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View Full Version : Lamiglass can kiss my.....


Trick
03-09-2001, 07:59 PM
I recieved the worst customer service from Woodland facility and would love to pass on the negative 'word-of-mouth' that they deserve. First, let me give you some background on the broken 1000 rod that I took to them today.

I bought this rod in high-school in the 86'-87' range. It cost me alot of my haying money from that summer to buy the rod from Payless in Warrenton, back when it was the only show in town, pre-Fred Meyer days. I was very proud of my purchase and the first reel I bought to put on it was a Shimano Bantam. I purchased that from Larry's in Portland, another retail fatality. I used the rod for winter steelhead, fall chinooks and silvers. It lived a hard life and caught hundreds of fish. I so much liked the rod that I purchased a second one a couple years later to have for a backup, it still lives. Well last fall while fishing for silvers. I set the hook on a hard snag and busted the rod right at where the top section and butt section meet. When the rod buckled over it tore some of the graphite fiber off the front of the butt section down about a 1/2" or so. I truly feel that I didn't have the rod seated correctly and it was caused by user error. When it broke, it just had that feeling. It was hard to tell by visually looking at it because I couldn't pull the busted section out from inside the ferell.
I had packed the rod through all kinds of brush and terrain over the years and it looked damn good for it's age. I feel like I definately got my money out of the rod and am happy with the length of service.

After hearing from others of a good return policy, I decided to take it in to see what they would have to say and what they could do for me. The following treatment is what I recieved today.

I walked in the front door of Lamiglass and the desk lady sent me over to the service counter with my broken rod. After waiting for several minutes a nice man looked at the rod and said hold on a second. A second man approached the counter and instantly accused my of either slamming it in a door or of having dropped a tackle box on it. The old a$$hole said this in a very loud and combative tone and it instantly put me on the defensive. He never once allowed me to explain the circumstances of the break completly. Then the second guy says that's a pre-86' rod and it only came with a three year warranty anyways. I told them that when I bought it had a green and white tag that stated a lifetime warranty. They then told me to produce the 15 year old reciept. I told them that I don't have it and can't produce it. Then he said "our warranty won't cover this". He said the best he could do was a $50 dollar replacement, which is all I thought they would do in the first place before I ever walked in the door. But I take offense to being considered a theif and liar before I even have the chance to explain that it may have been my fault. All I wanted was an honest opinion from them on the failure. All I got was a bunch of f&#@:* attitude from some old d#$&head and his sidekick.

I love my Lamiglass rods and will continue to fish with them, but I'll be damned if I ever buy another one of them off the shelf. That was one of the worst displays of how not to approach customers, that I have ever dealt with. Screw them!

Lamiglass can kiss my a$$. I'll buy a Loomis next time or get a custom from TH rods.


Anyone else had this treatment? This can't be an isolated case can it?

Steelheadman
03-09-2001, 08:36 PM
Send them an email and let them know how you feel about the way you were treated.

Good thing I sent mine in the mail with a note. Didn't even have to go into "how the rod was broken". I was satisfied with the service I received and thought the repair cost was fair.

Penn
03-10-2001, 04:07 AM
tshickam, I would like to think and hope you are an isolated case. I have 13 poles from them and have had only 2 ever worked on but they took care of it right away. One was quite old and they replaced the top half I think for 25 dollars. I used to deal with John Gray only but I'm not sure he is still there since it's been a while since I've been up there. Don't let one person that got off the wrong side of the broom ruin your whole outlook on lamiglass. Obviously you enjoy their product, otherwise you would have bought something else in the first place. I'm not in any way defending the treatment you received, if I were you I would definitly email the company.

OneLastCast
03-10-2001, 08:59 AM
tshickham:
I had a very similar experience with Lamiglass. Like you, mine was an old rod, purchased in the early '80's with a supposedly life time guarantee. After many years of use it broke the same way yours did. I tried to preface my conversation with them that the rod was well used and I just wanted to know if there was anything they could do. I got the same accusations and arguements. My next steelhead rod was a custom made Sage. Never a Lamiglass again. Though I still fish with two or three of them and they are good rods I need to know that the warranty would be backed up.(of course I haven't had to test the Sage warranty yet)

OneLastCast

FishinMission
03-10-2001, 03:08 PM
I use nothing but Lami's....In fact a couple of years ago, I busted the tip off an old LCI . Since I broke the tip off a Lami...I thought I'd drive to Woodland and visit both for new tips. I went to Lami first. They were helpful, ...gave me a new tip blank (I can put the eyes on myself....it's pretty simple). I then asked where the LCI place was, and they asked me what rod I had, anf gave me a tip to replace the LCI tip I had broken. So I was a vey satisfied customer. I think you know it was probably your fault you broke the rod, but I can't condone the traeatment you may have received. If I were you...I'd just insist they give you another tip section, and put your old eyes on the new tip, and be done with it. And next time..be more careful when you get snagged up!!

Killertraylor
03-12-2001, 09:20 AM
I've had 2 similar experiences at Lamiglas - but both with newer rods. Both were rod failures - no improper treatment on my part, and even though they replaced both of them without requiring payment, they made me feel like it was my fault. I know the older guy you are talking about - he told me that the anchovy scales on the but of my rod weakened the rod and caused it to break. I still like their stiff one piece backbouncer for both salmon and sturgeon.

Trick
03-12-2001, 08:17 PM
As far as replacing the tip, it couldn't be done because the butt section broke and left the top portion inside the ferell of the top section. At the field when it broke, I tried to pull the busted section out with my pliers but it came out in splinters. I didn't set the hook abnormally hard, I hooked up on a hardsnag (stump). I've had hundreds, if not thousands, of snags over the life of the rod, this, of course, had never occured before.

I've had a few days to cool off, but I can't get over the treatment and false accusations. I'm usually the quiet, take it and shutup' kinda guy, but I feel like they crossed a very important line of mine. They spend thousands, if not millions of dollars in advertising to attract customers, but seem more then willing to toss it over a $100 and something rod.

I did email them after a couple of days of cool off time and I will post the response, or lack thereof as the case may be.

Trick
03-13-2001, 07:14 PM
Well Lamiglass came through and restored my faith. I recieved a very kind E-mail from a gentleman by the name of Troy VanDinter. He said that this was very unacceptable service and that they will be doing training to help resolve these service problems. Like I said before I think they build a quality product, I'm a repeat user and will now continue to do
so again. Maybe the serviceman was having an extremly terrible day and felt the need to take it out on me? My guess is that he will be the first to recieve the training. Anyways, just wanted to pass on the posistive end to this bad story.