They still do this. I found some breeches sales section which were actually $22.00 more expensive than in their normal breeches section. Same breeches, different price.
With that said though, their customer service is really great. So is Smartpak’s. I like having both of them.
I thought about that, but I’d think the Dover invoice would have shown it sold to the employee… It’s an all around weird thing.
@mychestnutvalentine that makes a little more sense, it was just so weird it came with the full receipt with all my info, but totally different payment amounts!
It’s possible that an employee modified the price during checkout by simply entering a new one, which would replace the system price on the receipt.
Update to the fly sheet weirdness - PayPal/eBay out of the blue sent me a full refund for what I paid saying the seller gave an invalid tracking number? I don’t know what tracking they gave (I never saw it), but the blanket is here and on my horse… so I guess I got a free fly sheet?
I would repay, honestly. I know it’s tempting just to keep but that’s not right!
I just saw on the tractor supply website they are starting to sell some dover branded blankets/tack etc. Seems like an odd choice for both companies but what do I know :lol:
That’s what happened to me! I will have to find the explanation that I was given by ebay.
I am cursed with severe cash register honesty. I would call or email Dover CS a photo of the receipt and make good on it. You didn’t get a free fly sheet. Dover got ripped off (not your fault) and deserves payment.
Sermon over. Carry on.
I called them, but they have no record of the purchase… long story short, CS told me not to worry about it and keep it. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t.
I try to support Dover as much as I can. I go by the Dallas location several times a year, normally.
I’m young, but old school in that - especially with my horse stuff - I want to see it, inspect it, feel it before I buy it. Blankets, bridles, boots, etc. As such, I try to do a lot of my normal maintenance stuff - leather cleaner, dewormer, grooming tools, etc. - from Dover as well.
I certainly hope they aren’t going anywhere, as they’re the best in the business for the market they serve.
There’s a high end, niche tack shop in the metroplex as well - but I can’t afford most of the stuff there. There’s also the “Walmart” of western stores, where you can pick up most things very affordably and I do love the space they fill - but their English tack selection is like, one 12’ section of wall in a back corner. :lol:
We had a really cool English tack shop for a long time that turned into a gas station a few years back. I tried to support them and buy all of my unique stuff from them when I could, but they had terrible hours and the owners were very, very odd.
Actually, the Horseware RAMBO range is made in Ireland.
Dover was bought out several years ago.
The change from “barn supplies” to “lifestyle choice” is because of the above, not because of ‘financial troubles’.
Now it is mostly lifestyle chic, equestrian designer brands, apparel.
It’s not a bad thing, it’s just what it is.
I never understood why it was a problem that Dover had special discounts for people who were subscribed to their catalog, but it wasn’t a big deal for other companies (Lands End, for instance?). More companies do this than not… It’s a common tactic in merchant/vendor stores.
The above tactic being totally moot if you call or chat with a CSR – they’ll find the best price for you if you ask. :yes:
This cracks me up - odd to say the least! Are you referring to the one at 377 and 424? It was convenient but they didn’t carry many “last minute” type needs and when I wanted to buy my supplements through them to give them some business, they said it wasn’t worth it to them to order them for me for the small amount of profit they would make. Ummm. What?
Yes! I loved that shop since it was unique and I did purchase a number of things from them over the years, but there were days when the wife was downright hostile to anyone shopping - like she was being bothered that anyone was asking questions.
Paul Taylor’s is amazing for my day to day stuff, but their English selection is lacking - I’m trying to find a reasonably priced, decent quality figure 8 bridle right now and hate having to order without being able to look and feel what I’m buying. I also need new tall boots, but last time I looked - Dover was curbside pickup only. I may just check out Quail Hollow, but I’ve got a couple hundred in Dover gift cards I’d prefer to use. :disgust:
I did see that the girl who owns DFW Tack Exchange leased a store front in Fort Worth right before quarantine hit. She’s rebranded to Double Oak Tack, but it’ll still be nice to have a place to go and see things in person - the fact that a lot of the stuff is consignment is a bonus. (Announcement on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_C5FUNpSKL/ )
I think it’s important to spend money at businesses you want to stick around. Tack shops are one thing I hope are never online only. It’s hard to buy off of a picture.
Our Dover location has curbside pickup also, but they are open now by appointment. So you can set a time and go in the store to shop. I’m not sure of the exact details, but everyone wears a mask and you can go inside to see and try things.
I spoke with my local store yesterday. They are open for both curbside pickup and shop by appointment to limit the number of people in store. They are requiring that masks be worn. They also asked me how many would be in my party, I guess they had someone set up an appointment and showed up with a group of 7 or 8. A friend who did an appointment last week mentioned that they asked, if possible to minimize touching of items as you browse. Since stores have been used to fulfill online orders during the lockdown, the store appears very understocked but she was told that they have started to receive replenishment of goods and they were ale to backorder items for her.
There really is minimal profit in supplements. That $50 bucket of product probably cost the retailer about $45-47 to get there. It costs a lot to ship and vendors are not offering discounts to small shops who might sell a few units a month. If it doesn’t sell, the retailer has to either pay to ship it back or throw it away when it expires. Supplements take up space from stuff with bigger markup. My friend who ran a shop for years was asked often about carrying some supplements and looked into it but couldn’t find a way to do with without losing money.
My local Dover has cut back a ton on supplements. What they have done is tried to pinpoint the stuff that sells best. My trainer started using a newer joint product on her older schoolies with some success. Dover carries it online so she ordered it. One of her clients works at the store and mentioned it to the manager and now the store is going to stock it for her.
A small store would have a hard time getting the right array assuming that they would need just a few things from each vendor to satisfy local needs.
Their bricks and mortar store in Franklin, TN is nice and the staff is friendly and helpful. Most of my shopping there coincided with a Brownland Farm horse show. It’s approximately across the street from Brownland, which means it will be in the exact wrong location after Brownland is developed.
After 2008 a lot of the independent tack stores in my area closed. Dover has always been great for me- the Hunt Valley one has wonderful employees, they go out of their way to accommodate requests, and they give my dog love and hugs when we come in, which is fun.
I will always support smaller stores, but when one’s options dry up at least Dover isn’t like a huge, faceless, horsey version of Wal-mart. Also, I have found the 10% off for USEF members is a great deal for a lot of things.
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