HELP! Looking for a bricks & mortar store that carries brown GPAs! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

[Jeepgirl]

Does anyone know of an actual, physical, bricks & mortar store that stocks brown GPAs? Anywhere in the US would work, but somewhere in the southeast would be ideal.

I ordered my (totally sweet, have been coveting for almost 3 years) brown GPA from Amira Equi to get the awesome deal. I was super-careful and went and tried on GPAs in a local store here to make sure I knew the right size. Unbeknownst to me, GPAs are sized using UK & AUS sizing, not US sizing. So I was a 7 1/4 but didn't realize it was a UK 7 1/4 (since I am in the US). On Amira Equi, they sell them using another sizing method entirely, so I looked at their chart with the conversions, saw where it said US 7 1/4, and traced that down to a size 58. Not realizing that what I really wanted was a UK 7 1/4, which correlates to a 59. Long story short, the hat I recieved is a size too small, and really it is no one's fault but my own so if I want to exchange it with them, I have to ship it back and order a new one, which will take several weeks and cost over $50 in shipping. Which obviously I am trying to avoid if I can (especially since I have not been able to get in touch with Amira Equi about all of this, they won't answer my emails and the phone number I have isn't working).

Ideally I am hoping to find a store here in the US that has a 7 1/4 brown GPA in stock that would be willing to switch out with me. Mine has not been worn, still has all the tags on it, is in the bag & box, etc. Literally brand new. Or, if the store didn't have a 7 1/4 in the store but does routinely stock the brown ones, perhaps they would be willing to order the one I need and when it comes in switch out with me.

I understand I would be asking a lot since I didn't purchase the hat from them and they would be gaining nothing by doing this for me (besides a HUGE rave on COTH of course!) but I am really hoping there is someone out there that would take pity on my situation and help me out. If anyone knows of a tack store that does stock the brown ones, I would love to know about it. It would be a fraction of the price and time to ship mine somewhere in the US to make the trade (and of course I would pay for the return shipping up front!), and it would really help me out. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
A

[ImJumpin]

I'd be very surprised if you can find a store that would do such a transaction with you.

That said, last year I remember several stores having the brown GPAs on sale-- thus, perhaps they are no longer carying that color combo???

[WorthTheWait95]

Does anyone know of an actual, physical, bricks & mortar store that stocks brown GPAs? Anywhere in the US would work, but somewhere in the southeast would be ideal.

I ordered my (totally sweet, have been coveting for almost 3 years) brown GPA from Amira Equi to get the awesome deal. I was super-careful and went and tried on GPAs in a local store here to make sure I knew the right size. Unbeknownst to me, GPAs are sized using UK & AUS sizing, not US sizing. So I was a 7 1/4 but didn't realize it was a UK 7 1/4 (since I am in the US). On Amira Equi, they sell them using another sizing method entirely, so I looked at their chart with the conversions, saw where it said US 7 1/4, and traced that down to a size 58. Not realizing that what I really wanted was a UK 7 1/4, which correlates to a 59. Long story short, the hat I recieved is a size too small, and really it is no one's fault but my own so if I want to exchange it with them, I have to ship it back and order a new one, which will take several weeks and cost over $50 in shipping. Which obviously I am trying to avoid if I can (especially since I have not been able to get in touch with Amira Equi about all of this, they won't answer my emails and the phone number I have isn't working).

Ideally I am hoping to find a store here in the US that has a 7 1/4 brown GPA in stock that would be willing to switch out with me. Mine has not been worn, still has all the tags on it, is in the bag & box, etc. Literally brand new. Or, if the store didn't have a 7 1/4 in the store but does routinely stock the brown ones, perhaps they would be willing to order the one I need and when it comes in switch out with me.

I understand I would be asking a lot since I didn't purchase the hat from them and they would be gaining nothing by doing this for me (besides a HUGE rave on COTH of course!) but I am really hoping there is someone out there that would take pity on my situation and help me out. If anyone knows of a tack store that does stock the brown ones, I would love to know about it. It would be a fraction of the price and time to ship mine somewhere in the US to make the trade (and of course I would pay for the return shipping up front!), and it would really help me out. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
A


Can't give you any leads on the tack stores but you can always sell the helmet you have on ebay and then buy a new one with the money from that.

[vxf111]

I can't imagine ANY store that would let you exchange an item you didn't buy from them.

Your best bet is to sell the helmet you have (eBay? Bits and Barter?) and then use the money to buy yourself a new helmet.

[joiedevie99]

No tack store should be willing to make that deal. They have no guarantee that it wasn't dropped or left in a hot car, or something. Lots of damage isn't visible.

[TackShopGal]

You want the store to take pity on you because you decided to buy the helmet from somewhere else? Good Luck. I don't know of any store that would do what you are asking.

[Moderator 2]

Combined the two (or more?) threads. I think H/J is the best place for this question.

Mod 2

[Rhody Ram]

sell it on ebay and buy yourself a new one

[Jeepgirl]

I too thought it was a long shot until I started calling my local tack shops.....most of them seemed open to the idea but none carry the brown GPA so it was a no-go. The Ebay option is a possibility, I will look into it, thanks!

[Shortstroke]

Jeepgirl I sent you a PM.

[Jeepgirl]

Jeepgirl I sent you a PM.

Got it, thanks so much!

[Little Indian]

Calabasas Saddlery in CA has Brown GPAs on clearance. May want to give them a call to see if they have your size.
818 591 0292

[Jeepgirl]

Calabasas Saddlery in CA has Brown GPAs on clearance. May want to give them a call to see if they have your size.
818 591 0292

Thanks so much!

[Little Indian]

Sure thing. They are open 9-5:30 today.

[showponies]

We had to special order one for my daughter....But you might try Olsens~Mills in Bellevue , Wa ,

[Elementgrl2]

Wow, You really think a tack store is going to exchange a helmet that you didn't even buy from them, let alone didn't buy it in the USA. It's called support your local tack shop.

[BAC]

To save money you purchased from a tack shop in another country and now you want US tack shops to take pity on you? I don't think so. :no: Is all the trouble and aggravation you are going through now worth the money saved?

[Jeepgirl]

I just wanted to give an update and a HUGE shout-out and THANK YOU to Dover. My local Dover store took care of the issue and my new, properly sized GPA will be here this week. I cannot say enough wonderful things about them and their amazing customer service. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

And yes, all the trouble I went through was worth saving almost $250 on the helmet.

