Fed up with Shimano, and shimano warranty centers

[coolio]

At one point in time, I felt shimano was the "go to" name in fishing for me, and I have equipped myself with pretty much 95% shimano fishing gear. I do a lot of fishing, and lately pretty much switched over all my gear to shimano. Let me tell you, sadly, I have never come across so many hassles in my life....

 

I have snapped a nice calcutta rod (which had limited use!) on a rock bass, snapped a cumara, and popped an eye out of another cumara........This has all happened within 2 fishing trip outings totalling 4 days...

 

I do not abuse my stuff and take pride in keeping everything in as -new condition..............So I am thinking, well, at least these rods have a good warranty on them, everybody says their customer service is #1, right???????

 

So I take the Calcutta in (which is now discontinued) and expect to get a return as their website states

http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content/gl...y_Services.html

 

There is a shimano rod exchange warranty PDF specifically set out for the calcutta, and this is on the "North America" website , which might I add mentions shimano canada on the main page before you download the pdf...Anyways long story short, I called shimano canada, they will not honor their website and say "It is USA only"..................Nowhere does it say that, which I find puzzling....keep in mind the mention of Canada on the page.....

So I am given the run-around by the warranty dealer (it looks like a war bunker or 1950's bicycle shop..I wont mention the name) and he seems to not give a crap on finding out the information needed to get me a new rod and get me fishing again....

 

I contacted shimano Canada(who mentioned the website is USA only, and did not know there was a PDF for calcutta rod returns and nore did he care) who gave me the run-around as well, and was unable to answer if they would even take care of the warranty with the proper size rod (ie they have several 6"UL in stock and that is all...I did not buy a 6" UL and have no use for that crap)

What I found interesting was I told him that the website said "NORTH AMERICA" and I said "CANADA IS NORTH AMERICA" and his response was "IS IT?"

 

again, went back to have the eye replaced on the CUMARA, the warranty center says they do not warranty rod guides/eyes etc. which nowhere on the website does it say that.......So he replaced my top guide (which is a SIC guide) with a generic junk which I think is REDWOLF, and two sizes larger than the one which was on it....I bought a rod with Fuji SIC guides, not red-wolf guides 2X the size...And I would like it replaced properly with a SIC guide, the rod is not more than 3 weeks old!!!!!!!!!!! (that bicycle shop looking warranty center is a hack)

 

 

To make a long story short, I am upset yes, but what we all have to realize is that after the expensive transaction is complete, are you really truly safe while buying a rod with a lifetime warranty...??? I have heard good things, and unfortunately, I am yet to see them....Step up to the plate and take it like a man, not like a little boy shimano and grow some, otherwise people will realize there are products out there which are twice as good with good customer service to boot (cough st croix, no problems ever with them for me). Shimano rods were completely different when they had the over the counter warranty, but man have they changed. Don't treat your customers like a degenerate......

[bassjnkie]

That's sounds horrible. I'm a Daiwa fan and any issues I had were fixed 100%. I've even taken many reels for warranty to the "bicycle shop" and never had any problems with their service.

[Lunatic]

wow thats sucks. i usually only buy shimano rods and reels, and ive never had to use their warranty,and hope if i ever have to i dont get this kind of run-around or i will switch compainies in a heart beat.

ive busted 2 shimano rods in my life time and both times were my fault so i never pursued warranty.

but if when i do,i expect my warranty to be valued.

[angrypigeon]

i don't understand why people come here to vent their frustrations. are you trying to get back at the company or the warranty centre? won't your time be better served by contacting shimano with your complaints rather than writing a long rambling rant here? it's ironic that you're telling shimano to be a man, when your behaviour suggests that you're not taking your own advice. call them back tomorrow and explain your experience in measured tones. you'll find that ppl are more receptive when you're not whining.

[MCTFisher9120]

Good story. Sorry that you have yet to fix your problem with Shimano. Never had to deal with them before however, I'll keep this story in mind whenever in the future if I make a extreme Shimano purchase.

