[kellyb]

I have been looking for a specific saddle on eBay, and found one that I thought sounded like a decent deal. It was half the cost it was new, about 4 years old. I'd been scanning eBay for a couple months and it seems to be about the going rate for this type of saddle in great condition.

The ad had 5 pictures. Looked like a normal used saddle. It was described as barely broken in, very gently used, well cared for, etc. For that reason, I didn't ask for more pics, since neither the description or posted pictures indicated any reason to look into it deeper.

I received the saddle and in person, it is a lot worse than the photos. While it doesn't appear to have been heavily used, it was not well taken care of. The leather on one of the knee rolls is faded, so it's a lighter, dried-out shade. Also, all over the seat and knee rolls there are small black freckles, little stains that won't come out. This didn't show up in the ad nor was anything mentioned about it. There are also some other black marks on the seat.

I'm not insanely pissed because I understand it is Ebay, it is a used saddle, I should have asked for more pics...but I still think it was misrepresented. I still would have bought the saddle, I just would not have paid what I did for it if I knew what it looked like in person.

I haven't contacted the seller yet because I'm still thinking about what to do. It would be a hassle to ship it back, be out $45 shipping it, wait on a refund, find another saddle, potentially be let down again (can't find what I'm looking for locally anyway). But on the other hand, the saddle is not as described.

Really I would be fine keeping the saddle if I could have some of my money back (like $100 or so, is fair to me).

WWCD? (what would coth do) Suck it up and deal with it (buyer beware!), deal with the hassle of returning it, or ask the seller for a partial refund?

[Pirateer]

Hard to say.
I bought a used fancyschmancy saddle on ebay. Some things weren't shown in the pictures, and I still consider it a screaming good deal so I never bothered saying anything.

[Ambrey]

When I recently bought a saddle and was extremely unhappy with the condition, I first contacted the seller, who was aghasted that I wasn't THRILLED, then filed a paypal report. I ended up out the return shipping, which was only about $30.

It was advertised as being hardly used, but had clearly been sitting somewhere for years because the leather was so dried out that it had cracked on one flap in transit.

I'd contact the seller and see what happens. I had a run of very bad e-bay luck recently (that saddle, a pair of breeches that were low rise rather than standard as advertised, a pair of gloves that were brown rather than black, a fly sheet that arrived without advertised hood) and although it was a bit of effort, all of the transactions worked out fine in the end.

[MILOUTE55]

trust me, no ebay seller wants a negative feedback... So just tell them you want part of your money back or you'll leave a negative feedback. This should work.
If they refuse, it's your choice to keep it or ship it back for a refund... if the seller allows returns of course...

[kellyb]

trust me, no ebay seller wants a negative feedback... So just tell them you want part of your money back or you'll leave a negative feedback. This should work.
If they refuse, it's your choice to keep it or ship it back for a refund... if the seller allows returns of course...

No, I haven't left feedback yet. I believe in allowing a person or company to make things right before getting ugly. I hadn't contacted them yet since I'm still considering it.

[Bearhunter]

I feel you should contact the seller and tell them you love the saddle but xyz was not mentioned in the description and you are a bit taken back by the condition. I would take pics of what you are talking about. I would then ask if they would be willing to refund you a portion of what you paid.

Okay, on the flip side of things, I think it is becoming impossible to be a seller on ebay unless you are selling a brand, new prefect item. I have recently sold several non-horsey very high end items (watches and handbags) and have been honest and very detailed with my descriptions of the items. I have had buyers questioned the most minute "imperfections" - (truly not noticeable) and have threatened contacting Paypal and/or bad feedback (I have a 450 perfect feedback score.) I am in no way saying the OP is not warranted here; I am sure in her situation she was sold a less than perfect saddle.

[jn4jenny]

This happened to me once. The seller was SHOCKED that I was unhappy and claimed that I had "ruined her whole week", but I also got a partial refund of about 30%. I cleaned up the saddle with Leather Therapy and Passier Lederbalsam and turned around and sold it to a local Pony Clubber, who was thrilled with it.

[kellyb]

I feel you should contact the seller and tell them you love the saddle but xyz was not mentioned in the description and you are a bit taken back by the condition. I would take pics of what you are talking about. I would then ask if they would be willing to refund you a portion of what you paid.

Okay, on the flip side of things, I think it is becoming impossible to be a seller on ebay unless you are selling a brand, new prefect item. I have recently sold several non-horsey very high end items (watches and handbags) and have been honest and very detailed with my descriptions of the items. I have had buyers questioned the most minute "imperfections" - (truly not noticeable) and have threatened contacting Paypal and/or bad feedback (I have a 450 perfect feedback score.) I am in no way saying the OP is not warranted here; I am sure in her situation she was sold a less than perfect saddle.

Oh I totally hear you and that is why I am afraid to ask for a partial refund. I don't want to come off like a cheap ass or something, or like I am trying to hold the neg feedback over their head and take advantage of them.

I've been a horse person for many years and bought & sold a ton on eBay. Heck I recently sold one of my saddles too. I had several pics and every tiny nick and scratch was described. I just felt like this was a pretty big thing to overlook. I know a used saddle is a used saddle and I was expecting regular wear and tear...but I've got saddles that are 15 yrs old and don't have black stains like that!

[sdlbredfan]

First, contact seller. Next file PayPal dispute. If seller does not cooperate, dispute can be upgraded to complaint at which point PayPal also investigates.