[Jo]

Did you tell them you had ordered it from overseas?

[BAC]

So in appreciation are you going to now buy everything from Dover or will you repay their generosity by continuing to shop elsewhere?

[vxf111]

Er, I now feel hesitation about buying a helmet from Dover. They'll accept back (and presumably re-sell) any old helmet that someone bought elsewhere-- that may have a short expiry, be damaged/defective, or not have the proper ASTM sticker/approval? Terrific. So if I buy from Dover, I don't know if it's coming from their stock or from some other random source?! No thanks.

I am glad things worked out for you Jeepgirl, but this makes me really leery about buying safety gear from Dover.

[skrgirl]

Really makes me wonder about them.

They exchanged yours, that was not from them, but would not replace a defective clip on my gpa that I did buy from them.

[BAC]

I think someone at Dover needs to see this thread.

[ExJumper]

Hmmm... I'm not so sure how I feel about this, either. Is the packaging identical in the overseas and American version? I wonder what Dover is going to do with the helmet. I can't imagine that they have the balls to re-sell it at full price...

Does anyone know of an actual, physical, bricks & mortar store that stocks brown GPAs? Anywhere in the US would work, but somewhere in the southeast would be ideal.

I ordered my (totally sweet, have been coveting for almost 3 years) brown GPA from Amira Equi to get the awesome deal. I was super-careful and went and tried on GPAs in a local store here to make sure I knew the right size. Unbeknownst to me, GPAs are sized using UK & AUS sizing, not US sizing. So I was a 7 1/4 but didn't realize it was a UK 7 1/4 (since I am in the US). On Amira Equi, they sell them using another sizing method entirely, so I looked at their chart with the conversions, saw where it said US 7 1/4, and traced that down to a size 58. Not realizing that what I really wanted was a UK 7 1/4, which correlates to a 59. Long story short, the hat I recieved is a size too small, and really it is no one's fault but my own so if I want to exchange it with them, I have to ship it back and order a new one, which will take several weeks and cost over $50 in shipping. Which obviously I am trying to avoid if I can (especially since I have not been able to get in touch with Amira Equi about all of this, they won't answer my emails and the phone number I have isn't working).

Ideally I am hoping to find a store here in the US that has a 7 1/4 brown GPA in stock that would be willing to switch out with me. Mine has not been worn, still has all the tags on it, is in the bag & box, etc. Literally brand new. Or, if the store didn't have a 7 1/4 in the store but does routinely stock the brown ones, perhaps they would be willing to order the one I need and when it comes in switch out with me.

I understand I would be asking a lot since I didn't purchase the hat from them and they would be gaining nothing by doing this for me (besides a HUGE rave on COTH of course!) but I am really hoping there is someone out there that would take pity on my situation and help me out. If anyone knows of a tack store that does stock the brown ones, I would love to know about it. It would be a fraction of the price and time to ship mine somewhere in the US to make the trade (and of course I would pay for the return shipping up front!), and it would really help me out. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
A

I too thought it was a long shot until I started calling my local tack shops.....most of them seemed open to the idea but none carry the brown GPA so it was a no-go. The Ebay option is a possibility, I will look into it, thanks!

I just wanted to give an update and a HUGE shout-out and THANK YOU to Dover. My local Dover store took care of the issue and my new, properly sized GPA will be here this week. I cannot say enough wonderful things about them and their amazing customer service. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

And yes, all the trouble I went through was worth saving almost $250 on the helmet.

[Jeepgirl]

It is identical to the helmets they had in the store, with all the same tags, stickers, and packaging. I have no idea what they do with it, I am guessing they probably send it back to GPA. I totally understand being worried that they would re-sell something that they could not be sure of its history (despite it clearly having never been worn and having all the original tags & stickers on it), but the impression I got is that it would be sent back to the manufacturer directly. That being said, certainly it must happen quite a bit, that people return/exchange helmets (and other safety gear) for a multitude of reasons to every tack store in the country... have you ever wondered/worried about the history of the helmet you are buying before? If I had ordered it from Dover and then taken it back because it did not fit, would you still be worried about this? I guess I just don't see what the difference is, there is no way for Dover to be sure of what happened to the helmet while it was in my care regardless of if I bought it from them or not.

I think someone at Dover needs to see this thread.

"Someone from Dover" is who suggested I return it to them. They will take returns/exchanges on items that they sell even if you did not buy it from them. For what it is worth, my two other local tack stores I spoke to would have done the same thing for me if it had been a black or grey GPA, but since they didn't have any of the brown ones in stock, they couldn't do it. So while I thought it was a total shot in the dark when I first asked, it appears that it was not such a crazy idea afterall.

And yes, to whomever asked....I already buy 99% of my stuff from Dover, this helmet was pretty much the one exception because it is so expensive and Amira Equi offered such a discount. Also, I know people complain about the shipping charges if you order from Dover online...."someone from Dover" also let me know that you can order over the phone from the catalogue and have the items shipped to your local Dover store (if you have one) rather than to your house and the shipping is free, which I was super-excited to learn about. I am getting ready to place another order with them right now, infact!

[vxf111]

It is identical to the helmets they had in the store, with all the same tags, stickers, and packaging. I have no idea what they do with it, I am guessing they probably send it back to GPA. I totally understand being worried that they would re-sell something that they could not be sure of its history (despite it clearly having never been worn and having all the original tags & stickers on it), but the impression I got is that it would be sent back to the manufacturer directly. That being said, certainly it must happen quite a bit, that people return/exchange helmets (and other safety gear) for a multitude of reasons to every tack store in the country... have you ever wondered/worried about the history of the helmet you are buying before? If I had ordered it from Dover and then taken it back because it did not fit, would you still be worried about this? I guess I just don't see what the difference is, there is no way for Dover to be sure of what happened to the helmet while it was in my care regardless of if I bought it from them or not.



"Someone from Dover" is who suggested I return it to them. They will take returns/exchanges on items that they sell even if you did not buy it from them. For what it is worth, my two other local tack stores I spoke to would have done the same thing for me if it had been a black or grey GPA, but since they didn't have any of the brown ones in stock, they couldn't do it. So while I thought it was a total shot in the dark when I first asked, it appears that it was not such a crazy idea afterall.