 

Wonder if that was a Shimano Sponsor's rod...I doubt they would go through that much trouble to get a rod fixed...incorrectly.

 

 

Good luck,

Mike

[grinandbearit30]

As a new angler, I often wonder about what makes a more expensive rod a better rod or a more expensive bait a better bait. When I was a kid my grandfather gave me and my brother a pair of bamboo fishing rods. The line was tied to the end and you "reeled" in the fish by twisting the rod to roll-up the line...we used a cork bobber, a simple hook and a worm, and caught plenty of trout. Marketing seems to play a lot in the fishing industry, in the half-hour fishing show Bob Izumi lands 20 + fish or so, but they dont tell you it might have been filmed over several days. I'm sure that most of you have seen the bait demonstration where you have a tank full of fish, the guy drops in the bait, and hooks a fish everytime..they dont tell you that they starve the fish for awhile before the demo to the point where the fish are so hungry they will eat the rocks off the bottom. My simple Browning rod and reel combo is fairly cheap, but is it really any worse than a 200+ dollar st. croix. I believe this is a good case of where marketing makes the product appear much better than it is, and the companies reputation is clearly not deserved.

[Terry]

i don't understand why people come here to vent their frustrations. are you trying to get back at the company or the warranty centre? won't your time be better served by contacting shimano with your complaints rather than writing a long rambling rant here? it's ironic that you're telling shimano to be a man, when your behaviour suggests that you're not taking your own advice. call them back tomorrow and explain your experience in measured tones. you'll find that ppl are more receptive when you're not whining.

 

I think it's good that he is telling us about his problems with shimano .

 

helps us make an informed decision on future fishing equipment

also others can tell their story, the good the bad and the ugly, which will give us a better picture of how Shimano treats it's customers

[solopaddler]

Unless the gear was purchased online your best bet is to bring the broken rod back to the local dealer where you bought it.

As far as dealing directly with rod manufacturers regarding warranty no one can touch St. Croix.

 

(And yeah I've never been a fan of Aikmens either)

[irishfield]

At 47 years of age...I've only broke two rods in my life.. one a car door on my 6'6" Berkley Lightning rod that I still use 26 years later as a 6' 3" ! And a Loomis Musky rod that got shortened 1.5" by a bridge at 30 MPH. Just how hard are you setting the hook on those Rock Bass ???

Edited July 22, 2009 by irishfield

[mjack 7]

Why don't you just return them to the shop that you purchased them from with your receipt. Once they're sent to shimano in Peterborough, they will deem them warranty or not. If they don't have them in stock they will be shipped from Shimano in the U.S. Keep in mind that stock is low on alot of inventory as it is the end of the season for all manufactures, and 2010 product is starting to come out over the next several months.

[Crazyhook]

Any pics of the Rock Bass???

[Bernie]

I hear you Wayne. I shortened my Shimano rod a couple inches in a ceiling fan while installing new line on the reel. Never did get to try it full length as it was brand new.

Shimano replaced a broken V-rod for me without hassle a few years back. Several Shimano reels I have have been virtually flawless.

I suppose it's possible things may have changed somewhat along with the poor economy.

[CLofchik]

You can knock the rough spots off a turd, put a Shimano sticker on it, and it will sell like hotcakes and everybody will swear it's the greatest piece of fishing equipment ever.

 

Have to admit though, when I went through four Shimano reels in 12 months they replaced every one without a quibble.

[Guest buick14]

i don't understand why people come here to vent their frustrations. are you trying to get back at the company or the warranty centre? won't your time be better served by contacting shimano with your complaints rather than writing a long rambling rant here? it's ironic that you're telling shimano to be a man, when your behaviour suggests that you're not taking your own advice. call them back tomorrow and explain your experience in measured tones. you'll find that ppl are more receptive when you're not whining.

