While I fundamentally disagree with paying ANYTHING for a warrantee repair that isn't my fault, including inbound freight, I know most companies now charge a "minimum S & H charge to cover a part of their costs, not really fair IMHO when it is their fault something broke. $30-40 for S & H is more than it would cost to ship UPS next day from many localities so there is a LOT of handling in those charges. In my business the customer bears no expense in returning defective goods; if it was shipped, I credit them the return freight or issue a UPS call tag. It is expensive but it is the right thing to do and it is what I would expect if I was the customer.

Believe it or not there are many companies that will refund you the cost of inbound freight on a warrantee repair. When I bought my first lifetime rod there was no ?handling charge? now all of a sudden most of the rod makers have added this expense to the customers total ?lifetime? purchase price if something requires repair. I just think that many of the rod builders wished they hadn't jumped on the bandwagon with the lifetime thing and now wished they could go back; of course without significantly reducing the price assuming we forgot the reason why we?re paying $600 for a premium rod. Maybe Orvis has the right idea, 25 years is long enough.

On the other hand I have had a few issues with my ?lifetime warrantee? rods and at the repair departments discretion I wasn't charged a thing. I have a funny feeling a good company like T & T has the same discretionary option when their repair department feels the customer deserves it.

Just my $40.02; ($ .02 + $40 shipping and handling)