I just wanted to share my recent experience and warn others.

I ordered relatively cheap saddle described as ISM Adamo Prologue from ebay seller seler2014 on eBay, (sender of package was Roman Obuchowski, from Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK) but when it arrived there was just something wrong - the rails and fuzzy scale gave it away that it was a counterfeit. I contacted ISM with photos and they confirmed it was indeed a fake.

I then contacted seller stating that it is probably a fake. You should have seen the speed with which he cancelled the order and issued full refund so that I had no way to raise paypal claim and report him that he is selling counterfeit products.

I can't confirm this, it is just hypothesis, but I think this account michaobuchowsk-0 on eBay might be also his, and is also selling "ISM Adamo" saddles.

He's got 1000 positive feedbacks and 0 negative, most of his past business is from selling "ISM Adamo" saddles. I wonder how many people are out there believeing they've got the real ISM Adamo when actually they've only got a chinese copy.

That saddle sells for $130+ all day long. Not to rub it in but $40 should have been a red flag. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Thanks for your report.
Do you got any problem with that saddle? it broke or something? i'm asking becouse under my butt i have a chinese smp clone and i'm a bit worried....

Haven't even used it yet. I think I'll give it a try on commuter. My commute is just 10km. Wouldn't want to be left somewhere 50km from home without a saddle.

Its not about getting stuck without a saddle but about getting hurt. Not worth the risk IMO.

Lots of fakes out there. Saddles are one area where I buy only from reputable dealers.


-Tim-

Yeah this thread is sort of like: "I bought this Dogma F8 frame for $500 from some guy on Ebay. It was drop-shipped to me in an unbranded box from Xiamen, China. I was shocked to discover it's a fake!"

What's to say this saddle is any more dangerous than a "genuine" Adamo saddle, or any other saddle out there.

There are lots of saddle designs, and no ANSI, ASTM, or SNELL standard to say one is any better or safer than another.

And a huge variety of cyclists and heinies.

My guess is the fake will wear faster than the genuine saddle, probably with cheaper foam, material, and stitching, although it may self-contour to the cyclist's rearend.

I will say that I acquired a cheap Carbon Fiber saddle. Not intended as a "clone", rather just a cheap saddle. It worked for a few months until one of the poorly designed rail attachments cracked. No injuries. After discovering it, I rode it home and swapped the saddle out. I'll probably try a repair using reinforced fiber instead of a simple glob of epoxy sometime.

Several years ago, I talked my riding buddy into getting a Prologue because I found it to be the most comfortable saddle I had ever ridden. I bought mine from a bike shop and he bought his from Amazon for $129.00 because it was cheaper. After a few months of riding on it, one of the rails started to come lose. He called Amazon for an RMA number and they told him he had to return it to ISM. ISM told him they wouldn't accept the saddle because the original purchase was not from an authorized dealer, which Amazon is not. I guess you can buy the saddle at $130.00 all day long but just don't expect any warranty work from ISM if something goes wrong, especially if you purchased it from someone like eBay or Amazon.

Maybe it is the idealism of a melancholic temperament but I tend not to trust criminals who steal another company's reputation and put it on their own product.

Having said that, there is nothing to say that a counterfeit saddle won't last forever. I'm sure there are some fine counterfeit saddles, aircraft parts and pharmaceuticals being used all over the world today. I choose to avoid them to the extent that it is possible, that's all.


-Tim-

I don't have a problem with "generics", or products that are similar to another, but not carrying their name.

There are many saddle designs with a center channel of one sort or another, as well as a few noseless styles. Hopefully not all exact copies of some other design.

But, I have to agree, I do dislike putting a false name/trademark on any component, saddles, frames, etc. In many cases, not necessarily dangerous, just false advertising.

It's theft, and it indicates the lack of character of those who do it. Those who do it are criminals.

These people know exactly what they are doing and they don't care if their products break and hurt someone.

I would think thats a fairly basic practice with most any company and it's products, in my experience it's not common to buy products on any secondary market and still come with any dealer warranties. I basically agree with your statement just wanted to add a few more thoughts on it.

I ride ISM saddles on all my bikes.
Bought many over the years. Have thousands and thousands of miles on them and many years. They are holding up well. I am not a light guy. They were not cheap but are genuine and have held up really well.

My buddy wanted one but did not like the price. So, off to Ebay he went. Got a Prologue realy cheap. Too good to be true cheap. He has less than a year on it and the foam is gone, like riding straight on the plastic base, the leather is separating from the shell where the foam is destroyed.

ISM told me the Prologue is highly counterfeited by the Chineese. It is a big problem.

Agree with both of these. I'd never knowingly buy a counterfeit, never buy one that raised all sorts of red flags, but the OP now has it in his possession for free. One should be able to look at a saddle fairly easily and determine if the construction is up to par safety-wise, after all bikes come with no-name Chinese saddles that cost far less than this every day without issue.

they write in big letters that they only sell online from their own website and dealers.
https://www.ismseat.com/counterfeit-saddles/

If you buy elsewhere, you have a 99% chance of getting counterfeit or stolen product. I guess now you know why they write that in big bold letters on their website.

Hey, now you have a like-new ISM Prolouge to sell on eBay!