Advanced Saddle Fit: STAY AWAY!

[Ambitious_Kate]

Your suit is with coleen meyers, business name, in the New Hampshire location you mentioned. You need a mailing address for her/her business. You need to send out notices to her in some way, so you have to find out contact information.

I totally empathise with the OP, but I have a hard time understanding how you can order a saddle from someone and not have a business name and mailing address for them. I hope you have pursued getting your money back from the credit card agency, OP. You have it now from the saddle maker that you aren’t getting a saddle; she took your money and never paid him for the item.

[gypsymare]

In the case of the suit agaist my barn builder I had the option to file in either location.

[Obiwan]

I’ve got all the information, address, receipt, credit card charge. I was hoping it wouldn’t escalate to a court matter so quickly. And if she had been sick or had a family matter that I wouldn’t be tarnishing her name online in my distress. Looks like that definitely isn’t the problem!

Tell your friends and neighbors, Colleen is crap to deal with [edit]

[Emilia]

I have a friend, who has Ellis from her. She said, she would go MIA after the order, but, eventually, got the saddle after about six months. She was pretty nervous by then. She did check with the company after a while and, in fact, it was the company that sent her the saddle, not Colleen.

This is going to be interesting, because I have just ordered a saddle from her also. In the barn, where I was fitting, nobody seemed to have problems with her deliveries.

I am going to check with the maker, if there is an order for me.

This is a scary thread.

ETA: This person has a very good reputation in respectable equestrian circles, so, I can see, why OP would be initially very trusting.

[OverandOnward]

File in her location. It will have more impact on her than filing in yours. In several ways.

You’ve got to get as many of the others to whom she owes saddles to file as possible. It is best if you all go after this at the same time, IN THE SAME LOCATION. Give the locals an amount to work with that is worth some energy!

Good luck. Sometimes delayed goods have a way of materializing when things get serious, so I hope that happens for you!

[californianinkansas]

She was one of the people that I was strongly considering purchasing a saddle from. Scary. :no:

This is her website: http://advancedsaddlefit.com/

I think she might have a FB page, too.

This is the address listed on her public website:
Advanced Saddle Fit
348 Old Chesham Road
Marlborough, New Hampshire 03455

[OverandOnward]

Funny thing, I was just looking into statistics like this for work.

Apprx. 82% of all business fraud is done by first-timers. Meaning a person may have a clean reputation up to that point.

The median time for detection of ongoing fraud is 18 months.

People associated with sales who handle money are among those roles where more fraud is detected.

Smaller companies represent about 30% of company victims. I would count the saddle-maker among those, if this is not resolved, because his reputation and sales are being harmed. Even if it isn’t his fault.

And this goes for customers as well -
Companies that practice good business procedures and controls have a far, far lower incidence of fraud.

We should all take that to heart. Especially for higher-dollar transactions, stick to proper business procedure (receipts, agreements) and not go solely by reputation. It is very sad to have to learn this hard lesson.

[Obiwan]

It is strange because she would answer my calls and tell me my saddle was doing fine, next in line, etc… then after five months when I mentioned I was getting a bit impatient and wanted a deadline they said ok. I called them a few weeks later and left a message, no reply. Then three weeks later with multiple calls, emails and no returns, here I am!

I’d try calling her and see if you can get in touch with her.

Keep in mind, if you ordered an Adam Ellis, I contacted him and he said her account is in bad standing, and she’s become horrible to deal with. There are many saddles ordered by her that he won’t start making or send out because I’m assuming her account is in bad standing because she hasn’t paid him.

Many people in the barn got one from her and she was knowledgeable when she came, she just didn’t deliver.

[trubandloki]

Wow, how frustrating.

If you get your money back thru your credit card will the saddle maker allow you to pay them directly for your saddle that they appear to have already made?

[OverandOnward]

Also … will the saddle-maker give you the names and contact info of the others to whom she owes saddles, saddles he is not making? He may work with you to help you gather up a group to act in your own behalf. That’s a lot of business he is losing from people who want his saddles, because she didn’t pay him!

[quietann]

Ugh, OP, I am so sorry you’re having to deal with this.

I will chime in and say that as of 6 or so years ago, she had a good reputation and was welcome at a barn where the owner was very fussy about what vendors were allowed. I was boarding there and had I been interested in a new saddle at that time, I probably would have gotten her involved. Several up and coming young pros in the area also used her.

Something must have happened; regardless of what it is, I hope OP and others get their money back!

[farmgirl]

File w your state Office of the Attorney General. They have been very helpful to me in the past.

