Client Rents Rifle, Client Damages Rifle or Scope, Who Should Be Responsible for Repair?

[Doug Hamilton]

Just a question.
Does who ever that rents a rifle.
Do they vet the person out first?

Is there a bubba sporter 7x57 with a Simmons 8 pt scope on it.

Then a factory rifle with a leupold on it. If the guy looks like he knows what he is doing?.

I have never rented a rifle, but I did ask that question one time. The PH told me that they supplied "A serviceable rifle.- I took that to.mean a no frills factory, or.maybe a restocked military rifle. I noticed that .303 Brits were pretty common among the locals. I have no idea about something heavier for buffalo and such. There are probably others here that have rented .375s or similiar.

 

[LimbNoMo]

Seems @AfricaHunting.com had the solution to this 10 years ago.

QUESTION: How much do you charge for rifle rental?
BETTER QUESTION: How much do you charge for rifle rental and should anything happen to the rifle or scope during the rental period who would be responsibile for any cost associated with the damages or complete loss?

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I was on a hunt once and a client had rented a rifle from the outfitter/PH. Very early in the trip, the client dropped the rifle on a stalk and the scope banged off a rock, denting the scope. From what I understand the client apologized, the PH grumbled a little but said it was alright.

However, later I had overheard some of the PHs annoyed that the client hadn't offered to pay for the scope or at least to send it in for repair.

I have two separate feelings on this.

From an empathetic point of view where I take very good care of my things, I would personally feel bad about damaging someone else's things and would probably want to make it right at least to some degree.

From a logical and business point of view: Two things come to mind. One, this is part of the reason people pay to rent a rifle, to offset the risk of damage to a rifle and scope they have to pay for. Two, I frequently read guides/ph and outfitters say the reason they charge what they charge for rifle and ammo rental is because of the risk of damage and increased upkeep on their heavily used rifles.

What are your thoughts?

Client should pay all the way for a new scope

Std wear and tear and ammo for the outfitter this is what the rental rate is for

But if he breaks the scope by dropping gun, this he must pay for

My opinion

Regards

 

[skydiver386]

Client should pay all the way for a new scope

Std wear and tear and ammo for the outfitter this is what the rental rate is for

But if he breaks the scope by dropping gun, this he must pay for

My opinion

Regards

Exactly.

When you rent nearly anything, car, tool, or whatever, the rental fee covers the miles put on the vehicle and normal wear.

If you bring the vehicle back with a bashed in hood, bumper and fender, you, or your insurance are paying for it. The rental fee is never meant to cover damage or accidents.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Client should pay all the way for a new scope

Std wear and tear and ammo for the outfitter this is what the rental rate is for

But if he breaks the scope by dropping gun, this he must pay for

My opinion

Regards

So let's look at this. We'll say that the cost of a new scope is $600. The value of a "used" scope might be half that, say $300. The broken scope will be returned to the manufacturer where it will be repaired or replaced at no charge. Yet you think the client should pay the outfitter $600 for a brand new scope. Right?

In any business transaction both parties should expect fair treatment. Your opinion that the client pay the outfitter $600 is a great deal for the outfitter as he gets a new or completely renovated scope plus $600, but is completely unjust to his customer. Now how did you come to your opinion?

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

P

So let's look at this. We'll say that the cost of a new scope is $600. The value of a "used" scope might be half that, say $300. The broken scope will be returned to the manufacturer where it will be repaired or replaced at no charge. Yet you think the client should pay the outfitter $600 for a brand new scope. Right?

In any business transaction both parties should expect fair treatment. Your opinion that the client pay the outfitter $600 is a great deal for the outfitter as he gets a new or completely renovated scope plus $600, but is completely unjust to his customer. Now how did you come to your opinion?

each client is a bit different and I personally would sit down and have a chat with the client and we would come to a reasonable solution. But I do think the client has to bare some responsibility and take care

Yes I would use leupolds mainly so they would repair or replace but I am going to be out of a usable rifle for a while until it’s sorted

I don’t think it’s unfair to expect to get the equipment the client is renting back in same condition he received it.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

P

each client is a bit different and I personally would sit down and have a chat with the client and we would come to a reasonable solution. But I do think the client has to bare some responsibility and take care

Yes I would use leupolds mainly so they would repair or replace but I am going to be out of a usable rifle for a while until it’s sorted

I don’t think it’s unfair to expect to get the equipment the client is renting back in same condition he received it.

As long as the situation is approached with some sense of fairness and both parties are in agreement I cannot see anyone objecting to that. To avoid these issues, I'm not going to.rent a rifle to go hunting.

 

[Tex .416]

P

each client is a bit different and I personally would sit down and have a chat with the client and we would come to a reasonable solution. But I do think the client has to bare some responsibility and take care

Yes I would use leupolds mainly so they would repair or replace but I am going to be out of a usable rifle for a while until it’s sorted

I don’t think it’s unfair to expect to get the equipment the client is renting back in same condition he received it.

TH,

what percentage of clients rent/borrow a rifle? Are the renters mostly relatively inexperienced and do not own appropriate equipment or is it more experienced hunters renting for convenience?

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

We have more clients renting rifles then ones that bring their own
We have had this situation come up once
Client and my booking agent took the Swarovski home with them and had it sorted and then returned to me
But I had to put a spare scope on that gun I till I got the scope back some months later

In this instance I was the “nice” guy and since they sorted the scope I accepted it
But in hindsight it was actually a big inconvenience for me.

So we learn

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

TH,

what percentage of clients rent/borrow a rifle? Are the renters mostly relatively inexperienced and do not own appropriate equipment or is it more experienced hunters renting for convenience?

