Quality Control - Has Z-man gone down ?

[Falkus]

Just picked this up today in the mail along with others items from Tacklewarehouse.  I was dumbfound how this Z-Man Chatterbait Custom could pass the quality control checklist. It's a huge chuck out of the paint as you can see the picture. 

 

I am thinking... naa, I am going to contact Z-Man Fishing Products, Inc. to inform this and see why this has passed their quality control check. I have heard some stories about this happening to others.  Am I being a ****** for doing this ? 
 

[KayakFish107]

No, I would be dissatisfied as well! I ordered a couple chatterbait originals, and the hook points were covered with baked on paint. I messaged them, and they replaced them both. I told them I’ll try to clean them off, but wanted their recommendation first. They said acetone would work or just scrape it off, and hopefully not damage the hook point and barb too much. They said if they turn out okay, keep em too. One did and one I can’t get it off, but they still sent me both anyway!

[camman]

If you bought it from TW they will replace it

[d-camarena]

Its probably a return someone used

[Falkus]

Submit two emails to Z-man and Tacklewarehouse.com

 

Tacklewarehouse has responded back to my email and submit a replacement. It was processed so fast that I received an email for the shipment of one item. 

 

Im waiting for Z-man to respond back about the quality control issue. 

[fissure_man]

18 hours ago, Burke said:

Am I being a ****** for doing this ?

IMO, yes.  Chipped paint on a jig is a non-issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darren.]

I'm more in line with @d-camarena that it could likely be a customer return.

 

 

Bought a Milwuakee M12 tool at Home Depot last year. Get home, open it 

up and it was covered in sawdust, used.. The box was meticulously put back

together, looked new on outside. Return people don't always inspect returns,

as I've seen too often.

 

But I think you're on the right track with the emails. Sounds like TW is doing

you a solid. Hope Z-Man responds in kind. 

 

 

[Deleted account]

Z man quality go down? When did it go up?

 

[Logan S]

Not a ZMan and it didn't come this way...But my favorite look for a chatter head is a beat up one, it's a good sign .  

 

I wouldn't worry too much about that paint chip, it probably wasn't used before hand - It was probably just a bad spot of paint or banged around in shipping.  BUT, if it does bother you there's nothing wrong with getting it replaced at all...It's not how it's supposed to be.  Might get lucky and TW will tell you to just keep the chipped one rather than pay to ship it back.  

 

[Falkus]

6 hours ago, Logan S said:

Not a ZMan and it didn't come this way...But my favorite look for a chatter head is a beat up one, it's a good sign .  

 

I wouldn't worry too much about that paint chip, it probably wasn't used before hand - It was probably just a bad spot of paint or banged around in shipping.  BUT, if it does bother you there's nothing wrong with getting it replaced at all...It's not how it's supposed to be.  Might get lucky and TW will tell you to just keep the chipped one rather than pay to ship it back.  

 

Love that color - I def would throw that around my lake. Those bass would have torn it apart ! 

[smalljaw67]

15 hours ago, fissure_man said:

IMO, yes.  Chipped paint on a jig is a non-issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may be a non-issue to you but he paid money for it and it should be right. Chipped paint is fine if you make the thing for yourself of it happens after use but right out of the package is unacceptable.

[Jig Man]

We have been noticing that their worms don't hold up as good as they used to.  It used to take several fish to wear one out now it seems to only take 1.

[fissure_man]

7 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

It may be a non-issue to you but he paid money for it and it should be right. Chipped paint is fine if you make the thing for yourself of it happens after use but right out of the package is unacceptable.

I'm not saying he's outside his rights, and I'm sure these companies will take care of him. 

 

But since he asked, IMO complaining to the distributor, manufacturer, and on a public forum seems a bit much for a cosmetic defect on a single sub-$10 lure which will have zero impact on its effectiveness.  

[dsqui]

I had 3 elites the the blade would fall off of last time I purchased there products. Now I make my own 

[Riazuli]

You pay a premium for what is supposed to be a quality product, so it is reasonable to complain when it doesn't meet that standard.  