And yes, to whomever asked....I already buy 99% of my stuff from Dover, this helmet was pretty much the one exception because it is so expensive and Amira Equi offered such a discount. Also, I know people complain about the shipping charges if you order from Dover online...."someone from Dover" also let me know that you can order over the phone from the catalogue and have the items shipped to your local Dover store (if you have one) rather than to your house and the shipping is free, which I was super-excited to learn about. I am getting ready to place another order with them right now, infact!


If you had ordered it from Dover in the first place and returned it new, it would be a different story. Dover would know where it came from in the first place, how old it was, whether it was banged around during shipment, whether it sat on the loading dock for 5 days in the blistering sun, etc. True, they would have to inspect it to make sure YOU didn't do anything to it while you had it-- but it's original origin and treatment would not be a mystery. For all we know (and I am not saying this is actually the case), the helmet you have got dunked in water during transit and the strutural integrity is compromised, the seller dried it out and sold it to you... and now Dover has it and is going to unknowlingly pass it along to some unsuspecting buyer at full price. At least, if it was a DOVER helmet you bought and returned, Dover would know how the helmet had been treated up until it got to you. Dover would know how old it was, and would have some inventory control in regards to stocking the sizes/colors it needs.

I hope Dover sends the helmet back to GPA rather than reselling it. There's no way of knowing though.

I worked retail for over 6 years and was a manager. I cannot fathom agreeing to take back something you know nothing about. No store I can think of does this. Try walking into Best Buy with a CD they sell that has a Target label on it. Think Best Buy will let you take it back or exchange it? They won't. There are even codes in the barcode to prevent you from taking the external sticker off and then trying that switcheroo. There are tons of reasons why. Not the least of which being, Dover never got to profit off the sale of the original helmet because you bought it elsewhere. Now Dover has to absorb the risk that the helmet is defective/unsaleable/ruined and they never sold it in the first place. Assuming Dover sends it back to GPA, DOVER is now out the cost of shipping-- on an item they made NO profit from. Possible scenario, Dover just lost money exchanging this helmet for you and they never profited from it in the first place.

I am shocked that Dover's policy is to "take back anything they sell, even if you never bought it there." That's a terrific way to become a dumping ground for every cast-off, defective piece of merchandise someone bought on clearance elsewhere. Furthermore, my understanding was that you needed a receipt to make a return at Dover. I cannot believe they just said "sure, bring in a helmet you bought overseas, we'd love to exchange someone else's discounted merchandise for our full price merchandise." I am literally shocked!

[BAC]

Furthermore, my understanding was that you needed a receipt to make a return at Dover. I cannot believe they just said "sure, bring in a helmet you bought overseas, we'd love to exchange someone else's discounted merchandise for our full price merchandise." I am literally shocked!

I think Dover will accept returns without a receipt if the tags are still on and the item is obviously new and unused. In my experience they have excellent customer service, although I do not agree with what they did in this instance.

[vxf111]

Out of curiosity, I got on www.doversaddlery.com and did a chat with one of the customer service representatives...

Thank you for choosing Dover Saddlery. We are now connecting you to the next available customer service representative.
You have been connected to Amy D.

Amy D: Good morning, how can I help you?

vxf111 vxf111: Hi, I had a general question about your return policy. Will you accept an item for return if it is NOT an item I actually bought from Dover, but it's an item Dover DOES stock?

vxf111 vxf111: So, for example, if I bought a GPA from a different tack shop, and then I discovered it was the wrong size, would you allow me to return it or exchange it for a different size?

vxf111 vxf111: Assuming you did carry that exact size/color/model of GPA in your Dover stores?

Amy D: unfortunately we cannot take back items not purchased from us

vxf111 vxf111: Is that the policy at all Dover stores and through the catalog? Do you need a receipt to make a return?

Amy D: you do not need a receipt but we do need an order placed with us

vxf111 vxf111: Thank you, that was helpful information.

[pattnic]

Not real sure how I feel about this situation, but for the record:

A) Amira's products are not "discounted" - they are sold at the full European price. The higher prices we see here on GPA, Pikeur, etc are mark-ups.

B) It's not as though Dover is actually out any money... if they do turn around and sell the helmet, they will sell it at their normal price, not the lower price the OP paid. As for a straight-up return (not even exchange) - I doubt that would have occurred.

Once again, I'm not real sure how I feel about this, but whatever.

[Jeepgirl]

Out of curiosity, I got on www.doversaddlery.com and did a chat with one of the customer service representatives...

Thank you for choosing Dover Saddlery. We are now connecting you to the next available customer service representative.
You have been connected to Amy D.

Amy D: Good morning, how can I help you?

vxf111 vxf111: Hi, I had a general question about your return policy. Will you accept an item for return if it is NOT an item I actually bought from Dover, but it's an item Dover DOES stock?

vxf111 vxf111: So, for example, if I bought a GPA from a different tack shop, and then I discovered it was the wrong size, would you allow me to return it or exchange it for a different size?

vxf111 vxf111: Assuming you did carry that exact size/color/model of GPA in your Dover stores?

Amy D: unfortunately we cannot take back items not purchased from us

vxf111 vxf111: Is that the policy at all Dover stores and through the catalog? Do you need a receipt to make a return?

Amy D: you do not need a receipt but we do need an order placed with us

vxf111 vxf111: Thank you, that was helpful information.

That's interesting as it conflicts completely with what the reps I spoke to said (and did). If y'all are that worried about it, don't purchase a 7 1/8 brown GPA from them, as I suppose it could be mine. Dover's customer service has always been top notch, in my opinion, and this was above and beyond and I just wanted to say thank you to them. Because of this, I trust that they would not re-sell an item they were worried about the integrity of and would instead send it back to the manufacturer. I certainly appreciate all the help they gave me and they definitely have a customer for life! :)

[Jeepgirl]

Not real sure how I feel about this situation, but for the record:

A) Amira's products are not "discounted" - they are sold at the full European price. The higher prices we see here on GPA, Pikeur, etc are mark-ups.

B) It's not as though Dover is actually out any money... if they do turn around and sell the helmet, they will sell it at their normal price, not the lower price the OP paid. As for a straight-up return (not even exchange) - I doubt that would have occurred.

Once again, I'm not real sure how I feel about this, but whatever.

