So My St. Croix Rod Broke . . . . Now what do I do?

[BillsTheBassMan]

Hey All,

 

This is the first time I have had this happen to me and I could use a little help. I broke my 7' St. Croix Triumph Rod over the long-weekend.

 

I was caught in a snag, had my rod pointing towards the snag, and kicked it sideways to try to unsnag. My rod broke right above where the two sections of the rod connect, 6 inches above where the base and top connect (about 4' up the rod). My friend thinks something was probably wrong with the graphite. The strange thing is that the rod broke despite the snag coming out. I was only using 8lb test (braid) with an 8lb leader - Seagur.

 

I bought the rod about 3 months ago from a small local fishing store. Good people work there. My Rod came with a five year warranty, and I have the original receipts.

 

what do I do now?

 

what information do I include when I send the rod away?

 

have any of you folks had any good or bad experiences with St. Croix in the past?

 

when I do send this away, how long can I expect it to get a new rod back?

 

If they send me a new rod, will it also be covered under warranty?

 

I'm also interested in any personal experiences you folks have had with this type of situation . . . warranties, other companies and so forth?

 

Thanks for all of your help in advance!

 

Ryan

[danbo]

Sell it to MrMike..

[danbo]

Take it back to the store.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Give it to me, with the receit.

 

Bring it back to the store. Hopefully you still have the receit.

 

Oh and St.Croix are top notch.

Edited August 4, 2008 by Johnny Bass

[keke]

most St. Croix has 2 years warranty.

[BillsTheBassMan]

Take it back to the store.

 

I do still have the receipt. Is it the store that will replace my rod, or is it St. Croix themselves? I really dread being

without a quality rod for the rest of this short fishing season.

[solopaddler]

No worries at all.

Bring it back to your local retailer he should replace it for you.

[Musky or Specks]

I dont know about replacing it on site. Most store that I know of will ship it for you and cll you when your new rod comes back.

[holdfast]

I do still have the receipt. Is it the store that will replace my rod, or is it St. Croix themselves? I really dread being

without a quality rod for the rest of this short fishing season.

 

Do you really have a choice.

[bassjnkie]

The question is what local store, name?

[JMahon]

I'd start by taking it back to the store. A local dealer around here is usually pretty good for replacing the rod with one of his own, & sending the broken one in himself! & If that doesn't work, send it in to St. Croix, you should have no problems getting a replacement...you just pay for the shipping. But i wouldn't expect it back for a few weeks. St.Croix is pretty good on their warranty's!

[muskymike]

St. Croix's warranty program has changed this year. You will be hard pressed to find an over the counter exchange anymore. Check out their site and you will see the levels of warranty service offered. I am in the same boat, but I broke my Avid. I have to ship it back to St. Croix via Fedex Trade Partners out of Mississauga. I havnt got a quote to ship yet, so if this is the route you are taking report back with the price.

[BillsTheBassMan]

The question is what local store, name?

 

 

Rainbow Sports in waterloo. They have been a great retailer, and the owner is real solid and helpful.

[solopaddler]

Yes, your retailer will have to ship it back to St. Croix, but you'll get a new rod eventually.

[BabyHerc]

Sell it to MrMike..

 

LOL

[jace]

Rainbow Sports in waterloo. They have been a great retailer, and the owner is real solid and helpful.

 

 

You will have no problems. The warranty on all St Croix rods except ice rods is either 5 Years or Lifetime now depending on what model series you have. You have the receipt so you can get the full 5 years, but even if you didn't, they'll go by the code on the serial number which gives the month and year it was made and go 5 years from there.

 

I go to 2 stores in the KW area, Rainbow is one of them. I don't think I said anything here about a reel I had a minor problem with about a year ago... I didn't even buy it from Chad at Rainbow and he took it and did the warranty servicing for me, free of charge. I did not know him in any way before he bought the store, in case you're wondering. That's good service that keeps people coming back, and i have no doubt that he will do right by you and this rod. Meanwhile, at another new store, I was totally burned when the sales guy tacked on an extra $10 on an order through BPS which he said would be the same price, i was given a price when i made the order, then $10 was tacked on when i went to pick it up. NOTHING I saw had the higher price on it including the order form receipt i got with the item when i left. This was not a mistake, he said something to the effect of "i didn't know how much it would be..and this is the price" BTW, this is an item that costs $25 if i wanted to get it in Toronto. It is $30 at BPS, and no local stores have it. I ended up paying about $57 total for something i could have gotten for $25+tax the next time i was in toronto. And the other stores i go to in KW are Catch 'Em. and Natural, i will not be going to the 4th store in that area again.

