Cavallo Hoof Boots - Fall apart? Ebay selling

[4horses]

Has anyone had Cavallo Hoof boots fall apart after one use?

I sold a pair and now the buyer is claiming they completely fell apart after one ride. She received the boots on Saturday. Rode in them yesterday and sent me pictures of them last night. They look severely worn. I can’t even tell if they are the same boots. The toe is cracked on one.

The buyer lives in Hawaii. I’m not certain what the footing is like- she could have ridden on rocky terrain. She wants to return them and I feel like I have no choice but to accept the return and refund her.

My gut feeling is that she is returning me her used boots and keeping the new ones for herself. She claims she rode in them for 10 minutes at a walk.

Things like this make me want to quit ebay. There’s no seller protection. And you can’t prove they weren’t defective.

[trubandloki]

I don’t have experience with that particular brand but I doubt any boot would fall apart after 10 minutes of walking so clearly there is more going on here.

I am thinking your theory is correct.

The lack of seller protection is why lots of people have given up selling on ebay.

[Scribbler]

Yeah, she is scamming you. No boot gets that much wear in one day.

[SuzieQNutter]

Yes this happened to me. I bought them second hand virtually unused look like new at a car boot sale.

They fell apart after one ride. I am now wary about buying second hand. I guess they didn’t like being stored. I didn’t do anything about it.

[Scribbler]

I can imagine stitching or a component failing or even cracking, but not overall wear. Without seeing the before and after photos its impossible to say of course.

It is an interesting scam idea, though. If you had the exact same item but worn out you could hide the new purchase and claim they sent you the old one. You could do this to multiple sellers get refunds and then resell the good gear quietly under another name.

[4horses]

I’ve accepted the return. I’m going to see if the manufacturer will honor their warranty. If their boots fall apart in one use after being stored inside the house in air conditioning- It seems like a defective product. And I can’t imagine them lasting very long being used on a horse! That’s assuming that the buyer is being honest and not pulling a scam.

[cayuse]

I’ve had the tab in the front snap off (the part the two velcro pieces fold over) after a couple hours of driving.

[SuzieQNutter]

No it wasn’t the stitching that fell apart for me. The actual boots cracked into pieces.

[Foxglove]

I have bought and sold on eBay for ten years or so. I’ve found their seller support equal to their buyer support. EX: I sold a clearly labeled FAUX silver headstall (Western) used, for $20. Buyer demanded refund stating that the “silver was not real.” She insisted on me refunding shipping (both ways) and sale price. I contacted eBay --they told the buyer she could send the bridle back for a refund of her purchase price only --she would have to pay shipping both ways as I’d clearly stated the silver was not real. She send me a few crappy emails through eBay --then eBay suspended her. I got my bridle back and resold it for more.

I sold a bit laid on a tape measure that showed 5.5 inches. I stated the bit was 5.5 inches. The buyer wanted to return it because she said it wasn’t 5.5 inches. eBay said sure --but again, she paid shipping both ways.

And as a buyer I’ve had maybe 4-5 problems --usually with people who can’t measure correctly (I buy used clothes). Most, like me, offer return WITH SHIPPING PAID if the error is mine.

However, I use eBay as a “garage sale.” I wouldn’t buy a $1500 saddle at a garage sale and expect to return it if it didn’t fit my horse.

I never sell ANYTHING I can’t afford to lose --I try to keep it fun and light --usually I sell used clothes (that I bought on eBay) and occasionally other stuff --old DVDs etc.

Contact eBay and see what they say about your concern that it is a switch.

[trubandloki]

I think the difference for you @Foxglove is that your buyers were questioning a provable point. A dimension included in the ad for example.
The problem the OP is having is not something she can disprove. She can show photos of what she packaged up, but that is not like saying ‘no, it is 5.5inches’.

[js]

@4horses

My gut feeling is that she is returning me her used boots and keeping the new ones for herself. She claims she rode in them for 10 minutes at a walk.

It would be a good idea to put a hidden mark (indelible ink) somewhere that can’t be seen so if something like this happened in the future you could verify that the product is what you sent and not something that was switched. It probably wouldn’t change anything but at least you would know.

[Foxglove]

@turbandlok --you make a valid point. However, my post was not to disagree that the buyer may be trying to scam the seller --only that in my experience, eBay was equally fair dealing with my issues selling as they were with my issues buying.

[Libby2563]

Hmmm, my first guess was also a scammer pulling a switcheroo. I used Cavallo boots for overnight turnout every night for 9-10 weeks this summer and they are scuffed of course but still perfectly usable. I believe they are almost 2 years old and had seen sporadic use before that but were mostly stored in the tack room. I am very skeptical that they would disintegrate in the way the buyer described, definitely not in literally 10 minutes of walking.

I pretty much stopped selling on eBay because they were so pro-buyer, and I only buy from people with lots of good ratings or if the item is inexpensive enough that I can take the hit.

[SuzieQNutter]

All my other cavello boots were bought on ebay and have not fallen apart. I can not tell you why the ones I purchased in person did, but I have decided in the future to only buy new.

[Bogie]

I foxhunted in Cavallo boots for years and usually got at least two seasons out of them. And we’re talking galloping, jumping, rough terrain, etc.

I’m skeptical.

However, I also won’t sell on eBay any more. No protection for sellers.

[cutter99]

I’ve had pairs of Cavallo boots go 7-8 years with nothing falling apart on them. I would be shocked if they fell apart with only one use.

I use mine hard with mountain riding, creeks, deep mud, etc.

There is no way they fell apart being used for 10 minutes at a walk.

[4horses]

I guess I will see what arrives when she ships it back. If it has serious signs of wear I will call eBay customer service.

[enjoytheride]

She’s scamming you. 10 minutes at the walk and they shouldn’t even be broken in. I had a gelding who wore a Cavallo boot for 24/7 turnout for several months and it was worn but fine.

There is no way I would have accepted that return.

[Bogie]

It’s almost impossible on eBay for the seller not to accept the return. The decks are stacked against you

[enjoytheride]

This person is clearly scamming the OP. She’s not going to get back the same boots she sold. I’d still fight it.