Would like to share my frustrating experience with a new RRD board and collect feedback on possible similar issues with RRD products. I live in the UK and I sail on the South Coast. Bought the WaveCult V7 in June 2020, brand new. From the first contact with the water and the local shingle, this board started losing its paint on the rails like nothing I've seen before. After a couple of months sailing, half of the nose is almost completely naked on the side, down to the glass fibre. The rest of the rails looks also quite bad, although further along the rails, the issue seems to be concentrated on the edges. The RRD rep for UK recognised the warranty case and after two months of patchy correspondence offered me to to buy a new board at a discount (never heard of such a warranty offer before). After my initial response he completely disappeared and stopped responding to emails and calls. I was unable to pursue further my claim and the selling store also capitulated trying to reach the RRD guy. RRD HQ in Italy declared that they are not in charge.

Has anyone made a similar experience with RRD products? As far as I'm concerned, I will not ever touch any single product with the RRD logo on it, this is the worst customer experience I have had in my life with any product.

Have a look into your local consumer law. There will be a minimum time that a new product needs to be covered by the company you brought from new. Might be a battle but certainly as you describe, paint should not fall or flake off regardless of warranty length.

Tony K. said..
The RRD rep for UK recognised the warranty case and after two months of patchy correspondence offered me to to buy a new board at a discount (never heard of such a warranty offer before).

Thats not a warranty. They should either replace the board or fix the issue. I'd say for something cosmetic they should fix it. If the rest of the board starts losing all its paint thats a different issue. You shouldn't be paying anything.
If RRD have stock in Europe then a board replacement is more likely to happen than a new stock from Cobra as the price of new boards is set to rise with shipping costs from what I'm hearing.

If you are going to start complaining on a forum then some pictures of the board would be good. If its the usual shingle rash you get on the South coast then it might be deemed 'normal'. I understand that paint on items from boards to motorbikes went downhill quite a few years ago as they stopped using harder wearing paint as it wasn't environmentally friendly.

I assume your defective board was reported and a warranty claim made before June 2021, within the 1 year warranty period. Otherwise its looking bleak for you.

Paint chipping on the nose and rail is common with several Cobra built brands from 2016 through to 2018. Had to do with the gelcoat they used. Allthough it could differ per board eventually all boards would have chips in one way or another. I've had a 2016 JP Slalom with minor chips but a 2017 JP Speed with more chips after the first time use than the 2016 Slalom gained in 4 years of use.

I think Cobra changed their production process because the 2019 and 2020 boards I have are still without paint chips after a year of use/abuse.

PhilUK said..

TheTank said..
Paint chipping on the nose and rail is common with several Cobra built brands from 2016 through to 2018. Had to do with the gelcoat they used. Allthough it could differ per board eventually all boards would have chips in one way or another. I've had a 2016 JP Slalom with minor chips but a 2017 JP Speed with more chips after the first time use than the 2016 Slalom gained in 4 years of use.

I think Cobra changed their production process because the 2019 and 2020 boards I have are still without paint chips after a year of use/abuse.

Another V7 Wave Cult here on EBay with the same issue, as described in the listing and photos.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313645103350

I have a 2021 Starboard Kode with similar paint chipping. It doesn't affect me unless I decide to sell the board. At this stage I have no intention of selling.

I would not call it a warranty issue if I had used it for a while (not just one-two sessions) and had the habit of throwing the thing around on the shingle like many of my fellow windsurfers do (I don't - am leaving it on the beach quite carefully). I have another Tabou 3S which I use more often since 2018 and it has none of the chips. The board on ebay is the one I am taking about, am selling it to replace it with a smaller FSW. If I don't sell it , I will continue riding it until it breaks or I am ready to donate it. That seems to be a probable scenario. I am more pissed by the attitude of the RRD people than the chipping itself.

Bugger. I bought the exact same board at the end of last season.
Lovely ride though.
I did have a warranty claim with an RRD inflatable SUP a few years ago. They replaced it and let me pick a new one from the catalogue.
I suspect the excellent support from Jez at 2nd wind Perth helped make that happen.