 

 

Guess you work for shimano eh angrypigeon? It just so happens this story sounds identical to the situation I had with shimano & associates myself not to long ago...tried to speak level headed with them over the phone at shimano, and they played me for a fool. No thank you, by the sounds of it, shimano pushed this guys buttons and made him out to be a fool, as shimano said "Canada is North America..?????"

 

Give me a break...Thats what enrages people more..

 

Thanks Coolio, lets me know I'm not alone!

those cumaras are nice rods for the most part, and the reels have been good to me, but my skin crawls just thinking about having to deal with the warranty claims

 

PS I agree now that over the counter is gone, its a different company in terms of warranty..

Edited July 22, 2009 by buick14

[hogman3006]

I stopped buying Shimano quite as few years ago. broke a brand new Sensilite rod on a hook set and they said it was from abuse. I took it from the store to the water and used it for about two hours. I also had way too many problems with some of their reels. If it says Shimano on it, walk away.

[sconceptor]

Suck's that the company is giving you the run around.

 

I would suggest going to the dealer that sold you the rod and have them deal with the issues. I tend to only give my broken rods back to the tackle shop that sold it to me, so they can handle the issues. It's their business to make you happy, and have lots of experience dealing with the tackle manufacturers. I tend to head to Kitchener, London, Woodstock or Grimsby for tackle shops that do this for me, even though it's a 2-3 hour drive. It's beats having to send the rod in myself and deal with customs or UPS or packaging up a broken rod for the mail. I know BPS doesn't deal with warrenty issues for makes other than their own name brand stuff, so I don't tend to buy expensive rods there either.

 

Give your business to the local tackle shop owners who deal with the suppliers about this stuff!!! It's worth it and often they'll even swap a new rod on the spot, as they know they'll get a replacement from the broken one you're giving them. Makes you happy, and you'll go back more often!

[Jonny]

i don't understand why people come here to vent their frustrations...

 

And why not?

 

I like to find out where potential problems lie, so a post like this, to me, is informative.

 

Maybe you should just skip threads like this from now on. You don't have to read them.

[Sinker]

I've always had good dealings with shimano. Never had an issue. Any problems were resolved on the spot most times, although I've had a couple times where I had to send the equip. back and wait for a return........even then it was just the cost of shipping.

 

S.

[Photoz]

Just for curiousity . . . . was this equipment bought from a U. S. dealer? I have about 15 Shimano reels & at least 7 sit on Shimano rods, ALL purchased in Canada from local dealers . . . . . I've only broken 2 rods in the past 10 years . . . . both from improper use, neither were Shimano (a Loomis & a Fenwick) and both were covered by warranty. I've dealt with Aikmans (EXPENSIVE, but excellent service & work) and Shimano in Peterborough, excellent service, very reasonable prices on non-warranty work, of minor nature. Many manufacturers won't honour warranties on items bought outside Canada . . . you paid the American arm of the company for the item . . .. let them honour the warranty issue, seems to be the attitude. It may be a lor cheaper to buy south of the border . . . until something goes wrong . . . THEN you pay. I suspect this might have something to do with your problem . . . attitude could ALSO be part of the problem?

[Whitespinnerbait]

Shimano........

[Fish4Eyes]

I had a compre replaced that I broke on a snag. Only complaint was it took a while for it to come in.

[blaque]

Any pics of the Rock Bass???

 

Now that thar is funny lol

[Musky or Specks]

Never had a problem with Shimano. Take it back to were you bought it. Have them ship it to Shimano It might take a bit of time but ive Never seen anything not replaced or repaired. As for the tackle shop they are not responsible for warrantying product even if you bought it there. But they should take the product in for you and ship it off for warranty replaced at a small shipping charge. If you bought the rod from online or US I can only say tough crap then. You saved a few bucks to lose a whole lot more. Local tackle shops need our support. Small shops provide customer service and that cost overhead. Thats why their prices are higher. But when you have a problem Ive never known a local shop to not stand behind their customer when it comes to battling the manufacturer. And they have way more buying power and clout than you do.