rod warranties

flyrodfisher · #1 03-28-2020, 03:44 PM

Don't want to derail the other thread...so...

Some interesting comments concerning warranties came out of the other thread so I am wondering what your thoughts are.

Given that most if not all manufacturers offer limited warranties on materials and workmanship of their products;

Some scenarios;

You buy a shiny new F250 and scrape the bumper pulling out of your garage...should FORD repair that free of charge for you?

That $20,000 600mm F4 CANON lens you just bought for your camera rolls off the table onto the floor....should CANON replace it free of charge for you?

You cut that $100 RIO floating flyline between two rocks...should RIO replace it for free?

You crush your recently purchased flyrod in your car door (which apparently folks did in the other thread)….should the manufacturer replace it for free?

pikergolf · #2 03-28-2020, 03:56 PM

The warranty is why I don't make rods commercially. I could never afford to warranty them. The cost of shipping and redoing a rod is almost as much as the rod initially cost. It's also the reason rods are stupid expensive. Rod failure from the factory is pretty rare, but manufacturers cover peoples stupidity, who knows why?

fishpro · #3 03-28-2020, 04:13 PM

These companies aren't taking the loss you might think they are on warranties. I once worked at a warehouse that handled warranty claims, walk in price of $30 for a new piece on a rod where the warehouse paid $40 for all four pieces of a rod. There's a lot of markup when you consider profits need to be made in addition to operating costs for a manufacturer, possibly a distributor, then for the retailer.

JReed · #4 03-28-2020, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishpro

These companies aren't taking the loss you might think they are on warranties. I once worked at a warehouse that handled warranty claims, walk in price of $30 for a new piece on a rod where the warehouse paid $40 for all four pieces of a rod. There's a lot of markup when you consider profits need to be made in addition to operating costs for a manufacturer, possibly a distributor, then for the retailer.

This right here ^^^^

All the companies I've sent a broken fly rod to, charge a "handling fee" on top of the shipping I pay to send it to them.

All these companies call it a rod "warranty"...... it shouldn't be worded that way. Its a false illusion, if it were a warranty, it'd be replaced without a "handling fee"

I agree with paying for the replacement though, unless in the rare event it was a manufacturer's defect.

huntsfurfish · #5 03-28-2020, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pikergolf

The warranty is why I don't make rods commercially. I could never afford to warranty them. The cost of shipping and redoing a rod is almost as much as the rod initially cost. It's also the reason rods are stupid expensive. Rod failure from the factory is pretty rare, but manufacturers cover peoples stupidity, who knows why?

I agree! Almost all rod failure is on the owner!

boah · #6 03-28-2020, 05:43 PM

The warranty is a THE selling point of TFO rods. No, a company should not HAVE to pay for idiot breakage, but they do. That’s why they sell.

flyrodfisher · #7 03-28-2020, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boah

No, a company should not HAVE to pay for idiot breakage, but they do.

Actually, it is the consumer that pays for that...it is baked into the price.
YOU are the one that pays for the guy that slams the car door on his rod....

boah · #8 03-28-2020, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyrodfisher

Actually, it is the consumer that pays for that...it is baked into the price.
YOU are the one that pays for the guy that slams the car door on his rod....

I’m alright with that. I bought one for a back up rod while my sage went for a trip to the states and back on my dollar. TFO breaks, l take it on on my next trip to Calgary.

calgarygringo · #9 03-28-2020, 06:02 PM

As a former retail store manager for many years and one of my stops was for one of the local fishing stores I have heard it all. Fishermen have to be be one of the worst for stories that are not even believable and I have looked after a lot more expensive products than fishing. Most dont get it. Buy a carbon rod and try to pull a big snag and snap and thats the mfg fault. Ice fish with an 18 inch light duty rod and this big pike grabbed it and broke it and want another. In many cases the rod does not even go back to the mfg the store just eats the cost and is a good reason warranty is denied as it becomes a loss to the store but get a better discount overall to make up for them. If a bad batch or bad design it can cost. Be realistic and if you screw up maybe you just learn an expensive lesson. Realistically most products do work well if you do as they are designed and follow instructions which we all know men do not do well. Just sayin and 20 plus years of retail management telling like it really is.

kilgoretrout · #10 03-29-2020, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boah

The warranty is a THE selling point of TFO rods. No, a company should not HAVE to pay for idiot breakage, but they do. That’s why they sell.

And that's why you pay 30.00 for the replacement piece so if you are prone to breakage for whatever reason ie doors ,fans, poor casting,poor landing of fish etc etc etc....... you should stick with the company that brings them in for 40.00 and sells you the replacement part for 30.00 which still beats paying 2 to 3 hundred new..... still gets down to paying for quality which is different for everyone ...... I know when I take out friends or kids new to fly fishing I give them a TFO or Redington for exactly this reason. The high end rods are rarely lent out.....

Jason.seaward · #11 03-28-2020, 09:40 PM

Each company has their own warranty policy and conditions. It rarely a “you break out of neglect and we will send you a free rod”. Some companies have repairs or replacements for strictly manufacturing errors where others (expensive rods) have a free replacement (with a processing fee), but the extra free replacement rod is built into the $800+ rod cost. Companies are not willing to give away profits for others’ mistakes.

You might find this article interesting.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs...od-warranties/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

flyrodfisher · #12 03-28-2020, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason.seaward

Each company has their own warranty policy and conditions. It rarely a “you break out of neglect and we will send you a free rod”. Some companies have repairs or replacements for strictly manufacturing errors where others (expensive rods) have a free replacement (with a processing fee), but the extra free replacement rod is built into the $800+ rod cost. Companies are not willing to give away profits for others’ mistakes.

You might find this article interesting.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs...od-warranties/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, thx Jason....I had read that link sometime ago..
Again, the point of discussion is not a manufacturers defect.
I think most manufacturers will stand by their product if used properly.
But rather should they honor that for improper user handling...or downright abuse?