If you search in Marketplace, you can go in and change location and distance from an area. In that way I could find saddles in NY or Cali by repeatedly changing “my” location.
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I want to grab some eBay would-be saddle sellers by the collar and say, “No returns? I’m going to drop thousands of dollars on this thing with no option to send back if it doesn’t fit?” I’m not talking about sellers who give you the option of buying through their website. It’s these other … complete JOKERS.
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That’s the risk you take in buying through a site like eBay. If the saddle doesn’t fit, you resell it yourself. Not every seller is a business that can handle shipping an item back and forth and back and forth and paying to relist it multiple times. Not every would-be buyer sends the item back in the same condition that it arrived. If you want returns then deal with shops or sellers that are set up to allow trials.
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I sell on eBay occasionally, have for decades. I used to maintain a very user-friendly return policy, but newer eBay seller policies are rather Draconian, and I’ve stopped offering returns unless the item is “Significantly Not As Described”. And I’ve still had buyers trying to work a scam on me.
I only sell Auction format, and I post a good description with lots of fotos. But once you place a bid, the item is yours if you own the high bid. “Sorry 'bout that. No warranty expressed or implied.”
Why would you want to buy a saddle online anyway? You have no idea if it’s gonna fit your Equine until you try it on him. Silliness. But it makes the Post Office/FedEx/UPS happy . . .
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One reason you won’t see trials on eBay is the fee structure. eBay charges a final value fee based on the category and selling price that is non-refundable if you take a return. They include shipping in their calculation, which adds up even on a lower priced saddle. They do give a fee credit, so it can work if you’re a high volume seller but it’s painful if you are selling your personal saddle and won’t be listing something with a similar selling price soon.
It’s tough - As a buyer I totally agree with you and will only buy without a trial if I absolutely know it will work. As an occasional seller I’m not set up to deal with the hassle, risks and costs of trials. I took a dressage saddle to a local consignment store for exactly that reason - it’s unlikely to sell without a trial and I’m not willing to deal with it.
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Good point.
I have bought and sold on eBay since 1999. I’ve never sold or bought anything over $100. I’ve also never had a bad transaction as either a buyer or seller. Shipping prices are nuts but it’s part of doing business. I remember selling video tapes of Badminton!
I’ve bought and sold saddles through eBay, and never had a return guarantee either way. When I sold saddles, I provided all measurements, photos of the saddle with a ruler measuring the gullet and flaps, and was always open to answering questions from prospective buyers, but at the end of the day, you can never be sure if the saddle you get back will be the saddle you shipped out. So no, no returns.
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Sadly it’s across ALL social media not just eBay. We just have to be smarter. How that’s done I’m not exactly sure at this point. Fb is a hot mess too. 
Have you seen the 60 Minutes episode on the stalking of the owners critical of Ebay?
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WOW. No I hadn’t heard about that before.
I had a small tack shop on ebay. Ebay has raised fees, the government now charges taxes on online sales, shipping has gone up, and self employment taxes at the end of the year are high. It pushes people like myself right out of the market. At this point ebay makes more profit than I do when I sell a saddle. So it’s really not worth the bother.
The buyers want you to cut them a deal on the price and don’t really want to pay $50 on taxes. There used to be a time when I could make a couple hundred dollars selling a saddle. I am getting rid of all my inventory (on Facebook marketplace) and walking away. I’ve had many happy customers over the years and it’s a bit disappointing but it’s not a sustainable business.
And the scams on Facebook are a major headache. I really wish Facebook would require identity verification on every person who signs up. There must be thousands of people getting scammed every single day on Facebook. I would love to see some government intervention on that!
Local sales are the only way to safely sell (and meet up at a police station).
Fees are even higher selling on Amazon. If you are getting a good deal, the sellers are not. I try to avoid Amazon when I can. Free shipping is not really free shipping.
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