It isn’t just them, I got the same runaround from the gal who “specializes” in French saddles. Took me months, and I was never told it was on trial OR sold. I had to haunt the Web site to see when my saddle was marked “on trial” and then when it was removed. I can’t find my posts on it tho… Fine French Saddles or something?
1 Like
I’m not sure why these places have such problems, other than crap bookkeeping or being very disorganized. As soon as you sell somebody’s item, at that moment you clearly have the money… set their portion aside until you cut the checks at the end of the month. If you’re having to use that money for other bills, then it’s time to reexamine the business model. I’ve seen the same sort of issue with other types of businesses - for example, wedding venues that take an eternity to return security deposits because they aren’t setting that money aside but rather dumping it into a general fund and spending it.
3 Likes
Only thing I know about this outfit is what I’ve read on here. Many times over some period of time, several years at least. None of it has been good.
Only thing surprising is they are still in business. I doubt they care if they periodically get trashed on here. If they did they’d reply with their side as other vendors have or cleaned up their act. Obviously not everybody reads this board or searches carefully before consigning anything. Not their fault, hard lesson.
5 Likes
I ordered a custom saddle through them, and it came just as expected, with no problems. Emailed them about an unexpected extra $80 charge and no response. Since it wasn’t a huge amount, I let it go. I love the saddle, and plan to order one for my baby when she’s more mature. However, after reading the repeated reports here with not paying for sold consignment saddles, I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.
3 Likes
It’s such a shame that this has happened since the changeover. Years ago, back when a gal named Kit (I think that was her name) ran the place, I used them for a couple of purchases and consignments. They were wonderful! A few years later I was getting ready to use them again and happened to see a couple of threads on here about poor business practices and changed my mind. What a shame.
5 Likes
I’m pretty sure Kit was the saddle fitter and worked for/with Edie Devens, who owned the tack shop and ran it for years. Edie died and the shop was sold, possibly twice, and apparently, the current owner(s) aren’t doing very well.
1 Like
Yes, I believe you are correct. Sorry for the mistake.
About 4-5 years ago, I did a remote saddle fitting with Jay from Trumbull Mountain. She was wonderful - she did an amazing job helping me figure out what might fit my horse from 2,000 miles away and is the reason I didn’t need to take a gazillion saddles on trial. These threads make me sad, but also glad to be forewarned. I’ll be in the market for a dressage saddle in a year or so and I would have looked at what they have, but given the multiple bad experiences I’ve read here, I’ll be going elsewhere.
1 Like
If you’re short on cash and a credit card company processed someone else’s return you may actually not have it.
For example, you sell MarySue a $2k Western saddle, she pays with a credit card, and the credit card company releases $2k to your account.
MarySue returns the saddle a week later, so now you owe the credit card company $2k back. They will just take it off your next payout.
Then BillyBob pays $2k with a credit card for Jane COTHer"s consignment saddle. Credit card keeps the money to even it up.
Shop has no cash with which to send Jane COTHer her check.
Payroll and payroll taxes are also big draws. Most employers will scrape their last two cents together to make payroll, and will even instruct me (I do small business consulting and managment) to hold the payroll taxes and pay those late before they will be late with payroll. In times when clients have been waiting for big payments from slow paying customers and cash is tight (because that $#t always rolls downhill), I have left vendors, taxes, and credit card bills to wait so those employees would get paid on time. JaneCOTHer’s consignment would not even be a blip on the radar if payroll was looking tight.
Making payroll is always #1, (at least for the clients I will do business with.) Then come your main vendors, then payroll taxes and disability/workers comp… there’s a list of things before we get to having money for consignment checks.
Ideally you have a good person keeping an eye on expenses, receivables, lines of credit, and cashflow so your finances tick along without you having to worry about it, but, you know, we cost money, too.
1 Like
I am guessing you would not leave JaneCOTHer’s payment unaddressed for 4-5 months though, and that you wouldn’t lie and say “Oh I sent that yesterday” just to get off the phone.
