What is goin' on at Academy...on the All Star rods? They used to be good...about replacin' defective rods.

Heard that Shakespeare bought out Houston based All Star...a while back.

Look out fer' Shakespeare/Grphit Allstar cust. service...in SOUTH CAROLINA. Think they are all part of Shakespeare out of Columbia,SC. Not very good...even when ya' can reach em'...on the phone.

They are clueless on most saltwater stuff. Not much saltwater in the Columbia area.
Shakespeare now has Allstar Graphite rods in their portfolio. Bad choice fer' Allstar. Academy is not replacing the Coastal Classic series rods anymore...when they fail. Took one over this past week...with brittle stainless steel line guide insert holders...as in "cheap material".

Academy wants to give ya' a $14 credit...toward the purchase of a new and different Allstar...$110 rod....instead of honoring their traditional gty. Think they said it's becuz' Shakespeare will not take the CC Series rods back anymore. Don't wanna' have much to do with em'.

Let's see...$86 to fix a broken line guide. Hmmm... sure is a good deal fer' someone.

Seems like the Beavis and Buthead business managment style...is alive and well at Shakespeare'...

This is a classic way to alienate yer' loyal customers. Harvard B-school has been teachin' it to their MBA's fer' a while now. They call it the "Tarnished Star" technique...related to BCG Portfolio Mgmt. Theory. Good way to drive yer' revenue streams into the ground...

PC

The problem with the way Academy handles its returns is that if a product has been clearanced and out of the store for 2 years or so, the SKU gets removed from the system, so it cannot be replaced. This happens often, like you said, when a company gets bought out. On the other hand, if you have the receipt for an item, even if it has been removed from the system, you can generally get store credit for the purchase price. Your best bet is to get a dummy looking up the SKU on the old rod and hope he gets the wrong one. It will happen.

I posted the same thing a while back and everyone told me that i was wrong and that they still take them back......huh?

Tanner, they will take them back if it's still in the system. Like I said, if not just hope the associate getting the SKU for either doesn't care if he gets the wrong number or just doesn't know the difference.

If you have time, go to the gun bar and have them take a look in the 'item master' it will have EVERYTHING in it. If you find the right people they can get you another SKU.

Be sure you remind them that they have a no problem return policy and that if they carry (or carried) it, then they have to take it back. If thats not the case then its not the same Academy I worked for.

Thanks cuz I was wondering if i should start buying H and H rods out of houston who give a lifetime warranty. The only setback is that they charge $$ to return them.