[DirtySteve]

People ripped off Cabela's all the time on that warranty. They would bring in boots, clothing, etc, that was totally worn out and just exchange it for new.

There were also a lot of "renters". People would buy things, use them for the season, then return them.

I dont want to bash cabelas here....but isnt that the point of the lifetime warranty?? If it wears out in your lifetime they replace it. How is that taking advantage of the store when that is the service they are providing you up front? In no way can that be conceived as ripping off the store.

The idea behind it is that they sell more of their own products because of it.....and only a small percentage if purchasers ever return the item.

Using something and returning for the money back is a different issue.



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[Wild Thing]

I dont want to bash cabelas here....but isnt that the point of the lifetime warranty?? If it wears out in your lifetime they replace it. How is that taking advantage of the store when that is the service they are providing you up front? In no way can that be conceived as ripping off the store.

The idea behind it is that they sell more of their own products because of it.....and only a small percentage if purchasers ever return the item.
Using something and returning for the money back is a different issue.
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I have to disagree with that line of thinking DirtySteve. Almost every warranty in the world excludes "normal wear and tear" and warrants only the workmanship and quality of the product. Try putting 60,000 miles on your truck tires and asking for free replacement because they "wore out"...or as someone else mentioned - wearing out a pair of shoes or boots and then asking for a new pair because they "wore out". I don't believe the Cabela brothers ever intended for their warranty to include normal wear and tear but they did honor those requests - probably until their undoing. If the product was defective or failed because of faulty workmanship then the warranty should cover it....normal wear and tear over many years of use - I don't think so.

I have to agree that those people that took advantage of that type of abuse were ripping off the store...albeit, a higher power than I will ultimately determine their character.

 

[Waif]

I dont want to bash cabelas here....but isnt that the point of the lifetime warranty?? If it wears out in your lifetime they replace it. How is that taking advantage of the store when that is the service they are providing you up front? In no way can that be conceived as ripping off the store.

The idea behind it is that they sell more of their own products because of it.....and only a small percentage if purchasers ever return the item.

Using something and returning for the money back is a different issue.



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You would be fine with replacing items worn out through use vs insuring they don't fail due to manufacturing defects within their expected lifespans under normal use?
Not a business model that is going to thrive in certain product lines.

I bought a few items from Cabela's ,starting when they were a little black and white catalog about a quarter inch thick.
In today's competitive market ,replacing worn through normal use products would require price points that the majority of consumers will shun.
Continuing the practice is profit killing.

Sure would like to get my truck exchanged free for a new one.......But there is a reason it won't happen.

 

[DirtySteve]

You would be fine with replacing items worn out through use vs insuring they don't fail due to manufacturing defects within their expected lifespans under normal use?
Not a business model that is going to thrive in certain product lines.

I bought a few items from Cabela's ,starting when they were a little black and white catalog about a quarter inch thick.
In today's competitive market ,replacing worn through normal use products would require price points that the majority of consumers will shun.
Continuing the practice is profit killing.

Sure would like to get my truck exchanged free for a new one.......But there is a reason it won't happen.

Your truck isnt guaranteed for life

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[DirtySteve]

I have to disagree with that line of thinking DirtySteve. Almost every warranty in the world excludes "normal wear and tear" and warrants only the workmanship and quality of the product. Try putting 60,000 miles on your truck tires and asking for free replacement because they "wore out"...or as someone else mentioned - wearing out a pair of shoes or boots and then asking for a new pair because they "wore out". I don't believe the Cabela brothers ever intended for their warranty to include normal wear and tear but they did honor those requests - probably until their undoing. If the product was defective or failed because of faulty workmanship then the warranty should cover it....normal wear and tear over many years of use - I don't think so.

I have to agree that those people that took advantage of that type of abuse were ripping off the store...albeit, a higher power than I will ultimately determine their character.

If my truck tires were guaranteed for life and they wore out at 60k miles I would certainly ask to have them replaced. Most auto parts stores have lifetime warranty brake pads and they replace them for me without question when I do my brake jobs. How is that any different?

I am not saying a guy should go out and tear a hole in a rain jacket and ask for replacement. I dont think they would replace it under those circumstances and I dont believe they would. But if my rain coat has a lifetime warranty against leaking and 5 yrs into wearing it I begin getting soaked everytime I put it on because the coating on the fabric is worn off I am returning it.

