Orvis Lifetime Warranty

[Bruno]

Take a listen to this:

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/591/get-your-moneys-worth/act-two

Kinda lets you in on the companies perspective and the dirtbags that take advantage of them.

 

[Bamboozle]

What pisses me off is when the manufacturer changes the rules after the fact.

For example, I own a slew of Winston rods with lifetime warranties. In all the years I've owned them, I needed the warranty only once when a rod snapped in two due to a defect.

When I bought the rods, the "Lifetime Warranty" cost you only what it cost you to ship it back to them. Now, the same rods I purchased new more than 15 years ago will cost me $75 bucks each PLUS my cost to ship them to use the warranty that was free when I bought the rods new!

I guess after all this time nothing should happen to any of them that isn't my fault however, it still makes me mad that part of the total cost of the rods was an unconditional warranty that covered me being a moron.

IMHO, the $75 dollar charge should only apply to newer rods, not older stuff that was purchased BEFORE the "administrative fee" scam. However, if the rods had no warranties, I wouldn't even think about it.

It will be interesting however if I ever need to make another claim because I won't take the $75 fee laying down... ;-)

 

[Swattie87]

It's general insurance theory that you should not profit from an insurance (or warranty) claim. You should also not be financially any worse from the claim (other than the agreed deductible that is in the contract). You should be in the exact same financial position you were before making the claim, again less any agreed deductible. If you're not, either to your benefit or detriment, something is wrong.

I suppose you can't really help if Orvis decides to send you a new rod, even if the package with the broken rod arrived to them empty. Good for Orvis, I guess. But yeah, you shouldn't insure something for more than it's worth. That's not in good faith and is a form of insurance fraud. And with the new rod in hand, the extra $300 from the insurance claim is now a windfall, and should be returned. (This is like filing a claim for a lost diamond ring, collecting the insurance proceeds, then finding the ring. If this happens, you're obligated to return the insurance payment.)

In regard to the OP...I checked Orvis's website and the $60 fee is clearly outlined there. If it wasn't at the time you purchased the rod (probably hard to confirm, but unlikely I would think), then you should file a complaint with Orvis to have the fee waived since it was not clearly in effect at the time of your purchase, and initiation of the warranty contract with you.

 

[krayfish2]

Thanks Matt, listening to that made my blood boil

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah...Stuff like this really knots up my leader.

And we wonder and/or criticize why companies have to protect themselves by reducing the warranty protection they offer, or instituting an effective "deductible" for using it.

 

[fishhead]

If you ask me, most rod companies fees for warranty repair/replacement are a bargain. Over the past two years I have had 2 rods repaired (orvis/scott) and one replaced (winston). The orvis rod being an H2 that i broke while fishing. 60 bucks to repair a rod i paid over 500 for. The scott rod i paid 100 for a new tip section on a rod that i bought second hand for 400. Winston sent me a BRAND NEW Biiix for a 75$ fee for a rod i paid 600 for. This was the first time dealing with orvis customer service,and you are treated as a number in my opinion but i was happy with the end result. I have dealt with scott and winston in the past, and they could not be easier or friendlier to deal with. Even following up with calls to make sure i was satisfied. My point is that I guess i dont understand the problem guys have with paying what i consider to be fair ammounts to fix rods that are considerable investments.

 

[afishinado]

Swattie87 wrote:
It's general insurance theory that you should not profit from an insurance (or warranty) claim. You should also not be financially any worse from the claim (other than the agreed deductible that is in the contract). You should be in the exact same financial position you were before making the claim, again less any agreed deductible. If you're not, either to your benefit or detriment, something is wrong.

I suppose you can't really help if Orvis decides to send you a new rod, even if the package with the broken rod arrived to them empty. Good for Orvis, I guess. But yeah, you shouldn't insure something for more than it's worth. That's not in good faith and is a form of insurance fraud. And with the new rod in hand, the extra $300 from the insurance claim is now a windfall, and should be returned. (This is like filing a claim for a lost diamond ring, collecting the insurance proceeds, then finding the ring. If this happens, you're obligated to return the insurance payment.)

In regard to the OP...I checked Orvis's website and the $60 fee is clearly outlined there. If it wasn't at the time you purchased the rod (probably hard to confirm, but unlikely I would think), then you should file a complaint with Orvis to have the fee waived since it was not clearly in effect at the time of your purchase, and initiation of the warranty contract with you.

The above is pretty much the Orvis policy. If the rod is an older model purchased before the fee was charged, I've seen Orvis waive the charge many times.

I will tell you when working for Orvis, the abuse of the warranty by customers was horrendous in many cases. As PennKev described in an earlier post it was obvious that many customers broke rods when a new model was introduced just to get upgraded to the newer model.

Orvis has had the warranty for 100+ years I believe. Such behavior causes changes in policy.

LL Bean had to drop their lifetime warranty that they honored for more than a century all together on all their products. I read the financial analysis, and forget the exact cost for the warranty claims on all their products, but it added up to tens of million of dollars and caused the company to either raise prices or discontinue the warranty. They decided to discontinue their "no questions asked" warranty a few years ago because of the abuse. Customers would return items to be refunded or replaced years after being purchased and used.

Cabelas had a great warranty policy a decade of more ago also had to change it because of abuse by customers.

I'm afraid that honest customers pay the price for those that abuse the policy of a long-term warranty. And such great warranties are becoming a thing of the past because of abuse by dishonest customers.

