George, I don't think you fit their 'profile' (official or unofficial & intuitive) of a customer that they expect to be able to satisfy for whatever reason. It's their business and they can run it the way they choose.
Perhaps you should ask to have the original saddle sent back to you as a trophy to hang on the wall?
I've never owned a Brooks nor ever done business with Wallingford but if it was me, I'd mark them off my list and pursue other avenues for cycling paraphenalia. Capitalism works that way...
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centexwoody
They're beautiful handsome machines that translate energy into joy.