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[Groundsize]

The Cabelas lifetime warranty is what brought people to the store and to buy the Cabelas name products over anyone else's. It's simple business, sell your product with the best warranty and your sales go through the roof. Discontinue those deals/ backing of product for supposed better numbers with lower quality goods and watch them tumble. The margins were through the roof and Cabelas made a mint off it. Not sure what's hard to understand here.

 

[Wild Thing]

If my truck tires were guaranteed for life and they wore out at 60k miles I would certainly ask to have them replaced. Most auto parts stores have lifetime warranty brake pads and they replace them for me without question when I do my brake jobs. How is that any different?

I am not saying a guy should go out and tear a hole in a rain jacket and ask for replacement. I dont think they would replace it under those circumstances and I dont believe they would. But if my rain coat has a lifetime warranty against leaking and 5 yrs into wearing it I begin getting soaked everytime I put it on because the coating on the fabric is worn off I am returning it.

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Like Waif said, there is a reason that most consumable products don't have a lifetime guarantee - they wear out and nobody would expect to get a free replacement just because they wore out. I don't know for certain but I believe Cablela's had a lifetime warranty on just about everything they sold - which probably wasn't the soundest business practice when they had to start replacing boots, clothing, hats, you name it.

Have you ever been to a Cabela's Bargain Cave DirtySteve? All of the products in their Bargain Caves were returned under warranty. Many...and I mean Many of those items were just plain worn out. They outlived their useful lives, yet they were returned for refund or replacement. I think that is taking advantage of the intent of the warranty. I don't blame Bass Pro Shops for scrapping that policy at all. It just isn't good business.

 

[DirtySteve]

Like Waif said, there is a reason that most consumable products don't have a lifetime guarantee - they wear out and nobody would expect to get a free replacement just because they wore out. I don't know for certain but I believe Cablela's had a lifetime warranty on just about everything they sold - which probably wasn't the soundest business practice when they had to start replacing boots, clothing, hats, you name it.

Have you ever been to a Cabela's Bargain Cave DirtySteve? All of the products in their Bargain Caves were returned under warranty. Many...and I mean Many of those items were just plain worn out. They outlived their useful lives, yet they were returned for refund or replacement. I think that is taking advantage of the intent of the warranty. I don't blame Bass Pro Shops for scrapping that policy at all. It just isn't good business.

It seems the business model worked fine for many decades and cabelas was very profitable. I think what you dont see is that very very few people return items for warranty issues. They will buy an item because of a warranty and then just forget that they had it or they are to lazy to take the time to return it. Even more so with cabelas because for decades most of their customers had to ship items to return them. That is a hassle. For me I have to travel an hour to take an item back even now. The number of items you see in the bargain cave is a small drop in the bucket compared to the actual sales. They also recoup their losses in the bargain cave. They are only losing a portion of profit not a total loss. Most of what is in the bargin cave is clearance items not cabelas brand items.

I am sure a bean counter is responsible for this decision.....often a bean counter that doesnt see the bigger picture.

It is unfortunate that the cabelas family didnt have the business sense or knowledge of how to protect the company when going public. They ran a great private company that was very profitable for decades. Investment activists swooped in and broke the company apart.






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[DirtySteve]

I read an article once about the visa credit card franchise that cabelas owned. It was the most profitable visa franchise in visa's history. It had loyal card holders that used their card religiously and they had the lowest default rate. It was said that cabelas customers were the most fiscally responsible credit hard holders in the world. This was one of the major attractions for the venture capitalists that bought into cabelas with the plans to break apart the company.

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[ESOX]

Johnny Morris is a crook. BPS used to sell Loomis rods with a no questions asked lifetime warranty from BPS. Then, without any notice they changed the policy, AND rescinded the terms under which I had purchased numerous rods. Screw BPS sideways............

 

[bwlacy]

I would love to support small mom and pop stores if there were any left in West Michigan. Most all of them are gone and the few that remain don't ever have what I want or need.

I guess it's mail order only for the most part. I have noticed that Cabela's selection since BPS took over has gone to crap also. The one in Grandville doesn't have much anymore for hunting clothing, treestands, etc..