The dishonesty is bothering me almost as much as the non-payment. I’ll be filing a complaint with the Vermont BBB and here tomorrow:
https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/consumer-complaint/
8 Likes
Although I’ve never had dealings with this particular business I can tell you I’ve heard this story multiple times from a variety of businesses consigning tack in Southern California. I never consign anything without being within driving distance of the business. I get my money every time.
She is still great for distance fitting.
Meupatdoes has a good summary of cash flow issues. A lot of small businesses also tie up a lot of money in inventory. Think of walking into a store with an outstanding selection of saddles and accessories, for example. We don’t have much for tack stores in Maine. Double G was on the New Hampshire border. I noticed on a couple of trips that their selection of grooming products no longer included big names like Farnam and Absorbine. They had a wall of strap goods including Stubben, Sprenger and Myler bits, plenty of new saddles and blankets and tons of breeches and other clothing. It was worth a trip because their inventory was so good. The thing is that the market for Stubben and Sprenger isn’t that large in Maine. They had been in a smaller store on a side road but moved into a much larger building on the main drag through southern Maine. We heard in mid-May that they were closing 6/30 and we had to go to the store to retrieve our own stuff from the consignment room and pick up money owed. I’ve suspected for a while that they couldn’t afford to keep going.
Filed my complaints this morning, with Vermont BBB and with Vermont consumer advocacy. Thank you Saskatoonian for the link.
It was at least satisfying to file the complaints. The BBB publishes them on their website once checked out, so maybe some other naive fools like me can be prevented from being ripped off.
To the posters stressing how small businesses live month to month, Trumbull Mountain is quite large, with hundreds of consignment saddles at any given time, a slick website, and many other products. They have no excuse for stealing saddles.
12 Likes
My fellow boarder had this problem with them over 6 years ago, took her almost a year to get paid. This is not a new issue related to their business practices.
1 Like
Nobody has any excuse for stealing saddles, and businesses that are well run should not have these issues.
Consistent problems like this are a sign things are circling the drain, so I would not buy or consign to them.
I was just responding to the comment that they “have” the money as soon as theyrare paid for the saddle. In many cases, that’s not necessarily true.
1 Like
And the Vermont BBB has already forwarded my complaint to Trumbull, within less than 4 hours! And sent me a message about what to expect next. This is truly impressive (and unexpected - I’ve developed an attitude of tragic resignation and self-kicking about this whole thing).
8 Likes
For years we have sold thru and bought from Pelham Saddlery in NH.
They have always been right on the saddles they were selling.
When selling, they generally let us know when a saddle sold.
First time I said good, will look for the check in the mail.
They said, it is the first of the month, we close every month at the end and write consignment checks then.
Sure enough, first days of next month, check was here.
There are good companies out there, there are questionable ones also.
Seems this one here deserves the warnings customers will be reading here.
Glad the OP had some recourse to file reports of non-payment.
Maybe that will help someone else not also fall to that company’s terrible business practices.
I have also had success buying and selling saddles through Pelham Saddlery (and lucky for me, they are less than a 30min drive from me). I have seen several similar threads to this one on Trumball, enough to steer me away from ever doing any sort of business with them.
Good luck, OP, hope you get your money and your other saddle back. You might try reaching out to Pelham to sell instead. Saddles don’t always sell fast, but you do at least get your money when they do!
2 Likes
I’m another like Pelham, Trumbull not so much person. No experience selling, but my buying experience with Trumbull left a lot to be desired (not what I would have expected on a semi-custom, $4K purchase.) No need to go into details. I still have the saddle and use it regularly; once the remaining issues were taken care of, it fit my horse well enough to keep it. My experiences with Pelham, buying, selling, and fitting saddles, were all great. I also live close by. And I know for a fact that they do their checks like Bluey said above.
1 Like
