We have an interesting problem in these most crazy times. What happens when a product breaks such as a rod or reel? If it is just purchased and the flaw is in the manufacturer then you take it back to where you purchased it. RDT’s policy is to try to replace and to help you get back to fishing. But, how about something purchased years ago. I recently had a customer who had a rod built who had a reel seat failure (he did not take the time to unscrew the seat nut and broke same). His position was that the seat was faulty and hence was my fault therefore I should fix and replace for free. Well, I did fix but not for free but I did charge only half of what should have been charged. So here we really go, he then breaks the blank at the reel seat after it was repaired and of course for some reason this is also my shop’s fault. Well, after offering to help him send it back to the manufacturer who would have replaced the blank he pretty much makes a scene and that was nothing short of me giving him a new rod which was going to satisfy him. So now he takes it out and someone tells him the blank has been crushed (again he did not do it and hence RDT did). How do you crush a blank which is under a reel seat? You put a reel clamp on the reel and over tighten same – Duh Huh. Most folks don’t use a reel clamp and of course he will tell you and me everything except the truth.
Now, I had a new customer who bought a 13′ custom and promptly drove through a tree and ripped a couple of guides off. He came in sort of sheepishly and admitted same. We fixed it and did it right now so he could go fishing. I did not charge him because that is the way we are.
The other guy is a lesson in how not to do it. You break something then let’s talk about it. My point in all of this is that the mass merchants take anything and everything back. They don’t make anything and they just return it in a great pile and this drives the price of everything up. If you buy it from me then sanely come in and lets talk. I could go on and on about warranties but back to work, replacing guides on rods where warranties are not valid.
Thanks for listening to the rant,
Bob