New rod broke!

[th64]

Ordered a rod online and it broke on a fish after the 3rd time I used it. I complained and they said I could cut up the rod and send it to them w/10 bucks for a replacement. I said that that was not acceptable and that I would be talking with my credit card company about the issue, he then went and talked with someone came back and his tone completely changed-he said that they would send me a new one at no charge.

Moral of the story: use your credit card for big purchases or if you do not know the vender very well- the credit card co. will fight for you and they know it. Credit card companies do not want any one ELSE taking advantage of you!

[OnAFly]

Care to say who the MFG was?

[Bigsmitty]

You didn't say what the warranty policy was on the rod. How would they know that you didn't drive over it with your truck or something? Unless the warranty states that they will send you a free rod, I think ten bucks for a new one is fair.

"Credit card companies do not want any one ELSE taking advantage of you!"

That is a two way street. I know lots of consumers that take advantage of businesses by doing credit card charge backs also. I am not saying that you are one of those consumers but they are out there and as an etailer, I have been scammed more times then you could imagine. Just my 2 cents.

[harvey lee]

I would agree that $10 for a new rod was very fair.

[nofishfisherman]

I'd be interested in hearing what the credit card company would have said if you called them. You made a purchase and just happened to break the product (even if it was during normal use). Why is it the credit card companies responsibility to go after the manufacturer for warranty issues?

I'd also be interested in knowing what rod company it was and what their stated warranty policy is. If the $10 replacement cost is stated in the warranty the CC company isn't going to do squat since no fraud has taken place.

Personally I think $10 is fair for a replacement.

[ozzie]

only you know how the rod was treated and if not abused then after using it 3 outings and it broke I agree with you that you should not have to spend a dime to get a replacement as that should be the manufacturer's responsibility! but from the eyes of the manufaucturer is how often do they hear stories like yours when the individule prob caused the issue and not the rod hence the small fee

[tcwin]

I have sent a few different rods in for warranty over the years. St. Croix charges $20.00 for warranty return (shipping charge)and Fenwick charges $9.95. I don't think the $10.00 charge is out of line. Both companies are very upfront about the charges.

[OnAFly]

$10 isn't too bad considering I spent $75+shipping to get my Sage flyrod fixed.

[harvey lee]

The rod maker can tell if it broke with a fish on or not almost every time so I have been told.

[Laddyaddy]

I broke a St. Croix once taking it out from the box. I was more than happy to have it replaced for $10. When spending $60-$100 on a rod whats another $10. Any rod can break regardless of how much was spent.

[dairyman]

thats why I buy all my fishing equipment locally-------have a problem,take it back and get it replaced

[Ufatz]

Quit whining. Ten dollars to replace a rod is way more than fair. You must remember to rod maker has no idea HOW you broke the rod. And EVERY rod maker can ship out a dud now and then.

Having been in the tackle business and having personally made a couple thousand rods I can tell you the company you are dealing with is bending over backward to help you.

Count your blessings.

[river rat316]

Sorry but the company made a mistake, if the $10 return fee is there policy then they should have stuck by it, not knowing how it broke, I know it is a fact if a rod breaks from a manufacturing defect it will happen almost immediately with use, out of the 100 or so rods I have owned, I had one break on the second cast, upon further inspection you could see there was defects in the rod all the way down the blank. The manufacturer replaced it after I sent it to them for inspection, they also sent me a gift certificate to make up for my cost of shipping it to them. If you have used the rod three times, made casts with it, landed fish with it, and just generally actually "used' it three times the break is more than likely your fault, all it takes is stepping on it, dropping it on concrete, hitting it against something and putting a nick in the graphite, it will break from this, maybe right away, maybe after an extended period of use. Part of the reason rods are so expensive is because people feel they need a warranty on them, and also think they should be guaranteed no matter how they use that rod over the course of its life it should not break, well that is just not realistic, and we all end up paying the cost of these warranties when we purchase.

[th64]

Some companies fear the internet even more than a credit card co. so I will not name the company because in the end they did the right thing. It was a cheap fiberglass rod had it been a more expensive rod the ten bucks would seem ok, it was half the price of the rod so it seemed high, and of course it was their fault. I think it is terrible that people scam companies, but I think a company needs to err on the side of trusting their costumers even if it means being taken advantage of from time to time. I would have bought from a retailer whose first initial is "J' because the have incredible costumer support but they did not carry this rod. If you have to buy online use your credit card, you have rights as a consumer regardless of what the fine print in a warranty says.

[Hawg]

Remind me never to sell you anything. Complain about $10, wow, or buy a $20 rod, double wow.

[Ufatz]

Amen my friend.

[th64]

Hawg-If your Zippo lighter breaks after a year send it to them and they will fix it

2,3,4,5,6,10, 20, 30 40 years old-no problem! Need your recite? Nope.

Find a broken up one at a flea market if they can read 'Zippo" they will fix it. Just send it in with the postage and handling fee-just kidding no fee.

They enjoy brand recognition and loyalty. Make a quality product and a generous return policy will not bankrupt your business-trust your costumers too if you want to have customers for decades like Zippo.

[M1dwestF1sh]

I'm not picking sides in this but zippo is probably the best, most known, lighter company. A $20 rod is a cheap rod that probably isn't well known like zippo. But I also agree that no matter how cheap a rod is if you pay for a rod it shouldn't break on you on your third time out.

[jmd1]

So one question i have is that you said it was a cheap rod, used 3 times, broke, and they want 10 bucks to send you a brand new one. You did not say if the 10 bucks was for the shipping and handling for your broken rod to be replaced by them? Maybe the zippo or Raybans that broke will not charge you for the replacement, however, maybe they think that if you were going to buy the 20 dollar rod again that you will be breaking it again. Not sure but when my Ca bells rod broke on a practice cast, they said i could bring it in, or pay to ship it. Either way it was going to cost me 10 bucks at minimum. Oh well.

[Northlander]

What would you expect out of a 20 dollar rod?

[Cheers]

just broke a st croix they want $75 , no more life time warranty. What you going to do ? They claim it broke as a result of normal wear and tear not manufactures defect , it was an avid

[th64]

If you bought your rod with your credit card I would ask if they can help you.

Northlander-I would have paid more for the rod to know that it was not junk-you should be able to at least get a few seasons out of a cheap rod.

I want to get what I pay for, if I buy a candy bar and half is gone I will say something.

Northlander, look at the people who have wrote in to this thread who have had bad experiences with expensive rods, lets make it more difficult for them to sell junk!

[th64]

Cheers-the other thing you can do is threaten to tell your story on the internet-write a review on Cabellas or something. Good Luck

[Abndoc]

This thread has to be a joke, he is messing with you guys, no one can really live like this

[Hawg]

He's serious. My granddaughters Snoopy rod cost more than that. The only thing posting this on a complaint site will accomplish is to make him look even more foolish.