I agree that manufacturers should not be responsible for user error, but as others have said, a big part of what you are paying for when you buy a premium rod is the assurance that you will have it (or something comparable) for a long time. If you pay for an "unconditional, lifetime warranty," that's exactly what you should get.

I have personally had four rod repair/replacement experiences (all with Redington/Sage). In two cases, the rods broke due to stress at the ferrules, but the others were, without question, accidents that were my fault. I have always been completely honest in my descriptions of what happened, and in all four cases, the rods were repaired/replaced, quickly and without further question, for the cost of "shipping." Personally, this made me a very happy customer, and I will continue to buy from both companies as a result (the marketing is working on me). I simply can't find much negative to say about a company that stands behind its products.

This topic is much more interesting than I would have imagined. A lot of good arguments have been made for potential alternatives to unconditional warranties. Personally, I have to believe that the marketing folks for these premium rod manufacturers aren't dummies, and their unique understanding of their customer base tells them that unconditional warranties are the way to go. Indeed, they probably don't do much better than breaking even on a lot of customers (like me), but there are A LOT of folks out there, to whom money is of little concern, who will simply buy a $1,000 outfit to go on a single fishing trip because they want "the best." Their profit off those folks is what I suspect is driving their current policies.

I do anticipate the bottom dropping out of the premium rod market before too long (especially in the case of fly rods), and if that happens, there will likely be some significant changes made. We'll see.