That was my understanding as well. It's not like I bought some POS off the back of a truck. I read countless reviews on COTH about Amira and the quality of their products before placing my order. I recieved (and exchanged at Dover) a brand new helmet with all the original tags, stickers, and packaging from GPA. A brand new helmet exchanged for a brand new helmet, which they can send back to GPA at no cost to them.

[vxf111]

they definitely have a customer for life! :)

Except when you find something cheaper elsewhere, eh?

Dover is now in a double bind. IF they sell the helmet and it turned out to be defective and someone is hurt, they are going to be sued and have to admit they took back and sold a piece of safety equipment that they didn't know the origin of. IF they take back the helmet and send it back to GPA, they are out shipping costs (and the time they paid that employee to arrange the return) on an item they never profited from in the first place. Even if the shipping is free, they now are out of stock in an item that perhaps they could have sold while waiting for GPA to exchange it.

All because someone wanted to get a better price from a different source and mismeasured themselves? Why in the world should Dover accept a risk/loss from an item they had NOTHING to do with.

Why didn't YOU contact GPA and try to exchange it through them? GPA seems to think it's all hunky dory to exchange helmets?!

I guess they decided to make an exception to their customer service policy for Jeepgirl. I wouldn't. Because now others will want the same exception... and IMHO it was a bad exception to make.

P.S.- I am aware that Amira shop doesn't sell seconds, but if they break the policy for Jeepgirl, what is to stop someone else from trying to exchange a second/discontinued item from a different source? How can Dover even know if someone is telling the truth about where an item came from? What if Jeepgirl DID buy this helmet off the turnip truck and told Dover it came from Amira. How would Dover know the difference?!

[ExJumper]

That was my understanding as well. It's not like I bought some POS off the back of a truck. I read countless reviews on COTH about Amira and the quality of their products before placing my order. I recieved (and exchanged at Dover) a brand new helmet with all the original tags, stickers, and packaging from GPA. A brand new helmet exchanged for a brand new helmet, which they can send back to GPA at no cost to them.

But Dover doesn't know that you didn't buy it from some POS off the back of a truck. Tags and stickers are replaceable/fakeable.

[vxf111]

Here's another reason why stores won't do this...

Tack shop A carries TS breeches. They sell really well in the average sizes and tack shop makes money. Tack shop can't seem to sell size 26, they are just unpopular! Tack shop shouldn't have ordered so many pairs of that size, it was a bad judgment call. So tack shop decides to take a bit of a loss and sell 10 pairs of size 26 for $20 each.

Customer buys those 10 pairs of breeches, takes 'em to Dover, and exchanges them for popular sizes. Now DOVER is out inventory on sizes it can sell and is stuck with sizes that don't sell. Dover didn't buy 10 unpopular sizes. Dover bought one size 26. Now Dover has 11 size 26 breeches it can't sell. Dover will eventually have to discount them and take a loss.

Why should DOVER have to suffer because some other tack shop made bad ordering decisions? They shouldn't.

OP, I am glad you're satisfied. But you made a mistake. Amirashop got your money. You should have either dealt with them or sold the helmet privately. You should not have made this Dover's issue.

And people wonder why it's hard to stay in business in retail?! People doing stuff like this sure doesn't help!!!

[vxf111]

In 6 years, I saw every crazy return scheme there is... tag switching, reciept printing, wearing something and then re-attaching the tag, stealing and returning for store credit... you think this stuff is minimal or it's "all even in the end" but it's not. It costs the store time and money and it wrecks havoc with inventory. What if EVERYONE decided to order a helmet from Amira and then exchange it at Dover? Can you imagine what that would do to their inventory.

[Trixie]

I am shocked that Dover's policy is to "take back anything they sell, even if you never bought it there."

Actually, as the customer service rep said, this is generally NOT the policy they use: Mr. Trixie bought me a pair of MDC stirrups for Xmas this year. They were the ones without the joints, I wanted the ones with joints, so I decided to exchange them and just pay the difference. Dover said they'd have been happy to trade them out if Mr. Trixie bought them there, but otherwise, no go. I wound up having to figure out where Mr. Trixie got them and exchanged them through there, though going by the Dover store certainly would've been more convenient.

And these are stirrups, not a piece of safety equipment that's supposed to protect my head. I'm kind of wondering why they made an exception for Jeepgirl but not for me. :confused:

[AlterStrength]

I don't know what the OP Told the dover people but having worked in Customer Service for years - I've seen people protest over and over about different issues and in the end the customer is right! is it fair? NO - but it happens. So if she claimed she got it as a "gift" which is what i hear quite often - we would have no choice but to Honor her word. :sigh:

I hope like everyone else said that Dover doesn't turn around and sell it but we'll never know.

[WorthTheWait95]

If you had ordered it from Dover in the first place and returned it new, it would be a different story. Dover would know where it came from in the first place, how old it was, whether it was banged around during shipment, whether it sat on the loading dock for 5 days in the blistering sun, etc. True, they would have to inspect it to make sure YOU didn't do anything to it while you had it-- but it's original origin and treatment would not be a mystery. For all we know (and I am not saying this is actually the case), the helmet you have got dunked in water during transit and the strutural integrity is compromised, the seller dried it out and sold it to you... and now Dover has it and is going to unknowlingly pass it along to some unsuspecting buyer at full price. At least, if it was a DOVER helmet you bought and returned, Dover would know how the helmet had been treated up until it got to you. Dover would know how old it was, and would have some inventory control in regards to stocking the sizes/colors it needs.

!

Well.....I kind of doubt Dover REALLY knows what goes on during shipping. They may be able to track it and fiind out how long it took for delivery (which is NOT always reliable either) but have no idea if the buyer was out of town and left it out in the sun for five days, if some big heavy box fell on it during transit, etc. There really are no gurantees and absolutely no way the company can bee certain a helmet purchased from them was not abused in transit.

While I agree it is odd I do think people might be blowing this out of proportion just a little bit.

[vxf111]

Well.....I kind of doubt Dover REALLY knows what goes on during shipping. They may be able to track it and fiind out how long it took for delivery (which is NOT always reliable either) but have no idea if the buyer was out of town and left it out in the sun for five days, if some big heavy box fell on it during transit, etc. There really are no gurantees and absolutely no way the company can bee certain a helmet purchased from them was not abused in transit.

While I agree it is odd I do think people might be blowing this out of proportion just a little bit.

