Handling Warranty Issues

[Cameroo]

When I began this obsession, I had no intention of selling any bows.  My plan was to make them for myself, and to give some away to friends/family members, just so I could feed the addiction of building the next bow.  However, it didn't take me long to realize that this can quickly become a very expensive hobby.  After only turning out a couple bows, I have been approached by a couple people requesting that I build a bow for them.  Not something that I really wanted to do, but I figure if it can help pay for some of the investments I put into new tools and materials, why not?

My main concern with doing this is how do I guarantee my work?  I can offer a 1 year warranty, when used "as directed", but how do I know what will happen to the bow when it leaves my hands?  I take great pride in my work, and want to maintain a good reputation, but I also don't want to be taken advantage of by some donkey that doesn't know how to take care of a bow, or use it properly.

So this question goes out to all of you that have sold custom bows.  How do you deal with these issues?  Would I be best just overbuilding everything?  Maybe only building lighter bows with backings?  Or am I just being paranoid?  Anyone have any nightmare customers?  I'd like to hear the advice or experiences of some of the veteran bowyers in here (or any bowyers for that matter).  Thanks in advance for your insight!

EDIT to fix typos

[stickbender]

     I think maybe a CYA clause would be helpful.  Give them a set of directions, of do's and don'ts, and then have them sign a paper that stated that they have received instructions, for proper care, and use of the bow, and that it is warranteed for one year to be free of defects, faulty workmanship, etc. and to perform as stated.  Include warnings of the danger of over drawing, etc. , and that they are fully responsible for any injuries, either they or others receive from missuse of the bow.  You might want to consult a Barrister, (Lawyer) for help in writing it. 
                                                                                Wayne

[artcher1]

I've never sold a bow, BUT if I did, I would just give 'em the 5/50 warranty. That's 5 minutes or 50 feet . These types of bows should never be put in the hands of the uninitiated in my opinion. That being said, I've given away many bows and most recipients totally ignore instructions. Good luck though.............Art

[mullet]

 Read my Thread in the Trade Blanket stickied at the top on trading bows.

[Pat B]

I have sold a few bows but not many. I give a lifetime warrenty. If it breaks I will make them another...once! This is not a business for me and I have never made money selling bows. I have had to eat a few though. Even ones I could tell were misused. But if I make something and put all I have into it, and if someone wants to buy one I will warrenty it for life...mine or the bows! 
  When I give bows away or trade them, all bets are off! 

[Pappy]

That is one of the main reasons I don't build them to sell,it is hard for us to imagine but the vast majority of folks don't know how to handle or care for a selfbow,I think it is something you learn as you learn to build them,can't seem to teach it to folks that don't build there own. I am with
Pat,I usually warranty for life,once.
   Pappy

[Eric Krewson]

I have sold a few to finance my hobbies and toy purchases. I always replace failed bows the first year and some even several years down the road depending on the failure. I have found if they make it a year they will generally last for a long time after. You will replace a lot more bows than you expected to no matter how good a bowyer you are.

The liability issue has scared me away from selling future bows to people I don't know and has me phasing out selling all together. I have been lucky so far but you never know where one of your bows will end up or in who's hands. This year I donated a bow to a Catch-A-Dream auction with nothing but wheel shooters in attendance. I didn't sign the bow with my name like I usually do because I knew who ever bought it wouldn't know anything about taking care of the bow. I wanted my donation to be anonymous, getting kinda' paranoid in my old age.

[medicinewheel]

Made a bow for a lady with 24" draw, told her to NEVER EVER let anybody else pull it, especially not her husband who's a lot taller than her. Next time I came the bow had 5" of string follow. Guess what...

[Bevan R.]

I have been asked many times how much I charge for a bow and I ALWAYS tell the asker that I will not sell a bow but I would be glad to have them come over and I would help them build their own. So far, no takers.

[gstoneberg]

I've only sold one bow.  If it breaks I'll build another one for him.   I've also made the same offer Bevan has, and so far I've had 3 guys build bows with me they're now shooting and have 2 guys building bows now.  It is great fun and the friendships I've made are worth more than any money I'd have made selling those bows.

George

[adb]

Cam,

I didn't sell a bow, or feel comfortable doing that, until I had been making bows for more than 3 years. Make a bunch, and give them away. That way, you can see how your work holds up, and if the bow breaks, no one has any hard feelings. That's what I did.
Also, I won't sell a bow to someone I don't know, or whom I believe won't care for it appropriately. I also won't make a bow for someone, for any price, if it's a bow I'm not comfortable making. Usually someone I sell a bow to has to endure extended conversations about wooden bows!

All that being said, I do offer a warranty on my bows, on a sliding scale. Full replacement for the first 6 months, 50% from 6 - 9 months, and 25% from 9 - 12 months (that's replacement cost, and buyer pays shipping). All that is contingent on following my care and feeding instructions provided with each bow I sell. Also, I provide NO warranty on bows >70# draw weight, and I am very upfront with anyone who wants a higher draw weight war bow. More importantly, this applies ONLY to the original owner.

However, I have replaced bows for people outside these guidelines. Of the hundred (or so) bows I've sold, I've only had to replace two, and one was not the original owner. I made a bow for him, he gave it to a friend, and his friend broke it by over drawing it. I made his friend a bow for the cost of the materials. Sometimes it pays to maintain your reputation, regardless the cost.

[JW_Halverson]

There is HUGE liability with selling a bow, not to mention the taxes on manufactured hunting/shooting goods here in the us that comes to 17%, plus sales and use taxes, business licensing, etc.  I've sold a few to like minded people and took my chances. 

So far I can brag and say no one has ever broken one of my bows....mind you, I break plenty of them, though!

Good luck.

[Cameroo]

Thanks to everyone for input.  I think what I'll take away from all of this is that IF I do end up selling a few bows, I will limit it to people that I know.  I'm also thinking that if this person is relatively green, some hands-on instruction and demonstration would be beneficial to all involved.  The owner of the bow that I donated for a charity auction (the only bow I've given away so far) agreed that he would wait until spring so we could go out shooting together so he could learn the ropes.  I gave him an extensive "instruction manual" of sorts as well, for future reference.  It mainly explained what NOT to do.

And you're probably right Adam, I should get a few more under my belt before I make any assumptions about the longevity of my bows.  Also, I think your warranty policy makes a lot of sense.  I would think that if a bow is going to break, it would likely happen within the first 6 months anyway.

[Jesse]

[quote author=Eric Krewson link=topic=22729.msg307373#msg307373 date=1291986663 This year I donated a bow to a Catch-A-Dream auction with nothing but wheel shooters in attendance. I didn't sign the bow with my name like I usually do because I knew who ever bought it wouldn't know anything about taking care of the bow. I wanted my donation to be anonymous, getting kinda' paranoid in my old age.


[/quote] So it was you that made the bow? I won it and it blew up the first day. I was shooting ultra light carbons with 75 gr. points and a release and on the 50th shot I had it back to my 36" draw and I only held it back for like 1or2 min and I heard a little tick. I kept shooting and the thick turned into a cracking sound. Next thing I remember was waking up with a lump on my head. Could you make me a new one since that one was defective?   Joking