Simms Warranty Question

[jdaddy]

So I received an unsolicited email from Simms today. I bought G3 waders last Fall with the specific direction that if I ever had a problem with them I could send them to Simms for a free once and off repair. The email I received today seems to imply that free once and off repair is good only during the first year. I remember the Simms dealer told Sight that since he did not have the "magic" mark in the front of old worn out Simms that he could send them in for repairs. So is the warranty lifetime for the once and off or not?



Dear jdaddy,

Thank you for your recent purchase of your Simms Waders. This is a reminder that the in house repair center for Simms Fishing Products will perform a Warranty 1st repair during the first year that you own your waders. Simply click on the following link to access our online repair center to issue a return authorization number for your waders full evaluation:

http://link-o-rama-for-privacy

After receiving your waders our repair technicians will complete a full evaluation and repair at no cost to you. We will contact you to discuss your wader repair and wear rating.

We appreciate your continued support and interest with our gear and if you have any questions please contact our Warranty and Repair Center at:
(800) 217-4667 Mon-Fri 8a-5pm MST or email us at anytime repairs@simmsfishing.com.

Have an excellent day.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

I have no idea what that email is about. I understood that they'd stand behind the product... lifetime against defects

Maybe someone else has an idea on this.

 

[jdaddy]

Ok, got it figured out. Lifetime warranty on all Simms products. The email I received is additional one year warranty they offer on all their waders. This one year warranty is for ANYTHING that happens to the waders. If you rip them they fix them for free. After the first year they repair material defects only under the lifetime warranty. Makes sense now.

What does not make sense is my email I sent to them about my 9 month old boots that have a lifetime warranty. They say they have no way of fixing them and I should see a shoe cobbler . . .

"Thank you for contacting Simms in regards to your boot question. I would contact a local cobbler shop and either drop the boot off for them to re-glue or see what they recommend. While we are not a cobbler shop (we really specialize in wader repairs), I have heard nothing but good things for a few different adhesives on the market. Barge cement (this is a trade name, you can find on google) and a new product called FreeSole. I don’t know too much about how to get FreeSole, but I understand that it is quite the product. Again, a local cobbler shop could get you fixed up quick and easy as well. They specialize in that type of work and would save you shipping and time.

If you have any further questions, please let me know."

 

[troutslammer]

i was told by a dealer it covers workmanship of the waders , basically the seems , if you rip them it is not covered from what i was told , also if they start to leak and they are 10 yrs old they probably tell ya "what do you expect" , i was also told that simms is a PTA to deal with from a dealer stand point , so far no problems with my simms waders , but i have repaired the rips myself

 

[dryflyguy]

My Simms waders started leaking in the heels a little over a year after I bought them. And I was charged $75 to repair them - they said that the leaks were from extreme wear

 

[troutslammer]

dryfly that sounds like it to me , but still not bad , its hard to patch neoprene

 

[ConMan]

I have had nothing but positive experiences from Simms but to date my issues have been relatively minor:

1. Guide Series Boots - sand was getting trapped between the sole and the inside of the boot, creating a "marble" of sand. It was like walking on a bb or something similar. I sent them back to them and they replaced them - they were about a year old when that happened.
2. Have a Simms bag and I lost shoulder cushion on the strap. Asked if I could buy a new strap and they sent me one for free.
3. Have the Simms G4 jacket and one of the retractors broke on the first day. Sent them an e-mail and asked them if it was possible for me to fix it because I didn't want to send the jacket back - Steelhead season just started. They sent me a retractor. I know if I would have sent the jacket back, they would have fixed or replaced it. I was fine with receipt of the retractor.

My next issue is a biggie - and ironically - I just sent them an e-mail on it this morning. My G3 wading boots have shrunk. They simply don't fit any longer - they're too tight. I purchased them Sept 08 - so less than 2 years ago. I'm anxious for their response! Hopefully it will work out. I don't expect them to replace 2 year old boots. But I also don't expect two year old Simms G3's to shrink and be unwearable. I treat them well, don't quick dry them by a fire or in the sun. I'll let you know.

Cheers,
Mike.