# Sage Customer Service.



## Salty_South (Feb 25, 2009)

Felt inclined to tell everyone this.  I don't want to be a sissy girl about it but it may help someone make an expensive decision in the future!

When my Loomis broke, they sent me a new rod within 5 or 6 days with a tube to send back my broken rod in.  This cost $50, not bad.

When I ordered my last TFO direct, it got here in 4 days.

I recently snapped the tip of my Sage Xi3.  They told me to ship it to them, and the charge would be $50.  I shipped it back a month ago.  I got an email from Sage a week or so ago saying that their current turn around time is 3-5 weeks before they will ship it back.  I have to wait up to 2 months for a darn tip?!


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

It gets better. I sent my entire rod back to Sage for a $50 warranty repair. I waited over a month for a new tip section. When I got it back the color didn't match the other section. They were both gold just very different. Sort of like having the fender fixed on your car and they use the wrong color. I called immediately and was told the don't guarantee color matching. 

That was the last time I dealt with them. I don't intend to ever again.


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## iFly (Mar 9, 2010)

> It gets better. I sent my entire rod back to Sage for a $50 warranty repair. I waited over a month for a new tip section. When I got it back the color didn't match the other section. They were both gold just very different. Sort of like having the fender fixed on your car and they use the wrong color.* I called immediately and was told the don't guarantee color matching. *
> 
> That was the last time I dealt with them. I don't intend to ever again.


I doubt that people would buy rods from Sage that were miss-matched but, they expect people to accept a miss-match as a replacement?


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## Salty_South (Feb 25, 2009)

Wow, thats seriously messed up!  What kind of company charges a customer for a frankenstein rod?


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

My experiences with Sage, to date, have been pretty good... Hope that's not going to change.  Some of my rods have been back to them as many as three times in a single year.  Their repair rates have gone up a bit since I sent my first one, about 12 years ago.  Depending on the model you're sending back they may not still be making that particular blank... if that's the case they should step up and say they can't match it and give the owner some options... The next time I talk to the Sage rep I'll be asking about this and post up whatever the response is.


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## richwalker71 (Feb 11, 2010)

When I break a tip on a fly rod, I have found that the butt section breaks too.


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

I have been lucky and only had to use the warranty once and it was about 4 weeks but rod matched perfect.


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## iFly (Mar 9, 2010)

> My experiences with Sage, to date, have been pretty good... Hope that's not going to change.  Some of my rods have been back to them as many as three times in a single year.  Their repair rates have gone up a bit since I sent my first one, about 12 years ago.  Depending on the model you're sending back they may not still be making that particular blank... if that's the case they should step up and say they can't match it and give the owner some options... *The next time I talk to the Sage rep I'll be asking about this and post up whatever the response is.*


Yes, please post the response. I don't have a dog in this hunt (I own Orvis and gLoomis a couple others but, no Sage). My rod reps have always exceeded my expectations. They UP-grade, they don't DOWN-grade my replacements. I really hope that Sage didn't do this to you. If they did they just put a piece of crap out there for everyone to see. Bad advertising!!!!!!

I take you at your word Tom. That just sucks!


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## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

> When I break a tip on a fly rod, I have found that the butt section breaks too.


Depends on the company, but usually when mine break, it is catastrophic with replacement the better option than repair!   Call me bad, but I didn't put the Lifetime Unconditional stuff on high price rods, and I doubt anybody on this site did either!!! 

You should get what you pay for, and most upper end rods have no problem charging the price, so I have no problem getting what I paid for, one way or another.  

As a final note, I have Sage, Scott, and TFO rods and have had no problems with any of those companies, but if I had to rate one above the other two ---- TFO is superb and gets stuff done just a hair longer than "right now"!!! 

Good Fishing!!!


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## skinnywater3 (Feb 8, 2009)

Sage's Customer Service has been very good to me.


