Which one has the best customer service as far as knowledge and warranty?

Tackle Warehouse by leaps and bounds. Gander acts a bit more corporate-esque. TW is a lot more friendly and helpful.

TW and it isnt close

I sure would like to check out the TW store to compare personnel but since it is 1,619 miles from me I cant really compare in person.   

Gander employees have always been polite and helpful but really haven't done a lot of shopping there where I need warranty. 

Outside of store specific questions I wouldn't rely on retail clerks for shopping advice. 

Yeah, I guess I'm more interested in the warranty aspect and which one stands behind their products best?

31 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Yeah, I guess I'm more interested in the warranty aspect and which one stands behind their products best?

Definitely Tackle Warehouse.

TW has awesome customer service.

I've had to return 2 reels to Gander Mt after having issues with them (negligence on my part) and they let me exchange with no fuss.

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Outside of store specific questions I wouldn't rely on retail clerks for shopping advice. 

it's like asking a home depot employee about building materials......they can take a vaguely educated guess

2 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Yeah, I guess I'm more interested in the warranty aspect and which one stands behind their products best?

well TW doesn't make anything they sell...  if you're talking warranty you're talking manufacturer... if you're talking return policy then you're talking retailer.  

Okay, return policy if something goes wrong...who has the best, longest?

13 hours ago, S. Sass said:

I sure would like to check out the TW store to compare personnel but since it is 1,619 miles from me I cant really compare in person. 

Unless things changed with their recent warehouse move you'd be shocked with the tiny "store" at the front of the warehouse. Their storefront probably generates less than .01% of their business. SLO is a cool place to visit, but definitely do not make the trip to go to the TW store.

53 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Okay, return policy if something goes wrong...who has the best, longest?

If you're potentially looking to return something long after the fact I think Cabela's or GM (and BPS?) are more likely to cave in on a questionable return than TW. I've heard stories of Cabela's taking back things most people would shake their heads at.

If you're talking returns and exchanges....for just simple logistics it'll probably be Gander Mountain for you. It's almost certainly closer, since you'd have to either travel to Cali or pay shipping to send something back. Additionally some retail stores can do more bending of the return policy rules if you're there in person and able to state your case to an actual person. 

I tend to buy basic things like terminal tackle, line, etc at close retailers, then save the specialty or hard-to-find items for TW.

10 hours ago, buzzed bait said:

well TW doesn't make anything they sell...  if you're talking warranty you're talking manufacturer... if you're talking return policy then you're talking retailer.  

I don't believe GM does either, they may put their name on it, but that's about it

1 hour ago, Brett's_daddy said:

Okay, return policy if something goes wrong...who has the best, longest?

I've got this here bag of Senkos yesterday  and it's empty already. I'd like to return it... 

37 minutes ago, wnspain said:

I don't believe GM does either, they may put their name on it, but that's about it

i'm certain they source them as well, but i meant to say that Tackle Warehouse doesn't have anything with their name on it aside from accessories, no actual rods, reels or baits.

LOL...I'm more thinking rods and reels and not lures .

Why do you ask, BD?  Both are well established stores and get a lot of business from many of us.   If you have defect problems with rods and/or reels, you'll most likely want to deal with the manufacturers anyway.  One big difference is that if you have a GM anywhere near you, then walking in and talking to someone in person might make a difference for you.  For me, deciding between the two has little to do with return policies....unless one proves to be a 'problem' for me or others.

Well, both sell the same rod I'm looking at for the same price but GM is also offering a $15 eGift card with there's and I do have a GM about 1hr. 45mins drive from me but have always heard really good things about TW...sometimes added bonuses aren't always worth it if the company isn't there for you if you have a problem you know what I mean.

There was a time when I'd drive 4 hours round trip to save $15.  But that time was many, many years ago.

tackle wearhouse has great customer service I'v had the wrong item sent on acident an they took it back an exchanged it a month latter no questions asked.

You are better off asking locals to try out their stuff if your goal is to Buy-Try-Return.

 

Returns is very low on my purchasing list.

Definitely not my goal, not feasible at all...just wanted to know which vendor would be more likely to help me out if something went wrong. The Gander Mountain deal has an edge because they're offering a $15 eGift card plus if I had to i could drive to one of their stores that's a little under 2 hours away from me but if their service is considerably poorer than that of TW then it might not be worth it.

If you're concerned about breaking a rod, the manufacturer is going to cover that under their warranty, not Gander or TW. You breaking a rod is never a problem caused by who you purchased it from.