[TBROCKS]

[QUOTE=Obiwan;7922783]
Posting the email reply Adam Ellis sent me:

“Hi Abbey,
Im Sorry to hear of your bad experience with Colleen, I to really know the feeling, I cannot get hold of her, she’s become a complete nightmare to deal with, a good customer, but now is becoming to much trouble to deal with, I have so many orders here for her with peoples names attached to them, but refuse to make and send saddles out due to her account situation with me, its not me delaying making you saddle,
As for your question, yes I have a order here dated 2nd July for a 17” Nut jump saddle, with navy or cream welting, The name on the PO is Harrison so I guess this is yours, I shall forward your concerns along with the others to her and see if this gives her the nudge needed,
Sorry again and if I can help in any other way then please come back to me, as I said, I shall again be trying to contact her myself,!!
Best wishes for Christmas
Adam"

Does anyone know when you file for small claims court, is it the business location or the location of transaction?[/QUOTE]

This would piss me off. Are you kidding me? The woman has disappeared with thousands of your dollars. The only nudge she needs is into court of law.

[wcporter]

OP,
What does your trainer have to say about all of this? Her/his relationship with this saddle fitter lady seems a bit shady to me.

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=TBROCKS;7923126]
This would piss me off. Are you kidding me? The woman has disappeared with thousands of your dollars. The only nudge she needs is into court of law.[/QUOTE]

I am assuming that she’s not affiliated with the maker, that she just places orders through him. What can he really do if that’s the case? [She] has the dollars for the saddle, and the saddle maker has no dollars for the saddle. Sounds like her account with him is in terrible standing and that she’s been cut off.

If she actually WORKS for the saddle maker, than yeah…that’s a really [edit] response from the guy. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the case at all?

What an unfortunate situation, and I hope you’re successful in making sure everyone knows about her, Obiwan. Any luck disputing with your credit card company?

[CaitlinandTheBay]

[QUOTE=TBROCKS;7923126]
This would piss me off. Are you kidding me? The woman has disappeared with thousands of your dollars. The only nudge she needs is into court of law.[/QUOTE]
But that’s not the saddle maker’s fault. Sounds to me like he’s just trying to be nice to a would-be customer.

I agree, definitely take her to court.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=TBROCKS;7923126]
This would piss me off. Are you kidding me? The woman has disappeared with thousands of your dollars. The only nudge she needs is into court of law.[/QUOTE]

I’d not be too critical of the “nudge” terminology. I’ve experienced some pretty good “nudges” in my day.

One could also ask, “what should the maker do?” The OP has no business relationship with the maker. The maker answered the OPs inquiry which they really didn’t have to do as they are not responsible to the buyer prior to delivery (and then only to the extent of their warranty) but to the seller who placed the order.*

The OP is pretty much limited to dealing with seller. If the maker is willing, she could go forward with the purchase as a “factory direct” sale. My guess is the maker is pretty well screwed, too, in this.

As to where suit might filed, this is a matter for the jurisdictional rules where the OP lives. In general, to be subject to the jurisdiction of a State a person must be “present,” either physically or constructively. Some states are quite liberal and any “doing business” there (soliciting orders, regular sales, delivering goods, etc.) will do. Others are more conservative and require more than just a “casual sale” or “passing presence” before a defendant is subject to their jurisdiction.

The OP is in a bad place and likely will end up “eating” the loss. Suit would be appropriate but the odds of collecting are not good. Making a complaint to the her State AG is a good idea. So would a complaint with the BBB where the seller lives.

G.

*This is technically called “privity of contract.” This might change if the maker received payment, full or partial, from the seller.

[TBROCKS]

True, G. There are nudges and there are NUDGES

[CrowneDragon]

Why does this happen so often in the horse world? Order a custom saddle or boots and you either get something that doesn’t fit, isn’t what you wanted, or get nothing?

I’m sorry OP and I hope you get your saddle!

[Marshfield]

[QUOTE=Obiwan;7922780]
The saddle seller is Colleen Meyer of Advanced saddle fit. The location is in Marlborough NH. Anyone have any extra special ways of contacting her? And at this point I don’t recommend trying to buy a saddle from her :no:[/QUOTE]

Bummer. You’ve done the right thing by naming her. I’d heard stellar things about her in the past, but clearly something has changed.

If you paid by credit card–I’d call them. If by debit card, some banks will intervene (had reason to speak with mine about something recently). Otherwise, I’d find out if she owns a house before going to small claims so that you can be prepared to put a lien on it. I doubt going to court will get you money, sadly.