I made a rod for my dad and several of his friends have seen it and loved it. They now want to hire me to make them rods, which I think is great! I want to offer a warranty, but I'm not sure if what I've written up is ok. Here it is... Tell me if I'm missing something or if it's totally whacked.

Thanks,
Jackie

Issues Covered by Warranty

All J. Pratt custom fishing rods come with a 1-Year Limited Warranty. This warranty covers craftsmanship defects. Problems with finish, wraps, guides, handles and reel seats becoming loose or disengaging from the blank are covered and will be repaired at no cost if the cause is determined to be other than abuse, neglect or misuse of the rod.

Issues Not Covered by Warranty

All problems, breaks or failures relating to the blank itself are subject to the manufacturer’s warranty. If the rod blank is found faulty by the manufacturer and a replacement blank is provided under warranty I will re-construct your rod on the new blank at 1/3 the original price.

Any damage to guides or other components through abuse such as using the guides as a grip when assembling a multi-piece rod are not covered under warranty, but can be repaired at an hourly rate.

Weathering or corrosion of components such as reel seat hardware, wood reel seat insert, or guides, is not covered by warranty. Proper care of your rod as suggested in the “Proper Rod Care Guide” will help prevent damage to your custom rod.

Rod Blank Manufacturer’s Warranty

If your rod blank or components come with a manufacturer’s warranty, a written copy of the warranty along with any documentation needed to take advantage of that warranty in event of a failure will be provided at the time of delivery of your finished rod. We cannot be held accountable for manufacturer defects in rod blanks or components, but can help you in requesting a warranty replacement from the manufacturer.

I think you've done a good job of covering yourself against future mis-understandings. Your warranty, as outlined above, is similar to that offered by many other custom builders I know.

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Thanks! I just figured I'd get some feedback before I start handing these out with rods. I'll also be giving them a copy of the manufacturer's warranty and a copy of the receipt from the original purchase of the blank, as well as a list of dos and don'ts for custom rods.

~ Jackie

Do any of you other pro rod builders out there see that I'm overlooking anything with my warranty?

~ Jackie

Looks great to me and as said, very similar to other builders warranties. You do not have to put it in however an explanation on high sticking. I also explain on my web page that if a rod is going to break due to a manufacturer defect it is going to happen within the first few trips or once the rod is loaded up. Once in a while I get a rod back that blew up on the first trip because of a manufacturer defect. I always explain to a new customer that it does happen once in a while. It has even happened to me. It was a bad batch of blanks which was corrected by the company. Again, just a suggestion. I think it gives a new customer or new fisherman a better knowledge on blank limits as well as components when it applies.

David Banaka

In the Proper Rod Care Guide I'm also to include with the rod it explains what high sticking is and not to do it as it abuses the rod. I think that should cover it. The guidealso explains dealing with a snagged lure and how to transport, wash and wax your rod properly. Pretty basic stuff, but stuff that needs to be said to cover myself against idiots.

~Jackie