Really disappointed with Farmhouse Tack

On June 4 I called Farmhouse to request a used saddle they had for trial. I specified which saddle it was I wanted, by size and model. They only had one of that particular saddle.

I gave my payment info, they charged me. Never sent me a tracking number, so I finally called a week later to find out where my saddle was. It arrived the next day-- and was the completely wrong saddle. Not same size, type, anything. Only thing that was similar was the brand.

I called them right away to let them know. They told me to send it back, but that someone had to do the shipping label and couldn’t do it until tomorrow.

So the next day, I get an email, clarifying the details and to use this label to send it back. Except there is no label. So it finally shakes out that the driver has the label, but only after I’m asked if I have a FAX for a label. In 2014. I have never, ever had a problem having a label emailed to me, and no, I do not have a fax at my home office.

So I call in to find out when I can get the correct saddle. Except they won’t ship it out until the other one is back to them! We finally arrive at the conclusion that they will ship me the correct saddle once the wrong one is on its way back to them. Remember that the first one was shipped ground, so it took a week to arrive.

So I wait all day for the driver since it’s pouring rain and I can’t leave a saddle that’s not mine in a cardboard box outside in the rain. Driver is confused but picks it up.

I call in and just cancel the new saddle, since it would have been ANOTHER week until it arrived and I had already missed my appointment with the saddle fitter. They were apologetic, but I was really stymied by the total lack of customer service. It’s not like I could make up that the wrong saddle was shipped to me-- the right one is still in their inventory and the wrong one was invoiced to me!

Now it’s June 19 (my card was charged June 5) and I have not been refunded for the WRONG saddle that was shipped to me in error. I feel I should have been refunded immediately when I cancelled the order-- it was their problem as to how to insure their saddle in transit since I no longer had it or the saddle I ordered. My card is VERY quick to post refunds-- if one had been submitted, it would have posted by now. Until I get the refund for the saddle I don’t have, I can’t go purchase the correct one.

I probably will not use them again and certainly not for a saddle purchase as they clearly do not know their inventory at all and have archaic policies for refund and return. It’s not the first issue I’ve heard from them as far as saddles, so I learned my lesson.

Thanks for the warning.
I had never heard of them before.

Hope you get your refund and find a saddle soon.

That is SO disappointing because I have never had anything but amazing customer service from them. But even good companies slip up and they clearly fell on their face here and really should make it right/make it up to you.

I am very surprised. Never had anything but good service at Farm House.

I am also very surprised - I have never had anything but good service from them and have always heard the same from others. I think, unfortunately, you were just the one-off not-stellar transaction. :frowning:

Also, did they actually charge your card, or just do an authorization?

I am surprised also. I order from Farmhouse regularly and have never had anything but great service.

[QUOTE=pattnic;7631293]
I am also very surprised - I have never had anything but good service from them and have always heard the same from others. I think, unfortunately, you were just the one-off not-stellar transaction. :frowning:

Also, did they actually charge your card, or just do an authorization?[/QUOTE]

They actually charged my card. I got a receipt for the $35 for shipping but my card is still showing a -$1235 charge. If it was an authorization it would be in a completely different area of my online statement and it would have dropped off by now. I was surprised by that too, since I would have expected not to be charged for the saddle until I said I was keeping it. But apparently when I called to report that it was the wrong saddle, they actually put through the charge, the exact opposite of what I expected to happen.

Personally I feel I was treated a little bit like I was trying to pull one over on them and I don’t see why. It should have been obvious that I had the wrong saddle since the right one was sitting in their store.

This is not the first time this has happened with them. I have a good friend who picked up a saddle for trial, didn’t like it, returned it, and it still took close to a month from the time she returned it for her card to get credited. It got kind of ugly. It happens!

I would call and find out why my card had not been refunded. If they brush it off, I’d call the CC company and file a complaint.

I have always had exceptional customer service from Farmhouse, but even the best of them can have an off day. Why not just give them a call and ask why your refund has not come through? I am not excusing the poor service, but that is not the norm for them, in fact they are well known for their excellent customer service.

Is this the same Farm House that Melissa Jones Hare (or something like that I can’t remember off hand), who posts to the COTH bb, works for? I think so.

Maybe call the store and ask for her specifically and see if you can’t get some resolution. The ONLY issue I ever had w/them was with a particular employee who I understand is not there anymore. She was dreadful. Good luck!!

Thanks, everyone. I have a break in my calendar long enough to call them this afternoon or maybe tomorrow morning, so here is hoping that I can get this resolved. Still, I was disappointed by their response to their own mistake.

[QUOTE=janedoe726;7631380]
This is not the first time this has happened with them. I have a good friend who picked up a saddle for trial, didn’t like it, returned it, and it still took close to a month from the time she returned it for her card to get credited. It got kind of ugly. It happens![/QUOTE]

I had the exact same thing happen to me about 5 years ago. I got a saddle in on trial that was in significantly worse condition than they had indicated on their website (pictures must have been very out of date), sent it back right away, and they took over a month to refund the money. I was furious and haven’t been able to bring myself to order something from them since, in spite of the fact that the frequently have great deals on show coats.

I have had problems with Farmhouse Tack regarding payment for a saddle they sold for me. It took forever to receive my check. I called several times and was told crazy things like they only write checks one day a month, etc. And I was also charged for a saddle that I had on trial in spite of the agreement being that they were taking my credit card information as a security measure. I returned the saddle the morning after it was due back … with their permission! I live over 2 hours from the store and I told them at the beginning that I only had a certain day off that week. I was assured that it would be “no problem” to return the saddle the next morning (I was there before 9 AM!!!). Imagine my surprise to discover a charge for the full amount of the returned saddle. It took over a month for the credit to show up.

I have not shopped there in a long time due to poor customer service and superior attitude in general.

^^ and I had the opposite experience, took a saddle on trial when we were in the store, tried it on the horse, did not fit, mailed it back and had no problems with charges. They have always been very helpful when I have dealt with them.

[QUOTE=SCM1959;7631504]
I have had problems with Farmhouse Tack regarding payment for a saddle they sold for me. It took forever to receive my check. I called several times and was told crazy things like they only write checks one day a month, etc.[/QUOTE]

Same thing happened to me!

As posted above, I’ve never had any negative issues w/Farmhouse but we were at FENCE this past weekend showing and went on a field trip.

While the store wasn’t as well stocked as I remember (just seemed ho-hum as far as the merchandise went and that could very well be just a perception issue on my part), the bigger deal was the behavior of the sales staff. One mom was accosted and sort of tortured the whole time she was there - well, you MUST buy this…I’m not the rider…Well, you want to look the part, right??? The mom is fairly well known as her daughter has been incredibly successful on an easily recognizable, rags to riches horse. The sales person just wouldn’t back off…very tacky. The mom said she probably wouldn’t go back there b/c it made her so uncomfortable. :-/

Anyway - having the experience reminded me of this thread…idk what’s going on at Farmhouse but it’s a shame. It was once one of my faves.

I called again today to follow up on my still-not-arrived refund.

Was told that the person who does “all the customer service” will call me back, not sure if she’s coming in today or not. Um, okay.

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;7637976]

Was told that the person who does “all the customer service” will call me back, not sure if she’s coming in today or not. Um, okay.[/QUOTE]
That is a scary response.
It would be better to simply say that she does not work on Tuesday than for someone to say they do not know when she is coming in.

Reminder: I paid for this saddle on June 5. It’s now June 24. So I’m still sitting on a credit card charge for a saddle I never had.

Not cool. Will not do business with them again.