Good Customer Service Experience With Bass Pro/shimano

[Bill Babler]

Bill is spot on with his advice on rod care.. Might want to reconsider which rod everyone is using to sling the wind chime!

Rod companies calculate the percentage of rods they expect to replace into the price you pay upfront, never feel bad about getting a rod replaced that has a warranty.

Most all the major companies have warranties beyond what you think you have. You can always check with them and will pretty much be amazed how often a replacement is immediatly headed your way. As I stated most really don't care how you broke it.

Temple Fork for one is outstanding. 25 bucks and you got a new one. Their fault, your fault does not matter. Their return policy leads the industry. If you cannot get one over the counter it never takes longer than a couple of days. Orvis is even better. No charge and they pay shipping. Usually takes a couple of weeks. Fault is not an issue, it broke you get a new one. Falcon is pretty much you pay shipping and you got a new rod.

99.9 percent of warranties come from the manufactor not the seller or the retailer. BP uses Pfluger as their builder. Pfluger knows it will have rods and reels returned and in turn builds that into the wholesale price they sell the equipment to BP for. When something goes wrong, it goes back to the builder. Reguardless of who the retailer is the equipment is not warrantied by them, for the most part.

The last part usually means that equipment that is very low cost sometimes does not have a either extended or partial warranty. In those cases the retailer can either choose to add a percentage to what he or she charges for the rod on each rod to cover returns.

There are also lots of retailers adding an extended warranty or a insurance policy that you can purchase over the counter on most rods you purchase. BP and Cabalas both offer this type of extended warranty. Before you purchase this however you need to know what the rod company its self offers, to avoid a duplicate.

The extended warranty is really not that but a warranty that starts from the day you leave the retailer with the rod. This warranty will cost a percentage of the purchase price of the rod. Reguradless who you purchase the rod from, do some research before you make the buy and see what the manufactor has to offer.

Walking down the isle and shaking a rod is fun, but not the way to purchase top flight fishing equipment. Most all the major retailers and chains love impulse buyers. Have an idea before you leave home and it will be hard to be unhappy with your purchase. The internet has completely put this on the consumer, all the information is there for us to browse.

Good Luck

[riverfish]

not to mention they never have anything your looking for im with bill on this buying local thing outside of the occasional trip to academy

[Champ188]

I "third" the motion of buying local. I can go to my local tackle shop, pour a free cup of coffee, pull up a chair and sit a spell. Haven't seen free coffee or a chair at BPS yet.

[edwin]

I "third" the motion of buying local. I can go to my local tackle shop, pour a free cup of coffee, pull up a chair and sit a spell. Haven't seen free coffee or a chair at BPS yet.

The other day, I was asking the gent at the Kimberling City tackle shop "why don't you put those guys over there BS'ing (those coffee drinkers ) to work building A-rigs?" Gave us both a chuckle...

[buckcreekmike]

I personally love Bass Pro, but I'm in KC and there ain't a whole lot of other tackle shops around, they pretty much went the way of the do-do bird. I can tell you one thing, their fishing department is 10 times better than Cabela's is (at least for bass and crappie, Cabela's may have them beat for walleye and muskie). I went to the Bass Pro in Branson and I will admit that it is small and not a great selection that I was used to in the Olathe, KS store. Ever since I was a kid I loved Bass Pro because i went every once in a while to the headquarters in Springfield and that sealed it for me.

[skeeterp]

I agree with you 100%. I too have had some issues with online ordering but nothing too bad, just kinda frustrating things in the past but I still love the selection and love going to the store when I get a chance. Everybody is very friendly when you go there, very good experiences. I too support both bp and local shops, love em all, they all feed my fishing needs. Things get blown out of proportion on this site, but when certain people do it, people take it as gospel. Same folks will have a thread going on FLW and how bad that organization is and how rude the fisherman are...blahblahblah, they too overlook the good economic value that they bring to this area and every lake they go to or every city a bp goes into. Everyone has opportunities to improve, we have to build on these not tear em down at every given opportunity.....SkeeterP out.

[jmeador]

BPS - is a neccesary evil.

I have a personal dislike for BPS employment standards and hiring process. When you are told that you have an executive position in the corporate office, move 5 states, buy a house, and on the day to start the position are asked for a copy of your schools records (which I do not have - nor does the school cause it burnt down 20 years ago) and was escorted off the property with no job .... leaves a rank taste in my mouth.

If I can avoid them I do, but it's like walmart, You have to go becasue of the sales, the little guy has to work twice as hard to keep up with the corporate conglomerat.

But hey ... business is business amirite? Everyone gets to have an opinion, when it comes to fishing/hunting you kinda put all that BS on the back burner and work for a common goal though .....

/rant off ... apologies

[Quillback]

I'm annoyed with BPS because they're having this big online sale, but the stuff I want (usually lures in specific colors) are out of stock. So I end up moseying over to another online tackle seller to buy. I can't stand it when tackle companies have sales, but when you go to buy it's out of stock.

But I do enjoy going to the Springfield store a couple of times a year and checking stuff out.

[wdberkley]

Sure seemed to me Mr. Babler was only pointing out that the rod (a Shimano) which has a manufacturer's OTC warantee would have been replaced regardless where it was purchased. Didn't seem like an attack on Bass Pro Shops.

That being said, they're just like any other Big Business - they do what they do for one reason - to make money. They know they can piss people off because there will always be someone else to take their business.

I for one don't care much for them as a whole, for a multitude of reasons. BUT you better believe I was there this spring for the reel trade in.

I may not agree with some of their actions, but a sales a sale.

[Bill Babler]

Really apoligize for not supporting Bass Pro on this forum, but this is my lifes business. I am in and around professional fishermen, novice fishmen and just plain ole folks in general. People that are not in the fishing or lodging business and just want good products. They for the most part know no difference between what any type of gear is simply glitzy sells.

Honesty is very important.

Boats and Trailers need not to fall apart. Baits need to not break apart, rods and reels need to be compairable to other similar priced equipment. You need to get the best quality that your budget can afford, and have it be what you hoped it would be. Our lake area enviornment need to have peace and sirenity, and again be what you wanted it to be, not a constant and ever lasting construction zone.

Just to many dissapointments over 20 plus years, and a lot of stories.

Good Luck and enjoy your shopping experence where ever it may be.