Anyone else fed up with waiting for a new Ideal saddle

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Thistle

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Saddler came out and fitted Hec for a lovely new Ideal Susannah at the end of June (this was to be B's birthday present, her birthday is end of July). Plan was to sell his current saddle and another unused saddle to put towards the price.

Saddler was quoted a 4-6 week wait time.

It's now 11 weeks later, I still don't have a saddle, Hec is still wearing his Jessica and a prolite (didn't seem sensible to reflock the Jessica at the time as new one was being ordered). Saddler has phoned Ideal a number of times and they keep coming up with various excuses, mainly only 2 men trained to make the saddle, too many orders and holiday shut down.

I have paid a substansial deposit otherwise I would have cancelled the order.

Am getting extremely peed off now, I have always been a huge fan of Ideal saddles in the past but it seems that their customer service is not up to scratch. Just rather pleased I didn't sell his Jessica or he would only have a jump saddle atm. Not much use for a dressage superstar!
 
Yikes, what a nightmare! Most of the UK saddle makers have a month shut down in August so they will only just be back from that - and I would imagine they have quite a backlog to shift.

I would get your saddler to give them grief, no reason at all for you to have to wait so long. The cynic in me wonders if either the saddler forgot to send your order or Ideal messed up on your order as it really is a very long time to have to wait.
 
The saddler has made some of the calls in front of me so I know he is telling the truth. Initially I was cynical too!

Apparently the Susannah is very popular and they have been inundated with orders. They don't want to train more people to make them as it would affect overall quality as too many different people making what is essentially a hand made product will make for small differences.

However, I don't feel that it should become MY problem. I will also now have difficulty getting the saddle fitted to the horse as his jockey is now back at uni, she does come home on most weekends to ride but saddler does most fittings during the week and is well booked up on saturdays.

They have BRC champs this weekend and the Area festivals the 2 following weekends. It would be nice if the horse could actually have a saddle that fits!
 
I know the feeling! I ordered a Harry Dabbs dressage saddle made to measure on my very wide, flat backed boy around 6-7 weeks ago. The Saddler at the time said it should take 4 weeks ish and she just got a call back from the person making it with them saying they did a medium to medium wide tree as the wither measurement didnt look that wide lol (my boy is xxw in thorowgood). Well my saddler set them straight but now its more wait!! I was hoping to have it before I started uni again hmph.

My saddler has been amazing though and has leant us a saddle to use temporarily as his old saddle fits so badly so at least I have something.
 
U should get one you were told a time frame and that Is therefore part of your contract to buy. If one part of the contract is broken then you can void the entire contract hth

Bnbx
 
I have waited ten weeks so far for my ideal saddle. No amount of calls will get them to give time scales. I would cancel but this one should fit my mare.
 
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