Lami Rods and repairs....a mixed experience.

[kayakfisher]

Just wanted to relay a story of my most recent repair....

I was out fishing several months ago with a friend several months ago, and due to rough conditions his rod and I both hit the deck, and since I fell on the rod and broke it I told him to get it fixed at my expense.

He took it to Joes, with his original receipt, and during about three months of waiting and intermitant checking it seemed that no one could account for where his rod was. Fortunately he did have his repair check slip...so I called them myself and after about 45 minutes on the phone it was determined that the fellow who checked the rod in was no longer working there, and the paper work they had at the store did not have the info needed for Joes to followup...so they would have to do some homework...which they eventually did...after another few days.

After calling Lami directly I did find that they had the rod, and apparrently they had contacted Joes more than once to get approval from the owner to fix it, at a price...and Lami was about to consider it an abandoned rod, since Joes had not gotten back to them.

Since I broke the thing myself, I went down to Lami's in person and asked what the damages were...and was told that since the rod had some scratches on it it must have not been well cared for and therefore we would have to pay for a new upper half.

I could not help but chuckle at the repair person claiming that his expertise in repairs allowed him to determine that the cause of the break was a structural weakening caused by minute scratches on the shaft, due to obviously not taking care of the rod over the years (this I know is not the case...my friend carries this thing in a piece of pipe insulation at all times.) He also advised me that a person shouldn't go around just throwing the rod into the back of a pickup like this one obviously had been regularly. (Again, not the case.) I could not help myself though, since I knew the breakage was my fault, I might as well get a lesson in rod maintainance and assessment..maybe find out how they think for future reference...

This man basically made up of a lot of bull about all these little scratches (mostly things in fact that came off with a wet rag at home) being a big problem and were obviously the reason for the breakage, and such poor care was really our fault..."sorry, we could never fix such a rod on warrantee". He never did ask how it broke, or what the conditions were...so i didn't bother to go into those details...i was havng too much fun letting him do all the talking...and sniffing the rich aroma of the situation.



Since I know I broke the rod I simply paid for the new piece, about 50 bucks or so, and thanked him for his thoughtful insight and service.

I do come out of this experience with a few thoughts however...

1. Consider going directly through Lami for repairs if possible...less hassle, and less likely to get lost in the paperwork perhaps?

2. The life time warrantee of a new rod is not necessarily what you think it is...so don't buy a rod that is more expensive than you are willing to loose in an accident.

(When I bought my first fishing rod, a Lami, I did so with very little knowledge of how to assess a rod...and did so specifically on the assurrances that if a Lami ever breaks it will be replaced or repaired, no questions asked..and that was the reason for the high cost of purchase...seemed reasonable to me, and seemed like a good deal at the time.)

3. Don't ever go let a friend take an expensive rod on your boat in rough conditions unless you are willing to write the rod off. :smile: Hey, if I break it I am going to take care of it...that is my personal lifetime warrantee to a guest.

4. If you really believe a Lami rod should be repaired on a warrantee basis you had better go home and polish the thing up first, so it looks like it has been never used. Be prepared for some expensive entertainment by the repair person if he is getting creative that day.

5. Is someone at Lami making a commision by refusing warrantee repairs and charging for them?
Why else would someone be so interested in making up a lot of malarky as to why it was the owner's poor maintainance habbits (not correct)..and never even ask us what happened?

6. If the warrantee is not to be counted on, why are these rods so expensive? I had assumed one reason they cost so much is that they are freely replaced when something goes astray..no questions asked (again, that is how it was sold to me.) If this is not the case, I would think the cost could go down a little...or are they really that hard to make, that expensive to produce? You know...the space age materials that go into them must be coming from Mars?

7. Lami always has the final word on warrantee repairs, but they don't necessarily use a rational means of deciding what they intend to do...it reallly does appear to be a somewhat random process, which to my way of thinking voids the whole warrantee process.

8. Are all rod warrantees like this? If so, heck, maybe I should go cut some bamboo and expand my enjoyment of this hobby in a new way?

9. If anyone wants to go fishing on my boat send me a pm and on the few days I can go out and also have an empty seat I will give a call to someone...but due to my realtive inexperience bring your own fishing judgement and expertise. I will keep everyone on the boat safe and sound, but as for catching fish...no implied warrantees. If I fall on your rod, I still warrantee that however....

M.

[Thumper]

You missed #10.

10. Buy a Northriver from Fisherman's Marine. When it breaks, for any reason, just take it back and pick out a new one.

[kayakfisher]

I am now sold on Northriver...thanks for the tip...

Hmmm...Keep the tip. Sounds like a new motto for Lami. :grin:

[kayakfisher]

By the way, Jack, that was the same promise I got from Joes when I bought my Lami a long time ago, and the same promise my friend got when he bought his.

M.

[Thumper]

Well, I have longstanding proof. The Grasshopper and I have about 20 Northrivers between us, and we always manage to break at least one in Alaska each year. The folks at Fishermans Marine have never given me any grief or even questioned the reason for breakage. I'm a very loyal FM customer as a result.

[kayakfisher]

Sounds good to me...thanks. In fact I will pass this on as much as I can...seems that they deserve the loyalty.

