I'm so impressed with drennan I feel they deserve some praise.....

tigger · Jun 15, 2018

I contacted drennan on FB last night enquiring about a replacement cloth bag for my accy plus 14 footer as I was getting no joy from the tackle shops.
Anyhow I had an instant reply saying that they may not have that exact bag but have one that should fit the rod ok. I asked for the price and how to pay.
This morning I had a message from drennan saying they had found me a bag and to send them my postal address. When I asked for the price and how to pay they messaged back straight away informing me the bag would be FOC.

I've made this post as I feel drennan deserve credit for such a nice gesture.
I mean how many other tackle companies would do that for you!
I'm impressed with drennan as you can imagine

.

lambert1 · Jun 15, 2018

Nice to hear that Tigger. I broke the tip on a somewhat cheaper feeder rod and the company concerned did not even answer my email about getting a replacement. Good old fashioned customer service, you can't beat it in my opinion.

Peter Jacobs · Jun 15, 2018

It is always nice to hear of a good experience from a tackle manufacturer.

I've had a few expeiences over the years but typically most of them have been . . . Bad ones.

sam vimes · Jun 15, 2018

I suspect that Drennan might be getting quite a few requests like this in the near future. The quality of the Acolyte rod bags is dismal. I suspect they are working on the basis that many folks don't actually use them. I do use mine and some of them are going see through on the creases. The worst one has actually seen a section drop through the bottom of the bag. My limited sewing skills were put to the test with that one. Fortunately, there's a bit of extra room in the bag that allowed me to fold the seam over to sew it.

tigger said:
I mean how many other tackle companies would do that for you!

At least one, Tri-Cast.

tigger · Jun 15, 2018

sam vimes said:
I suspect that Drennan might be getting quite a few requests like this in the near future. The quality of the Acolyte rod bags is dismal. I suspect they are working on the basis that many folks don't actually use them. I do use mine and some of them are going see through on the creases. The worst one has actually seen a section drop through the bottom of the bag. My limited sewing skills were put to the test with that one. Fortunately, there's a bit of extra room in the bag that allowed me to fold the seam over to sew it.

At least one, Tri-Cast.

Wierd that Chris as thankfully all my drennan bags are sound.
Your sewing skills made my grin a bit, I pictured you on the top of a hill on the Falklands darning a sock!

II have heard elsewhere that tri cast have a good after sales record .

davebhoy · Jun 15, 2018

Drennan were excellent when the anti reverse switch broke off on my fd4000 reel but those acolyte bags are rubbish

Daiwa have always been excellent as well

Molehill · Jun 15, 2018

Good to hear, I think it important to give public praise where it is due. We knock so many companies for bad service and products but often forget to praise those that do provide a good service.
I'm sure they appreciate the gesture.

binka · Jun 15, 2018

That's nice to hear Ian, Drennan always seem to come up trumps on the customer satisfaction front.

Contrast that with Pure Fishing and with whom I spent around twenty five minutes on the phone to yesterday whilst trying to gain an explanation as to why their Marksman rods in their Ebay store outlet are fitted with non-spec guides which appear to be from spinning rods.

Their bottom line is that they don't know (!), they cannot confirm if there was any spec change or offer any explanation, just the line that it is how the rods have arrived from the factory in Korea and so they must be pukka.

That's hardly being knowledgeable about the products that they are selling now is it?

They even tried to tell me that no specification on the original Hardy Marksman rods still exists!!

Pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

I did point out that these guides were different to the ones on my ten Marksmans which were in the main bought from authorised Hardy dealers and are consistent with the Hardy catalogues and spec of that period.

I think they summed it up themselves really...

Clueless!

Pure Fishing, and the brands that they represent, will be getting a huge swerve from me... I wouldn't trust 'em as far as I could throw 'em.

sam vimes · Jun 15, 2018

This is not a defence of Pure Fishing, but they are hardly very likely to be remotely interested in gear that they discontinued pretty much as soon as they bought Hardy/Greys. The vast majority of the employees that would have known much about the Hardy coarse fishing products are long gone as well. As I understand it, the ebay shop came about, after Pure Fishing took over, as a way of clearing stuff. They'd have previously put it into the "factory" shop. Limited footfall, coupled with their location, could mean that they'd be stuck with coarse gear for years. PF seemed to clear out the huge spares department and anything that turned up in relatively small numbers after being cleared to the retailers. The ebay prices are way in excess of the prices I'd have expected to see in the factory shop in years gone by.

