Okuma repairs
jcanracer
Posts: 4,333 Moderator
Some of you might have seen my other thread requesting suggestions for reel repair locations: http://forums.floridasportsman.com/showthread.php?142288-Miami-reel-repair-recommendations
But then I found out that Okuma doesn't have any certified service centers in South Florida (they are based in California). So I decided to contact their service department by email: [email protected]
It took an email and a reminder email to get their attention, but they did respond. When they did, we got the RMA process under way fairly fast and I shipped the reel to them so it could be worked on. My reel had seized up due to saltwater submersion and they tell me only one bearing actually had to be replaced. Even better, its been fixed under warranty and is being shipped back now.
Time from initial communication: 3 weeks
Actual turnaround time since RMA issued: 2 weeks
Total cost: about $16 (customer pays to ship reel to them and for return shipping, which was like $8 each way for me)
I should get the reel by next Tuesday and I'll respool and give more impressions then.
But then I found out that Okuma doesn't have any certified service centers in South Florida (they are based in California). So I decided to contact their service department by email: [email protected]
It took an email and a reminder email to get their attention, but they did respond. When they did, we got the RMA process under way fairly fast and I shipped the reel to them so it could be worked on. My reel had seized up due to saltwater submersion and they tell me only one bearing actually had to be replaced. Even better, its been fixed under warranty and is being shipped back now.
Time from initial communication: 3 weeks
Actual turnaround time since RMA issued: 2 weeks
Total cost: about $16 (customer pays to ship reel to them and for return shipping, which was like $8 each way for me)
I should get the reel by next Tuesday and I'll respool and give more impressions then.
Hobie Kayak angler for life!
Replies
Bob LeMay
(954) 435-5666
Last time no charge and sent me a box full of salmon spoons ? I guess that's what they were.
I still use it. Occasionally .
haha, you're thinking like an angler, not as a business person. Shimano churns out new models every couple of years and when they do, support for the older stuff/parts dries up. As a business man, I could easily see them rationalize that in your case, you got plenty of value out of your reel over the decade and a half of ownership and you are a prime candidate to purchase a new reel from them.
Penn is slightly better at this, but its just a reality of having an old reel (no offense intended), all manufacturers will have this problem with older models. The Stradic has gone through updates over the years too, so although the name may not have changed, model numbers for parts surely must have, and maybe even materials/designs used for those parts.
I think fishing from a kayak has taught me not to invest too heavily in the reels because one day they will fall over board or I will have abused them to the point that they can no longer be repaired. I'm not rich or anything, just saying I don't expect anything to last forever.