[Desertcj]

Maybe I'm expecting too much? Why is asking a manufacturer to support their product by selling me replacement parts for my bow such a big deal? I'm not asking for parts to be replaced under warranty, I'm not even asking tech questions. I'm trying to give them money to ship me some parts and they are telling me "Go to a bow shop" I don't feel like "Go to a bow shop" is customer service in any way. I'm pretty irritated that I have to spend hours driving back and forth to a bow shop to get some parts, because a manufacturer refuses to directly support their product. Is this standard practice in the archery industry? If so, why do we accept it?

 

[reylamb]

Yup, I got mad at Ford and Honda when they didn't ship me parts to my house under warranty also......

 

[reylamb]

Heck, I almost forgot......years ago Calloway refused to end me a replacment shaft for a driver that had snapped weeks after buying it.....they told me to take it to a pro shop.....yup, mad at them also.

 

[Desertcj]

Yup, I got mad at Ford and Honda when they didn't ship me parts to my house under warranty also......

Did you read what I said at all? I'm not trying to get parts under warranty! Also, this is a bow....not a vehicle. There are less than 20 parts in total for the whole assembly...lol

 

[tuckerjt07]

Yup, I got mad at Ford and Honda when they didn't ship me parts to my house under warranty also......

I bet you did, but it's probably because you misread what they said too.

OP:

That's something that puzzles me as well, but it happens all the time. It seems that lots of people today have forgotten the causal effects of business. They protect or enable those that give them money directly without realizing that the end consumer, the ones who pay those who give them money are far and away the greatest resource, without them no one gets money. It truly is a sad state of affairs but one that will only be corrected with time.

 

[reylamb]

Did you read what I said at all? I'm not trying to get parts under warranty! Also, this is a bow....not a vehicle. There are less than 20 parts in total for the whole assembly...lol

No different than any other industry. Try getting Ford to sell replacement parts directly to you.....or Remington.....or...fill in the blank.

Heck, even Apple has you go to the "Genius Bar" to get anything resolved.

Just about any item that is sold through a dealership, proshop, etc, will require you to go through the dealer/shop to get replacement parts.....

Archery is really no different than any other industry....

 

[tuckerjt07]

No different than any other industry. Try getting Ford to sell replacement parts directly to you.....or Remington.....or...fill in the blank.

Heck, even Apple has you go to the "Genius Bar" to get anything resolved.

Just about any item that is sold through a dealership, proshop, etc, will require you to go through the dealer/shop to get replacement parts.....

Archery is really no different than any other industry....

Incorrect.

 

[thare1774]

Maybe I'm expecting too much? Why is asking a manufacturer to support their product by selling me replacement parts for my bow such a big deal? I'm not asking for parts to be replaced under warranty, I'm not even asking tech questions. I'm trying to give them money to ship me some parts and they are telling me "Go to a bow shop" I don't feel like "Go to a bow shop" is customer service in any way. I'm pretty irritated that I have to spend hours driving back and forth to a bow shop to get some parts, because a manufacturer refuses to directly support their product. Is this standard practice in the archery industry? If so, why do we accept it?

It is standard in most dealer systems. They have dealers to deal with these sort of things. The companies dont maintain the personel to service every shooter in the world.

 

[tack09]

I have to agree with reylamb on this. Warranty parts or not, you can not expect the manufacturer to sell you parts directly. That is just not how it works in this and many other industries.

 

[tuckerjt07]

I have to agree with reylamb on this. Warranty parts or not, you can not expect the manufacturer to sell you parts directly. That is just not how it works in this and many other industries.

Most dealers have a hidden way of getting the parts. They don't make it easy but if you can find the part number you can usually order it through their system, this is outside of archery though (not too sure on the archery industry). The thing you won't get is help selecting the correct part.

 

[Desertcj]

Funny story....they do sell parts directly. Just not the parts I need. I fail to see how a tech at a bow shop calling and ordering parts is any different then me calling and ordering parts? Anything that can be done over the phone with a bow shop can be done over the phone with me and YES, you can buy parts directly from Ford and Remington....

