Just thought this thread would be helpful for those looking to buy a new rod, much like I am. I was wondering what the extents of the warranties are for various rod manufacturers, specifically the higher end models. So far, this is what I've gathered:

St Croix- Limited Lifetime; $50 replacement fee, no questions asked          

G Loomis- Limited Lifetime; $50 replacement fee, no questions asked

Shimano- Limited Lifetime on all(?) rods, over the counter replacement(?)

Please correct me if anything is incorrect. I wasn't sure about the OTC Shimano policy, but have read it more than once.

As far as the shimano warranty goes... BPS says its only a 30 day over the counter warranty if you buy from them, otherwise they say send it back to shimano or buy the BPS extended warranty.  While other stores have told me they will do it after any amount of time as long as you bought the rod there.  

The G.Loomis warranty is fantastic. I used it for the first time recently, and was very impressed. You can either enter your information online or over the phone, giving them your credit card info and address. They send you a brand new rod, which took only two days for me, and all you have to do is place your damaged rod in the tube they provide and slap on the prepaid shipping label also included. St. Croix has a discounted shipping program that costs $10, but you must supply the tube to ship it to the factory. I own g.loomis, st. croix, daiwa, carrot stix and all-star rods. Almost all provide great service, but for quickness and least hassle, g.loomis is the way to go.

My expierence with Hurricane Redbone rods is nothing short of perfect.

I have returned several rods for an immediate over the counter exchange at Sports Authority, no questions asked.

In all fairness I told the manager that I stepped on my rod and bent the guide and it was my fault not a defect.  All he said was, bring it in and don't worry about the receipt.

I have exchanged both St. Croix and G. Loomis rods that were broken by accident, having nothing to do with defects or anything that might be considered the manufacturers responsibility. The transactions went exactly as described: smooth...no questions, no hassle.

8-)

I find the rod is more important than the warranty. It seems to me I fish better with a rod than a warranty

What I mean by that is I have used BPS,Fenwick and Cabelas rods for a long time and I have only had to return a BPS, THAT WAS MY FAULT I BROKE, and they relaced it free anyway. If you get a quality rod, you should have no problems. I

Our lifetime warranty is not on all of our rods. Typically in the freshwater rods that start around $40 and up have a lifetime warranty. It does vary by model.

The OTC is up to the dealer if they want to participate. We simply cannot force them to replace the rod. If the dealer is unwilling to replace the rod then you can send it to us for replacement. We even allow you to cut the rod in half to avoid oversized shipping charges.

If the dealer tells you that you have to pay for shipping then just send the rod to us. We reimburse the dealers for shipping and I have heard of a few dealers trying to charge the customer for it so they make a small profit. This is not how the program works. We are working on getting the dealers to change this, once again we cannot force them to do anything.