vaughn = incorrect knee wing, Rembrant's Brush = name spelled wrong, longer than advertised lead time... ) something hasn't gone as intended whether it be lead time or execution or... you are almost always better off picking something off the shelf if you can.

PS - I'd gladly take almost any free pro level gear over paying for it amongst all the big(ger) names.

13 hours ago, Windmill save said:

Got to say that True/Leferve is the best goalie gear you can get out there in my opinion. You cannot beat Canadian crafted gear. Yes their shipping times are crazy, but it is expected for the quality and craftsmanship you get from someone who have been in the hockey business for years, and has probably made gear for pros. I ordered a set of true L12.1 when it was available, and it is still the same pads as it was when I got it. I say it is worth the wait for the gear you are getting. I would rather pay for true gear than get free vaughn gear. That is how good it is. 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by chile57

[Puckstopper]

11 hours ago, Windmill save said:

 I say it is worth the wait for the gear you are getting. I would rather pay for true gear than get free vaughn gear. That is how good it is. 

That is insane.  I've used pretty much all of the big brands over the last decade, and I can tell you that I'd cheerfully make due with the pro level offering from any of them if I were offered it for free.  Sure, I have preferences, but at the end of the day, there isn't enough difference that I'd be willing to shell out $3k of my own hard earned money to indulge them.  

On a related note, True would be dead last of the major brands I'd choose for anything except skates.   

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

12 hours ago, Windmill save said:

Got to say that True/Leferve is the best goalie gear you can get out there in my opinion. You cannot beat Canadian crafted gear. Yes their shipping times are crazy, but it is expected for the quality and craftsmanship you get from someone who have been in the hockey business for years, and has probably made gear for pros. I ordered a set of true L12.1 when it was available, and it is still the same pads as it was when I got it. I say it is worth the wait for the gear you are getting. I would rather pay for true gear than get free vaughn gear. That is how good it is. 

Have you ever used true/lefevre yourself? Or Vaughn or Brian’s? Nothing is worth a 36 week wait. Vaughn and Brian’s have been around for a very long time as well, and have been defining quality standards for years. Hard to judge quality off of intermediate or junior gear that is made in Asia.

[cuprajake]

The old ccm/leferve stuff took a long time to catch up to the rest of the bunch, esp in terms of weight

I too had stuff made wrong from brians, twice infact. Actually 3 times

 

If were talking about price, in the uk if i was to walk in a store to get a full set, helmet, skates etc it would cost £5,300 thats bauer 

 

[coopaloop1234]

23 minutes ago, cuprajake said:

The old ccm/leferve stuff took a long time to catch up to the rest of the bunch, esp in terms of weight

I too had stuff made wrong from brians, twice infact. Actually 3 times

 

If were talking about price, in the uk if i was to walk in a store to get a full set, helmet, skates etc it would cost £5,300 thats bauer 

 

Dude, you just need to accept the fact that you're never going to get a properly delivered piece of equipment again.

[Windmill save]

3 hours ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

Have you ever used true/lefevre yourself? Or Vaughn or Brian’s? Nothing is worth a 36 week wait. Vaughn and Brian’s have been around for a very long time as well, and have been defining quality standards for years. Hard to judge quality off of intermediate or junior gear that is made in Asia.

Good point

[Windmill save]

I think leferve as a company is one of the best, but true is probably going  to mess it all up.

[bunnyman666]

On 11/18/2021 at 8:37 AM, maxtm30 said:

What is funny to me is that CCM stopped making custom gear for non pros in Québec mainly because of cost, but also ridiculous lead times after the Reebok Revoke model, the larceny (next year) was the first offshore only pro model for ccm.

True fell into the same trap ccm escaped from a decade ago. It’s hard to keep customers when you can’t deliver fast enough, 8-10 weeks feels crazy long already.

CCM 2.0, in essence.

[JAM]

32 weeks and waiting, retailer saying it's a surprise when custom true gear comes in. They just forward it on to the buyer, but there is no updates or schedule to when things will be completed. Any word from others if they have received pads and how long it took? Thinking may have to go find some used gear as current stuff is completely fallen apart as I continue waiting.

Edited November 23, 2021 by JAM

[Silence]

On 11/23/2021 at 8:57 AM, JAM said:

32 weeks and waiting, retailer saying it's a surprise when custom true gear comes in. They just forward it on to the buyer, but there is no updates or schedule to when things will be completed. Any word from others if they have received pads and how long it took? Thinking may have to go find some used gear as current stuff is completely fallen apart as I continue waiting.

30/31 weeks for my set. My dear said this is probably going to the the last and only set to show up

[cuprajake]

wow 31 weeks, hope you're fully grown..