[QUOTE=Sannois;7927824]
So what saddle company does she work for??[/QUOTE]
Maybe she works for Vandalay Industries!! 
[QUOTE=Sannois;7927824]
So what saddle company does she work for??[/QUOTE]
Yes, what saddle company is she with now???
[QUOTE=Sannois;7927824]
So what saddle company does she work for??[/QUOTE]
She doesnât âworkâ for any saddle company. She is her own business (Advanced Saddle Fit), from there she will fit your horse and send out a saddle order to a saddle maker. She would sell Adam Ellis saddles, Patrick saddles, Kent & Masters, potentially fairfax, Dentenine(?) and a few others.
Then maybe if your cross your fingers and hope every night for 7 years, huck over money for the special pad, the special girth, kiss her feet and tell her that she is the one true saddle fitter even born, your saddle might arrive. And donât forget that youâre not allowed to bother her after your order or after your delivery, she donât have time for that [edit], donât you know? Lowly, complaining, high expectationed, unknowledgeable saddle using horse ownersâŠ
Hmm.
I can believe that the beskope saddle industry is prone to glitches and delays all along the supply chain, and arenât in the control of the saddle fitter ordering the saddle. What I donât understand (and what has me running for the hills here) is why updates arenât given on request and/or offers to return the deposit and cancel the order once the delay is long arenât made. That money is sitting somewhereâŠ
I had Paul Selvey make me a saddle several years ago for a hard-to-fit horse. It took awhile (heâs a small shop, builds from the tree up, and imports the leather), but he was good about keeping me updated. Iâd recommend him (especially for dressage saddles) for anyone in SoCal.
[QUOTE=CrowneDragon;7927602]
Tâwas a joke. I am still waiting for Colleen to come here and clarify what has been going on, which she said she is going to do.[/QUOTE]
I didnât get it.
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.
[QUOTE=paw;7927992]
I had Paul Selvey make me a saddle several years ago for a hard-to-fit horse. It took awhile (heâs a small shop, builds from the tree up, and imports the leather), but he was good about keeping me updated. Iâd recommend him (especially for dressage saddles) for anyone in SoCal.[/QUOTE]
Mmm⊠a Paul Selvey saddle.
I give that guy credit: As I understand it, he fits the horse and saddle, âskeleton to skeleton.â That is to say, he brings trees out to try on the horseâs back.
IMO, thatâs how it should happen. And heck, in WesternWorld, you can get guys to build a tree to fit a particular horse. (I might add that you can get a more durable, genuinely custom saddle for less money there, as well).
And Iâm ramping up into a rantâŠâŠ
People! A well-chosen tree is a crucial component of saddle fit. If you think itâs less important than the panelsâ shape and fill-- which we talk about more than tree shape-- you are suffering from ignorance. (And another aside: WesternWorld has a much richer vocabulary for all of the curves one can consider in the tree.)
All this adds up to most of us buying saddles probably donât know enough about saddle trees and donât demand enough from our fitters who donât let us see trees tried on horses. If I were to enter the biz, this is the way Iâd do a fitting. And yet, I think it would be quite hard to do, given the way manufacturing goes.
So perhaps Meyers runs a different kind of business than does, say, whoever sells you your CWD. That person has a different relationship to the saddle maker and, as I understand it, that French (or Moroccan) saddle maker has a different relationship to the tree manufacturer because (if I have this right) there are fewer tree-makers for the French saddle industry.
Perhaps offering a genuinely custom saddle is tougher than what most saddle fitters and reps do when they offer some options that involve fewer distinct suppliers in the chain.
[QUOTE=Obiwan;7927978]
She doesnât âworkâ for any saddle company. She is her own business (Advanced Saddle Fit), from there she will fit your horse and send out a saddle order to a saddle maker. She would sell Adam Ellis saddles, Patrick saddles, Kent & Masters, potentially fairfax, Dentenine(?) and a few others.
Then maybe if your cross your fingers and hope every night for 7 years, huck over money for the special pad, the special girth, kiss her feet and tell her that she is the one true saddle fitter even born, your saddle might arrive. And donât forget that youâre not allowed to bother her after your order or after your delivery, she donât have time for that sh*t, donât you know? Lowly, complaining, high expectationed, unknowledgeable saddle using horse ownersâŠ[/QUOTE]
So is the bloom off the rose Obiwan? You are done with her yes?
How about just finding an Albion Saddle fitter? Our County, Or Bernie Brothers! Someone who actually works for the companies!
[QUOTE=mvp;7927995]
I didnât get it.
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.[/QUOTE]
I donât think itâs funny when people take your money and lie to you. 
If she is trying to run an honest business and half of the information posted in this thread is true, she sucks at it.
I am still eager to hear her version of these events. It is only fair to hear both sides.
[QUOTE=mvp;7927995]
I didnât get it.
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.[/QUOTE]
Itâs not a joking matter, but when a business takes a customerâs money (a significant amount, too), gives no updates and doesnât return phone calls, they are doing a pretty good job of messing up their business without any help from the outside world.
Yes, people get themselves into sticky spots. Yes, the bespoke saddle business is fraught with delays. No, itâs not alright to pocket $2K and not keep in touch with your customers OR to not offer a refund when 5 months into the mission the saddle hasnât even been started.
She may be an awesome saddle fitter but ultimately, sheâs in the business of delivering saddles to customers. Not just creating the tracings and placing the order with a saddler. It doesnât seem like the OPâs experience is a one off.
I have had a service business for 26 years. You promise, you deliver. Or you are on the phone heading off concerns. Itâs not that complicated, even though itâs sometimes very hard to do.
