I agree except for one small detail... They list ONE "mid"... there are TWO in a four-piece rod. I did not assume they lost a section out of the rod, but rather I assumed they were doing work to the specified three sections.Originally Posted by flyfisher7
At the risk of having tomatos thrown at me...
If one buys a rod with a warranty, why should it matter the "original owner" part? The company got their money when the shop bought the rod, before it was sold to you. Why should it matter if the problem occurs to a second, third or eighth owner? Companies with these warranties charge a premium up front for them, and then charge again when one sends them back, in many cases.
"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
Some manufacturers have that in their warranty and they tell you up front. It's always been Winston's policy ever since I can remember. Warranteed to the original owner only.
Off the top of my head, only TFO guarantees their rods for anyone... No one should argue that fact... how much they charge and how well they communicate their actions are different questions, however.
Making it plain Winston enforces their policy more stringently and more dearly than anyone else in the industry is simply a public service.
I'm not saying that you don't have some justification for feeling the way you do. Certainly a lack of response from Winston (either timely or non-existent) does not speak well for them. But here is my take on your email.
If you'll note, there is a colon after each (and every) item. As such, to me it indicates that one Tip is being repair, but there are no Mid or Butt sections being repaired as nothing follows their colons.
Could this be more clearly explained? Certainly. But I have to admit that you received back exactly what Winston indicated that they would repair, and that you apparently approved prior to them proceeding with it. So they met their obligation in the repair.
Was that repair worthy of the price charged? That's a debatable topic that would probably only result with a line in the sand being drawn, and everyone taking their side. Personal perception and finances most likely dictating where each stands. I'd personally have a hard time swallowing the price, but I'd have a hard time swallowing it if the rod came back even as you had expected.
In the end I agree with John_N that there are two sides, and think both sides bear some responsibility for the outcome here.
As a disclaimer: I always buy my rods new because I want the warranty and it is almost always for the original owner only. I also have a level of discomfort buying a previously owned rod with a blank warranty card and then sending that in. I'm not truly the original owner, so... If I want a warranty, I pay for it up front.
And yes, I'm a Winston fan, and have never experienced poor customer service from them. Quite the opposite in fact. So I am bias.
---David
After reading all of this, it sounds like you never had a clear understanding with Winston either before you sent the rod to them for repair, or before they began the repair, of exactly what you expected them to fix and what their costs would be. If that's the case, then why blame Winston?
They sent you an email that you didn't understand, so you deleted it, and now you're blaming them for not replying to your email?
David
By education, history, and desire I am a technical writer. I get paid for my English comprehension. So frankly, I take a wee bit of umbrage with the notion there is something in that email I missed. Is Winston so freaking cheap they cannot afford a vowel? Or a few consonants? How long would it take them to write a form email allowing them to fill in a few blanks and actually communicate?
I do not feel I received exactly what Winston said they were going to do... Because they never stated EXACTLY what they were going to do. The email is at best cryptic.
I already pointed out I failed because I did not pursue the lack of communication. I assumed Winston would do what I had been told they would do by other Winston advocates and owners experienced in Winston CS. I have gotten a significant bit of feedback from this from folks sending in non-warranty rods and finding the work seriously subpar. So my question now relates to Winston standards on warranty work versus non.
Please realize I appreciate your comments and hold absolutely no hard feelings against your thoughts or you over this... It is just a discussion.
art
I think you misconstructed some of the events... I deleted the email, but then recovered it when it occurred to me it might be about the Winston... That email is what I copied and pasted here. I have never communicated with any rod company before sending in a rod for repair... I just send them in with some form of tracking.
I misunderstood their email, or they did not do what I thought (and was told by several Winston-experienced folks) they would do.
Now, after the rod was returned and I was surprised at the lack of attention it had received I sent an email asking for explanation. They have not bothered to respond to it.
I blame Winston for lousy communication and take some of the credit for not pushing it.
I blame Winston for gouging on rod repair charges. A simple tip replacement for $132 is not a good will builder IMO.
I blame Winston for excessive shipping costs.
I blame Winston for not bothering to respond to an emailed question.
art
Why do you think Winston is gouging on rod repairs? The Boron blanks by themselves sell for 400 to 550. If your blank sells for 400 and is a 4 piece then you buy the section you need for 100. Then, Winston needs to put the guides on. If they only charged you 132 for the tip section consider yourself lucky. They could have just told you no since you are not the original buyer. Companies loose thousands of dollars a year when you offer to do this. If you bought a used LCD TV on tried to get that manufacture to offer warranty work you have lost your mind. So why would you expect this company to do so? As far as shipping cost, every thing cost to ship now. Sure they could have shipped it cheaper if they want to shop around and do it for cost. But they need to make money also.
Everyone thinks these big Name fishing companies need to warranty everything thing. Even when they forget there rod is hanging out the bed of their pick up when they close the door and break the rod. Or you are walking though the woods with rod ready to fish and drop the tip by carelessness and break the tip. People really need to wake up and get realistic. Rods today really do not need to come with warranties because the companies test the rods and put them through the works without any breaks. But, if they did not warranty the rods and someone breaks there rod somehow, they blame the company, when it was there fault the rod broke.
Mike P.
How exatcly did the lose money? Someone paid full price for the rod
"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
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