I have found FM to be a great place also...

M.

[Uglygreen]

Hmmmm... must have been a different guy at Lamiglass there the day I took two in to get fixed about two weeks or so ago.

3 weeks ago my bobber and jig rod got stepped on, and the tip section got broken. I took it in and said "this got stepped on and broken" the repair guy said "thanks for being honest" and gave me a new top section at no charge.

2 weeks ago my side drift rod had a loose reel seat. Same repair guy exchanged it for new rod in about 30 seconds at no charge and with no hassle and no fuss.

Perhaps since your friend tried to return it to Joes with his reciept and stuff it came off to Lamiglass as it was being returned for a warrenty defect when it obviously wasn't? I dont think Joes takes rods back to send to the manufacturer for non-warrenty related repair. Instead, my expierence has been that they would ask you to send it to the manufacturer yourself or refer you to some place local like Ollie Damons. I would imagine that for Joes to take it and send it to Lamiglass your friend would have had to try to pass it off as a warrenty thing.

As far as the guarentee goes it says right on it "limited lifetime guarentee" and the details are printed on the paper that goes with every rod. It would probably pay to read it instead of listening to some teenage counter clerk?

UG

[ 01-25-2004, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: Uglygreen ]

[Pasco_steelhdr]

I have had nothing but good experiences. No question replacements for broken Certified Pros directly from Lamiglas.

[ 01-25-2004, 04:11 PM: Message edited by: Paco_steelhdr ]

[kayakfisher]

I don't think it was a defect...but it also wasn't broken because of little microscratches...

There warrantee policy is really pretty random I think...if they are going to replace them for accidental breakage perhaps they should do that for everyone....and not make it a a random event, but if they are using some other criteria for such decisions, perhaps they should make that public knowledge.

It seems that it was universal that they would do that at one time...for anyone, anytime. Not any longer. Friends at work have stated that they have in the past had replacement for accidents also...and they also stated that things have apparrently changed in that regard.

Warrantee simply states lifetime guarantee against defects i think. Not sure what that really means...nor is anyone based on the guy I spoke with...there was no rationale to the explanation I got of their process. The guy actually said they also don't guarantee it if it breaks wish heavy line on it that may be heavier that that recommended on the rod, and of course he claims he can tell when that it done...maybe the same way he can determine that our rod broke due to microscratches weakening the fibers...sorry, but this was experience does not show me that they have the ability to tell when something was or was not abused...and that they pretty much didn't care to get to the truth of the matter anyway...since they didn't ask. If they had asked I would have told them how it broke, and I didn't ask them to fix it for free. On the other hand, it surprised me that they did not bother to ask how it broke...that is one reason I don't think they cared one way or the other.

I am not complaining that the rod was not fixed for free...even though I thought it might be. I am a little disappointed that I received a ridiculous explaination as to why it broke...absolutely no truth to his side of the story...just a poker bluff actually.

Joes does take them in for both warrantee and non warrantee repair, and Joes charges a fee for that.

What is a "Certified Pro"?

M.

[Thumper]

A mid-level Lami rod.

[steelheader667]

I my self have had a lot of dealings with lamigals. I took in a 13'6" sturgeon rod that was built for me and I used the rod only 3 times and the thing broke. when I took it into lami, they gave me the 3rd degree on how to handle my rods. the rod only had 1 little scratch on the thing and that happened when I was taking out of the truck to go inside. needless to say, after a little aurgument and talking, he did replace the rod as a whole.

The next time I went in there I took in a ver old lamiglas that was probably a good 12-13 years old that I bought at a garage sale and had a lot of scratches in it, they fixed it with not problem.

I think the issue is that you just need to get in there at the right time because a lot of rods are repaired from them and they hear all different stories and lies. If you just be honest with them, I have never had a problem with lamiglas.

[fishnpray]

Thanks to all for your insights on both customer service and rod care with regard to a few of the different products that are out there. It's always nice to hear real fishermen say what they have to say about the gear they're using...one of the things i love about Ifish come to think of it. It is my experience that customer service comes down to 2 elements: the customer and the representative of the company. Both can vary given time of day, amount of coffee consumed and a number of other factors. If you're asking a guy to replace your rod on the day his wife decided she likes women, he's probably not going to give you the best of service...(though he definitely should.) I am a broke college student, so I generally buy no rod I cannot replace out of my own wallet. Nonetheless, I have had customer service experiences from one end of the spectrum to the other when it comes to both Joes and FM, and have seen firsthand experiences much worse than my own. I think what counts is operating by the golden rule, and walking away when that gets too hard. (Hmmm...don't think I'll write such a long post again for some time.) Guess I just want everyone to be happy and have healthy fishing experiences. Oh, and peace on earth too. :grin: And a springer on every rod. Amen.

[KingFisher85]

I've never had a problem with them.

Just standing in line there waiting for something, I've heard some pretty wild story's myself.

Just tell them what they wanna hear :grin:

[ 01-25-2004, 05:54 PM: Message edited by: KingFisher85 ]

[wootersen]

These guys are experts in rod repair and breakage. They intentionally break there own rods to research how and why they break. Yeah, it sucks to get a lecture, but if your nice to them, usually they really take care of you.

