this is the reason I do not shop Orvis brick and mortar stores.
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this is the reason I do not shop Orvis brick and mortar stores.
Not sure that I understand about not going to the Orvis brick and mortar stores. I am just the opposite, if I need some that Orvis has, I try to buy it from the Arlington, Virginia Orvis store before I try to order it online. The customer service at that store has always been the absolute, hands down BEST of any store that I go to. The fishing manager Dan Davala, always goes out of his way to help you, give casting demos, show you how to tie up/rig something....again the BEST.I live pretty far away from most fishing shops, and I have to go down to that area about 4-5 times a year, and I always try to stop in there when I can.
Hickory,
I believe there is a difference between Orvis-owned shops and a shop which carries Orvis products.
I stopped at an Orvis-Owned shop in Denver after a fishing trip during which my Orvisvwaders leaked. The manager asked no questions ( not even how old they were). Gave me a new pair which were better than the old ones!!
At a shop out West, which was an Orvis "authorized" shop, I was told I would have to contact Orvis directly about a problem I had with an Orvis rod.
Granted, just my personal experience, but it might have a bearing.....
Gotcha Byron, you made a good point, as I could expect that there would be a difference. I had not thought about the "Orvis Authorized" dealers.
Another example,
I tried to order an Orvis reel for my trip to Yellowstone.. The guy at Orvis was very helpful and said they were out, but he called all the Orvis shops near Yellowstone. He found the reel I wanted in a shop in Island Park, Id. and the shop owner there would hold it until I arrived for my fishing trip.
When I got there, he wanted more than $20, or more, more than what Orvis was selling them for. I mentioned that fact, and he said, "well, you're not there now...you're here"
Picture this: You are a small store with a very low profit margin. You buy products at wholesale to sell. You pay the company you are buying from. That company then decides to have a sale or a close-out sale and lowers the price to at or below what you paid. This would be ok if the company reimbursed you based on the original wholesale price, or a least gave you a credit to apply to future purchases, but they don't. You end up either having to sell a product at a price that is below what you paid for it or at best you just break even or you continue to sell the product at the usual asking price. That is a major problem for small store owners.
Larry ---sagefisher---
I guess it means the same thing but sagefisher gave a nicer explanation than "well, you're not there now ...." Maybe $20 worth nicer.
Peter
I usually post in favor of the fly shop - especially the small ones, and even more so, the "unaffiliated" ones.
In this case, I think the guy in the shop took advantage of my situation...at a destination a long flight from home. I will wager that had he checked with Orvis, they might have picked up the difference since they had called him to ensure he had the reel I wanted.
At any rate, I think the fellow in the shop gave very poor "customer service".
Guess what....I bought the backing and new fly line at a different, "non- authorized" shop.....
Hey Byron,
I'm just guessing that there are perhaps 3, 4 or more fly shops in that area. Well, at least 1 that you say you went to for the backing and line. So what is with the allegiance to Orvis and that particular reel? With the obvious competition and other options available, I would have: 1)Told the Orvis guy to pound salt; 2)Tried to speak with the manager to make my dissatisfaction known before I; 3)Walked out; and 4)Bought a different reel someplace else. Just sayin.