Broke Lews rod, am I screwed?

[Skeeloco]

My Lews KVD GC1 MH snapped into 3 pieces attempting to hoist a 28" pike onto shore. Yes perhaps I should be more careful with an IM8 rod but I wrestled a 40" musky and have ripped out tons of snags on this thing without issue. Can't even get thru to Lews, put on a super annoying hold for 5 minutes and leave voicemail and don't get called back. Are they going to even offer me a replacement under warranty, if I'm ever even able to speak with someone?

[ska4fun]

The fracture seems to much regular, pointing to a defective blank.

[MickD]

If the blank were defective it would have broken before.  I suspect it either had been damaged before this incident, or simple high sticking, or both.   One cannot tell from this picture what the cause was.  

 

If Lew's does not want it back, keep it for repair parts.  Not only the guides, but the blank.  The blank can be cut for sleeves for repair of other rods.   

 

When I am teaching newbies how to handle the rods I emphasize that if they keep the rod pointing generally in the direction of the fish, they will not break it.  I expect if this one had been pointed towards the fish and dragging the fish it would not have broken.   

[Tatulatard]

Don't hoist fish with your rod.  Also don't pursue a warranty replacement.  The rod did nothing wrong.  Buy a net. 

[flyfisher]

You already admitted it wasn't a warranty issue so why even try to warranty it?  Your actions broke the rod not the manufacturing process.  

[Deleted account]

34 minutes ago, ska4fun said:

The fracture seems to much regular, pointing to a defective blank.

Nope, When a rod snaps into 3 or more pieces, it failed due to exceeding it's designed tensile strength, makes a great sound too, We get blanks to test, and we purposely torture them to failure, or try to, some of the South Korean ones are being manufactured where they make Iron Man's suit I think...

[BayouSlide]

Lews has a fairly generous replacement policy for breakage, though not a good as it used to be. Keep calling and, depending on when you bought it, you might be able to replace it for a much-reduced price.

 

I think they now have only one person answering the customer service phone line. Don't wait on hold. Keep dialing until you get through. This worked for me the last time I contacted them.

 

In the past, I've gotten replacements for a fee even admitting the breakage was an accident and my fault.

[dodgeguy]

33 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Don't hoist fish with your rod.  Also don't pursue a warranty replacement.  The rod did nothing wrong.  Buy a net. 

There ya go !!!! 

[Gera]

1 hour ago, Skeeloco said:

super annoying hold for 5 minutes

hopefully you never need to cancel your internet provider.. 

[Skeeloco]

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

You already admitted it wasn't a warranty issue so why even try to warranty it?  Your actions broke the rod not the manufacturing process.  

 

Because some fishing rod companies actually give a $hit about their customers. Fenwick I broke a year ago, they offered me 50% off a new rod. St. Croix gave me a whole new top for a 2 piece after I broke that. Whether it's my fault or not, I should not be forced to pay full price for a new rod when a 5 month old MH rod broke on a fish weighing no more than 7lbs. Plenty out there that have boat flipped heavier bass on lighter rods without issue.

54 minutes ago, BayouSlide said:

Lews has a fairly generous replacement policy for breakage, though not a good as it used to be. Keep calling and, depending on when you bought it, you might be able to replace it for a much-reduced price.

 

I think they now have only one person answering the customer service phone line. Don't wait on hold. Keep dialing until you get through. This worked for me the last time I contacted them.

 

In the past, I've gotten replacements for a fee even admitting the breakage was an accident and my fault.

 

This is exactly what I wanted to hear, thanks. A fee replacement would be excellent because nobody wants to have to deal with shipping a rod back ?

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, ska4fun said:

The fracture seems to much regular, pointing to a defective blank.

I dunno...looks exactly like a high-sticking break to me.  And I am something of a high-stick-break expert 

[BayouSlide]

17 minutes ago, Skeeloco said:

 

A fee replacement would be excellent because nobody wants to have to deal with shipping a rod back ?

 

They used to require you ship just a few-inch section with the model # info. The last time they just required emailing a photo of the model # area and the breakage. ?

