Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Fiberspar Warranty Problems

Hi
I need to bring to your attention a problem which I experienced recently with a Fiberspar product and the service I received from this organisation.  A while ago I purchased a Fiberspar 7000 (460) mast and used it very successfully on my North Ram 7.8 for a while.  One day I noticed that the bottom of the mast was breaking down.  It had started absorbing water and had become soggy.  A complete failure of the resin in that area.  I showed Anthony, our supplier, who took pictures of the damage and e-mailed these to Fiberspar.  They agreed to replace the mast.  So far so good.

What has now transpired is that the supply chain from Fiberspar has changed (in a way which I don't pretend to understand) and my claim is no longer being honoured.  I don't mind paying a high price for a premium product which performs better than others on the market.  What I expect in return however is some sort of back up service should I need it.  In every sport you get high end suppliers who charge high prices for excellent products.  What you get with every one of these companies is a superior back up service.  A friend was telling me of a company in the sport fishing industry which charges huge prices for its products but if you buy one of their rods they guarantee to replace any broken parts FOR LIFE irrespective of how the breakage occurred.  This is what one expects from a high end manufacturer.  I have always considered Fiberspar to be a high end supplier in our industry but this incident has caused me to re-think completely.  I will not be buying any more products from Fiberspar which is a pity because the lightness and performance of their top masts and booms has given me a lot of pleasure over the years.

If you are considering a Fiberspar product please ensure that you are absolutely certain that your warranty will be honoured should the product fail.  I'm not sure how you get this certainty but you do not want to find yourself in my position.

Talk to you soon    

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