lukasz

So I bought a Specialized Romin from my bike shop just over two weeks ago. Yesterday I decided to return it, having been told that if it is in like-new condition it would not be a problem. I show the guy at the register the saddle and he asks if I even rode it, since it is completely unscathed and clean. He then proceeds to tell me that they don't actually accept returns for saddles and the best they can do is credit me for 50% of the value (he also suggested that I sell it on my own and get the money back, while placing an order for the saddle which I wanted in exchange with them). I tend to let things slide and just be nice with people, but I actually don't know now why I wasn't angry--it may have been the heat yesterday.

What is your shop's policy on this? Is it ridiculous for me to go back and explain what I was told by one of their sales people? What is the point of buying something at my local shop if the Specialized website has a much better policy? Yesterday I thought that I'd just let it go and not buy anything from this place again, but I think that I want to let them know how I feel now.

gsteinb

once installed it is not in like new condition

/thread

tonski 

Some will take saddles back, some won't - usually not. If they take the saddle back at all they're going to resell it (ethical or not in this case). Order Competitive Cyclist's (.com) saddle demo and find a comfortable seat.

AngryScientist 

you rode it for two weeks and you just want to return it?

what is the shop supposed to do with it now? would you want to pay full price for a saddle some dude rode for two weeks?

one of our local shops has a fleet of "test saddles" that you can borrow free if you wind up buying one, but they dont give you a brand new one to test and just return.

its a pretty unrealistic expectation for a bike shop to take a hit like that.

rollin

I don't want to buy a used saddle from my lbs unless they tell me it's secondhand. If it's secondhand then I'll be looking to pay less. The saddle you took back is secondhand.

My lbs has a few models you can borrow for a week or two.

Your lbs said one thing and did another, you have a case.

lukasz

They put it on my bike. They told me that I could return it when I purchased it (after putting it on my bike for me in the store so I could ride it on the trainer). What most of you are confirming is that they lied to me to make a sale.

In addition, I was speaking to another shop this weekend and the owner said they can send used saddles back to Specialized and get credit for them, or something like that (any LBS employees know something about this?). I find it sort of amazing that the Specialized website has a 30 day return policy on used saddles and their dealers do not.

Ok, you've all confirmed that it is an unrealistic expectation for them to take it and I have pretty much no reason to buy things from local stores. I do know about test saddle programs as I've recently made use of one. Seeing as no one seems to have test Romin saddles in stock, I had little choice but to go this route--though knowing what I know now I would have grabbed one off ebay for $40 less.

I won't bother going back to make a case. I just won't shop there again. I knew it was a pretty ****ty store to begin with but one generally does not expect outright lies. The saddle might work for me anyway--I just wanted to try another size of it before I committed.

AngryScientist 

were you trying to return it or exchange it?

roadiejorge 

+1

If someone is trying out a new saddle it's best to find a shop that has test saddles. The only time I took a saddle back was when I got a Toupe that was incorrectly marked as a 130 but was a 143, but after the first few minutes on it I knew something was wrong so they exchanged it with no problem.

Jeepnut22 

My LBS has a 30 day return policy on seats, assuming not returned grossly damaged. If not perfectly new, they sell the used ones at a discount. Got my Specialized Phenom 143 MTB saddle that way. Had two rides on it, but the logo was worn a bit. Got like 40% off...

Wylde06

My LBS lets you exchange a saddle for any other saddle. They have a 30 day return policy.

bdcheung

My LBS has the craigslist/eBay return policy.

Except on Bontrager saddles.

sbxx1985 

Excel will let you demo their Fizik saddles for 3 days. They have a row of them behind the counter. You can also demo their Terry saddles, but I believe that is through Terry and not the shop.

For any others, you're SOL.

If they lied to you about their exchange policy, that's just ridiculous.

lukasz

Either. My goal was to try out a wider Romin and I asked if it was possible to exchange if a return was not possible. It was possible--if I gave them another $60. No thanks. And the dude that put the saddle on my bike definitely told me I could outright return it if it still looked new. He was hanging around yesterday but I didn't bother accosting him about it. Whatever. Water under the bridge now. I prefer to let karma handle situations like this. The 143mm Romin is out of stock almost everywhere so I figure I'll lose $30 or so if I sell it.

echappist

i went to Jeff & Larry's (88th st & 2nd ave) last year to buy a specialized saddle. They didn't have my size (143) in stock and offered to let me try a serfas MH-RX (heavy ass saddle that has been OK for the past year). When i left, they assured me that 1)they'll order specialized saddles in 143mm, and 2) i have a week to bring it back, assuming i didn't trash the serfas saddle. I ended up not needing to do the exchange as im not a real weight weenie.

Wanderer

If they told you that you can return it - I'd raise a stink with the owner, and demand that the sales person be in on the conversation.....

topflightpro

Gee, I had no trouble returning a saddle I bought.

I bought a Specialized Toupe, kept it at my house for 35 days and tried riding it a couple of times - it was for my second bike, so it wasn't getting full use, but I absolutely hated it. So I brought it back. It was nearly impossible to tell it had been installed on a bicycle and the shop gave me full credit, which I used to purchase another Arione.

lukasz

This is what I expected.

MegaTom

So you dealt with two different people on two different occasions, but you didn't try to get the first guy involved again when you wanted to make the return / exchange.... even though he was the one that said you would be able to do so? No accosting is necessary.... a simple "Hello, you told me [such and such] a few days ago, and now this guy isn't following through. Please make this right" would suffice.

I don't excuse the shop for having what appears to be a varying or less than clear policy for your situation, but a little bit of effective communication on your part would go a long way.

oilman_15106

A verbal contract is good under my state's business law. Sounds to me like you had one.

garysol1 

We have demo saddles which consist of all of Fizik's saddles and three of Specializeds most popular saddles as well as a few ISM saddles. I addition if within a week or so you realize the saddle is not working for you and it is in like new condition we will take it back and sell you a different saddle.

BikeWise1

We don't handle saddles whose manufacturers don't have comfort guarantees. That leaves out a lot of saddles, but hey, if a vendor isn't willing to stand behind a product, why should they expect me to be stuck with it or make the customer mad?

CB88

within 90 days I can return or exchange mine, no questions asked, as long as it's not beat up.

lukasz

I agree. It was pretty hot yesterday, and I was stopping by this place on the way home (commuting by bicycle). By the time I got there I wasn't in the mood for a verbal altercation. The fact that the salesperson was eating ice cream while bs'ing me made it even better.

The dude that sold me the saddle was standing within earshot. Considering what the second salesperson was telling me, it was almost embarrassing for him and I didn't want to involve him in the exchange at the time. I figure if he was not going to outright deny what he told me last time he would have chimed in.

I may go back next week and lay down the law, so to speak--after I test ride the wider saddle at the other shop I've been dealing with and see how it feels. I don't stand to lose much money by selling it on craigslist, so I'm not going to bother dealing with this shop unless the wider saddle actually feels better and I feel like being argumentative (which I often do). I'm leaving on a month-long vacation in 8 days and my number one priority is to have a comfortable saddle on my bicycle by then moreso than letting a certain bike shop know how I really feel.

Yaniel

Contact Specialized, I think they have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee

BengeBoy 

try this: Competitive Cyclist Saddle Demo Kit.


https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...T&BRAND.ID=118