Warning: Saddlery4U is now Bridle Boutique - Update Post #15: Stubben not interested

[Ibex]

I was stupid and didn’t double check the seller on a pair of reins… only realized once I saw the PayPal receipt that it was the infamous Saddlery4U. Crossed my fingers, hoped for the best.

It was worse than expected. Obviously not Stubben reins as advertised (I’ve had a few pairs over the years and know what to expect). Complete and absolute crap. Smelled musty when I opened the package, poor workmanship, terrible leather. Not stamped or marked Stubben in any way. Tried to make them usable, and the leather is so bad it won’t even take any oil or conditioning.

Now Saddlery4U is refusing the return, and wants my phone number so they can give it to the stubben rep so they can phone me and tell me they’re legit. Um, no.

[Bluey]

You could contact Stubben directly and see what they tell you?

I think they would like to know if someone is selling something advertised as their brand name that is not up to par.

[IPEsq]

Stubben may not be able to help you out, but Bluey’s suggestion will be useful to their attorneys.

[NJRider]

Thanks for the heads up!

[js]

If this was on eBay, contact eBay and let them know. They do respond to things like this. I contacted eBay about someone from India using Tad Coffin saddle pictures and descriptions selling them for $200. I contacted eBay and those auctions were taken down. In your case you should be able to get a refund.

[Flash]

Definitely file a claim. You should be protected. Include pictures and your concerns. Also state the fact that they are Saddlery4U (include screencap of your receipt) and express your concerns over that as well. If you do all of these things, I would say you have about a 90% chance of getting a refund. PayPal/eBay is pretty good about siding with the buyer in most cases, especially when it comes to counterfeit items and items “not as described.” Good luck!

[ESG]

Ohhh, I HOPE someone puts those criminals out of business! They still have $100 of my money for a bridle I never got. That was before eBay got so customer protective. They should never be allowed to trade there again.

[Ibex]

Ha. So S4U sent me a note demanding that I submit “documentation” that the reins were not legit. I saw the note, but was at a horse show and it wasn’t a priority. Then they got mad because I hadn’t responded instantly and pulled eBay in… who took one look at the history, gave me my money back, and asked me to destroy the reins as instead of returning them. :winkgrin:

[Bombproof]

That’s good! However, I think you should still contact Stubben and perhaps even send them the reins. It may not be worth their trouble, but you never know. A name-brand company like Stubben very well may take it “personally” and go after S4U with guns blazing (metaphorically).

[Ibex]

I contacted Stubben… I got a fairly standard “we’re concerned by this” reply, but also flagged that BridleBoutique/Saddlery4U is one of their key vendors :eek:

[Eye_in_the_Sky]

What do you mean by “flagged”?

This is bizarre. Send Stubben the reins.

[IPEsq]

So Stubben said the store a top authorized vendor? That was unexpected.

[Ibex]

The exact wording from the email. I just about fell off my chair…

Our main Stübben suppliers on ebay are Stübben KG (Germany) and Bridle Boutique/Saddlery4U.
Both companies we work closely with, and have been partners with for many years.

[Eclair]

I’ve never heard of S4U? Sounds like a good thing that I haven’t.

[Ibex]

Holy cr@p. I just got this reply from Stubben UK when I replied with my surprise that S4U is a “valued partner”… All I can guess is that Stubben is using S4U to sell off ends of lines and rejects???

We are based in the UK, so is Saddlery4u/Bridle Boutique.
As you are based in North America there would be a better service offered to you from Stübben North America themselves. They would be able to advise you of a local retailer.
http://stubbennorthamerica.com
This would give a better customer service for any products you purchase. I understand sometimes it’s difficult to buy on line and receive the product that you expect.

So simply because I am buying from online from a european retailer, I shouldn’t expect the normal level of quality associated with a brand name. Wow.

[IPEsq]

Yikes. I’m glad they’re not my trademark client. :eek:

[nroche]

It is now 2019 and Saddlery4u / Bridle Boutique is now listed on EBay as british-bridles. WATCH OUT!

[Suspiria]

And now it’s 2020 and I can tell you they are back doing business as Bridle Boutique. My horror story is that I ordered a noseband from them on March 24th of this year and just received it on September 12th. They sent the wrong item, wrong color, and wrong size, and are refusing to let me return it. Because the purchase was technically made more than 6 months ago, there’s no return option on the listing, and no ability to leave negative feedback for them anymore. I had to contact eBay to open a dispute, and contact my credit card company to get my money back. They are the worst company ever.

[Lucassb]

Just chiming in to voice sympathy for those who’ve had bad experiences with these people. I bought a girth from them years ago, One of the buckles broke on the second ride. Luckily only one - but when I took it for repair, the repair person said that they were all such bad quality that I should either replace them all, or quit using the girth. I was surprised, and he then snapped a buckle in half with his bare hands… I threw the thing away. Apparently they had no concern about selling a product that could fail in a way that could literally be deadly.

[Standards_Equine]

So interesting. I’ve purchased bridles and reins from them several times before and have always been pleased with the products I receive. The leather has been lovely, my reins have lasted for a long, long time with daily use… I’m really surprised that so many people have had negative experiences. I do not purchase “Stubben” brand products, I think FSS is the one I most commonly purchase. Their ebay feedback rating is really good as well. Thank goodness paypal is there to assist in this kind of situation. Sorry you didn’t have a good experience.