Is this expensive??

Kelly1982

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Got saddle fitter coming Saturday coz its her 6 monthly check and he is charging me £45 just to look at it and then another £20 if it needs adjusting.

My other saddler who i have had for years is not as expensive as this, he only charges £30 and does the adjusting for free unless he has to take it away but he doesn't deal with synthetics so just wondered if this is the norm??
 
hmm, we had to change saddler as ours became ill and he never charged for coming out (assume it was included in saddle price) another charges by the mile and charge 75 to just LOOK at 3 horses we brought to him trot up and down a road! (then sold us very expensive pads!)
 
That what i thought
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He is meant to be really good but i dont want to pay these prices unless i have to really. I am tight ha ha
 
We have paid £25 for the callout and if he sees more than one persons horses he charges another £10 for each but if you are buying a saddle then it is for free
 
A well fitting saddle means absolutely everything it is not something to try and cut costs on. You might as well not bother to have a horse if your saddle does not fit properly...there are so many bogus saddlers out there who dont know what they are doing,who may also be cheap, so if this guy has a good reputation and is therefore more expensive, then it is worth it IMO....
 
My Saddler is a member of the Association of Master Saddlers (I think thats what its called). If you buy a Saddle the check and fitting are free, as is the first check after that. Subsequently, checks are £20. I have never been charged an additional fee for an adjustment, but I'm not sure if that would apply if it was a big one or not. Anyway, your experience makes me feel fortunate.
 
Mine charges a £30 callout (can be split) and then £20 to look at a saddle, and do basic adjustments. He travels from Suffolk to Notts, so think it is quite reasonable really!
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My saddler charges £30 to check saddle and he doesn't travel so horse has to be taken to him so what you are being charged sounds about right.
 
From the saddliers point of view. This person is self employed therefore time is money. The fee will be dependent on travelling distance and costs and how long they are going to be looking at horse, saddle and rider.

If your washing machine broke down, the average call out fee is much more + parts and labour which can really mount up. I am using this as an example. To call out anyone for a service, you have to pay a fee and to this extent I dont consider the saddlers fee to be that expensive in the scheme of things.

This person has to earn a living and I am sure they wont be selling a saddle a day or even a week. I would image to keep in business and maintain a good stock level is difficult as their market wont be huge. I am looking at this from a business point of view. As a customer I would expect for this price a good level of service and knowledge.
 
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