I’m here to share my experiences with Hypr Canoe. I bought a canoe from the first batch to arrive from China. I was leery because of what I had heard, but I needed a canoe and so I bought one from Hypr. Well I must’ve gotten the lemon of the lot because everything that could go wrong did go wrong with the canoe. But from the very beginning, Ian and Lauren and later John, went out of their way to make sure I was taken care of. I realized there would be bugs in the manufacturing process in the beginning just like any other company experiences and I bought the canoe at my own risk. No one twisted my arm.
If it was a manufacturing defect, Hypr took care of it and if it was of my own doing, then I paid for it. After going through numerous problems with my canoe, Ian decided that he would replace the canoe for me and after some negotiating with John’s help, I was able to get back on a very good condition demo canoe. I can’t speak about the quality of the canoes Hypr is selling now, but from what I hear, they’ve gotten better because of better quality control and redesigning. As far as customer service, I can speak about that and it’s been excellent as far as I’m concerned. I’ve dealt with Ian, Lauren and John personally and they’ve always gone out of their way to keep me satisfied. Like any other business, you can’t please everybody, but they do make the effort. I remember when the Hurricane first came out, they had all kinds of problems but apparently they’ve been resolved because I see them everywhere now. Hypr in my humble opinion should be given the same opportunity to show that they are in it for the long haul and willing to stand by their customers.
I could see if Hypr wasn’t taking care of their customers and they were getting bashed, but I feel some of the shot’s they are taking is unwarranted. Some of the shot’s are even personal attacks against Ian and Lauren which isn’t right. I don’t remember people doing this when the Hurricane’s were having problems and people taking shots at the Foti brothers. Paddling is a small tight knit community and we should be doing as much as we can to perpetuate the sport by supporting the people and companies that help push our sport to the next level. I want to give a big mahalo to big John Paoa, Hypr’s rep here on Oahu, for all his kokua. He has gone above and beyond to take care of any problems I may have.
Aloha kakou
Submitted by hawaiian_paddler on Sat, 09/01/2007 - 11:49pm
That's great that you were given good personal service when dealing with a lemon boat from Hypr and you feel that they are being personally bashed on this website unfairly. BUT, what you need to understand and probably learn by re-reading Ian's posts, is that Hypr is using this site to defend their products when it really is unnecessary. Action speaks louder than words and Ian does not need to go on to the website to defend his products. All he needs to do is keep doing his "great customer service" and everything will fall into place. You feel he is being personally attacked but he himself has personally attacked other highly respected paddlers in the community. He basically "talked stink" about others for the sole purpose of either ruining their reputation or venting out for whatever reason.
I'm not trying to start another nasty set of postings, but I feel that Hypr does not need to post here but contact any disgruntled paddler personally and knock those walls down one at a time.
Aloha!
#1 Sun, 09/02/2007 - 6:22pm
Aloha4aina you're absolutely right about Hypr not needing to defend themselves here on the forum but instead concentrate on delivering a better product. The product itself should speak for itself. I don't condone or agree with what Ian may have said about others and what others say about him either. Personal attacks of any kind should be left out of these forums period. Everyone has the right to speak their mind, but it can be done in a civil manner and attacking each other here and elsewhere only divides the paddling community even further. I think this whole thing with Hypr started from the very first posting after Hypr starting selling canoes here and a canoe broke coming around Makapu'u point. It's somewhere in the archives. I guess from that point on, people started choosing sides and it got out of hand. I haven't read every post so I don't know all the details about what's been going on and that's why I stayed with what my experiences with Ian and Hypr were. There's room here for more canoe builders and the one's that deliver the best product will be around in the end. Keep the peace and lets all be civil when posting here, no matter what the topic may be. Hopefully the people that were involved can one day shake hands and let by gones be by gones and move on from there.
Aloha kakou
#2 Sun, 09/02/2007 - 11:03pm
Thank you for your comments hawaiian paddler also to you Aloha4aina and i agree no one should have to defend their product if it is a good as the competition, However give Ian some time i feel that Hypr has put his heart and soul into his product and takes it personal when anybody says something bad about Hypr. Keep in mind Hypr is his baby and he is very protective, And this is a good thing becuase you will see it in his products. Lately Ian has put a product out that is "Second to None" I was able to take a look at it this past weekend. I have never seen anything like it. The workmanship is near pefection. The quality and appearance is out of this world. This canoe will be featured in the upcoming paddler magazine.I have to admit Hypr has really outdone themselves. I brought along with me other experience paddlers that were deeply impressed. If these canoe were on the market today Hypr would difinitely surpase any and all sales. As i said on the other forums watch out hypr they are here to stay.
