Ok, maybe Dover isn't as bad as I thought...

[Gorgonzola]

I will say I don’t (didn’t?) like Dover. I used to live 1.5 hours from their hub in Mass, and hated that the shipping was 1)so expensive and 2)on average 3 days slower than Smartpak (who was farther from my house).

Then I moved to DFW, and was less than 30 mins from the Dover store- YAY! That didn’t last long, the store employees were flat out rude on multiple occasions. So I didn’t go in to the store, and with Smartpak/VTO/Stateline all providing better pricing/shipping options I didn’t use them online either.

Fast forward- a friend had a Dover Sale catalog I was flipping through- Essex Coolmax wrap collar show shirts for $34.99??? Why yes, I’ll take a few. I go in to the store, and order some- no shipping! And the ladies were nice!

While I’m at the register, there is a woman complaining about her bridle:
Customer:“Well the crown piece is cracking, I need a new one”
Dover Employee: “Oh, did something happen?”
C: “I had the bridle on the ground while I was tacking up and my horse stepped on it”
DE: “Oh ok, let’s look it up in the system, do you remember when you purchased it?”
C: “About 9 years ago, when I bought my horse”
DE: “That’s helpful, thanks”
C: “So you’ll be giving me a new one, since I’m no longer happy with this one?”
DE: “We’ll send this to the manufacturer to have it fixed, it will be about a month to get a replacement piece, as they’re based on Germany”
C: “Well I’m not paying for that”
DE: “No of course, what’s a good number to call you at when it’s in?”

:eek::eek::eek:

A free crown piece (can’t tell if it’s a new one or a repaired one), after 9 YEARS, when you openly admit to having placed the bridle on the ground, and your horse stepped on it???

A+ on customer service Dover, although maybe now I know why the shipping prices are so high- they’re losing money on this 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed thing!:yes:

[Appsolute]

Thats why I bought my new boots from them. With so many “my $$ boots fell apart!” and “my zipper broke” stories - I know if I run into a problem with my boots they will make it right.

[GoForAGallop]

I just had a great experience with them last week. I bought one of the Amigo midweights that they had on sale for $65, for my horse who has lived in nothing but sheets for 10 years but is now feeling the cold since it hasn’t gotten above freezing in literally weeks.

My horse has blankets that are 8-10 years old, he is VERY easy on his clothes. So imagine my surprise when I came out, the second day he was wearing it, to find that the front buckles had just disintegrated. I called Dover, they apologized, and are sending another, for free.

This is in pretty stark contrast to Smartpak…last year I bought a $100 sheet for my pony, put it on him, and looked out literally no more than an hour later to find the entire trim had come apart from the blanket. There were no teeth marks or anything, so I can only assume he caught it when getting up, but it was literally in tatters. I called their customer service, and the best they were able to do for me was a $10 credit. For an expensive sheet that had fallen apart in an hour. (I did, and still do, have three more of the exact same sheet, and have never had that issue…which I told to the Smartpak rep, pretty sure that the sheet I got was just defective.)

[roseymare]

IDK who would even think of asking for a new crown piece nine years later. No wonder the cost of things keeps rising if people want built in insurance…

now the blankets falling apart in a matter of days different story

[Sooner_or_Later]

I’ve never had a problem with them. I had a pair of paddock boots that I really wanted to fit me, but they really didn’t fit. I’d worn them a couple of times. As I was chatting with one of the salespeople (on the phone) I mentioned what I had and did the ones I was thinking of fit a little narrower. She said yes, and to send the others back.

I said, but I’ve worn them twice. I’ve walked through pastures in them! No problem, she said. So I sent them back, got full credit for them applied to a pair of boots that fit well!

[Buddy0227]

All the used Dover returns end up in the basement store in Plaistow NH. I have seen well worn boots there for sale.

[Pennywell_Bay]

9 years later? I personally never had an issue with them but that’s “abusing the system” (not that the woman ashes for it).

[zippyrider]

@Gorgonzola;7990789

Customer:“Well the crown piece is cracking, I need a new one”
Dover Employee: “Oh, did something happen?”
C: “I had the bridle on the ground while I was tacking up and my horse stepped on it”
DE: “Oh ok, let’s look it up in the system, do you remember when you purchased it?”
C: “About 9 years ago, when I bought my horse”
DE: “That’s helpful, thanks”
C: “So you’ll be giving me a new one, since I’m no longer happy with this one?”
DE: “We’ll send this to the manufacturer to have it fixed, it will be about a month to get a replacement piece, as they’re based on Germany”
C: “Well I’m not paying for that”

Gross. Why are people so entitled these days? I can’t imagine being so rude and selfish. Shame on that customer!!!