It's true, Dover isn't spying on the package the entire time. But if a box of helmets arrives and the box is damp/crushed/late etc. Dover can make the decision to send it back to GPA. If a box got crushed and Amira accepted it, Dover would never know?! At least, with their own products they ordered and sold-- it's their own judgment as to how to handle. Nothing is perfect in shipping, but at least if it's something you ordered-- you can go right back to the vendor if you suspect the product isn't up to par. If it's someone else's product, you have no idea.

[Jeepgirl]

Why didn't YOU contact GPA and try to exchange it through them? GPA seems to think it's all hunky dory to exchange helmets?!



Because a Dover rep contacted me directly after reading my post on here and told me I could exchange it with them and that was their policy. I was not trying to scam anyone. I was actually getting ready to suck it up and send it back to Amira to make the exchange when I was contacted by the Dover rep.

I am baffled as to why people seem so angry about this, you act like both myself and Dover are out trying to scam the world. I didn't (and don't) assume I was entitled to this hospitality and was infact aware that it was a huge longshot that anyone would be willing to do it, but like I said before, Dover was not the only tack store I spoke with that was willing to do it. And it's not like I stomped in all demanding and throwing a fit that someone correct this mistake which was indeed my own mistake. I simply explained the situation, let it be known that I understood that this was a strange situation and what I was asking was completely out of the ordinary and I would totally understand if they couldn't help me....every tack store I spoke with was understanding and incredibly nice, and at least 3 of them said they would be willing to do it if the helmet was a different color. Believe me, this surprised me just as much as it seems to have surprised many of you. But it's not like I thought I had an entitlement to this service, and I wasn't trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes.

I wanted to give Dover the kudos they were due and say thank you publically since they were so accomodating, and as is often the case on COTH everyone is getting all riled up over a litany of unrelated things. Why do you care if Dover is out the shipping if Dover doesn't care??? I don't even know if that is true, they told me if I had it shipped to their store there would be no cost for them as far as the shipping goes, although they were willing to ship it to my house and eat the shipping cost if I preferred. (for the record, I am having it shipped to the store) They were incredibly nice and incredibly accommodating, and I recognize that and truly appreciate it.

Be my guest if you all want to continue to disect this, but all I wanted to do was say thank you, so that is what I am doing and then I am done with this thread.

THANK YOU DOVER.

[vxf111]

Don't take this personally. I am GLAD you're satisfied. I think I've posted that multiple times on this thread.

What I am concerned about is that I've been buying things from Dover, safety items, and Dover has no idea where they came from because Joe Anybody showed up with them and Dover decided to exchange them.

I also wonder at the fiscal soundness of a company that repeatedly takes actions not in its best interest.

A Dover representative CONTACTED YOU as a result of this thread?! So they read this and decided to jump in and return a helmet you bought overseas so as to avoid Dover's insane shipping charges... but Dover's same reps have been ignoring thread after thread about other Dover issues-- including those same shipping charges. They wouldn't take back Skgirl's GPA that she DID buy from them which broke and fell off her head, causing an injury--- but they VOLUNTEERED to take a helmet you bought elsewhere? I can't return to a Dover STORE an item I bought from the Dover CATALOG-- but they contacted YOU, out of the BLUE, to take back a helmet you bought from a competitor?!

I am simply incredulous.

Hello Dover, if you're listening-- please message/email me because I also have something I'd like to return that I bought from a competitor.

[Jeepgirl]

I can't return to a Dover STORE an item I bought from the Dover CATALOG-- but they contacted YOU, out of the BLUE, to take back a helmet you bought from a competitor?!


I would say the answer is quite obvious.....clearly, I am a rockstar and you are not. ;)
:D

[GGsuperpony]

Originally Posted by vxf111 View Post
I can't return to a Dover STORE an item I bought from the Dover CATALOG-- but they contacted YOU, out of the BLUE, to take back a helmet you bought from a competitor?!
I would say the answer is quite obvious.....clearly, I am a rockstar and you are not.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[vxf111]

I would say the answer is quite obvious.....clearly, I am a rockstar and you are not. ;)
:D


Miraculously, I can think of ANOTHER explanation.

[GinGin74]

vxf111,

What if someone purchased a helmet FROM Dover and then left it in the trunk of their car in 120 degree weather for three months? Then later decided they didn't want it anymore and returned it back to Dover. If it was still in the box with the tags on, the Dover store would never know that the safety was compromised because of the breakdown of the foam from the extreme exposure to heat.

Any item that is out of the store’s possession can be compromised without them even knowing. That’s the risk any retail store takes by accepting returns. I’m not agreeing that what the OP was ethical, but it wouldn’t stop me from purchasing a helmet from a store that accepts returns.

[eqrider1234]

Miraculously, I can think of ANOTHER explanation.

why do you care so much.

The answer is simple, if you dont like their policy you dont have to buy from them, i dont see how this is such a big deal. What reason does she have to lie?

[vxf111]

It's a bulletin board, I find the topic interesting.

I care because I've had a few return issues with Dover and now I find out that they'll bend the policy for someone else-- who didn't even BUY for them, but I have to pay shipping back to the warehouse because I can't return something I bought from the catalog in the store. So me, a customer who ACTUALLY BOUGHT from Dover is treated worse than someone who bought from a competitor. Really nice.

I also care because (as mentioned) I worked in retail long enough to be fed a LOT of BS by customers and frankly I think people ought to realize how self-serving behavior can negatively affect a store. I don't necessarily think customers actually say to themselves "let me screw over Store X," but that's sometimes inevitably what happens.

I agree, Dover has to accept some risk of accepting returns on an item bought from them that was damaged by the customer. I would assume, if you damage a helmet and return it to Dover-- they send it back to GPA (maybe they send back all returned helmets? I don't know). But the difference (and it's a HUGE difference) is that DOVER MADE MONEY ON THE SALE IN THE FIRST PLACE! Built into Dover's cost is the risk of some returns/defective items that they sell. What is not built into the cost is the risk of dealing with merchandise bought at other sources.

[vxf111]

What reason does she have to lie?

Oh, I dunno... Maybe to get a return accomplished on an item she bought overseas that otherwise SHE would have to pay to ship back overseas to exchange?!

[elizabeth1]

I am retail although not horse products or attire.