Nothing but good things to say about Josh at the service counter at Lami in Woodland. Outstanding customer service. Before you make the trek up there, call ahead to make sure he's working the counter. He'll treat you right. :grin:

[cosmo]

A Limited Lifetime Warranty against manufacturer defects means just that--manufacturer defects. If there is a manufacturer defect in the building of a rod, one that would cause it to break, in most cases you're going to find it in the first few trips, or first few fish, whichever comes first. After that, it's nicks, scrapes, and tiny fractures caused by use (and sometimes abuse)that will lead to failure over time--at least that's how it was explained to me.

[drhall99]

Lamiglas has always treated me right, even when it was definately my fault. Interesting story, though.

D.

[mophile]

On a related note, I only buy Orvis fly rods. The reason? Warranty. Truly no questions asked. Buddy and I were fishing the Crooked two summers ago and *crunch* :shocked: . Car door on my 8'4" 4wt. Buddy (who lives in Seattle) took my rod to the Orvis store there. Gave them my info and they sent me a brand new top of the line rod (mine was one level below). At what premium rods cost, I would be dissatisfied with anything else.

[chromebright]

This seems to be a familiar thread about Lamiglass. So, I will post my thoughts again. My very first "Real" steelhead rod was a Lamiglass. My dad bought it for me when I was about 8 or 9. I was always a loyal customer until a couple of years ago when I had s similar experience as you kayakfisher. I had a 2 month old rod break about six inches down from the tip when I set the hook BOBBER FISHING. Not only did they charge me $50 for a new tip, but the customer service guy also tried to place the blame on me.

There are too many other good rods out there that are cheaper and have MUCH better warranties. For my rods that I fish real hard I buy the Berkley IM7s. Take em back in and get a new one no questions asked.

If I want to spend some money on a nicer rod I now buy loomis. I will never buy a Lamigalss again.

[Boedy]

Made my first trip up to Lamiglass last week after "I" broke the tip on my new Esprit. I had every intention of buying a new top section when I got there as I had no misconceptions of whose fault it was. I just told the guy what happened and that was I didn’t really know what happened just that when I pulled it out of my truck in the morning the tip was broke in 2 spots.

Now I have broken my share of tips of in doors and falling on them so I realize that the tip breaking most likely was from something I did wrong and not a manufacture defect. I was pleased when they gave me a new top section at no cost as the rod was only a few weeks old.

It seems to me that way to many people think that the warranty covers breakage even if it’s your fault that it broke. Or they think that they can just lie about how it happened and get a replacement. Their warranty is very clear and it’s not their fault that you slammed your rod tip in the door. Stop and think about what it does to their bottom line and the cost of a new rod’s when they cover so many customer caused breaks.

Bottom line is that they treated me right heck better than right because I believe I didn’t lay a big BS story on them and try to intimidate them into replacing something that was my responsibility in the first place.

To many people trying to get something for nothing is why they had to change the policy in the first place and that has left us where we are today. IMHO.

[William]

I've never had any problems with Lamiglass, whatsoever. All of my rods, but one are Lamis. They have always replaced my broken rods at no cost, even if it was my fault. Just tell them what happened and they'll treat you right. Don't try to give them a big story, because they've heard it all. Talk to John Grey or John Posey, if the front desk guy gives you any guff.

[RiverRogue]

I too have had two rods replaced and another top section rebuilt after breaking my Kenai King on a 25# Halibut. The first two were "Medium" rods which were replaced with no problem. The first one was brand new, never used or abused, packed in tubing until ready for use and broke on a 6# Pink in Alaska. I was pretty upset at this as I could not get another unless going all the way back in to Ancorage, a three hr drive. But they stood behind it nonetheless...when I get back home. But the Kenai King took over three months. It too was sent in by GI Joes and after checking a number of times, I finally called Lami. The person I talked too told me that my rod was an older one they had to build a new top section to match the lower. Ok I says. It would be just a few more weeks and I would have it back. BUT, I was also warned that while they were going to warranty it, they could no longer exchange rods that were obviously mishandled and abused. I assured him mine had not, just normal wear, which I am sure they hear a lot. What can I say, it was the truth. Anyway, this ended with a bit of a sour taste. What I got from all this was that Lami has clearly changed their philosophy on replacement/repair from what it used to be. Yes, I will probably look at the other brands from this day forward. One thing I see, judging from these posts, is that there does seem to be a lack of consistancy towards customers. I say this only because I was told uncategorically, they were not going to replace rods any longer that were abused.

[SteelieSlammer]

That is too bad about your experience. I have never had a problem with Lamiglas. I have returned two rods there and have been treated respectfully. The first rod i broke trying to break off a snag. The second,as embarresing as it is to admitt, I actually slammed in my car door. I just go a call from them today that it was mailed out yesterday and should be in my hands in time for this weekend. I think they get tired of hearing all the BS stories of 50lb kings and such and maybe you just caught this guy on a bad day.

Still $50 for a rod where the break or damage was not of the rods fault or flaws is still not that bad.

SteelieSlammer