It’s all kinds
We have around 60% that rent guns and they vary from very experienced to beginners

 

[Tex .416]

It’s all kinds
We have around 60% that rent guns and they vary from very experienced to beginners

That percentage is much higher than I would have guessed.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

We have more clients renting rifles then ones that bring their own
We have had this situation come up once
Client and my booking agent took the Swarovski home with them and had it sorted and then returned to me
But I had to put a spare scope on that gun I till I got the scope back some months later

In this instance I was the “nice” guy and since they sorted the scope I accepted it
But in hindsight it was actually a big inconvenience for me.

So we learn

Yes, it would have been an inconvenience, but it was all worked out fairly. No one should have been expected to pay for a new Swarovski to cover the."inconvenience." The problem was resolved. With the spare scope you were able to rent out the rifle, and nobody suffered a major financial loss. The client is your customer. If you had not been "the nice guy" you may have harmed future business relationships. If a customer is unhappy with service many others will hear about it.

One of the good things about leaving business/sales and going to work in the Corrections system was that I could tell an offender that, "Prison is not a customer service industry."

 

[skydiver386]

I think it's a bad idea to assume all optics companies will repair or replace a scope that a client breaks.

Nikon specifically states on their website

"Does not cover damage from drops, misuse, or abuse."

A PH may have a perfectly serviceable Nikon scope made in 2015, but if you drop it and it rolls down a hill, fat chance Nikon is going to give you a free replacement, especially considering they aren't making rifle scopes anymore.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I think it's a bad idea to assume all optics companies will repair or replace a scope that a client breaks.

Nikon specifically states on their website

"Does not cover damage from drops, misuse, or abuse."

A PH may have a perfectly serviceable Nikon scope made in 2015, but if you drop it and it rolls down a hill, fat chance Nikon is going to give you a free replacement, especially considering they aren't making rifle scopes anymore.

And most of the optics companies do repair or replace rifle scopes at no charge regardless of how the damage occured. I have sent back a Leupold that died after the vicious recoil of my .458 and a Burris that was banged up in some Nevada rocks. I.know that Swarovski and Vortex are also good for it. A used scope is still not worth as much as a new one. The value would have to be negotiated. I would not be willing to pay for a new Swarovski (okay Leupold then) to replace an old Nikon.

I do not cheat people and I will not tolerate others taking advantage of me.

 

[Rez Exelon]

I think it's a bad idea to assume all optics companies will repair or replace a scope that a client breaks.

Nikon specifically states on their website

"Does not cover damage from drops, misuse, or abuse."

A PH may have a perfectly serviceable Nikon scope made in 2015, but if you drop it and it rolls down a hill, fat chance Nikon is going to give you a free replacement, especially considering they aren't making rifle scopes anymore.

About the Nikon warranty generally --- They won't give a scope anymore, but they will give "some kind" of optic in about the same price range if the scope is deemed to meet warranty criteria. That doesn't really make things better in the case of the thread's topic, but it does provide a minimal amount of coverage for people with Nikon scopes. As someone with a fair amount of prostaff and monarch glass I'm less than satisfied with that but I've not had to use the warranty to date.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

About the Nikon warranty generally --- They won't give a scope anymore, but they will give "some kind" of optic in about the same price range if the scope is deemed to meet warranty criteria. That doesn't really make things better in the case of the thread's topic, but it does provide a minimal amount of coverage for people with Nikon scopes. As someone with a fair amount of prostaff and monarch glass I'm less than satisfied with that but I've not had to use the warranty to date.

I don't think that I have any Nikon scores currently, but I do.have a pair of Monarch binos. I really don't remember what the warranty says about them. It's been quite a few years.

 

[scubasteven25]

I'll be renting a rifle next year on my first trip so this thread is providing me great questions to ask about the gun hire. Personally, I would pay for the repair or replacement of the scope as I caused the damage that now makes the scope unusable, but each situation will be personality driven.

 

[CBH Australia]

TH,

what percentage of clients rent/borrow a rifle? Are the renters mostly relatively inexperienced and do not own appropriate equipment or is it more experienced hunters renting for convenience?

From
A client perspective I am someone who rented.

I consider my self experienced with firearms and owned suitable firearms at the time with decent glass.

Being my first international trip it was all new to me and it was simple to hire a rifle.

I had the opportunity to hire a Sako with a Swarovski Z6 mounted on it. The hand loads proved to be accurate and effective.

Had I have dropped it I’m sure some tense discussions would have taken place but I would hope we would come to a reasonable agreement.

All that said it wasn’t a gruelling hunt but we did walk, stalk and climb hills to recover my Kudu. Trackers and Skinners did the carry out.

I think the case of dropping a scoped rifle is rare but surely happens. I’m glad I did not because it wasn’t a cheap setup but I think most would be careful handling firearms and take particular care with other’s firearms.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

From
A client perspective I am someone who rented.

I consider my self experienced with firearms and owned suitable firearms at the time with decent glass.

Being my first international trip it was all new to me and it was simple to hire a rifle.

I had the opportunity to hire a Sako with a Swarovski Z6 mounted on it. The hand loads proved to be accurate and effective.

Had I have dropped it I’m sure some tense discussions would have taken place but I would hope we would come to a reasonable agreement.

All that said it wasn’t a gruelling hunt but we did walk, stalk and climb hills to recover my Kudu. Trackers and Skinners did the carry out.

I think the case of dropping a scoped rifle is rare but surely happens. I’m glad I did not because it wasn’t a cheap setup but I think most would be careful handling firearms and take particular care with other’s firearms.

"...would come to a reasonable agreement"

Exactly right.

 

[BossBuck]

Thats why I have the PH carry the gun. At first I was feeling unmanly but after I realized the mountains were a lot to navigate I didn’t want to be that guy you speak of. If I’d dropped that rifle in question I would offer to make it right. It’s how I was raised, if its not your and you have it and break it it to be treated like your own.