The saddle bank

Different brands of jeans size differently, it's the same with saddles. The retailer can only go with the actual manufacturer's information. What would happen if a store decided that Levi's size are too generous and changed the labels?

You can return but can't expect the fees to be waived/reimbursed.
 
Palindrome said:
Different brands of jeans size differently, it's the same with saddles. The retailer can only go with the actual manufacturer's information. What would happen if a store decided that Levi's size are too generous and changed the labels?

You can return but can't expect the fees to be waived/reimbursed.
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Not the same at all. As I have said several times, I needed a 17” saddle. One that measures 17”. I did not need a saddle which measures 18”. Had the saddle been listed as a 17” saddle which actually measures 18” then I would not have bought it.
 
Palindrome said:
Different brands of jeans size differently, it's the same with saddles. The retailer can only go with the actual manufacturer's information. What would happen if a store decided that Levi's size are too generous and changed the labels?

You can return but can't expect the fees to be waived/reimbursed.
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I understand your point but lots of retailers give tips about sizing to help people buying remotely. i bought a t shirt from Honest Riders and they all give an indication whether styles come up snug or generous, for instance. it would be a 10 sec job to measure the way most people understand saddle sizes and add that to the description to manage expectations, IMO.
 
Palindrome said:
Different brands of jeans size differently, it's the same with saddles. The retailer can only go with the actual manufacturer's information. What would happen if a store decided that Levi's size are too generous and changed the labels?

You can return but can't expect the fees to be waived/reimbursed.
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But then at the same time I've seen websites say for example this make of boots come up small, order a size bigger. Thermatex say to order a size down from your usual size, if a company knows the sizing is unusual it's nice to let customers know.
 
Ive got a kent and masters. ive just measured it out of interest. its stamped 16.5. measured from mid stud to cantle 16.5 pommel to cantle 17. Maybe yours was stamped wrong so really its not yours fault or The saddle bank. it would have been fair and good customer service for the saddle bank to pay return postage and contact kent and masters themself. Doesnt look good for them to post on here and it would put me off using them.
 
Different brands of jeans size differently yes, but we can buy and return without being charged if they dont fit. At worst I'd expect to cover postage.
TSB could easily have agreed with the OP to waive their fee, or even split it and I'm sure the OP would have been saying what a fab service they provided and what great customer relations they build. As it is it's all a bit "not my problem" and "computer says no"
Too late for them to fix that now though unfortunately although hopefully theyd maybe note in the advert the actual measurements and something about the K and M statement
 
Roxylola said:
Different brands of jeans size differently yes, but we can buy and return without being charged if they dont fit. At worst I'd expect to cover postage.
TSB could easily have agreed with the OP to waive their fee, or even split it and I'm sure the OP would have been saying what a fab service they provided and what great customer relations they build. As it is it's all a bit "not my problem" and "computer says no"
Too late for them to fix that now though unfortunately although hopefully theyd maybe note in the advert the actual measurements and something about the K and M statement
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You have to g oby the terms of the contract and if there is a restocking/trial fee than that is what you have signed up to pay.
I am guessing a high percentage of customers returning saddles do so because they don't fit, why would they have to pay and not the OP?
 
Palindrome said:
You have to g oby the terms of the contract and if there is a restocking/trial fee than that is what you have signed up to pay.
I am guessing a high percentage of customers returning saddles do so because they don't fit, why would they have to pay and not the OP?
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Because I bought a 17” saddle and it measures 18”, it was never going to fit. If it had been 17” and it hadn’t fitted then not a problem. The company agreed to sell me a 17” saddle, not a 17” saddle which measured 18”. But I am paying as I don’t have a choice.
 
teddypops said:
Not the same at all. As I have said several times, I needed a 17” saddle. One that measures 17”. I did not need a saddle which measures 18”. Had the saddle been listed as a 17” saddle which actually measures 18” then I would not have bought it.
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17" is the size of the seat, not the size of the panels so you can't be sure any 17" saddle will fit your horse.
 
Palindrome said:
You have to g oby the terms of the contract and if there is a restocking/trial fee than that is what you have signed up to pay.
I am guessing a high percentage of customers returning saddles do so because they don't fit, why would they have to pay and not the OP?
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Because people want to try a size 12 pair of jeans or a 17" saddle.

If what arrives is a size 12 pair of jeans or a 17" saddle and they dont fit then that is why you use the trial service.

If what arrives is a size 16 pair of jeans (with a sz 12 label) or a saddle that measures 18" they are never going to fit. It might be an error by the manufacturer but my contract is with the retailer.

They might make their jeans very big but if the advert doesnt tell you that how can you know and why wouldnt you assume that a size 12 is a size 12 when you've tried those jeans before and know that a 12 fits.

I believe it's a relatively new business so itll be a learning curve. From now on I'm sure TSB will measure saddles and make any necessary amendments to adverts. However that doesnt help the OP.

To have paid return postage and waived trial fee would have cost TSB £25-40 I'm guessing but they would have had a client that would use them again and hopefully tell people about the helpful customer service. The client would comment in any future threads asking about them and spread her positive experience.

