Anyone else have trouble with Cabelas lately?

Interesting because these places can all track what you have bought using the store loyalty cards (not credit card)...Then they turn around and say you have no receipt and pull this crap. It's bad business. Just give the guy a rod of equal value. I guarantee you they are losing NOTHING in that deal and will keep a loyal customer.
 
Like I said before I've never had an issue with them in the past, they were always pleasant to deal with and willing to go out of their way to make things right.

Lesson learned. I plan on making a trip to Indiana tomorrow to pick up a new Imperial for my better half.
 
I agree w/ fox....bad business practice. That's why I won't purchase any of their brand anymore.

Similar story....bought PT+ fly rod because the guy in the shop said "it you like XYZ model, you'll love this one". Well, it sucked so I took it back a few months later when I got down to Hamburg. Walked up with rod and receipt. 'Why are you returning this?' I told her I wasn't happy with the product and I wanted to return it. 'These have been discontinued. They are in bargain cave at 60% off retail. I can give you a percentage of the current retail price". I think they gave me $45 for a $169 rod. That is a bit of a raw deal. To top it off, every cabelas fly rod I've purchased from them has broken during use. Owned 5 or 6 since 1985. Never had a Sage, St Croix, Loomis, Redington, Cortland or TFO break other than being eaten by a car door or something like that. I've also seen nightmare reviews on some of their fly reels. I think they changed the cabelas brand guarantee a while back.
 
What is it about fly rods that makes people think they can use it for a few months, and then return it for a full refund if they don't like it? Can you do this with spinning gear, I've never really shopped for it? Do those product lines also carry these crazy 'warranties' and expectations for buyer's remorse?
 
I think they're getting too commercialized anymore and could really care less. It's honestly getting to be like wal-mart.

The last time I really bought anything from Cabelas was about 2 years ago when they had the LSI rods at 50% off. I got a 9WT and a 7WT for back up rods. I figure if they break I'm not out much, and they have gotten plenty of use from some friends that want to tag a long salmon or steelhead fishing but aren't sure if they want to spend the money on another rod. That usually changes their mind pretty quick.
 
ThatGuy wrote:
I do agree but, the rod was purchased with a 25 year unconditional warranty. Should they be obligated to do something about it? I think so. Maybe they should offer a repair program like most of the other rod manufacturers. I would of been more than happy to get that rod fixed and my wife still be able to fish with it but that option was never offered.
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What did the fine print in the unconditional warranty say? Did it say that the rod is warranted to the original owner unconditionally and to make a claim, provide proof of purchase or something establishing that you are the legitimate owner? Do you have the warranty to review? Warranties, especially in this day and age, and even in an eight year ago day and age are written for a reason, because there are still terms and conditions that apply.

The fact that there is a disconnect between their call-in customer service and their brick and mortar customer service isn't surprising, as they're two completely different units within the company. That there isn't consistency isn't great from a customer service perspective, but it is understandable.

Redington has been pretty good about rod replacement for me. The form to send in for replacement was simple, few questions were asked and after paying the "make a claim for anything $35 deterrent fee", I had a nice new upgraded rod, since they didn't make the model I broke.

If they are too commercialized for you, vote with your dollar. Find a small shop. Or custom rod builder. Or buy the parts and build the rod your shop. No one is forcing you to shop at CabelasMart.
 
Like I said earlier, if they are going to advertise them with an unconditional warranty they should have some kind of program set up like Redington, or St. Croix. Pay a few bucks and get a new rod section, or pay a few bucks and get a new rod.

BTW salmonoid, I loved the CabelasMart comment.
 
I bought a pair of waders on sale. They leaked and I took them back without a receipt. They exchanged them even up no problem no money changing hands.

Their return policy is very very clear regarding returns with no receipts. they will refund at the lowest sale price and tax since purchase. How can anybody consider that a bad business practice? I would have been tickled pink with that deal, for an old rod to boot, if I dropped the ball by not keeping the receipt.

I also have to laugh when there is a complaint about Cabelas getting to commercialized. When the heck were they not commercialized? Its Cabelas.
 
Wouldn't you have been a little upset if you called their customer service and were told they would give you a full refund on your leaky waders without a receipt, then drive 3 hours just to find out they will only give you about 50% of what you paid for them?
 
Tomi

Cabelas always had a guarantee on their product...if you don't like it, bring it back for a refund. I was just a little jacked that the model in question went to bargain cave and price was slashed. I'll also say that it was the only rod I've bought w/o demo casting and the only time I've returned something I've used. If I got something I didn't like, sell it to someone that can use it

The return policy is what it is. My beef is with bad design, poor quality control or product defects. Every rod from them broke somewhere between the ferrule and 8" from the tip. Never had that happen with any other rod manufacturer......even the Korean models from redington or tfo. Buy line for my nephew and the first 8' sink. No sense in returning since I'll lose on the transaction anyhow. I just won't purchase there anymore. 2 of the rods were exchanged without issue and the others were partial refunds....so much for 25 yr guarantee.
 