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## phwhite101 (Mar 3, 2010)

Customer service plays a big part in my decision when comparing rods. When there are so many choices in the high end fly rod market a manufacturer must stand by their product and repair or replace as necessary to the satisfaction of the customer. If Sage or any other company fails to make good, word will get out in the community and sales will drop. As a custom rod builder I think I may take a little better care of my equipment than someone that buys off the shelf. If I break it, I have to fix it. Accidents do happen and one should not have to wait more than a month for a replacement especially after paying over $700 for the rod. I have plenty of back-ups in every salt water weight (my wife doesn’t get it) so the wait isn’t going to kill me, a miss matched color in a blank still in production would piss me off though.


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## Michael (Jul 22, 2009)

I ALWAYS consider customer service when making a fly rod purchase. I've had fantastic customer service on several occasions with my GLoomis rods and rate them exceptionally high with TFO microseconds behind them. Reddington was also excellent. My only experience with Sage was not satisfying although I do still enjoy casting my two Rplx rods I will not replace them with another Sage rod unless they upgrade their CS.


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## flydipper (Sep 29, 2009)

I am with Capt Lemay- I have never had a problem and find them to be very helpful. I do have back-ups to use until the busted one gets home. I only use sage- maybe that helps


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## iFly (Mar 9, 2010)

> ...I have never had a problem and find them to be very helpful... *I only use Sage- maybe that helps*


Lets hope NOT. If this is true then I would have one more big negative to put down for NOT buying Sage.


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## Guest (Jan 5, 2011)

Well I have my share of expensive fly rods and have been very lucky to date. I have only had to send in two rods that were broken and they were both St Croix. Both times they sent me back a new tip section that did not match the action of the rod it was for. Regardless to say I no longer own those rods, on another note to all of you sporting GLoomis rods. Your warranty is not the same as it was when you bought it. Check with your local dealer and ask about there warranty, you will be shocked. They are owned by Shimano and you get one repair at an elevated price than before and if you need another repair it is full price. I guess times are tough all over :-?


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## iFly (Mar 9, 2010)

> ...to all of you sporting GLoomis rods. Your warranty is not the same as it was when you bought it. Check with your local dealer and ask about there warranty, you will be shocked. They are owned by Shimano and you get one repair at an elevated price than before and if you need another repair it is full price. I guess times are tough all over :-?


ALL of my Shimano and G-Loomis rods have been direct replacement rods. I'm not even a "Captain". Yes, the policy of ANY company can change at ANY time but, the experience of just your average every day fishing guy (like me) has been equal or better EVERY time from Shimano, G-Loomis, Orvis and Redington.  

Sorry that Shimano/G-Loomis didn't give you the same service that I received in 2010. I have NO plans to stop buying from any of these guys. But, I'm always keeping an eye out.


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## Salty_South (Feb 25, 2009)

Just got my rod back in the mail yesterday! FINALLY!! I think I sent it back last November. All the colors match up though. I sure love casting the Xi3 but doubt I will purchase another rod from Sage again.


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## Bill_Nosan (Dec 14, 2008)

Sage, Winston, Scott, and most other high-end mfg's have a fairly long wait for repairs. You can usually expect about six weeks. As long as you know that up front, it doesn't pizz me off.

Loomis expeditor was the best, but it's changed, somewhat. And yeah, TFO warranty is top notch.


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## Yoreese (Oct 15, 2009)

> Sage, Winston, Scott, and most other high-end mfg's have a fairly long wait for repairs. You can usually expect about six weeks. As long as you know that up front, it doesn't pizz me off.
> 
> Loomis expeditor was the best, but it's changed, somewhat. And yeah, TFO warranty is top notch.


I agree 4-6 weeks is about the norm. Not a problem unless it's tarpon season and it's your only 12wt!  But that's a good excuse to buy a new rod!!!!!


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## Salty_South (Feb 25, 2009)

I hear you guys there... If you know about it before you purchase, then your fate is sealed. 

What changed with the Loomis expediter service?

And I agree, TFO is the bomb!!!


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