[arabianeventing]

Has anyone ever ordered a demo saddle from SmartPak, used it for two weeks (so my trainer could ride in it lightly two times) and then had SmartPak say they will deduct 5-10% of the saddle cost if it is returned? I am very disappointed by this because their web site indicted that they would give a full refund:
http://www.smartpakequine.com/testridesaddle.aspx
"If you don't love it, we'll send you a free return label and give you a full refund, no questions asked."

I will certainly be contacting them again and asking why the demo saddle I ordered will not receive their full refund if I return it, but just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with SmartPak regarding return of a demo saddle.

Thanks.

[Zan]

I have used the demo program, and if I remember correctly it was a 5 day window in order to receive a 100% refund. I ended up keeping the demo so it was a non issue.

5-10% restocking fee after two weeks is still better then being stuck with a saddle that doesnt work for you or the horse.

[Woodsperson]

Call them and talk to them. They are usually responsive to customer issues.

[pds]

And right below the "If you don't love it, we'll send you a free return label and give you a full refund, no questions asked." verbage is this;

"Of course, we want our other customers to love their new saddles, too. That's why we have a Test Ride option for each saddle we carry - so that all of the other saddles can stay in pristine condition, waiting for their new owners. For this reason, if you purchase a saddle outside the Test Ride program, it's still eligible for return but must be free from any marks or damage."

Kind of hard to miss, but evidently you did not read the entire disclosure when you placed your order and now you want to whine about it. Your mistake not SmartPaks.

5-10% seem reasonable to me for cases like this.

[SummerRose]

I have not used the SmartPak demo program. However, a quick scan of the website turned up this on the bottom of the Test Ride page:

"* Contact us for more details."

Which would imply that there might be some important info you might need to know about the program, and a look at the Returns page (http://www.smartpakequine.com/happiness.aspx turned up this info:

SmartPak Returns

...

The Fine Print
We love our products and we're happy to take them back - even custom items. We'll happily take back everything from engraved halters to personalized jackets - even embroidered blankets that have been worn (minus the manure, please). But there are a few things we have to restrict returns on (silly federal regulations).

Pharmaceuticals
Undergarments
Saddles

If you click on "Saddles," you can find the following information: "You can keep our Test Ride saddles risk-free for five days, to really make sure you like the fit and feel. ..."

It sounds like a good program to me and five days, as disclosed on the website, is generally reasonable. A restocking fee is pretty standard for saddles, too. Did you request to extend the trial period at the time that you ordered it?