don't really know where to post this but right here seems good to me
some time ago there was a post about [warrantees and fly rods]. at the time i had an issue with thomas and thomas. 3 years ago i sent my broken rod to t&t they told me since it was so old they couldn't repair it and they wouldn't replace it, they told me the best they would do is sell me a knew one at 40% off. i did not think yhat was a very fair deal...let me start at the begining, i sent the rod back with an enclosed letter explaining things. i never heard from anyone so after 3 months i contacted them, who ever i was dealing with did not take my issue very seriously or professionaly, like i said all they offered was a 40% discount. they said since my rod was so old that it was not covered under any guarantee. i thought that that was the end of it til someone posted a thread abouy rod warrantees and i made a reply about my situation, i received many responses and in one of them i was told that i may have a legal issue as they never bothered to return my broken rod, anyway i contacted the manager at T&T and explained everything via email. this time i was taken seriously, the manager is very professional and courteous, he assured me that he would find my rod, but unfortunatel he said' my rod was too old to be covered by the warrantee'. he said all premium rods after 1988 were given lifetime warrantees, now we were getting somewhere because i didn't purchase the rod til 1996 or 97, so it should automatically have a lifetime guarantee, this is 8 or 9 years after they started the lifetime guarantees. but he said the model i bought had been disscontinued some time ago, apparantly my rod had an extensive shelf life, and i was led to believe that it had the lifetime warrantee.
i wish i could remember the managers name that handled this situation, he was very professional very couteous and he went out of his way to resolve this issue, my thanks to him over and over, today via UPS i recieved a brand new rod my old one was a 9 and a half foot 8 wt, he sent me , HE1008S-4, that is a 10 ft 8wt, premium rod. so believe me lifetime warrantees are very real, and with a company like T&T they are very honorable and go out of thier way to treat you with respect. i cannot speak for any other rod manufacture, you don't have to worry if you own a thomas and thomas rod, they DO live up to thier name and the rods themself are some of the best in the world... thanx bobby