Cabela's Just Lost a Customer!!

Back story;
In February of 2017 I went to Cabela's in Christiana for a new surf rod, specifically Tsunami Airwave. The Cabela's salesman explained that Sea Striker (Cabela's brand) used the same blank as Tsunami. He also said I get a lifetime warranty with the Sea Striker, so I purchased the Sea Striker. Moving forward, the rod snapped while landing a fish this past summer. I took the rod back to Cabela's today WITH THE RECEIPT. I was going to swap the rod with the same only to find out Cabela's no longer sells those rods, Sea Striker. The manager then informs me, since that brand is no longer sold or exists, the lifetime warranty is not valid and won't refund my money or exchange the rod for any other brand regardless of price. I then introduced the receipt which got me store credit for the price of the rod.
Needless to say I'm done with Cabela's. I'm aware it all worked out but what about the next consumer who purchased a Cabela's brand product and shows up without the receipt?!!?

 

Thankful you had the receipt!

 

In Canada they do not longer have lifetime warranty even on Cabelas brand. Not on their site anymore. Got a food dehydrator - 1 year warranty.

 

A little late with this drop-in but... I got this new dog, he's a hybrid commonly referred to as a, "Whippadore". Half yellow lab, half whippet. Fluffy, friendly and fast, fast-fast! Probably the most loving animal that has ever adopted me. The dog can peer into my soul and fix stuff I didn't know was broken. Anyway, I'm getting him trained/credentialed as my PTSD service animal. He can't do anything for me to prevent the full blown "combat flashback" or whatever the pill pushers are calling it now, but he will be able to keep me in check during social situations when things get rude. I tend to go full potato on the entitled folks when they treat an elder (specifically our dwindling Greatest Generation) with less than their deserved respect. Good stuff indeed.

Oh, I almost forgot... I'm also teaching him to $h*t on command in box stores when some D-bag manager fails at life. Probably should have lead this story with that piece of info.

AJ - Taco'd and Proud.

 

Tica has great service. No more cabelas branded fishing gear for me either

 

I wouldnt be very happy about that either. I love cabelas but I hardly ever buy anything there since theyre prices are never that great.

 

I feel Cabela's went down hill after bass pro acquired them.

 

I feel Cabela's went down hill after bass pro acquired them.

THIS!

 

Ahhh, did not know this and it explains everything. The offering of lifetime warranties is a trickle down marketing benefit. Short term losses are taken for customer fidelity and long term profits. When upper management focuses only on short term profit, to their own demise, they lack wisdom.
Where has integrity and wisdom gone these days? ...hard to find.

 

Cabelas quality of their own brand products had been going downhill for years before Bass Pro bought them out. Their 'old' DRY PLUS gear put Gore Tex to shame......had jackets and boots that were waterproof for years!!! Never had any of their brand products that needed warranty replacement either. In more recent times, quality seems to have suffered, but prices climbed compared to 'name brands' they sold. I bought TONS of stuff from them over the years and never had a single issue.

Now, I don't even open one of their cataloges (sp?) up when they come in the mail - right into the 'circular file' (can't recycle magazines here).

Will not buy anything from them anymore.....Also had a Cabela's Club VISA - they increased the interest rate every month for almost 2 years straight before I dropped it. When I cancelled it, the guy at the bank asked why......what a dumb shit!

 

Let me play devils advocate - just because this thread needs some fire.

I hear your point but honestly do not believe you have anything to be angry about. I feel that you are actually lucky to have been given store credit. The thing is a lifetime warranty is usually for defects in materials or workmanship, not for simply breaking an item. If your rod broke while landing a fish then any reasonable person with fishing experience would know that the rod was bent beyond what it was intended to and broke due to that, not a failure in material or workmanship. Add on that you did not initially provide a receipt would make the situation even more difficult because you could presumably not even be the first purchaser of the rod. It seems from your story that once you provided the receipt your transaction went smoothly.