[Hawks_Nest]

[QUOTE=Buddy0227;7991037]
All the used Dover returns end up in the basement store in Plaistow NH. I have seen well worn boots there for sale.[/QUOTE]

Yup, so much used stuff down there it is great! Bridles, boots, saddles, bits (I love looking at the bits ) and so much more.

I can’t speak for their customer service online or on the phone but I had had nothing but good encounters with them at the store, super helpful and great to work with.

[Linny]

Customers like that who are clearly pushing the limits of the policy are why they charge so much to ship. They want to have the ability to offer low prices but have to make up for people who return items that they admit to breaking after a decade of use.

LLBean has the same policy. Several years ago I bought my son a school backpack there to replace one that he’d destroyed after 2 school years of use. When my son spoke up to the clerk about it being a replacement, the clerk asked if I had the old one. I told her that since it was my son’s rough handling that had ruined the pack and that Bean shouldn’t have to bear the cost of replacement. That policy is why their initial retail prices are above Land’s End or Eddie Bauer for similar items.

Dover wants to be on par or below the other online retailers, so they make up the difference in shipping and offer the lifetime guarantee.

[CaitlinandTheBay]

A) I can’t believe you had a positive experience at Dallas Dover! Maybe here is hope…
B) For pete’s sake, who returns a bridle after nearly a decade?! That’s really ridiculous.

[js]

I still like Dover, regardless of it’s reputation and high shipping but I’m with Linny, I don’t understand why stores continue to cater to the customer that is obviously taking advantage if not abusing the generous return policy. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lady hadn’t even bought the bridle from Dover in the first place.

[halt]

I love the bargain basement in Plaistow… great service too. I have gotten some very nice things there… heads up, their product displays/vendor displays often end up down there as well… I have gotten Passier bridles, brand new Tredstep tall boots, brand new Rambo Wug, among other sundry items… all for a song.

[monstrpony]

I have a Dover mid-weight blanket that was about 5 years old when I bought a second one for a new, second horse. I was afraid that the newer blanket would be of poorer quality, as is the case with so many good products that get “outsourced” to a flimsier version. But, no–the new blanket was just as nice as the first one.

I’ve had the second horse for eight years now.

Both blankets are still in use.

[Gorgonzola]

[QUOTE=CaitlinandTheBay;7991477]
A) I can’t believe you had a positive experience at Dallas Dover! Maybe here is hope…
B) For pete’s sake, who returns a bridle after nearly a decade?! That’s really ridiculous.[/QUOTE]

Haha, I was QUITE surprised myself that they were friendly to me. And ya, I was quite shocked when she said 9 years ago, I was thinking “I can’t believe it lasted that long if you leave it on the ground all the time!!”

[Real_Rush]

Off the wall question, but is there any way you can shop the bargain basement online, or is it a walk-in store only?

[Buddy0227]

I believe it is walk in only. Not much organization down there , it would be difficult to find any particular item. That is what makes it so enjoyable, you literally have to pick through everything.

[Trevelyan96]

Love Dover, they’ve always been great for me to work with. They replaced 2 brand new blankets that Rico destroyed in 1 week. CS rep went into the warehouse and measured the difference between the drop on the Rider’s Supreme and the Northwind and they sent me a Northwind for the same price as the Supreme when we figured out that he needed a blanket with a shorter drop to keep from catching his legs in the straps. That Northwind is now almost 10 years old, still looks brand new after washing, and is still waterproof!

I was happy with Smartpak until recently.

For those of you who hate Dover’s shipping costs - I highly recommend the Dover Visa. Guaranteed shipping for $4.95 plus you earn points toward a gift certificate.

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=Trevelyan96;7994175]

For those of you who hate Dover’s shipping costs - I highly recommend the Dover Visa. Guaranteed shipping for $4.95 plus you earn points toward a gift certificate.[/QUOTE]

I have less than no desire to sign up for a credit card just to get still-not-free shipping, but I always make sure to use their “TENOFF” promo code…I find that it brings the shipping down to a more bearable level and actually makes their good deals worth it.

As opposed to the good deals being perpetually cancelled out by $30 worth of shipping. :rolleyes:

[Gorgonzola]

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;7994231]
I have less than no desire to sign up for a credit card just to get still-not-free shipping, but I always make sure to use their “TENOFF” promo code…I find that it brings the shipping down to a more bearable level and actually makes their good deals worth it.

As opposed to the good deals being perpetually cancelled out by $30 worth of shipping. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Yes, that was my issue! I would get the card (maybe) if there was FREE shipping, but still paying for it? Nope.

I will say, I was nervous they might give me a hard time about some of things I was buying on sale in their store- ie Gallon of showsheen, marked down $23, PLUS a free quart, but they were happy to do so (as long as showed them each page in the catalog…)
But hey, it’s cheaper to drive to Dover and back, than the shipping (even cheaper than their $4.95 with CC shipping!)