The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
So last night some jack ass in new jersey tomahawk chopped my brand new stick into 2 pieces. I went and applied for a return authorization from warrior. However,it says they won't take it back if it came from contact with another player, board, etc.....how do they know how it broke?
I'm not a hockey expert but I do have a fair amount of expertise with golf equipment. When you send back a golf club to get it replaced they know where the shaft can break under normal circumstances (under the grip, at the neck, on the kickpoint) and they know the telltale signs of other kinds of damage.
I would assume that a hockey company would know the same about their sticks. They know how the structure of the stick works and they know how and why it would break. Therefore I would assume they will be able to figure out how it broke.
I'm not a hockey expert but I do have a fair amount of expertise with golf equipment. When you send back a golf club to get it replaced they know where the shaft can break under normal circumstances (under the grip, at the neck, on the kickpoint) and they know the telltale signs of other kinds of damage.
I would assume that a hockey company would know the same about their sticks. They know how the structure of the stick works and they know how and why it would break. Therefore I would assume they will be able to figure out how it broke.
Correct. The warranty is for manufacturer's DEFECTS, not the user slamming the stick on the ice or someone else breaking the stick.
Well, they just emailed me the return authorization. The same thing happened to me with a Christian 1 piece and they sent me a new one. I guess I'll just have have to keep my fingers crossed. Thanks for the input fellas.
Where on the shaft would it be expected to break due to defect?
Send it in and let them make the assessment. Technically you probably shouldn't, but if it's brand new and broke from a slash, it could have been defective.
Send it in and let them make the assessment. Technically you probably shouldn't, but if it's brand new and broke from a slash, it could have been defective.
Indeed. Even when you break a stick on a shot, there's normally been a slash or some other impact that has weakened the stick to the point where the shot breaks it, legit manufacturing defects are fairly rare. Manufacturers say they won't replace a stick that broke due to slashes and whatnot, but in practice they often do. May as well send it in and see if they give you a new one, although the replacement may not be the same model/curve/flex.
When you get an RA#, there's no guarantee that the company will give you a replacement and/or repair the item. The RA# is for the vendor to process the return and assess the item whether it's under warranty or not; basically they put the item under "warranty consideration". Companies can tell whether the item is defective in the manufacturing process or if the item broke due to misuse/abuse. I don't work in the hockey industry, but in the golf industry and I make about 20 calls a week to various manufacturers regarding warranty consideration on "defective" equipment. Half of the golf clubs with broken shafts are due to golfers that have bad technique; yet the customer always will claim it's defective.
Otherwise known as: The sneakier I am about it, the more likely I am to successfully commit fraud.
Fraud seems a little harsh! Im leaving it up to the people who designed the stick to see if they were at fault. You say it broke, its up for them to decide how it broke and if they want to fullfil it. Easton takes care of their customers and in doing so they have mad a lifelong customer out of me.
Fraud seems a little harsh! Im leaving it up to the people who designed the stick to see if they were at fault. You say it broke, its up for them to decide how it broke and if they want to fullfil it. Easton takes care of their customers and in doing so they have mad a lifelong customer out of me.
Sorry for being blunt, I've just seen too many dishonest people try this sort of thing. On the flip side, the honest people who've tried this and succeeded have, like you said, acquired greater brand loyalty because of it.
I'm not a hockey expert but I do have a fair amount of expertise with golf equipment. When you send back a golf club to get it replaced they know where the shaft can break under normal circumstances (under the grip, at the neck, on the kickpoint) and they know the telltale signs of other kinds of damage.
I would assume that a hockey company would know the same about their sticks. They know how the structure of the stick works and they know how and why it would break. Therefore I would assume they will be able to figure out how it broke.
i have a question for you, lets say someone had a few drinks on the golf course and made a bet they could toss up a ball and baseball smash it with their driver. say this person connected perfectly and the ball sailed but the club head broke right at the neck. this person won $100 but broke their driver (6months old). would it be replacable under warranty?
Sorry for being blunt, I've just seen too many dishonest people try this sort of thing. On the flip side, the honest people who've tried this and succeeded have, like you said, acquired greater brand loyalty because of it.
How is it dishonest? Im not trying to trick them, I am leaving the judgement up to them, the experts.
A buddy of mine broke about 7 Warrior Dolomites in one year and was able to get his money back or get a new stick every time. That was the last year he ever used warriors though.
I bought a brand new Reebok 10k a couple years ago. I think my first or second shift it got caught in the zamboni door and split the blade. Done. I checked with Reebok and they wouldn't have given me a replacement so I was SOL. I don't blame them for not replacing it, but I think it would have been a nice gesture.
Well, unfortunately at this point the idea of warranties for defects has pretty much been thrown away due to the manufacturers themselves being far too lenient with replacements.
A true defect in the carbon where it breaks is a VERY easy thing for those that know the engineering to detect.
However, the manufacturers have been far too willing to just replace sticks that have broken for any reason in order to be able to help justify their insane pricing that continues to go up (heads up as the upcoming Supreme sticks and Easton RS have all gone up again in price for the fall).
Because of this and because the customer now feels that due to the price, their justified in getting new ones when they break because the companies are screwing them with price, they continue to send anything back that breaks and the manufacturers continue to replace virtually all of them for fear of being the ones that start to actually enforce the warranty and people getting pissed and jumping ship to another company.
So at this point, you really have nothing to lose sending a stick back and its likely going to be replaced because the manufacturers have made their beds and now their lying in them.
About the only real dishonest actions regarding the warranty at this point are to intentionally break the stick and send it back or to generate receipts out of warranty to return the stick under.
Just sending it back for any break at this point is just smart as its likely going to be replaced and I have no issues with people doing that as the manufacturers have set the precedent to do so.