I don't work in a store like this anymore but I did when I was in my twenties and honestly people tried to scam us everyday for new product or credit. People would bring in broken items they found in the trash or a garage sale and try to get store credit for it, claiming they had purchased it only to admit they hadn't once we looked up their entire purchase history. Or even people bringing in items they had shop lifted for a credit later down the road. If lifetime warranties did cover simple breakages then what would stop someone from hitting their item with a hammer, breaking it, and returning it for a new one every year? Now there are many times that items are in fact defective and deserve replacement but more times than not the customer just broke the item and the warranty should not come into play.

 

This. Exactly this. They seemed nice enough to make it work and did their best to satisfy the customer. I’m not sure exactly what customers expect nowadays. They honored the warranty with credit because they no longer carried the product. I’ve firsthand seen them replace their rotomolded cooler after my friend’s got scrapped up by a curious black bear, no questions asked. That’s great customer service to me. Maybe it’s how you went about it or presented yourself in the situation? Demeanor can go a long way.

Also to answer your final question. Their free rewards program will also track previous purchases if I recall correctly.

 

I wouldn't get worked up. All the high end rod makers have dropped lifetime warranty on their gear.

Blame it on the internet. People were buying old rods that they knew had lifetime warrentees, breaking them on purpose then getting the latest models as replacement. They would then list them for sale and get top dollar for a never used rod.

You can't blame Bass Pro Shops.

 

When the Cabelas salesman convinces me to by Sea Striker (Cabelas brand) and says just bring it back for replacement if it breaks... No where did the warranty designate user error. The rod had Cabelas in the moulding of it. Let me buy the brand I want, the salesman, being a salesman I should have known!
You can be 'devils advocate' all you like. I will never patron Cabelas/Bass Pro again. I was not scamming them as you said you have witnessed in your career, by that logic no warranty should be honored. Wrong is wrong, this is a world with no ethics or honor and people are ok with that.
I'll patron the 'Mom and Pop' stores from here on out. Cabelas/BassPro is no different from Walmart. I'd rather pay 20% more than deal with those supermarket stores.

 

They did track this purchase back to me, it did not matter. The receipt is what made the difference.

 

Salesmen don't always know what product is or isn't going to be available later. I hardly believe he was trying to lure you into a product knowing it won't be available. He suggested it because it was a good deal at the time for you. Most likely did not know about what would occur.

I order parts for security systems across the US and get constantly asked to order discontinued and obsolete parts. Products change, companies change, companies quit. Shit happens.

 

I am happy that you will begin supporting local mom and pops, that is great and honestly more people should do so. However I disagree that in following my logic that one would assume that no warranty should be honored. Do you honestly believe that a company should warranty a product that has been broken by the purchaser of the product? Do you not believe that it is the purchasers responsibility to provide proof of purchase? Finally, do you not believe that it is possible to distinguish between a defect in materials/workmanship and the purchaser simply breaking it?

I too tend to agree that the world we live in today lacks ethics and morals, which is exactly why a company must have strict rules for their warranty. People trying to scam a company or store is far more common than you would tend to believe. In the end, since you provided your receipt, you were given compensation for a rod that you broke - so what's the problem?

Also - I assume that you are a grown man so this pity me argument regarding the "evil" salesman (probably a 17 year old kid) forcing you to buy a different brand of rod than you intended is weak. Sorry if I cant level with you here but I believe that a grown man has god given free will to make their own decision, regardless of outside influence. That is the rod YOU chose, deal with it.

 

I enjoyed your post!
Put up some pictures of that pup.

 

That's normal in all industries. Lifetime warranty is only valid during the time product is sold. Keep receipts on everything. One reason I online shop other than saving money.

 

Honestly I’ve had nothing but great service at Cabela’s. I also research extensively before buying gear, and know exactly what I’m buying. I wouldn’t seek advise or product recommendations from someone when it comes to fishing gear, or most any outdoor gear for that matter. It’s not that I think cabelas employees are idiots, rather than me arming myself with all the knowledge I need before buying something. I guess if you know that it’s a big box store with non-specialist employees, it’s should be treated as such, leaving the burden on the customer. If I go to a specialty outdoor store (say an archery shop), I’d expect expertise and credibility. Most ma and pa shops I’ve shopped at have actually had worse service.