Sage Fly Rods - increase costs to repair?

[stanzoo]

Looks like Sage have finally twigged that lifetime warranties are a downward spiral.

News is they are increasing their repair costs to rod and making 3 categories for the price increase. Current/recent/classic-historic. Or something like that. 3 times the current cost for some models?!

Certainly no other company has the range and history of number one rods that Sage does so perhaps it wont hurt their market share one bit.

 

[plecain]

As you said, they now have three categories and prices.
But, the most recent category (rods they still make) now costs only $25 to repair. That's down from $60, I think.
Non-current, but less than 10 years since they stopped making them will be $75. That's up from $60.
More than 10 years since they were last made will be $125.

 

[stanzoo]

I guess that is still very reasonable. They have to move with the times I guess. The more rods you sell, the more you will likely end up repairing.

 

[pnc]

Help me get this right. Is it being said that Sage, will no longer honor lifetime warranties ?

....... pc

 

[stanzoo]

Help me get this right. Is it being said that Sage, will no longer honor lifetime warranties ?

....... pc

They will and always have honored lifetime warranties. This however has NEVER been free (a misconception)

All they have done is applied more costs to older models.

The lifetime warranty is and has always been for the ORIGINAL owner only and lifetime is for the lifetime of the rod [not owner] and has been deemed (legally) to be 20yrs.

 

[plecain]

The lifetime warranty is and has always been for the ORIGINAL owner only and lifetime is for the lifetime of the rod [not owner] and has been deemed (legally) to be 20yrs.

I've never seen the 20 year limitation in Sage's literature.

On Sage's web site right now they list rods going back to 1981 as being 'classics' with a repair fee of $125.

 

[stanzoo]

I've never seen the 20 year limitation in Sage's literature.

On Sage's web site right now they list rods going back to 1981 as being 'classics' with a repair fee of $125.

Flick them an email. Pretty sure they will confirm this. That is not to say they wont repair a rod older than 20yrs. They will likely offer to replace it but there may be an extra fare. Again, who really expects a 20+ year fly rod to be repaired? Seriously, they break... ...materials dont stick around on the shelf forever.

This has been discussed before, it is not new. "In warranty parlance, a lifetime warranty is for the expected and reasonable life of the product, NOT the person who purchases it. It's an important distinction and one that most consumers fail to understand."

My advice, if it is a classic, put it on the shelf for special days. Or be prepared to lose it should you break it and its gets replaced with a newer model. Had an SP+ replaced with a TCX recently.

 

[pnc]

Wonder where this will go. People around the world are told their getting full liftime warranties. Now Sage says lifetime is 20yrs.
Hmmmm ....... wonder how that would hold up in class action. Any other Sage owners think they should be getting $ back ?:rant::sorry:

........ pc

 

[fredaevans]

They will and always have honored lifetime warranties. This however has NEVER been free (a misconception)

All they have done is applied more costs to older models.

The lifetime warranty is and has always been for the ORIGINAL owner only and lifetime is for the lifetime of the rod [not owner] and has been deemed (legally) to be 20yrs.

Correct to my knowledge but the 'fee' is to replace the broken bit(s). The issue can be how old is the rod and do they have a section. Older the rod the less likely per personal experience.

Over many years I've only had two AH SHXT's, Both Sages, rods just exploded while casting. Both 1360-4 Brownie's. Apparently the first run of these blanks had issues.

 

[Bigfly]

Forty years ago, I paid $300. for a new rod, and paid $20. for a repair of a Sage LL........
If I sent it in now....it would be $125.......
I don't have a problem with that......
They wouldn't have the part in stock anymore...so someone would have to twist one up.
And how much do you pay an American guy who can do that correctly?
It's silly to think things will stay the same forever............
Personally, I think the repair price should be determined by how much it's used........
If a guy is trying to wear his rod out....he should get a discount!
Not liking the price.....? Then stay with a rod for 10 years or less, and then sell it.
Just accept the reality that if you fall in love with a rod and keep it....it will cost ya...
(Kinda like a marriage...)
My take these days....if you aren't breaking a few rods along the way....you aren't fishing enough.

Jim

 

[stanzoo]

Wonder where this will go. People around the world are told their getting full liftime warranties. Now Sage says lifetime is 20yrs.
Hmmmm ....... wonder how that would hold up in class action. Any other Sage owners think they should be getting $ back ?:rant::sorry:

........ pc

If buy class action you mean interpretation of the Sage lifetime warranty via a court... then this is how the 20 years came about as I understand things.

I cant imagine any real issues from "Sage" owners. Sage have the second biggest fly rod factory in the USA, being their repair factory. Their main factory is the biggest. They are the biggest for good reason. The internet is never a fair indication of what happens in the real world, outside the window beyond the pc is where it happens and it happens to be going very well for Sage.

Again, people don't get told they get full lifetime warranties in the main part but there will always be misinformation in the industry, 90% born on the www.

@Bigfly has nailed it. Be reasonable and you wont have too many problems. Or... join the malcontents and rant about perceived injustices all over the internet. I'd rather go fishing and I'm happy to pay to do it.