Accepting the helmet in exchange for the properly sized one is something I would definately have considered. I call it goodwill and a cost of doing business. Because I did this favor the customer will be mine for along time and will tell others how well they were treated and bring me more customers. I wouldn't do it everytime but look how much goodwill Dover just got from this BB.

Having said that I would never try to resell the helmet but just chalk it up to a cost of doing business.

[eqrider1234]

Oh, I dunno... Maybe to get a return accomplished on an item she bought overseas that otherwise SHE would have to pay to ship back overseas to exchange?!

that is not what i meant. what i meant is that it seems like you dont believe her seeing as you had to go ask someone from the store about their return policy and put it on here. I just dont understand why your making such a big deal about this, so what dover helped her out, good for her and good for them. I dont think she is trying to bring down the company seeing as they voluntarialy took the helmet back.

[vxf111]

Why do you care if I care? I've already posted why I care, because it seems either we're not getting the entire/accurate story or else Dover has different return policies for different customers (or non-customers, in the OP's case). That irks me. It doesn't irk you. Okay. If the OP didn't want discussion, she shouldn't have posted about this on a discussion board.

[elizabeth1]

Return policies should never, ever be carved in stone.

Goodwill goes a long, long way.

I think this is what Dover has done and the GPA probably has gone home with an employee, who is happy as well.

Would I have explained this to a third party who asked me why? Sorry, no, not ya business nor do I need to explain my actions to anyone one.

Happy people come back and buy more. Just my experience in business.

[Alterageous]

I can understand vxf111's frustration at the multitude of Dover threads that have transpired on these boards over the years with no apparent action from Dover, then someone wants to do a questionable return and a rep contacts her and says "hey we want your business!"

Dover has had many oppurtunities to generate goodwill among this admittedly extensive horse community by responding to the blatant complaints, but instead they choose to help out a non customer with a questionable return.

Yeah, I can see how that would chap some people's a**es. I don't buy from dover because i refuse to pay them $12 to ship me something when their warehouse is six miles from my office...but then again, I guess the $8 profit they made on shipping from me adds up to cover a $450 loss to benefit someone else. Thanks, Dover.

PS Jeepgirl--if you had posted that you were looking to sell an Amira-bought GPA for the price you paid, I would have jumped on it as I want a GPA in a 58 in brown. That's a common size and you could have avoided the whole questionable ethics bit and I'm sure someone would have taken you up on it, if not me personally.

[elizabeth1]

I absolutely understand vxf111's frustration.

However, for those of us in retail this is a very challenging time and you really need to be proactive to stay alive. I find word of mouth is one of the best ways to go and an act of kindness goes a long , long way.

I sell high end cheeses, caviar and pate. I need to be kind because theoretically I should be one of the first to go.

[ExJumper]

But why can't Dover "pro-actively" help someone who ALREADY purchased something from them? There have been specific examples of times that Dover has NOT accepted a return or allowed an exchange for a problem with something. But THIS problem gets special gold-glove treatment? It's not Jeepgirls fault. Apparently Dover contacted HER. So people can't get things resolved with things they have already purchased from Dover, yet Dover contacts THIS person and offers to solve all her problems?

I think it just chaps a few asses that someone can buy a $450 helmet and have something go wrong with it that Dover WON'T take care of, then come here and read about someone who bought a helmet overseas for less money and then Dover allowed them to return it to them!

If Dover is doing this to secure some good word of mouth, then it was an epic fail (as the kids say these days). It made Jeepgirl happy but sure as shit pissed a lot of other people off.

Again, I don't think anyone is pissed at the OP, just at Dover for their bipolar and schizophrenic policies.

[elizabeth1]

But why can't Dover "pro-actively" help someone who ALREADY purchased something from them? There have been specific examples of times that Dover has NOT accepted a return or allowed an exchange for a problem with something. But THIS problem gets special gold-glove treatment? It's not Jeepgirls fault. Apparently Dover contacted HER. So people can't get things resolved with things they have already purchased from Dover, yet Dover contacts THIS person and offers to solve all her problems?

I think it just chaps a few asses that someone can buy a $450 helmet and have something go wrong with it that Dover WON'T take care of, then come here and read about someone who bought a helmet overseas for less money and then Dover allowed them to return it to them!

If Dover is doing this to secure some good word of mouth, then it was an epic fail (as the kids say these days). It made Jeepgirl happy but sure as shit pissed a lot of other people off.

Again, I don't think anyone is pissed at the OP, just at Dover for their bipolar and schizophrenic policies.

Dover needs to honor someone who has already purchased from them, if not someone else will and word will be out. They need to change their policy, if not some one else will. Retail is a very dynamic environment, snooze ya lose, it's that simple.

[spina]

wow - I'm really surprised ya'll are getting your panties all knotted about this. I think Dover always has had a pretty liberal return policy - I've NEVER heard of anyone ever having a problem. If someone says they did I sincerely doubt it. I've always found them to be great about any returns, as has everyone I ride with - including stuff I forgot I bought about a year ago and found in my trunk (a halter and blanket) that I never used and they don't even carry anymore! I didn't even have the receipt but they found my old order and gave me a refund.
As to the GPA contoversy, I doubt they'll sell the returned one. I think they're just a go-between for GPA on any helmet replacement. I'm sure it will go back to GPA.

[villagepacer]

I have been able to return things to the store that I have purchased at Mail order from Dover. I always keep my receipt, though if it is very expensive they have sent it back to the warehouse for me and they credit me when they get it. Of course I live close to the original store, maybe it is different for those stores farther away.

[vxf111]

I've NEVER heard of anyone ever having a problem.


There are AT LEAST three examples posted on this thread...

-Someone's hubby bought non-jointed stirrups. She wanted jointed. Dover wouldn't let her do an exchange

-I bought items from the catalog (only because my local Dover was out of stock when I went there) and when I went to the store to return, I was told I had to ship the items back to the catalog because the store couldn't accept the returns (when I intended/wanted to buy the items from the store IN THE FIRST PLACE, and had the items been in stock I would have realized they didn't suit my needs and the return wouldn't have even have had to happen)

and then the most egregious...

-Someone has a GPA with a defective chin strap clip. She had an accident and the clip broke free, causing the helmet to not be secure on her head and she was hurt. Dover wouldn't replace the clip or allow her to exchange the helmet-- which she had purchased at Dover.

