I worked for, and retired from Fiat, probably the largest public company in Italy. There are dramatic differences in the way business is conducted there (the differences increase the more you move southward in Europe and into the middle east, versus Northern Europe and North America) and in the culture and business ethics.

On the one hand, they may have seen nothing wrong in the way this rod was advertised and sold (it could have been normal to them compared to abnormal to us); on the other hand, it's possible that it was done with some intent to deceive (I'm not saying it was, I'm only saying that it is much more common, in my experience, in business dealings in that part of the world than here.)

If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest you be VERY clear and firm in explaining exactly what you expect from them to remedy this "deal". Next time, I'd look for getting good "deals" from Orvis or Hardy.