[Wild]

SILVER STAR SERVICE PLAN

 

The fact that you’re reading this probably means you’ve got a damaged rod. Rest assured that our goal is to get you fishing with it again as soon as possible. Now, if you’re convinced that our error led to its demise and you know the warranty has not expired, then our Silver Star Plan is your best solution. Here’s how it works.

 

1. Write a note explaining the problem. Send the note, a check for $20* and your entire rod to St. Croix. We suggest using our Discount Shipping Program, which is described elsewhere on this page.

 

2. If your rod was damaged due to faulty workmanship, then of course we will cover the cost of the repair or replacement during the warranty period.

 

3. However, if evidence indicates that the damage is due to an accident, normal wear or neglect, then we’ll advise you of the additional cost to repair or replace your rod.

 

* The $20 charge applies to USA and Canadian customers, only. The charge for shipments to all other countries is $30.

 

Acceptable methods of payment include personal check (drawn on a USA bank account) and credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover).

GOLD STAR SERVICE PLAN

 

Ahh..but what if you’re not registered as the original owner of the rod. Or your buddy stepped on your rod, or slammed it in a car door, or worse yet, used it to free a snag. No worries. St. Croix’s Gold Star Plan eliminates the uncertainty of a dubious warranty claim. Here’s what to do.

 

1. Return your damaged rod to St. Croix. Use our Discount Shipping Program to save money.

 

2. Include a note requesting our Gold Star Service, along with a check for $50 to cover the repair or replacement of your rod. Our Technician will determine whether to repair or replace your rod keeping in mind we’ll only repair it if we can make it perform like new.

 

3. That’s all there is to it. And there’s no additional s&h charge for customers in the USA. Canadian customers must pay an additional $20 for s&h, and all other International customers must pay an additional $30 for s&h.

 

Acceptable methods of payment include personal check (drawn on a USA bank account) and credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover).

GOLD STAR + UPGRADE PLAN

 

Understandably, you’re feeling pretty badly about your damaged `Croix. So why not make the best of a bad situation and treat yourself to that higher-performance model you’ve been dreaming about? With our Upgrade Plan, you receive a brand new rod with a fresh new warranty. Here’s how you do it.

 

1. Return your damaged rod to St. Croix. Use our Discount Shipping program to save money.

 

2. Include a check equal to $50 plus the cost difference between the price of your new rod and that of your damaged one. It’s best to telephone a St. Croix Customer Service Representative at 800-826-7042 (select Service Center), or e-mail at [email protected] for assistance in determining the exact price.

 

3. That’s all there is to it. And there’s no additional s&h charge for customers in the USA. Canadian customers must pay an additional $20 for s&h, and all other International customers must pay an additional $30 for s&h.

 

Acceptable methods of payment include personal check (drawn on a USA bank account) and credit card (VISA, MC, American Express, Discover).

[BillsTheBassMan]

I go to 2 stores in the KW area, Rainbow is one of them. I don't think I said anything here about a reel I had a minor problem with about a year ago... I didn't even buy it from Chad at Rainbow and he took it and did the warranty servicing for me, free of charge. I did not know him in any way before he bought the store, in case you're wondering. That's good service that keeps people coming back, and i have no doubt that he will do right by you and this rod.

 

Yeah j ace, he does really run a good business and everyone in this area or anyone passing through should know about it. I shop at Rainbow Sports for those exact reasons - you'll be looked after when you need it, and he isn't going to screw you around. I will be shocked if I find any random service charges when I go pick up my rod in a few weeks - sure beats buying a rod at Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, or any other big box place. I dropped the rod off, handed him my warranty-receipts, and was out the door in 5 minutes. You can't beat that.

[Wild]

Someone have an address for Rainbow Sports? and if it's a good place to shop then why not have it (or other great places)on the OFC list?

http://www.ontariofishing.net/linkspages/Tackle/

[troutologist]

I had to wait about 3 weeks for my rod to by warrentied by st croix including shipping from the Soo to Mississauga and back. Both the local store and the company seemed to be efficient and had good customer service. There was an issue with 2 guides and they replace 2 more after inseption. Sent my a couple stickers back and I paid 15 bucks for the transaction.

 

On another note Chad is awesome, goes the extra mile to help you out. I still occasionaly get him to ship me things up that I cant find here. Im going to stop by this weekend to stock up on some jigs for those grand smallies.

[BillsTheBassMan]

Someone have an address for Rainbow Sports? and if it's a good place to shop then why not have it (or other great places)on the OFC list?

http://www.ontariofishing.net/linkspages/Tackle/

 

I have linked them up. Chad will have to confirm it, but Rainbow Sports should be on there soon!

[Wild]

Ha that was fast

[steve_paul]

My son broke his St. Croix last year, I went to their website, emailed them and explained that he bought it at the fishing show and did not have the receipt, told them how it broke and they shipped out a new section to me within 1 week.