None of these, or the scores of threads on Dover's nutty shipping rates merited good customer service/response/intervetion/cooperation from Dover... but Jeepgirl makes a mistake while trying to undercut Dover and buy from a competitor and all of a sudden Dover is slathering to help her out.

I don't get it?!

[GGsuperpony]

VXF, I have a question. On several occasions, you seemed to be suggesting the OP is lying:

I cannot believe they just said "sure, bring in a helmet you bought overseas, we'd love to exchange someone else's discounted merchandise for our full price merchandise."

You then went to the trouble of "proving" it by contacting Dover Saddlery.

I have to defend the OP here. I was with her when she exchanged it in the store.

You call their policies schizophrenic. That may be true. I am sure from time to time in "your" store - when you worked retail - you made exceptions on strict policies and also firmly enforced looser policies as you saw fit.

That is what has happened here. A kind, wonderful, sympathetic associate logically reasoned that Dover could easily send it back to the manufacturer for a wholesale credit which they could use to get another helmet which they could then sell at full price, hence earning their profit. She then contacted the OP and offered to exchange it for her at no cost. The OP offered to pay shipping, and they said, "No need, it will come with our regular shipment to the store at no additional cost."

I strongly suspect your problem getting things returned to Dover is related to your angry and unreasonable in this thread. Perhaps getting heated with the customer service reps has not worked in your favor in the past? I wonder. Naturally, I have lots of quotes to prove you have this sort of over-excitable, angry attitude, if you're interested:

Except when you find something cheaper elsewhere, eh?

What if Jeepgirl DID buy this helmet off the turnip truck and told Dover it came from Amira.

But you made a mistake. Amirashop got your money. You should have either dealt with them or sold the helmet privately. You should not have made this Dover's issue.

What reason does she have to lie?
Oh, I dunno... Maybe to get a return accomplished on an item she bought overseas that otherwise SHE would have to pay to ship back overseas to exchange?!

Perhaps if you made a personal policy of being reasonable and calm when these types of problems occur, you would find sales associates more likely to help you.

I don't think anyone here besides you and a handful of others believes the OP is lying about where she got the helmet in the first place and how the return was accomplished. So to all the nice people here who have stuck up for my good friend Jeepgirl, thank you.

And again, Dover, you ROCK! I have already placed TWO orders since I went to your store with Jeepgirl last week, and I have NEVER been a Dover customer before! So thanks again!

[GGsuperpony]

VXF, I got so excited I never got to my question!

In the immortal words of Amy Pohler...:

"Ya jealous?!?!"

:lol:

I'm sorry. I know that is immature, but the root of the problem seems to be:

a) You had problems with Dover's customer service, as did others you know whether personally or through this thread.
b) The OP had a GREAT experience with Dover's customer service.

And now you are mad! So... is that it? The immortal words of Amy Pohler? (spoken while jumping up and down on one leg, for those of you who haven't seen the sketch)

[spina]

There are AT LEAST three examples posted on this thread...

-Someone's hubby bought non-jointed stirrups. She wanted jointed. Dover wouldn't let her do an exchange

-I bought items from the catalog (only because my local Dover was out of stock when I went there) and when I went to the store to return, I was told I had to ship the items back to the catalog because the store couldn't accept the returns (when I intended/wanted to buy the items from the store IN THE FIRST PLACE, and had the items been in stock I would have realized they didn't suit my needs and the return wouldn't have even have had to happen)

and then the most egregious...

-Someone has a GPA with a defective chin strap clip. She had an accident and the clip broke free, causing the helmet to not be secure on her head and she was hurt. Dover wouldn't replace the clip or allow her to exchange the helmet-- which she had purchased at Dover.

None of these, or the scores of threads on Dover's nutty shipping rates merited good customer service/response/intervetion/cooperation from Dover... but Jeepgirl makes a mistake while trying to undercut Dover and buy from a competitor and all of a sudden Dover is slathering to help her out.

I don't get it?!

The three examples you give aren't examples. The jointed stirrups weren't from Dover ("they said they'd take back if bought from them")

The stuff you bought from the catalog they said the catalog WOULD take back, the store couldn't take it back because you didn't buy it from the store. (but I did think they could send it back for you.)

The chin strap story is the one that I think was just a false story. I don't believe it just because as the other poster said Dover would just send it back to GPA whether you bought it from them or not. I also don't believe it because they've always been so great about returns - why would they give this one person a hard time? I don't know.

I agree with you about the shipping charges, but their prices are usually so much less than anyone else it more than makes up for it. I also like that I feel I can count on them to stand behind their products. I know you're looking for a bad guy here, but I've never had a problem, and no one I know has either.

[elizabeth1]

In the future I'd be looking for a kinder, gentler Dover. If not, someone else will do it better.

[Trixie]

I don't think VXF is being hysterical here. I can understand precisely why she's upset.

So many local tack stores are going under because they're being undercut by online retailers and can't keep up, and someone comes online to tell us that they've managed to undercut one store's bottom line by shopping elsewhere online and then forced that business to eat the costs. It kind of sucks on a lot of levels - small businesses can't keep up, therefore we lose a lot of our great little stores. This is a problem that is not limited to the horse industry.

Don't get me wrong - I can understand wanting to get a great deal. And I'd say that on this one, you got lucky. But the customer service there seems to be inconsistent at best.

I've seen quite a few posts on COTH where people have had issues with Dover. I haven't, personally, because I rarely order from there since their sales aren't usually enough to make up for their exorbitant shipping costs. I don't bother shopping in store frequently because more often than not, my locally owned small tack shops offer better quality and better prices, more interesting boutique-y items and will price match if they're higher.

As for my stirrups, I didn't think they would take them back, but a 20 minute ride over to Dover beats shipping them back to Illinois to exchange, costing about $20 in shipping charges. However, I'm still curious as to why did Dover eat the costs on jeepgirl's GPA from out of the country, but not on my stirrups, which are not a safety item and wouldn't need to go back to the manufacturer?

Jeepgirl, I'm sure that since you got such great customer service from them this time, you'll continue to patronize their business in the future :)

[elizabeth1]

Vfx111 is not hysterical and she makes absolute sense.

The company needs to bend and twist to the consumers demands, not the other way around. If the company takes a hard stand there will always someone else out there that will come and do it better.