 

[falcon]

The older IM6 Winston rods can no longer be repaired. Wt models are sure to follow in the near future.

 

[Bamboozle]

The companies bear a little responsibility for not challenging the true dirt bags out there over the years or offering a compromise.

10 or so years back, I broke a plastic buckle on an L.L. Bean gear bag that I own about 4 of. They tried REALLY hard to give me a replacement bag but my argument was that I liked the old product better.

I finally talked them into sending me a buckle and I repaired the bag myself which brings me back to my original comment that the warranty is really only of value if you don't care about what you get in return...or you are a dirt bag.

This is especially true in this age of globalization when products are made overseas and are redesigned or updated almost every year.

I've been saying it forever...if you find something you like and can afford to do so, buy a LOT because sure as $#!+, it will be discontinued in a few years...

 

[Hook_Jaw]

I remember my brother getting his Clearwater fixed a couple times I know for sure it wasn't 60 shipping for his.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I had a heavy duty salt water rod break. It looked like it unwound laong the wrapping of the glass. The company said "I abused the rod"? and refused to warranty it.
. I sent them an E mail re: their Life Time Warranty They never answered and I sent a second stating I'd never buy another of their rods and would let everyone I knew about their policy. No answer. They lost a customer and all the rods I've bought since then. My 5 cents worth.GG

 

[krayfish2]

Bam,,
been there with fly lines and wish that I would have loaded up several different times now because every year it's something new and they tweak it. End up not liking it as much

 

[trout48]

I just had a sage repaired for 60.00 and I am very pleased. I broke the rod on a fish my stupid mistake trying to horse it in and broke the tip. To have my 600.00 dollar rod replaced or repaired for 60.00 you bet I am smiling. I also told them how I broke the tip didn't matter to them.

 

[Bamboozle]

My favorite warranty story goes back to the first "good" rod I ever bought, a fiberglass Eagle Claw Trailmaster Fly/Spin rod with an UNCONDITIONAL lifetime warranty that I bought on the recommendation of my favorite TV fishing personality of those days, Jerry McKinnis.

The short story is, I fished the heck out of that rod until I lost the tip section one night on a long walk off a local creek. I kept the incomplete rod for sentimental reasons until I got nostalgic and decided to have a replacement section made more than 20 years after I lost the tip.

I contacted Eagle Claw since I did have a lifetime unconditional warranty. I explained my dilemma but was informed I would have to pay for a new tip section. When I inquired about my “lifetime unconditional warranty” I was told, “Eagle Claw doesn’t have lifetime warranties”.

When I casually mentioned that I could fax a copy of the warranty card I saved all of those years, after a pause the person on the phone replied, “Forget the cash, just send in the rod”.

A few weeks later my Trailmaster arrived with a new tip section, metal ferrule and all!!

 

[Skeet6]

I have been an Orvis fan since before I could afford anything other than a fly box from their catalog as a kid. I am an Orvis fisherman and collector now as a much older guy.

My first dealing with the warranty aspect was when I broke my new 4wt Silver Label in the cabin door fishing the Willowemoc. (Late 90s?) I brought it to the Beaverkill Angler and they sent it back for me, and I fished my Clearwater backup. I had a new one by the time I got home.
The reel shop will still repair any old Orvis reel (recently fixed a CFO and an old Battenkill Mark III !) I have bought many used reels for my collection, and over the years have gotten excellent service, some of which I gladly paid for, and some of which were covered under some warranty, sometimes paying parts only.

As Bamboozle states above, I have also had a couple Orvis bamboo rods reconditioned and repaired incredibly well (they are the maker, after all) for such tiny money it's ridiculous. I have one in there now for a loose ferrule.

Mike B

 

[larkmark]

I bet if I walk into an Orvis shop tomorrow and say "These rods have a 25 yr warranty?" they will say "Yes".
They will not say 'Yes, for a nominal fee".

 

[ColdBore]

larkmark wrote:

I bet if I walk into an Orvis shop tomorrow and say "These rods have a 25 yr warranty?" they will say "Yes".
They will not say 'Yes, for a nominal fee".

If you can't read the conditions and make an informed decision, that's on you, not them.

I bet if you go in and ask "These rods have a 25 year unconditional, no-fee warranty?", which is a more accurately worded question, I bet you won't hear a simple "yes".

 

[fishhead]

60$, 100$, 75$...all fees,deductables,shipping costs, whatever you want to call them that I have,and will continue to GLADLY pay to have my rods repaired for (in almost every case) things that were my fault.

 

[Bamboozle]

Skeet6 wrote:
As Bamboozle states above, I have also had a couple Orvis bamboo rods reconditioned and repaired incredibly well (they are the maker, after all) for such tiny money it's ridiculous. I have one in there now for a loose ferrule.

Mike B

I have nothing but good things to say about Orvis too and I am also a fan, I just like to pile on at times. ;-)

They have given me free screws for my ancient CFO's, provided me with over $50 in free parts for my Ripcord Wading Staff and provided me with info and history on my Orvis bamboo rods.

Over the centuries I have been fishing, an Orvis store was where I went for just about everything and for certain specific items I still do.

The bamboo shop is also fantastic. I've had a couple of rods restored there from the 1940's that look like they just came out of a time machine and the regular repairs on somewhat newer rods are top notch & reasonable.

They really take pride in their history!!

 

[laszlo]

I had excellent service with a bamboo repair also, they said if would be awhile since they were backed up. But 6 months later the repair came back beautiful.