 

[SonnyThomas]

Maybe I'm expecting too much? Why is asking a manufacturer to support their product by selling me replacement parts for my bow such a big deal? I'm not asking for parts to be replaced under warranty, I'm not even asking tech questions. I'm trying to give them money to ship me some parts and they are telling me "Go to a bow shop" I don't feel like "Go to a bow shop" is customer service in any way. I'm pretty irritated that I have to spend hours driving back and forth to a bow shop to get some parts, because a manufacturer refuses to directly support their product. Is this standard practice in the archery industry? If so, why do we accept it?

Some bow companies have contracts with dealers and that's just the way it is. Okay, the bow company being supportive of it's dealers. Same contract thing, bow companies don't allow another dealer within X number miles of another dealer. Hoyt and Bowtech I know were this way and probably still are. And more than likely the part or strings are going to cost the same anyway...Stanislawski is this way for releases. You want one and it will come through a dealer, did for me and I was speaking on the phone directly to Doug Springer.

 

[Numbers624]

Is it related to the sale of parts that could cause harm if an uneducated person tries to fix the bow themselves? It's a litigious society and people sue for anything and everything.

Just a hypothesis on my part. Buy limbs or a limb pocket, you use some half-baked press and put something through an eye or finger and now the bow company gets a lawsuit.

 

[45er]

Yup, I got mad at Ford and Honda when they didn't ship me parts to my house under warranty also......

As soon as bow manufacturers allow parts for their products to be sold through "NAPA, Autozone" and similar "parts" shops, this will be a valid reply. I, for one, agree with the OP. If a customer lives miles from a dealer, the OEM should offer to sell/send the part directly to the customer, warranty or no warranty.

 

[NewMexicoHunter]

It's more than likely a liability issue....you know like some newb frankenbow builder putting something together and then hurting themselves and wanting to sue because he got the parts directly from the manufacturer.

 

[tuckerjt07]

Some bow companies have contracts with dealers and that's just the way it is. Okay, the bow company being supportive of it's dealers. Same contract thing, bow companies don't allow another dealer within X number miles of another dealer. Hoyt and Bowtech I know were this way and probably still are. And more than likely the part or strings are going to cost the same anyway...Stanislawski is this way for releases. You want one and it will come through a dealer, did for me and I was speaking on the phone directly to Doug Springer.

And this will ultimately be the downfall of a company or industry. You can't protect the people who give you the money from the people who actually use the product. Why? Without them using it you give the people giving you money no reason to continue giving you money.

 

[blazinsoles]

They do this to support their dealer network. If you can't appreciate that then buy a different brand until you find one that will sell directly to you..........let us know when you do. The amount of work this would create would definitely increase overhead passed along to you in price increases! As if the sport isn't expensive enough. Don't argue with me over it, I deal with this everyday..and I'm always right (ask my wife)

 

[Padeerslayer]

It's definitely liability reasons, as mentioned above.

 

[bbjavelina]

I used to get quite a few parts direct from the Old Martin. At least, when Joel was there.

Only thing I know about the new Martin is that I got a set of limbs direct from them.

I've got a Bowtech that even the dealer won't get parts for me. All I want is the shelf extension. Not much liability there.

 

[Whitetip Hunter]

The thing is they do offer you customer service...through their dealers. You just don't want to use them.

I don't know what business you are in but it is not as simple as putting something in a box am sending it. First you need a state sellers permit, for the state you live in, not the state the company is in. That means 50 states and then foreign. You need to collect sales tax for that state and probably county tax and maybe city and a stadium tax. That is just to start. Then you have to hire someone to take orders, process them and send them. Then someone to take returns because you know someone will order the wrong stuff or decide they didn't want it. The list goes on. If the company wanted to be a retailer they would not be a manufacturer. Company have dealers. They are not set up at the retail level for sell you $50 worth of parts.

Everything in life isn't like we want it. If you really want the parts have a dealer order them, go pick them up or ask him to send them to you. Again they do offer you customer service, through their dealers.

At least you can get parts. Try finding parts for my 1972 Jeep J400 pickup. The Jeep dealers have never heard of it and have no parts available. None. Every thing is after market.