[Katie-Nicole]

On a non-horsey related eBay experience, I bought a dress on eBay that arrived stained and dirty. No mention in the ad. Took it to the cleaners to see how much it would cost to clean - $125 was the cheapest quote after calling around. I contacted the seller to request partial refund to cover the cost I was going to have to absorb in cleaning (who sells a filthy dress?!) and she was just nasty. She said I got the dress at a good enough price that I was still saving after my cleaning costs. Then, she said that I had the opportunity to ask any questions, and that I should have asked whether it was clean. Ummm... Normal people don't sell dirty clothes. I just sold a pair of pytchley's on eBay and you bet your butt they were washed. So, negative feedback was left, she wanted it removed but I told her she and her attitude earned it.

So, inform the seller of your concerns, take it to a tack shop that does reconditioning to see what they can do with it and get an estimate of the price, ask for a partial refund, and leave appropriate feedback based on the response. If the item wasn't well portrayed, that's not your fault.

[MILOUTE55]

Okay, on the flip side of things, I think it is becoming impossible to be a seller on ebay unless you are selling a brand, new prefect item. I have recently sold several non-horsey very high end items (watches and handbags) and have been honest and very detailed with my descriptions of the items. I have had buyers questioned the most minute "imperfections" - (truly not noticeable) and have threatened contacting Paypal and/or bad feedback (I have a 450 perfect feedback score.) I am in no way saying the OP is not warranted here; I am sure in her situation she was sold a less than perfect saddle.

I think it is still ok. I've sold our used saddles on ebay for almost 2 years now and we have only positive feedbacks. We put 12 pictures per saddle and very precise description.
I once got 1 totally not justified negative feedback and ebay "police" removed it after they admitted the buyer never gave me a chance to solve the "issue".
I do hate that sellers cannot leave negative feedbacks anymore! That's totally unfair!
And I'll admit that some buyers have really strange behaviors... I shipped a free hat and conditioner once to a customer as a special gift because he bought a nice saddle. He shipped the saddle back for a refund and considered it was "normal" to get a full refund even though he kept the hat and conditioner!! Come on, no deal no gift, that's pretty obvious to me... He got mad and went tell everybody how mean I was

[GoForAGallop]

I do hate that sellers cannot leave negative feedbacks anymore! That's totally unfair!

Have to agree here! I sold a saddle at the beginning of the month, and shipped it out promptly. I have the verification from the post office, and delivery confirmation. The buyer didn't want insurance. Now, the saddle still hasn't arrived, and the seller is throwing a hissy fit. I paid for the fastest shipping with the money that they gave me, and THEY are the ones who didn't want to spend $5 to insure the saddle. I'm clearly not in the wrong here, yet they are threatening to leave me negative feedback. It's not MY fault, and I'm not even sure how to go about remedying the situation. (IE, getting me the money that paypal is holding in limbo because of no positive feedback..)

[Ambrey]

Didn't you give them a tracking number, GFAG?

By the way, be sure and read the Pay Pal rules- you need signature verification now if the amount is over $200.

[kellyb]

Jeez this is turning into a mess. I put the saddle next to my other one and it doesn't even appear to be the right size listed in the auction. I have to take the measuring tape to the barn tomorrow.

To measure an english seat size, you go from the nail head to the center of the cantle, right?

[Ambrey]

It wasn't a Jorge Canaves, was it? LOL!

Because the one I bought was also sold as a larger size than it was.

Nail head to center of cantle, correct.

[Brockstables]

Hmmm... I would contact the seller and explain the issue and see what resolution they offer.
I sold a brand new high-end martingale, and the buyer complained that it was used, not as represented, and a myriad of other problems that were CERTAINLY not true. To avoid negative feedback I ultimately refunded his money, minus shipping. I GAVE him the *&^% martingale to avoid a fuss. Sure, buyer was happy. UGH! I hate ebay.
Too bad you didn't buy the saddle from me, huh???? LOL

[mvp]

Yes, measure the seat size. If it varies from the stated size by 1/2 in or more you can, by all rights, explain that the saddle was not as described. But saddle sizes can vary with the position of the nail head, so a difference less than 1/2 inch isn't a decent basis for a claiming misrepresentation.

You might start there, just to avoid controversy. If the measurement doesn't help you, absolutely contact the seller and politely explain your problem. You must eat the shipping back. Definitely insure it and ask for a signature confirming delivery.

Most e-bayer want to make their buyers happy. They try to represent their items to the best of their ability, but also to their standards. Of course those can vary between buyer and seller. So you might be able to resell the saddle yourself, better represented of course, and find someone perfectly happy to accept it's blemishes.

Best of luck to you.

[WWGeorgeMorrisD]

That is a disappointment. Sometimes it is just hard to tell from pictures. sorry

[DarcyW]

I contacted a seller on Ebay after a purchase that wasn't as described and let me tell you she was so off her rocker and the negative feedback she posted on me....all for asking a question. WOW While I realize this is such a small percentage I certainly learned about asking ALOT of questions up front.

[Sansena]

trust me, no ebay seller wants a negative feedback... So just tell them you want part of your money back or you'll leave a negative feedback. This should work.
If they refuse, it's your choice to keep it or ship it back for a refund... if the seller allows returns of course...

No. If you approach me as a seller and say "Part of my money back or I'll neg you" I'll feel as if you're using FB extortion methods.

You bought the item. You have regrets. Now is not the time to renegotiate a price. Tell the seller you want a return, and ship it back at your cost; get your purchase price back. At no time do you threaten to leave negative feedback. It's considered extortion and it's a good way to put an honest seller on the defensive.

If you really feel you got hosed, contact eBay for issue negotiation.