[Smokinal]

A whole different view of this situation is that a reputable manufacturer or a reputable supplier would want to know about issues like this.

[Riazuli]

7 hours ago, fissure_man said:

I'm not saying he's outside his rights, and I'm sure these companies will take care of him. 

 

But since he asked, IMO complaining to the distributor, manufacturer, and on a public forum seems a bit much for a cosmetic defect on a single sub-$10 lure which will have zero impact on its effectiveness.  

So, if you pay more for a product for its said quality and then don't receive that level of quality, you just let it go?  What's to keep you buying that product in the future?  Most people like to get their money's worth - it's not just about a sub $10 lure - it's about buying 100 of those lures over time and having confidence in your purchase. 

[fissure_man]

1 hour ago, Riazuli said:

So, if you pay more for a product for its said quality and then don't receive that level of quality, you just let it go?  What's to keep you buying that product in the future?  Most people like to get their money's worth - it's not just about a sub $10 lure - it's about buying 100 of those lures over time and having confidence in your purchase. 

I agree with you, but what defines the "quality" you're paying for?  In the case of this $7 bladed jig, I’d value the upgraded hook, snap, bait keeper….  If these weren’t as advertised or there was some other important flaw, I’d feel like I didn’t get what I paid a premium for.  But for an isolated instance of chipped paint, which is inevitable anyway and has zero impact on the effectiveness of the lure… yes, I’d cut them some slack and not demand a replacement.

 

All the best lures are chipped and scratched anyway, this one has a head start   It's pretty easy to touch up a black jig head with a black sharpie, or better yet, fish it "as is" for a unique two-tone pattern that the bass haven't seen before!  

 

@Smokinal, good point.

 

[Riazuli]

2 hours ago, fissure_man said:

I agree with you, but what defines the "quality" you're paying for?  In the case of this $7 bladed jig, I’d value the upgraded hook, snap, bait keeper….  If these weren’t as advertised or there was some other important flaw, I’d feel like I didn’t get what I paid a premium for.  But for an isolated instance of chipped paint, which is inevitable anyway and has zero impact on the effectiveness of the lure… yes, I’d cut them some slack and not demand a replacement.

 

All the best lures are chipped and scratched anyway, this one has a head start   It's pretty easy to touch up a black jig head with a black sharpie, or better yet, fish it "as is" for a unique two-tone pattern that the bass haven't seen before!  

 

@Smokinal, good point.

 

You've made some good points - I'm going to point back to someone who mentioned that the manufacturer would also probably like to know about things like this.  Could point them to a faulty line in the process or something of that nature.  Also, it seems like z-man and other "brand-name" companies make a decent profit over their products when considering the price of a homemade jig and pre-made blades, which you can buy in bulk for around the same price as a single chatterbait.  If this were a homemade jig, I wouldn't consider it that big of a deal, and definitely not big enough to have them send me a new one, when they're already struggling to make a profit in comparison to a brand name company.  Also, out of principle, if the jig is going to have a large portion of chipped paint, I'd rather it be me/rocks/fish doing the chipping and not that way fresh out of the box - just doesn't sit right, again when you're already likely paying more than a few bucks over what the actual cost of making the item is. 

[Falkus]

16 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

It may be a non-issue to you but he paid money for it and it should be right. Chipped paint is fine if you make the thing for yourself of it happens after use but right out of the package is unacceptable.

Yes, its about quality of the product. I do not give "bypass" theory.  I work hard for my money and I dont spend that much but only on quality stuff.

 

Image this, if you bought a new NRX 873c CCR rod and received in the mail. You open the tube and you see a missing guide. You would be like this ?

 

8 hours ago, Smokinal said:

A whole different view of this situation is that a reputable manufacturer or a reputable supplier would want to know about issues like this.

Yup, submit an email to zmanfishing.com about quality control issue along with pictures. I wanted them to know what and improve for the next batch that comes out.