[GGsuperpony]

Elizabeth, I think VXF said from the beginning that Dover is wrong to do this and that Jeepgirl is wrong to ask:


But you made a mistake. Amirashop got your money. You should have either dealt with them or sold the helmet privately. You should not have made this Dover's issue.

She does say Dover is "bad" regarding the three examples she posted earlier today, but she also says that their policies are schizophrenic and that they she shouldn't make exceptions. She says when she was a manager of a retail store, she didn't make these exceptions because the only people who asked were trying to scam her.

As she says here, she does not like Dover's policies vis-a-vis this transaction:

I've already posted why I care, because it seems either we're not getting the entire/accurate story or else Dover has different return policies for different customers (or non-customers, in the OP's case). That irks me. It doesn't irk you.


This is my understanding, at least, but VXF feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood anything. (I am not being snarky - I am serious. I may be mistaken; tone is difficult to get over a computer screen.)

[In The Gate]

I had a similar situation happen to me; I ordered a pair of custom boots through an oversees manufacturer that also sells through a distributer in the states. I paid about 1/3 of what the boots would have cost had I ordered them through a store in the states. Unfortunately, the boots didn't fit me and due to customs regulations in that country I can't ship them back to the manufacturer to fix.

I went to a local store that carries the brand and asked if they would be willing to try and resell them for me. I told them that I'd like to get what I paid for the boots and they can keep anything over that.

I don't expect them to exchange them, send them back to the manufacturer or give me anything for them unless they can resell them. I also gave them an incentive to do so; they should be able to make a pretty sizable profit off of them because I think it would be reasonable to ask more like 1/2-2/3 of the US retail price.


I'm very surprised Dover agreed to exchange that helmet for you as I know people who have asked much more reasonable things than that and been refused. I'm sure you're patting yourself on the back for how well this worked out; but I wouldn't count on it ever happening again.

[Trixie]

I don't understand why it's "hysterical" to disagree with Dover's obviously subjective return policies. I certainly don't agree with a policy that is one thing for some folks and different for others. That is wrong.

[Alterageous]

A kind, wonderful, sympathetic associate

Alright, this rubs me the wrong way. WHAT about the OP's situation was deserving of SYMPATHY? She didn't pay attention to what she was buying, it didn't fit. Too bad. It's great that she was able to get Dover to replace this but does she deserve sympathy for not wanting to pay the return shipping charge when she saved like $200 on the helmet?

Uh, no. There were many other routes for her to unload the helmet and purchase a new one, of course, that wouldn't be instantly gratifying.

Dover has always been crappy about returns for me and I am never anything other than unfailingly polite. I don't shop there anymore, and behavior like this is just one of many reasons why.

[Tha Ridge]

I think VXF is effin' crazy. Not that's she outraged because of what Dover did, but because she WON'T. LET. IT. GO.

I mean, if you have enough time to do a live chat with Dover about the situation, you have too much time on your hands. :eek:

[Alterageous]

I think VXF is effin' crazy. Not that's she outraged because of what Dover did, but because she WON'T. LET. IT. GO.

I mean, if you have enough time to do a live chat with Dover about the situation, you have too much time on your hands. :eek:

I am bedridden with two torn ligaments in my ankle so...plenty of free time on my part, and narcotic drugs to boot!

no idea if vxf111 has a similar excuse for random hysteria.

[vxf111]

My general experience is that when someone stoops to ad hominems during a discussion, it's because they are out of logical, reasoned comments and respond with name calling just to have a retort.

I'm not hysterical. I don't go around acting like a lunatic when I try to do returns. Anyone who knows me IRL knows I am endlessly patient 99.9% of the time when it comes to sales/customer service because I've been there and I know it's tough. What I have little tolerance for are COMPANIES with unreasonable policies.

Look, Dover can have the policy "return everything here" if it wants. Their choice. I think it's a dumb policy, but it's their choice. But if that's the policy, it needs to be applied uniformly. Why should I have to pay shipping on a return because of their inability to stock their own brand name merchandise in their stores and their lack of knowledge about the details of that item (and it was a basic item, a Circuit bridle) but someone else gets the white glove treatment on an item they bought from a competitor? Not fair. A policy is a policy or else it's discrimination.

I am interested in this issue because I have an issue with a Dover return and if the policy has changed-- I would like to know. Which is why I cruised over to the website and looked under "Returns." All that is listed is the address. So I went on their customer service chat and asked the question. Took about 45 seconds, maybe 1 minute tops. No big deal. Got the answer. The answer is, that they decided to randomly break their policy for one customer.

I never called Jeepgirl a liar and I am not calling her now. I was trying to explain that there must be more to the story than was posted initially. And there is. Now I know Dover read this thread and contacted her, and that apparently someone in a local store decided to make an exception just for her. I'm not mad. But next time I have a return for Dover, you can bet I'll be citing this as an example of why they've got to do what I want, since apparently the rules are fluid and don't have to be enforced.

The three examples ARE examples. If Jeepgirl can return a non-Dover item to Dover, why couldn't the stirrups be returned? If a Dover store will take back a helmet from Amira, why won't they take back my bridle from their own catalog in the store? I happen to know the poster with the defective GPA clip in real life, and that's a true story as well. I guess the answer is that some Dover stores have employees that will break rules and others don't. That's not fair and that's the POINT of return policies, so that all customers have a reasonable expectation of how a return will be treated and so that returns are handled uniformly.

And not that I have to justify why, when, or how I post (and I would never be so presumptious to try to insinuate things about you based on posting history) but I tend to have short bursts of time during the day-- 5 minutes here, 2 minutes here, etc. Rarely a chunk of time at once. I can't keep track if I read/reply to tons of threads. So I tend to open and read 3-4/day that interest me and check back on them, rather than scrolling through the entire board and reading all sorts of posts.

[BAC]

I have to agree with vxf. Although I have had nothing but excellent customer service from Dover over the years, I think it is unfair not to treat everyone equally - there should'n be different rules for different people. Especially in this situation where the OP didn't even purchase the merchandise from Dover.

[Alterageous]

I guess the moral of the story is, if you get exceptional customer service such that you are clearly being treated differently than other customers, I wouldn't post about it on a message board of about 8000 horse people.

As an aside, dover's high volume allows them to do stuff like this, and it only hurts mom and pop shops more when you take advantage of overseas exchange rates and THEN take advantage of a large retailer's loss potential to make things work out in your favor. How do you think a smaller store can ever compete with that?