Gear gone bad

There's nothing I dislike more than having a piece of my outdoor gear fail on me. Like the first time that "waterproof" jacket starts leaking on a wet day at the mountain, or getting a hole in $15 technical socks the first time I put them on, or when my $$$ polarized Native running sunglasses lose polarization and look hideous after no wrong doing of my own and just eight months of mild wear. Armed with a claim #, the receipt and a $30 warranty claim fee, I'm ready to get these damn things fixed. Native, I had such high hopes...