So after a month or so I got my H2 back from the repair department. The reason I sent it in was because the "coating" on the rod had been coming off for years. When I sent it in in 2017 for a busted tip I asked them to evaluate it. I got it back with a new tip, but nothing regarding the finish. On January 30th I recieved the above email stating,
"Upon inspection of the grip and paint, this rod shows cosmetic issues from being left in the elements or standing salt water for long periods of time. This is evident with the oxidation on the epoxy of the guides as well as label along with the grip showing some dryness". Huh?
Mmm. Now this rod has been used, a lot, and hard, that's on me, but to insinuate that it's been left in standing water, salt water, just isn't accurate. How would I do that? I responded back and didn't get a reply. I just got an email stating it was back on it's way to New Jersey. Did they address it futher? Only time would tell. That's okay. Rods aren't meant to last a lifetime, no matter what a companies policy states. Orvis has a solid 25 year guarantee, "no questions asked....it doesn't matter, we'll fix it", as seen below on their website rod page. The Helios 2 came
out in 2012, 10 years ago, there's a lot left on that 25 year, "no questions asked" guarantee. Below is the press release about the Helios 2 launch. I have to say I loved the H2 line, as well as the Hydros and the
Access, but those are long gone. I haven't purchased, or thrown, the Helios 3, and I have heard they are that good. But back to my rod, which I swear to you, wasn't left in standing salt water. Used, yes, used hard, definetly, abused, some might say, but it has landed countless fish, and served me well. And as you know, no matter what, I'm an Orvis guy.
So below are some pics of what I got back from Roanoke, Virginia, where they repair the rods. You can see the "coating", and I'm no rod maker, has peeled away, and has been "bubbling" for years, like maybe 8, but I pushed through and just used it. When I sent in back in 2017 I thought I'd mention
to them. I mentioned it so they knew, in case it was a thing, and, yes, hoping they may make good on it. On this go around they replaced the mid-tip section, and you can see it all shiny and new in the top photo above. I read the words on the label on my rod when I opened it, "Your fly rod is back and better than ever". I'll take their word and am grateful for the replacement of the mid-tip section. But would it have been such a big deal to replace the other sections, or the entire rod, with something else? The guides all look as if they are going to pop as there is separation in the epoxy around each of them. I say, whatever. I love this rod, it will fish well this year, and I will catch fish on it.
But is there a different and bigger story going on here?
For a while there, in fact for as long as I could remember, most companies had a 100% replacement 100% satisfaction guarantee. Now that's great, maybe it wasn't good business, but it was too good for the consumer. And what I think happened, some company, maybe Orvis, was super liberal in that guarantee and it forced every other company to have to sign on to it. I was never for that. Didn't fit when you tried it on, maybe didn't like it, return it like you did any other product. Defect, waders leaked on the first outing, that's on the company. But, break a rod, use a product for 20 years and then send it back? I'm telling you to go F yourself if I'm them. We have ruined it, regardless if the markup is 200% and they still make money either way, the shit just ain't right. And know, Orvis charges $60 to send a rod in for repair, and that's OK with me. We have to own something in this. Now that brings me to Simms.....
Now I'm having my own little thing with Simms right now, but I'll digress. While searching the internnet to see if any of the fly fishing magazines, blogs, or opinion writers have written on this, I found the above letter from a post that was posted yesterday. It was written from an unhappy camper who purchased a $800+ pair of G3 waders in October 2022, that's less than 6 months ago, and he hasn't fished them for two of those months. The above is the reply he recieved back from them. Below is Simms statement, standing behind their warranty....
You can see that within 365 days "Waders- repairs on us". But that's for something that went wrong, "a defect in material or workmanship", but they also state above "Simms will make every effort to repair your gear for a reasonable fee", not that sounds reasonable. But they guy didn't get correspondence back, he did get the above letter, with his waders, stating, "When this determination is made, a red stamp is applied to the inside of the product. This stamp signifies a product is no longer eligible for future repairs". WHAT? WTF? It's like the guy was trying to pull a fast one over on Simms! All he wanted to do was get his waders fixed and go fishing?
But what got the guys goat, and caused him to put up a post titled "FU Simms", was the friendly line, "We trust that your Simms product contributed to positive fishing memories", talk about putting salt in the wound. Now figure this, Northeast guy, got them in October, maybe fished a few days into December, and then nothing for the last two months......."memories"....c'mon man, he didn't even catch a fish!
So I am facing a similar situation with Simms, but I am taking the high road. I have been back and forth and submitted all kinds of supportive data for my case. You'll remember I have journaled my journey into buying my own pair of G3's last January, getting them and putting then into service in March. We shall see how it plays out, although my hope is little.
The guys post blew up, 353 comments regarding it, with a lot of support of Patagonia and Orvis. Simms was recently sold, in July 2022, to Vista Outdoors, for $192 million dollars. Simms was started by guide and fly fisherman John Simms in 1980. He's 85 now, and is still hardcore, that's him below. I wonder with the original owner at the helm would stuff liken this have been handled?
Everything has become a business these days, healthcare, fly fishing, well it is, but has it gone too far the other way? The pendulum always swings, it used to be this way, goes way too far the other way, and where it should be is somewhere in the middle. Orvis, either replace or fix my rod and I'll pay for it, Simms just fix the guys waders, and to you I say be careful who you align yourself with and where you spend your money. Like they say, and how I roll, "It's better at times to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission", and I think some of these guarentee and warranty claims by the businesses treat it more like that. Claim something, get the sales because of it, and then go back on your word or make the customer go through hell fighting for it. Just wait until you hear my Simms story......