 

[stanzoo]

Sage apparently repair just under 100 rods a day on average.

They make around 35-40,000 rods a year.

And if you're thinking that Scott (now the second biggest in sales in the USA) is going to capitalize on this think again. They have had some success in terms of increase in sales since the Radian but they are quickly realizing that more rod sales = more repairs. So now they are having to deal with the increase in repair cost (according to a source close to Jim Barchi) and their international rod sales are not as good as projected so expect an increase on repair costs and retail cost for Scott in the near future overall.

G.Loomis put themselves out of business in international sales by not projecting the costs of rod repairs outside of the USA. NZ, the 3rd biggest destination trout fishing location on the planet is a good example of where G.Loomis have all but vanished from the market, no one wants to deal with their repair costs there.

There are some very good and fine rods manufactured in China and top end rods like Loop/Vision/Hardy etc coming out of Korea. Problem is those companies have there ups and downs and continuity in after sales service reflects that. Those types of Asian made rods come and go from the market quicker than sailors visiting red light districts on stop overs.

Every dog has its day, Sage just has had the last 30 years and will continue to dominate overall imho.

 

[clouserguyky]

Sounds fair to me as long they they don't discontinue my current model Pulse!

In all seriousness I think it's a reasonable price. They made an entire new bottom section including cork and reel seat for my 586-2 RPL last year for $75. Incredible work. I'm glad I got it done before they increased the price, but I still would save up and send it in now with the current price.

 

[stanzoo]

Interestingly enough although Sage has had this "20 year" policy (25 yrs for Orvis I think) on their new repairs section of their webpage the list all models now dating right back to 1981. So looks like they will honor "repair or replacement" for all rods. Maybe a case of one department not talking to the other or maybe they will just sort everything now on a case by case basis for "classics".

Pretty good news.

 

[ia_trouter]

The chickens are coming home to roost on a less than great long-term plan. Made a promise they can't quite keep and now the rules will change some. Over the next few years I expect they'll search for repair prices that don't overly anger the masses, but maintain their desired profitability. It's not just Sage that will deal with this going forward obviously.

 

[el jefe]

The chickens are coming home to roost on a less than great long-term plan. Made a promise they can't quite keep and now the rules will change some. Over the next few years I expect they'll search for repair prices that don't overly anger the masses, but maintain their desired profitability. It's not just Sage that will deal with this going forward obviously.

What was the promise that Sage made that they can no longer keep?

 

[ia_trouter]

What was the promise that Sage made that they can no longer keep?

What have they actually done all along? Was it fix idiotic mistakes for almost free for a very long time? Causing careless people to pay any price for a new Sage? They'll get through this. The repair costs on old lifetime rods are getting a little rough though.

 

[kentuckysteve]

The chickens are coming home to roost on a less than great long-term plan. Made a promise they can't quite keep and now the rules will change some. Over the next few years I expect they'll search for repair prices that don't overly anger the masses, but maintain their desired profitability. It's not just Sage that will deal with this going forward obviously.

Or.....now that they have changed their policies,they could continue increasing the repair cost's in the future whenever they need to recover profit loss from the new rods not being sold as fast as they would like.

 

[mnigro]

The way I see things...

I will pay $800+ for a rod that I know will be in service as long as I want to own/fish it. If you tell me that the Lifetime Warranty no longer exists, my appetite to drop that kind of money on a fishing rod is non existent - no matter how nice the rod. I pay the price because I assume that it’s more than one rod I’m funding within the original purchase price. Just my opinion but I bet there’s many who share this sentiment.

As for Sage charging fees for legitimate manufacturer defects, a true no-fault breakage, these repairs have been covered at no cost. But most rods with actual manufacturer defects will break very soon in their use. Defective blanks don’t catch hundreds of fish and then all of a sudden explode; reel seats and cork grips excluded.

The problem I see with these new fees is the cost to replace a broken rod that wasn’t top of the line. It’s a great way to entice someone to buy a new rod vs spending $125 to repair that 10 year old $300 rod.

 

[ia_trouter]

Or.....now that they have changed their policies,they could continue increasing the repair cost's in the future whenever they need to recover profit loss from the new rods not being sold as fast as they would like.

They could but it's a fine line to walk. Angering the masses is no good. I know I am stirring up trouble here but just making conversation. El Jefe and I have been respectfully sparring for years. I own some Sage gear. I'm not a hater but think the industry went over the top with warranties.

I'm not even sure Sage ever "over promised" anything in writing. But the reality is folks could abuse a rod and get it repaired or replaced for almost free, for a very long time. I know a number of people that will buy a Sage rod at any price because they can get by with abusing it. They'll have to tread lightly but they will figure it out. There are too many companies selling rods for half price that are probably willing to offer the same warranty that brought us here.

But yeah, if I bought a rod long ago for a price that was very expensive then, I wouldn't be pleased if they ask for 50%+ of retail to fix a rod I clipped with a weighted fly quite by accident.