#3 Sun, 09/02/2007 - 11:10pm
I think it's a combination of things which have led to Hypr's bad rep on this site, not least of which is Foo's special brand of "public relations".See " witness protection" for further info...
#4 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 4:12am
I 'm sorry, but I can't resist:
I just don't get it. Just Happy To Paddle states above that HPYR's new canoes are "second to none" "never seen anything like it" "if these canoes were on the market..." WTF. So in the past HYPR releases canoes that are subpar and have quality control issues (self proclaimed as well as widely reported). But now they have the "second to none...near perfection...out of this world" canoes that are NOT on the market? Hmmm. Seems to me that those should be the canoes you are selling. You guys need to talk to some advertising or PR people. I understand that you want to sell canoes and you are proud of your products, and they may well be the bomb, but the rhetoric has got to stop. Some times it is better to be thought the fool than to open your mouth and prove it. Stop "selling" and put out the best product possible. Give some away. Sponsor a race and raffle a boat. Get the boats in the hands of people who can showcase them. Pumping them up on this kind of public forum is not the move...especially with the history here. At this point, any positive posts here are looked at with skeptisism. I am probably wrong, but now, after all the crap spread here, everytime someone posts something positive about HYPR, my first thought is that it is HYPR posting as someone else. You guys have lost trust and faith. I have said this before both here and in private to Ian...I personally am pulling for you. I want you to succeed. The more quality boats available, the more people will paddle! The bigger the sport will get and more Aloha will be spread across the Earth. Seriously though...every time I see a HYPR thread I think to myself, "Oh shit...here we go again", and I am sure I am not alone.
I hope you figure it out, but what you guys are doing now is not working.
Rant off
Aloha, Josh
#5 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 5:50am
I'm not ready to heap the rightfuly earned scorn that Foo has earned for himself, upon just happy to paddle. I am also not personally interested in Hypr boats because of the pilau behavior displayed by it owner. Still, if they ever get their QC together, I can't see that as a bad thing for the many padders who are looking for a boat. It just seems that for now, it is not a safe choice for a primary boat for those who do not also have a backup.
#6 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 7:56am
No Josh I'm not Ian or Lauren or anyone else from Hypr posing as someone else just to post positive things about Hypr. But I can see where you're going with that and that's what the Internet has created. People with multiple identities, kind of like Jason Bourne. But I am me and if you ever met me in person, you would never get me confused with either Ian or Lauren.
Like I said in my original posting, I was just giving my experiences with Hypr and their product and you can see it wasn't all positive. I was unhappy with what I paid for and I could've come on here and started bashing Hypr and Ian, but I chose to work things out with them instead of getting into an unproductive battle. My goal was and will always be to have a canoe that I can paddle and if working with them will provide that for me, then I've accomplished my goal.
Everyone pretty much agrees that Ian should stay out of these forums to either defend himself or sell his product and I am one of them. It only makes matters worse. Come here as a fellow paddler and not as a representative of your company. A good product will sell itself. Take a lesson from the other canoe builders who stay out of these public forums because you will never come out a winner. As you can see Ian, some hard feelings die hard so stay out of here for now and concentrate on building the best canoes you can and one day all of this will go away and you will be remembered as a builder of quality canoes. You know how the saying goes. "Actions speak louder than words".
Aloha kakou
#7 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 10:09am
Hey Hawaiian,
I am glad you are not Ian or Lauren. And I agree with the sentiment that Ian should stick to canoe building. Let's see the boats perform and hear through the grapevine from people we all know that the boats are good and are performing as they should and HYPR will sell more boats. As far as the "second to none" stuff, come on! Good luck trying to pump up the boats on this forum with statements like that and not be selling the boats.
Aloha,
Josh
#8 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 11:36am
Ian has dropped the ball as a fellow paddler as well. Mo betta he just stays away, and avoids the confrontation.
#9 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 5:33pm
Hi 1968,
I’m entitled to my opinion. And as I stated Hypr’s latest technology in product material and quality control has been the issue or problems Hypr had to deal with. Wouldn’t you want to know which product should be considered the best? Even Hypr’s local canoe/boat builders are impressed with his latest production. The past is the past, if you choose to live in the past that’s your problem. But for the most part we all want what best for the sport. And if Hypr can deliver than they should be considered. All I recommended was to look at there latest craftsmanship in “Pacific Paddlers†or you can see these canoe for yourself at Hyprs sponsored races up and coming soon. I would be happy to post FYI.
Credit given where credit is deserved. Check for yourself you will be pleasantly surprise. And better yet they will be available for demo.