It wouldn't shock me if the Marksman rods they are clearing now will have turned up as blanks in the overseas factory. If they didn't have the original rings, they'll have just bunged on an alternative and shipped them to the UK to clear. It also fits in with the fact that there are no rod bags or Cordura tubes. The daft prices are just a reflection of the fairly high prices (compared to the clearance prices) that Hardy coarse rods (and the centrepin) are currently going for.

binka · Jun 15, 2018

sam vimes said:
This is not a defence of Pure Fishing, but they are hardly very likely to be remotely interested in gear that they discontinued pretty much as soon as they bought Hardy/Greys. The vast majority of the employees that would have known much about the Hardy coarse fishing products are long gone as well. As I understand it, the ebay shop came about, after Pure Fishing took over, as a way of clearing stuff. They'd have previously put it into the "factory" shop. Limited footfall, coupled with their location, could mean that they'd be stuck with coarse gear for years. PF seemed to clear out the huge spares department and anything that turned up in relatively small numbers after being cleared to the retailers. The ebay prices are way in excess of the prices I'd have expected to see in the factory shop in years gone by.

It wouldn't shock me if the Marksman rods they are clearing now will have turned up as blanks in the overseas factory. If they didn't have the original rings, they'll have just bunged on an alternative and shipped them to the UK to clear. It also fits in with the fact that there are no rod bags or Cordura tubes. The daft prices are just a reflection of the fairly high prices (compared to the clearance prices) that Hardy coarse rods (and the centrepin) are currently going for.

I agree entirely Chris, I just think it's shocking and extremely misleading of Pure Fishing to be flogging £300+ plus rods to people who think they are getting an original/genuine specification Hardy Marksman.

I would be very peeved off if I knew no better and then found out I'd shelled out my hard earned for a 'cobble together' of spare parts.

If in fact that is the case?

I'm of little doubt that Pure Fishing are aware of this thread and others which undermine their brand on the basis of what is being discussed and they are at liberty to respond with a full and official, public explanation.

Do you think they will?

My suspicion is and has been exactly the same as yours and the fact that they stop short of stating that is a disgrace considering the prices they are asking.

binka · Jun 15, 2018

If anyone else is wondering what other brands fall under the Pure Fishing heading and which, on the evidence so far, cannot in my opinion be trusted IF the same or similar practices are being procured throughout, they are:

Mitchell
Abu Garcia
Berkley
Sebile
Penn
JRC
Chub
SpiderWire
Stren
Shakespeare
Hardy
Greys

Fortunately for me, all of those brands, with the exception of JRC have nothing to do with my fishing other than Hardy and Greys and we've seen what Pure Fishing have reduced them to, I have a JRC chair but I won't be buying anything else associated with that name or Pure Fishing in general.

Pure Fishing are invited to offer counter comment, especially if accompanied with hard facts and answers in relation to their Hardy Marksman Ebay outlet rod listings, particularly with regard to the discrepancy of the guides.

Apologies for the aside Ian but I know we share a common interest on this particular issue.

Ray Roberts · Jun 17, 2018

I’m pleased that you got such good service. When I had a problem with some Free-spirit rods they were worse than useless. So bad in fact that I wouldn’t ever contemplate buying anything from them again.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

tigger · Jun 17, 2018

Remember never to upset Stebink.....he's like a dog with a bone, keep up the good work Ste!

I don't think i've mentioned, the bag I needed replacing wasn't faulty it was lost, drennan where under no obligation to replace it, i just needed another one!
Drennan gave me the bag out of sheer good will....very nice

.

Anyhow a quick update on the bag, drennan did exactly what they said, they sent the bag out on friday and it arrived yesterday, so next day delivery.....brilliant stuff drennan and a big thanks !

binka · Jun 17, 2018

I've got to admit that, if the apocalypse should ever happen and I was cleaned out of all my gear in a burglary, Drennan would be my first point of call on the replacement side of things.

Strong customer values and good products, unlike the shitty imposters that Pure Fishing are offering at ridiculous prices.

Surprised I got 'shitty' past the spell checker

Not sure what it is with tackle brands these days, there seems to be the parent companies who hoover up the easy pickings and the independents who have stood the test of time and Drennan certainly seem to have done that and as long as they continue to do what they did for the op they always will.

No comment on the other.... :wh

Mixin123 · Jun 21, 2018

I too have received top notch customer service & after sales service from Drennan, Tri Cast, too.

By far the worst I've received is from Maver..

I'm so impressed with drennan I feel they deserve some praise.....

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