You guys are gonna love this one...

[Hopingforthebest]

So i bought a boat cover from Cabelas almost 2 years ago. I live in phoenix,az so it gets a beating in the summer. I bought the medium grade one that has a 5 year warranty. It didnt quite last 2 years so I take it to Cabelas for a replacement and they say, "you need to send it to the manufacturer." I tell them its a Cabela brand. ???? I guess there was a warranty card that came in the box that said that even though it says Cabelas on the boat cover box. Personally i never fill those out cause its just a way for them to send you junk mail. Anyways so the guy tells me its only covered for one year. ??? I said but the box SAYS 5 year. He claims thats only against manufacturer defects. I started laughing and said well then what the hell does that cover then. He said well if the threads come loose or something then they would replace it but general wear and tear from the sun won't be covered. I love Cabelas but this was really getting stupid. I know the guy was just doing his job and i could tell he thought it was a dumb policy too. In the end the customer service supervisor still took care of me and let me pick put a replacement. Thank god, cause i paid 67.99 2 years ago and the new price for the exact same cover was now $109. Yuck

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Well in all honesty I am on the side of Cabelas. Every Manufacture's warranty is built that way whether it is a TV, camera, or boat cover. Normal Wear and Tear is never covered. I deal with manufactures everyday......its a pain in the butt.

IMHO you bought a cheap cover. It lasted 2 years in a harsh environment. I'd say that is pretty much a win.

I bet the customer service guy didn't think it was a dumb policy, he was probably just irritated that he had a customer laughing at after he explained the policy for the 100th time that day.

 

[STARCRAFT16SS]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

At least the customer service supervisor came through for you...false ad on warranty?
I guess I would need to read the fine print on the warranty....

 

[Pony]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

At least the customer service supervisor came through for you...false ad on warranty?
I guess I would need to read the fine print on the warranty....

There isn't a false advertisment on the warranty. Its manufactures defects only. Most are like that. Leaving the cover exposed to the hot AZ heat isn't a manufactures defect. Its not even a fine print issue.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

You should be glad you got two years out of it in AZ. You think $109.00 is expensive? Go price a good Sunbrella cover

 

[sasada]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

IMHO sounds like you got a great deal! I would have never expected that they would have exchanged it for a new one....btw I too think $100 for a boat cover is inexpensive.

 

[ricohman]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

$100 cover. I wouldn't expect it to last much longer then a year.

 

[NetDoc]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If I am buying a boat cover with a five year warranty, I expect it to last five years unless I tear it up. It's a cover and should be designed to withstand the sun and heat. I am glad they made it right.

 

[roscoe]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I'm with Pony here.
But, major retailers often will come through for you.
Still a bit surprised they did in this case.


25 years ago, I dated a dept manager for a major department store.
Their policy was that the customer always got what they wanted.

They would have customers bring back shoes, even sneakers, that had been worn for 6-12 months.
Totally trash can material.
If the customer said they didn't hold up, or didn't fit right, they got a replacement pair.

The abusers that figured this out, knew they could get free replacement shoes indefinitely.

Kind of explained why their prices were double the competition.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I am just starting a conversation with Wise a seat thats failed in less than 7 mounths, will see how it goes.

 

[oregoncruiser]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

You complaining about a cover that you invested a whopping $.10/day in?? With that standard I'm not sure how you can afford to put gas in that boat.

 

[BonairII]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

If I bought a cover with a 5 year warranty, I expect it to last 5 years. I would certainly expect fading and "normal wear and tear", but if it fell apart before the warranty period ended...I would expect a replacement(or whatever).

If the manufacturer is luring people to buy their product by touting the warranty....they should honor that warranty.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

...If the manufacturer is luring people to buy their product by touting the warranty....they should honor that warranty.

Yep - 100 percent agree. You slap a big 5 Year Warranty banner on your box on a product meant for the outdoors you are asking for trouble. Would i expect a $100 cover to last 5 years? Not really...but i would be attracted by a seemingly impressive claim like that. I bet the defect disclaimer is buried nice and deep on page 8 of the fine print. Bah - I'm so sick of marketing bs. A pox on all their houses....

Good on the store making it right.

 

[BonairII]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Good on the store making it right.

In many cases, the store is forced to "make good" on the warranty because consumers will blame the retailer for the problem(because they sold the so-called "defective" item) and no longer shop there.

The retailer will then request(more like....demand) that the manufacturer take the item back.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Its manufactures defects only.

They used defective material and thread that wouldn't last 5 years under normal conditions in AZ....

(I'm lucky to get 4 years out of a mid grade canvas cover in similar desert conditions.)

I don't blame the OP for asking to have the "Cabela's" cover warrantied at the Cabela's store. Shipping it back to China/India/Thailand/etc for a manufacturer warranty could get expensive...

 

[ZachDean]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

I'm with cabelas on this one too. Think about it like brake pads.. They are sold with a lifetime warranty. When they have worn out the did their job stopping the vehicle. they shouldn't have to be replaced for doing what they were designed to do wether it was in a harsh environment with lots of stops and heavy loads or light use. same thing with the cover.. It was in a harsh environment and it wore out instead of your boat wearing out. it did its job and didn't tear up or allow the elements to get to the boat.

 

[V153]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

You get what you pay for. If I were you I'd consider myself very lucky'n stfu. Cheapskates are always bringing their pos foreign made covers & biminis into my shop. Wanting me to repair em or make em fit their boat, for free of course.

They say things like, "It's real easy, you just need to do this'n that ..."

Yeah I'll just wave my magic needle ... Aholes

 

[BonairII]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

Is 'faulty stitching' the only thing that falls under the so-called "warranty"? If that's true than slapping a giant "5 YEAR WARRANTY" on the box is purposely misleading.

If the manufacturer was honest and placed "It's only $99....so don't expect much" on the box then I would be happy to buy another cover in a year or so.

If they want to play cute with the misleading "warranty".....I'd play cute right back, with a misleading RETURN.

 

[JoLin]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

$100 cover. I wouldn't expect it to last much longer then a year.

So if I buy a '2-year' cover I should consider myself lucky if it lasts 5 months?

I'm with the OP on this one. Misleading advertising has become so commonplace that everybody accepts it as the norm.

'This product is guaranteed for 5 years, provided you don't open the package'

Gimme a break. Cabela's did what they should have done- they stood behind a product that THEY sell to THEIR customers.

My .02

 

[joed]

Re: You guys are gonna love this one...

A boat cover is intended to be used outside. It should be expected to withstand exposure to the sun just like is is expected to be waterproof and keep the rain out. If it didn't last the guaranteed 5 years then it is defect to me.