#10 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 7:40pm
JHTP:
I really think you are adding gas to an already big flame. Yes, you are right in having your own opinion when it comes to paddling products, but I think Hypr and Ian have burnt quite a few bridges in the paddling community right now and only time will be able to mend that. To turn around and say that his next product is "second to none" would probably do more harm than good. Seeing is believing. The jury is still out on this product and will be until we have enough people try it and it becomes a topic for discussion.
Just my opinion.
Aloha
#11 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 8:57pm
Thats just the point. we have several paddlers trying out the canoes. Its just a matter of time, the word will get out. Years of experience dealing with repairs of canoes, having to see what it takes to build these canoes, allows me the right to make such a statement about Hyprs latest product. Maybe you shuold give someone the benefit of the doubt they might know what they are talking about. One thing I notice by some of you on this forum is that you look for oppurtunities to either get something for nothing like 1968 who feels he is deserving of a free canoe. Remember I was also a customer of hypr who bought a canoe from the first shipment. maybe i got the pick of the litter since i had no problems with my canoe. However, I notice all the sale Reps Hypr used here refuse to do anything when it came to customer service. In fact i can say they started the problem when they chose to sell hypr canoes and refer everyone to Hypr when it came to repairs or problems. I'll say it again the past is the past. you guys need to let it go and move on. Hypr will improve and will be here for the long haul. Its up to you to give them a chance. Recently here in honolulu over thirty new canoes have been sold. So obviously they must be doing something right. A whole container of canoes sold in lest then one week. In the past sixty days here in honolulu included in the thrity another twelve canoes were sold. those are impresive numbers even with all the bashing some of you have done. Its funny, i have own vipers, Polaris, Honus, Naias, and even some of connors older canoes and i can find things wrong or unsafe in all. The truth is if you are not a good paddler and do not take precuations where you paddle and something goes wrong then you really only have yourself to blame. guys be safe and have fun paddling, wish all of you the best.
#12 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 10:48pm
Its funny how people feel Hypr should get credit because Hypr takes care of their customers when they have problems with it. NO SH%T. Thats expected! What do they deserve extra credit because they put out a crappy product and helped the customers with it?
Its like the guy that says "I take care of my kids." and expects everyone to respect him for that. You're suppose to damnit!
poops
#13 Mon, 09/03/2007 - 10:52pm
"...YOU guys need to let it go..."
"...it's up to YOU to give Hypr a chance..."
Did any Hypr rep EVER take a basic business communications or Public Relations course? Watching you guys unravel on this forum is great entertainment. It's truly a trainwreck.
Aloha4aina couldn't have said it better. The best thing anyone remotely involved with Hypr could do is to STOP TALKING and start delivering a good boat. Seriously, don't make a sound. Don't make excuses, don't pump up a product that's not proven yet, and for god's sake, stop attacking your customer base in a public forum!
#14 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 3:51am
JHTP,
Of course you have the right to your opinion. And I am glad you feel so strongly about your product. But you guys are continuing to dig a dep hole for yourselves. Listen to e02060 and stop talking and let the product speak for itself. As far as wanting or deserving a free canoe...dude, come on. I obviously didn't think you guys would give me one, but if you had it would have been the only smart thing you guys have done on this forum.
Oh yeah, if I had been one of the people who bought one of your 30 new canoes in the last month...I'd be pissed that you guys have a new, "second to none" canoe that I can't buy.
Good luck guys...I'll say it again, I hope you succeed! I hope the bad press goes away! Hell, I hope you bring the best canoe in the world into the market place, and everyone buys one and hundreds of people show up to OC1 races with pretty HYPRs, I honestly do. Peace, Josh
#15 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 4:33am
who is this "none" paddler dude?? and why does he keep winning all these races that noone knows about??...
Keizo - why haven't you put up those race results??
#16 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 6:51am
I was second to None once...Man is None fast! J
#17 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 7:00am
I saw Chuck Norris race None in a time trial once....
#18 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 7:36am
You guys are enterntaining. But you are right enough said. Hypr can and will prove that there quality and performance has improved will continue. Like anything else products improved with time or we all be using a Koa trunk as a our choice to paddle. im sure you have your reason for being upset with hypr. But there are alot of peolple who are enjoying their new canoes and feel safe in the water using Hyprs canoes. Enjoy your paddle guys.
#19 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 5:55pm
HK Paddler,1968, & Open Ocean:
You made my night!!! It is so great to read these posts and be able to throw in a few laughs!! All the best to Hypr and hope that there will be no more "HYPE" and "ALL ACTION"!!
Peace Out!!!
#20 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 9:54pm
Thank you Aloha4aina, Im sure you are all a bunch of great guys look forward to paddling w/any of you in the water. I bet we would have more laughs. keep the peace guys.
#21 Tue, 09/04/2007 - 10:30pm