 

[ESOX]

I spend almost all of my outdoors dollars at SDI, Jays, and Franks (In that order). Spend some at Northwoods, never had a bad experience there, just seem to like the other stores better.

 

[Groundsize]

I would love to support small mom and pop stores if there were any left in West Michigan. Most all of them are gone and the few that remain don't ever have what I want or need.

I guess it's mail order only for the most part. I have noticed that Cabela's selection since BPS took over has gone to crap also. The one in Grandville doesn't have much anymore for hunting clothing, treestands, etc..

What about D&R sports in Kalamazoo on M43? I love that store. They have all the terminal gear for hunting and fishing. Family owned by KVD father and father inlaw.

 

[Floater]

Esox,
I sure that Johnny Morris was just passing along new Shimano's policy. Shimano tanked the Loomis lifetime warranty once they acquired G Loomis. I broke a GLX after 20 years. I tried to use the Expediter program to have it replaced, which covered accidental breakage as well as normal wear and tear. I couldn't find my model number on the website form so I called Shimano/Loomis. They told me that the lifetime warranty no longer applied to my rod because it was too old. Go figure. No amount of arguing helped. I'm guessing that Shimano stopped honoring the warranty to BPS and Johnny Morris passed it on to you. Trickle down screwing.....

By the way, the bargain cave at the Chesterfield Cabelas was already closed on Saturday.

 

[bwlacy]

What about D&R sports in Kalamazoo on M43? I love that store. They have all the terminal gear for hunting and fishing. Family owned by KVD father and father inlaw.

What about D&R sports in Kalamazoo on M43? I love that store. They have all the terminal gear for hunting and fishing. Family owned by KVD father and father inlaw.

Never been there. I live 30 minutes north of GR and there just isn't much left. Hesperia has the most probably and that isn't really close.

 

[DirtySteve]

Esox,
I sure that Johnny Morris was just passing along new Shimano's policy. Shimano tanked the Loomis lifetime warranty once they acquired G Loomis. I broke a GLX after 20 years. I tried to use the Expediter program to have it replaced, which covered accidental breakage as well as normal wear and tear. I couldn't find my model number on the website form so I called Shimano/Loomis. They told me that the lifetime warranty no longer applied to my rod because it was too old. Go figure. No amount of arguing helped. I'm guessing that Shimano stopped honoring the warranty to BPS and Johnny Morris passed it on to you. Trickle down screwing.....

By the way, the bargain cave at the Chesterfield Cabelas was already closed on Saturday.

You make some great points about shimano and g Loomis. It seems shimano and rapala have a stranglehold on fishing products these days.

As far as the bargain caves.......I am sure that they have learned the online liquidation is a more profitable option. Either through their site or thru a company that specializes in it.

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[Groundsize]

Never been there. I live 30 minutes north of GR and there just isn't much left. Hesperia has the most probably and that isn't really close.

Well its worth the hour drive from Howard City area I can tell ya.

 

[bwlacy]

Well its worth the hour drive from Howard City area I can tell ya.

I'll have to check it out sometime. Al and Bob's moved and I hear they aren't worth going to anymore either.

 

[bwlacy]

I sure won't be buying any Cabela's brand glass without the lifetime warranty either. Curious about all the previous sales. The Euro HD binos are pretty nice, but not without a warranty. Swaro's are only a little bit more money.

 

[Waif]

If my truck tires were guaranteed for life and they wore out at 60k miles I would certainly ask to have them replaced. Most auto parts stores have lifetime warranty brake pads and they replace them for me without question when I do my brake jobs. How is that any different?

I am not saying a guy should go out and tear a hole in a rain jacket and ask for replacement. I dont think they would replace it under those circumstances and I dont believe they would. But if my rain coat has a lifetime warranty against leaking and 5 yrs into wearing it I begin getting soaked everytime I put it on because the coating on the fabric is worn off I am returning it.

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What? Lifetime pads being replaced at who's labor expense?
Brake pads made harder and sold for a couple more dollars is a bit different than items that cost hundreds being replaced due to abuse ,neglect or I just don't like it.

If I continue to purchase more expensive items from Cabela's I will expect a warranty.
Lifetime? Who's lifetime? My short remains compared to durable goods ,or Cabela's's changing one?
Regardless ,I won't lose sleep over it.