My fave is Riding Warehouse IF they have what I need for the reasons listed above. However, I did have a rare great exerience with Dover recently. I ordered a bridle in 2 sizes as their size guide seemed strange. Neither fit correctly, so I sent them back. Received a refund confirmation 1 week after they received my package, so I can’t complain about that. Perhaps things are returning to normal as some of the delay must have been staffing - as they state on their returns page requesting patience.
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Rideaway, whilst advertising free US returns, do not actually honor it.
Their online chat help were rude and unhelpful even when sent screenshots of their emails and web site advertising this service. It took a nastygrsm to head office to get a free return code “as a courtesy,” and they were supposed to be getting on to their marketing team to adjust the offending wordage.
If you know your product and size, they are a good deal with free and very fast shipping from the UK, but expect to pay $25 to return an item.
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If you pay with PayPal (which Big D does accept), you can get reimbursed for return shipping up to 12 times a year, up to $30 on each transaction. It doesn’t seem to be a widely known program but it is awesome, especially if you want to buy a sized item from overseas. https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns
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I think location also depends on it as I’m in the Northeast so fairly close to Smartpak & Dover so their products always arrive quickly as long as they’re in stock. Adam’s Horse Supply used to be in my region too so I would get their orders within a couple days. Riding Warehouse takes up to a week or so but I think they’re on the west coast so not too surprised.
Also this may be very obvious but it didn’t click for me for awhile. I try to place all my online orders either on Sunday or Monday of each week. Then give or take a couple days of processing, they’re shipping & on the way at the end of the week… I found that if I place an order at the end of the week, the order may not finish processing or make its way to shipping until after the weekend.
I’m in the Northeast and have good experiences with Smartpak, Dover, Adams, and Riding Warehouse.
Smartpak has been a little slow in getting my autoship supplements to me, like they arrive the day I run out of my supplements, which I’m not crazy about, but it’s whatevs.
I haven’t ordered from Dover in a few months, but they’re always pretty quick for me. Sometimes things arrive before the charge shows up on my CC, it’s wild.
Riding Warehouse is really reliable and used to take longer to ship to me because they’re on the west coast, but they recently opened a warehouse in Georgia, so my last order got here in 2-3 days.
Adams always ships really fast to me. I haven’t ordered from them since they moved to Aiken, but I’d imagine the shipping times won’t change a whole lot.
StateLineTack has always shipped slow for me, even in pre-Covid times. I’ve never had to return anything to them so I have no experience there.
Staffing, supply, and shipping issues are a real struggle for every company, not just horse-related ones. The staff these companies do have aren’t behind just to make your life difficult. Being kind is free.
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I’m Midwest so Big Dees has always next day for me. Good for shipping, $$$ for returns - I’ve had great luck with fundis and the drillshed. Never more than 3/4 days.
Have people here bought from The Drillshed? I’ve seen some really good deals on there. No free return shipping but they do accept PayPal.
I bought some saddle pads from them last summer. I don’t remember how fast shipping was, but I did receive what I ordered without issue.
@atr good to know on Ride-Away. I just ordered a pad and some gloves from them. Placed my order evening of 2/23 and it arrived yesterday. The Roeckl gloves were about 50% off, so it was well worth it. When I buy from overseas, I just assume that I’ll resell the item rather than try to return it if it doesn’t work out.
Also just bought a helmet from Fundis and received it within two weeks even though the website said it was back ordered and wouldn’t be in stock until 3/1.
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I ordered from the Drillshed recently. I’m in California, and it was over a week. But it was worth it because they had the best price by far. I didn’t have any returns.
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I can’t speak for returns, but Fundis is now my go-to for almost everything. Boggles my mind how shipping from Germany is faster than the U.S., but it is. I can order on a Sunday night and have my order by Tuesday afternoon.
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Yes, I would normally just resell, but it got under my fins that they offered free returns in their advertising and then denied it…
yes! bought a new CO helmet from them a few months ago, shipped quick, and was a new helmet (aka manufacture date was within the year, not like some places I’ve ordered from and the helmet was made 6 years ago). It was literally like half the price of smartpak, too.
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I placed an order from Premier Equine in the UK and it’s due to deliver today in California, 7 days from date of order including a weekend. About as fast as a lot of East Coast tack shops!
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Ok update on the Drillshed: I ordered a pair of boots on Monday night PST, and received them today!!! I am blown away. It was a great price and super service, now fingers crossed they fit 
(I think last time was right during the Xmas rush so everything was probably slowed down)
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