You seem to have a soft spot for this fitter based on your experiences with her. I also know people who have been happy with her service (although it took a LONG time to get the saddle). Itâs unfortunate that she canât keep up that level of service.
[QUOTE=mvp;7927995]
I didnât get it.
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.[/QUOTE]
Who is joking? The saddle-maker himself said that she hasnât paid for the orders she is placing ⊠but the customers have paid her. Going back at least since Feb. 2014, according to the BBB complaint.
You bet her business is being messed with, and about time. It is she that created the situation by taking money and not completing the deal to deliver the goods she sold - and offering no recompense to the buyers.
Are you trying to defend this saddle fitter? Your only excuse for her is that the process is more elaborate than most people know, but that has nothing to do with the facts presented in this thread.
[QUOTE=mvp;7928016]âŠ
So perhaps Meyers runs a different kind of business than does, say, whoever sells you your CWD. That person has a different relationship to the saddle maker and, as I understand it, that French (or Moroccan) saddle maker has a different relationship to the tree manufacturer because (if I have this right) there are fewer tree-makers for the French saddle industry.
Perhaps offering a genuinely custom saddle is tougher than what most saddle fitters and reps do when they offer some options that involve fewer distinct suppliers in the chain.[/QUOTE]
Interesting information.
What has it got to do with the thread subject? The saddle fitter isnât being accused of not matching available trees with orders. Sheâs being accused of taking money and doing nothing to deliver the goods sold. The saddle-maker himself didnât say it was because of inventory or supplies - he said it was because she wasnât paying him, even though her customers had paid her.
Derailing isnât going to change the facts âŠ
I have a question for those defendingâŠif you replace the word Mechanic with âSaddle Fitterâ and âexpensive car partâ for saddle, would you still defend if it were not horse related? I do get very weary of the mantra in the horse world for it to be politically incorrect to complain about shoddy or unethical service. Look at all these people that have spoken up and admitted their own issues with this fitter. If all these would have posted a complaint on the BB site, maybe the OP would have been saved going through this or could have made an educated decision to do business with this person.
This is not a new issue with Colleen nor is it the first time there have been money issues with Adam as I personally experienced almost 4 yrs. ago.
She is very knowledgeable and I agree that great saddle fit starts with the tree and she uses saddle makers with something like 20 different trees, but, that knowledge doesnât excuse her less than stellar business practices.
My story is a long one, but the Riderâs Digest version is that after a stupidly long wait, I ordered the same saddle from another person who could magically get it in 3 weeks and suddenly, Colleen had mine in hand and she just happened to be coming to my area.
Iâm sorry to hear that this seems to be a recurring issue for her customers as I do think she knows whatâs she doing and represents some very nice saddles for far less money than some of the more âpopularâ brands.
[QUOTE=mvp;7927995]
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.[/QUOTE]
So according to mvp, Colleen may have had a legimate reason for the delay, but instead of disclosing this to the OP she chose to LIE TO HER AND STOPPED TAKING HER CALLS. Yes, I am yellingâŠ
The fact that some here are attempting to excuse this behaviour, is as disturbing to me as the behaviour itself. Have I somehow crashed headfirst into an alternate universe where it is okay to lie to, and ignore customers, and expect to maintain a stellar reputation as a businessâŠOy vey!
Replace saddle fittter with doctor and tell me your ok with the silent treatment and a 2k deductible paid in full and a 6 month delay.
[QUOTE=PeanutButterPony;7928143]
Replace saddle fittter with doctor and tell me your ok with the silent treatment and a 2k deductible paid in full and a 6 month delay.[/QUOTE]
Are you really trying to make the comparison between a luxury saddle & healthcare? Thatâs a bit of a stretchâŠ
I do wish the horse culture would change to demand professionalism from everyone involved, but I find that unlikely to happen anytime soon. I hope this can get resolved soon so the OP isnât out money w/o a saddle. Theyâre not in the business of custom saddles, but I have only had the most professional interactions with VTO saddlery.
[QUOTE=mvp;7927995]
I didnât get it.
Donât make a joke in public about a professional who is already on the ropes, ok? This is someone trying to make a living. The pile-on stops being funny when itâs messing with someoneâs business.[/QUOTE]
I think Colleen destroyed the business all on her own. When a client has to pursue police intervention, youâre probably done
[QUOTE=arapaloosa_lady;7928196]
Are you really trying to make the comparison between a luxury saddle & healthcare? Thatâs a bit of a stretchâŠ
I do wish the horse culture would change to demand professionalism from everyone involved, but I find that unlikely to happen anytime soon. I hope this can get resolved soon so the OP isnât out money w/o a saddle. Theyâre not in the business of custom saddles, but I have only had the most professional interactions with VTO saddlery.[/QUOTE]
So replace saddle fitter with any service provider, like plumber or mechanic as noted above. How anyone can justify this womanâs business model because itâs complicatedâŠis just bizarre. For 2k to vanish for months is unconscionable.
Nope. It can be compared to other industries.
Building/renovating a house for example. Very comparable. Customer wants specialized, individual thing for this room, house, layout. Renovator/worker would like the easiest most standard layout.
Workers promise to show up but donât. For. Months.
Many thousands more than for a saddle, is laid out before the work.
Lack of communication, promises made but not kept.
Eventually, with a long enough wait it gets done.
Custom boots also seem prone to the same dissatisfaction.
Twitter quote from Colleen. âPiquant marinadeâ⊠Well, in her defense, A Christmas Story did just run for 24 hrâs.