I keep a file on all major fishing receipts. I don't buy Cabela's gear but I have had to return Simms, Sage and Winston gear. In every case, I needed to return the receipt. I had the receipt and all three companies provided great customer service.

I highly recommend everyone to file away the original receipt on all major purchases. It makes the process so much easier if something goes wrong.
 
I have had a couple of good fights with a 31" car door that have ended up breaking my rod. Orvis replaced them both times - I only paid for shipping and handling. I'm having trouble uploading the photo so you'll just have to take my word that its a 31" car door.
 
Wallyfish wrote:
I keep a file on all major fishing receipts. I don't buy Cabela's gear but I have had to return Simms, Sage and Winston gear. In every case, I needed to return the receipt. I had the receipt and all three companies provided great customer service.

I highly recommend everyone to file away the original receipt on all major purchases. It makes the process so much easier if something goes wrong.
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I think its a very reasonable thing for a retailer or manufacturer to require a receipt from the original buyer to process any type of warranty claims. Cabelas gives their customer 90 days to decide if they are happy with their purchase; seems reasonable to me. Other manufacturers (Orvis, Sage, Winston, Loomis, ect.) have processing fees to handle damaged rod claims; again, seems reasonable to me. Yet all the fly fishing forums are full of posts by people complaining about poor customer service from these companies. Some customer's expects a new rod yesterday, at no cost of course, every time they break it in a car door. Or want to use a rod "for a few months" then return it for a full refund.

Good luck, Tony
 
PennypackFlyer wrote:
I have had a couple of good fights with a 31" car door that have ended up breaking my rod. Orvis replaced them both times - I only paid for shipping and handling. I'm having trouble uploading the photo so you'll just have to take my word that its a 31" car door.
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20" going on 31"... And definitely a stocked blank.
 
ThatGuy wrote:
Wouldn't you have been a little upset if you called their customer service and were told they would give you a full refund on your leaky waders without a receipt, then drive 3 hours just to find out they will only give you about 50% of what you paid for them?
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Nope not in the slightest. It was an eight year old rod and they did give you a full refund according to their very well known refund policy. It was not their fault that you did not have the receipt. After 8 years I would suspect that when the rod was discontinued they were giving them away which is most unfortunate for a guy who did not have his receipt.

Bitter pill I guess but Cabelas is in no way to blame. Their return policy protects us and them. Chalk it up as a learning moment and be happy for spring is here.
 
Cabela's "no questions guarantee" is 90 days although I have had a rod replaced that was much older. Without a receipt they will only give you a store credit for the lowest price an item sold for. In my case they gave me a replacement without a problem.
 
ThatGuy wrote: ...Fast forward to yesterday morning. My wife and I drive to Cabelas in Wheeling. I take my broken rod with no receipt to the customer service desk and explain to them what had happened and that the customer service said I could return it with no receipt since everything would be on file. She said I can't do anything with this without a receipt and told me to go to the fly shop and talk to them. So off to the fly fishing department I go.

I explained to him what was going on and he calls the store manager over. He walks in and says all you need is the SKU number and they'll give you a gift card and pick out a new rod.

I get up to customer service with MY SKU number only to find out that they would only give me about half of what I paid for it since I didn't have a receipt and that was the last price that they sold that rod for. I have never had any with Cabelas in the past but, I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard spot in this situation. Anybody else run into a situation like this lately? It never used to be an issue with them with things like this before. Now I have a bad attitude towards them and honestly they will never get my business again.
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Not sure why you have a bad attitude towards them. What they did for you is in accordance with their policy. Twice I returned an older item there that I couldn't locate the receipt for and they looked the item up and offered me the last price they sold it for. What else do you expect them to do? You showed up without a receipt for an 8yr old item that was broken by negligence (trying to yank the rod back and forth to free a snag is not normal use) and they gave you the full amount it was last sold for in store credit. That's exactly what the store manager meant about the SKU # (at that moment, he or she has no idea what the item sold for last and whther it's ultimately less than you originally paid.)

I don't think I know of many companies that would even do that much for you given the same circumstances. Now had you had the receipt perhaps they may have given you the full refund but even then I think it's unreasonable to expect a full warranty to include negligence.
 
FWIW the Cabelas in Newark DE opens today...
 
Just curious....Does Cabelas use the " store loyalty " cards? (Like Bass Pro uses) If so ,wouldn't that type of card track purchases a customer makes? And if they do then a receipt would be redundant and unnecessary. Just wondering?
 
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