I appreciate these are difficult times and it is hard going setting up a new business and getting it going but perhaps this could have been handled differently to appease the customer base
 
Palindrome said:
You have to g oby the terms of the contract and if there is a restocking/trial fee than that is what you have signed up to pay.
I am guessing a high percentage of customers returning saddles do so because they don't fit, why would they have to pay and not the OP?
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It was an opportunity for the saddle bank to say "gosh yes we see what you mean! K & M do say the tree is 17 inch but we totally understand it would not be something youd have ordered if youd realised so we will under the circumstances offer to... (waive/half/send you this other saddle that might be better without charging postage)"
Had they done that this thread would be very different for them. As a company they had the option to be flexible, they did not need to be you are technically correct. But they could and they chose to stick with technically correct. In that basis, I'll choose to avoid them personally in future.
Good customer service is about how you deal when things go wrong. I dont think this has been good customer service
 
Roxylola said:
It was an opportunity for the saddle bank to say "gosh yes we see what you mean! K & M do say the tree is 17 inch but we totally understand it would not be something youd have ordered if youd realised so we will under the circumstances offer to... (waive/half/send you this other saddle that might be better without charging postage)"
Had they done that this thread would be very different for them. As a company they had the option to be flexible, they did not need to be you are technically correct. But they could and they chose to stick with technically correct. In that basis, I'll choose to avoid them personally in future.
Good customer service is about how you deal when things go wrong. I dont think this has been good customer service
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Exactly that!
 
TSB I think you’ve handled this poorly. The buyer is right, the saddle is not the size she bought, you have sold the saddle in good faith I am sure as a 17 inch. However, the clear fact is it isn’t a 17in and won’t fit.

You have then told YOUR customer to contact the manufacturer, The law is that the customer’s contract is with you, not the manufacturer.

It is such a shame that you have now appeared on this thread not even attempting to do right and restore good faith in your company. Times are hard for all of us, buyers and companies. Yes, you have sold something that in most cases isn’t going to be suitable.

Do the right thing, as a gesture of goodwill please refund the postage and PLEASE as a lesson learnt as you have provided evidence from the manufacturer that the stud to the cantle is not an accurate measurement, include the actual size (measured by yourself) in all your listings of saddles. Then this issue won’t arise again. simples.

Come on TSB, spread a bit of love and happiness in a dark time. ?
 
You go to an expert company. The saddle does not measure correctly or is not the correct size. Customer unhappy, you go out of your way to resolve the matter. You take up the customer's complaint and you deal with it. You do not tell the customer to deal with it themselves.

I sell tack for charity, I advertised a bridle, had a proper look at it before I sent it out it was not up to standard. I advised the purchaser who also bought another item. I gave a refund for the bridle, but as the parts from the bridle might have been some use to her I sent the bridle as well. I am out to the make money but also keep my customers and run a fair and honest service. Never leave your customers upset. Always try to resolve the matter as best you can. They will reward you with repeat business and good reviews, it is how business works in all industries. You make a mistake or the customer thinks you have made a mistake you resolve it the best you can.

The customer is the one with the money and the customer keeps you in business.
 
Roxylola said:
Now, a bit of decent customer service from the saddle bank and an unpatronising reply here would have gone a long way towards some good PR for them. As it is, their public response while polite is a bit obnoxious and they'll definitely be off my list of companies I'd deal with in the future!
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Id have sent it back minus the £10!
 
But surely, if the saddle has been measured accurately, and using recommended method then it must be correct- tape measures do not lie.
Also, a whole inch in the positioning of the nail head is a lot on a saddle.
Taking these points into account, should we not all be “officially”advised to measure saddles before we buy them?
There doesn’t seem much point in stamping a saddle with a size if it isn’t accurate.
I think I would still be pursuing this with Society of Master Saddlers regarding clarification re measuring.
And yes, the buyers contract is with the seller, not the manufacturer. Am surprised that TSB are not aware of this.
 
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What a shame. I bought a second hand Fairfax dressage saddle from them recently, it was in even better condition than described, and I was very happy with their advice and service. They put in the correct width gullet bar that I asked for, too, for a nominal fee.

I’m sorry that your experience with them was so poor, OP.
 
Tiddlypom said:
What a shame. I bought a second hand Fairfax dressage saddle from them recently, it was in even better condition than described, and I was very happy with their advice and service. They put in the correct width gullet bar that I asked for, too, for a nominal fee.

I’m sorry that your experience with them was so poor, OP.
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It’s how TSB deal with customer problems that’s more the point here I think. Easy to give good service when everything is going well.
 
Still time for TSB to turn it around.

It's a relatively new business so there are going to be teething problems and situations arising for the first time. I'm sure that from now on all saddles will be measured for example ?

I can see it from TSB's pov. The manufacturer has said that the saddle is X and they have sent it out on trial as X. However as people have already posted there were better ways that this could/should have been handled.

As I said it's not too late to turn it around and turn a negative experience into a positive
 
I am thrilled to note that this thread will come up on the first page of google hits every single time someone searches the saddle bank. So anyone thinking of using them types the name into google, and sees their webpage etc and this post. (its not there yet as theres a small lag, but it will replace the old thread that come up) That less than £100 they haven't refunded will cost them significantly more than they can imagine right now. Utter idiots!
 
I completely agree The Saddle Bank could and should have handled it differently, and while I can sort of see both sides of this especially if the manufacturer has confirmed it is indeed a 17” tree you’d hope a company whose sole aim was to make the process easier would have a little more empathy for the situation.

I’ve had saddles that have both measured long or been labelled wrong, it’s what makes saddle buying so tricky.

For those of you who may remember my stolen Bates saddle many years ago now I had to fight long and hard with the police to prove my 17” saddle was actually mine as despite a label stating the size, it measured much longer when you put a tape to it. It took an entire thread on here plus an email from Bates before the police backed off from their “tape doesn’t lie” line and accepted that just because it measured that way didn’t mean it wasn’t the size of stated.

On the other side of it, I also had an older equipe saddle that was labelled 18” (back before they did half sizes) but was absolutely a 17.5”, in fact in my advert when selling I ended up stating it was used by a 5’4” rider on a relatively compact 15.3hh horse to emphasise the fact there was absolutely no way it was actually 18”.

Hopefully the OP gets a suitable resolution, in the meantime I know who I won’t be going to if I need a new saddle.
 
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