[Tatulatard]

I hope this fish hoisting nonsense doesn't catch on.  If it does then they'll just bake the breakages and replacement costs into the purchase price of new rods.  Use a net.  Bend over and lip land.  If you high stick and break a tip off then learn the lesson and stop doing that.  Failure to learn the lesson and to push the problem onto manufacturers is just going to produce negative repocissions for us all.  

[Choporoz]

4 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

 they'll just bake the breakages and replacement costs into the purchase price of new rods.  

I hope you are sitting down.....I have some bad news for you

[suzuki2903]

Buy a new one, you broke it. We’ve all been there to some extent unfortunately.  Hey atleast it wasn’t a expensive rod !

[dodgeguy]

32 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

I hope this fish hoisting nonsense doesn't catch on.  If it does then they'll just bake the breakages and replacement costs into the purchase price of new rods.  Use a net.  Bend over and lip land.  If you high stick and break a tip off then learn the lesson and stop doing that.  Failure to learn the lesson and to push the problem onto manufacturers is just going to produce negative repocissions for us all.  

Some people don't understand that.

[flyfisher]

1 hour ago, Skeeloco said:

 

Because some fishing rod companies actually give a $hit about their customers. Fenwick I broke a year ago, they offered me 50% off a new rod. St. Croix gave me a whole new top for a 2 piece after I broke that. Whether it's my fault or not, I should not be forced to pay full price for a new rod when a 5 month old MH rod broke on a fish weighing no more than 7lbs. Plenty out there that have boat flipped heavier bass on lighter rods without issue.

 

This is exactly what I wanted to hear, thanks. A fee replacement would be excellent because nobody wants to have to deal with shipping a rod back ?

You broke a rod due to negligence, ignorance or whatever and are trying to act like a company should cater to you because of it, if that isn't feeling entitled I am not sure what is.

 

This mindset is part of what has caused such an issue in the rod industry, people confusing warranty with replacement program.  

 

[ironbjorn]

Warranty and replacement programs are already factored into the price of rods. Most companies will always find a reason and a way to raise prices.

 

If a multi million or billion dollar company is willing to replace something for me whether it was my fault or not, I'm taking them up on it, personally. They laugh at your pride by refusing, and they're glad you did.

[dodgeguy]

11 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Warranty and replacement programs are already factored into the price of rods. Most companies will always find a reason and a way to raise prices.

 

If a multi million or billion dollar company is willing to replace something for me whether it was my fault or not, I'm taking them up on it, personally. They laugh at your pride by refusing, and they're glad you did.

And if costs go higher than they figured they pass it on to people who buy nets. Where does personal responsibility come in ? If they have a replacement plan with no questions asked where you pay a fee I can understand that. Straight warranty is only right if it's no questions asked. If you expect a rod replacement under a warranty for defects only that's just not right.

[looking45]

There might be, but I don’t know if any company that will give a person a free replacement for user error. GLoomis will replace a rod with no questions for $100. Warranty rods need to be sent to them to be examined. Maybe Lews has something similar

[roadwarrior]

3 minutes ago, looking45 said:

There might be, but I don’t know if any company that will give a person a free replacement for user error. GLoomis will replace a rod with no questions for $100. Warranty rods need to be sent to them to be examined. Maybe Lews has something similar

Loomis raised the price to $130. Ask me how I know.

[looking45]

Thanks, it’s been awhile since I broke a rod

[Deleted account]

So if I crash my car into a brick wall soon after buying it, the car company should give me a new one or a reduced price on another because "customer service" or "they care about me"? 

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

So if I crash my car into a brick wall soon after buying it, the car company should give me a new one or a reduced price on another because "customer service" or "they care about me"? 

 

[king fisher]

   I broke a three piece Diawa travel rod tip.  !00% my fault( not really it was the snags fault).  I called Diawa to buy a new tip piece.  They wouldn't sell me one.  The man on the phone insisted I send the broken rod to Diawa and they would sell me a new rod for a discounted price.  The hassle of sending a rod back and waiting for another one from Mexico wasn't worth the effort.  I simply bought another brand new Diawa travel rod.  Now I have a three piece rod that is a four piece rod in a tube just taking up space in my house.  What a waste.  Sure would have been better if they had simply sold me the piece I needed.