And Lo, It Was Declared that Stuff Was Good

[Warren]

Srry, was making a joke. I have a memory of you posting earlier bitching about shipping charges. No worries.
I have been to Canuckistan many times (Ontario), and like most Americans was shocked at how customers are treated.

[JasonL]

Agree with Aresen. Nobody else is in the same galaxy for the average customer. The base assumptions are just different here.

[Eric the .5b]

Yeah, bad customer service is a thing certain lefties preen about in Canada and Europe as a sight of worker rights, right before they go back to griping about how everyone else around them is a far-right bastard.

[Tuco]

I just got off the phone with Custom Saddlery in Aiken, SC, where my saddle is presently in for repair.

The saddle tree needs to be replaced, which normally costs US$690. Before I sent the saddle to them, I was told that it was out of warranty (5 years). I saw the estimate and they were going to waive the replacement cost because the saddle was manufactured in 2012, when the warranty was 10 years. I phoned to check and the lady on the other end said that she would give me the 10 year warranty even though I really should only get the 5 year warranty.

One of the things I truly love about the USA is the attitude towards customer service, which is light-years better than anywhere else on the planet.

I know it ain't any of my business, but how'd you bust the tree? There's got to be a story there.

[Aresen]

I just got off the phone with Custom Saddlery in Aiken, SC, where my saddle is presently in for repair.

The saddle tree needs to be replaced, which normally costs US$690. Before I sent the saddle to them, I was told that it was out of warranty (5 years). I saw the estimate and they were going to waive the replacement cost because the saddle was manufactured in 2012, when the warranty was 10 years. I phoned to check and the lady on the other end said that she would give me the 10 year warranty even though I really should only get the 5 year warranty.

One of the things I truly love about the USA is the attitude towards customer service, which is light-years better than anywhere else on the planet.

I know it ain't any of my business, but how'd you bust the tree? There's got to be a story there.

My horse spooked hard and fast while I was riding, popping a rivet in the tree. (And giving my thigh and groin a hell of a wrench as well.) A deer jumped out from behind a tree in the yard next door; for some reason my horse is terrified of deer.

[Warren]

for some reason my horse is terrified of deer.

Smart horse. Dear hoofs can punch right through a windshield and there's no telling which way those overgrown vermin are going to bolt.

[Tuco]

Ah, gotcha. English saddle, I guess. All this time I thought it was a cowboy saddle. Hell, I'd probably have fallen off.

I broke a tree once, but it was an old saddle, roped a maverick bull running downhill and forked a tree, him on one side, me and the knothead I was riding on the other. Funniest story about that I ever heard was from a buddy of mine who was working in northern California and went and picked up his brand new saddle, fully carved, pretty son of a bitch. He also picked up a horse from somebody to take home and ride for a while. On his way back, somebody called him, said there's cattle out on the highway. Okay, he goes and finds them, unloads the horse, and throws his brand new wood up on Mr. Pony's back. Turns out that one of the holes in this horse was that he was a cinchbinder and as soon as mi amigo led him off, the horse flipped over backward right on the blacktop and smashed that brand new, 5000 dollar saddle. Shattered the tree. Had to go home and get another horse anyway. I still laugh at him. Moral of the story is don't carry a cell phone.

[Warren]

I broke a tree once, but it was an old saddle, roped a maverick bull running downhill and forked a tree, him on one side, me and the knothead I was riding on the other.

TMI!
You forked a tree and broke it? Damn Tuco, you're covered in more manly that Theodor Roosevelt.

[Aresen]

Ah, gotcha. English saddle, I guess.

Yep:

All this time I thought it was a cowboy saddle. Hell, I'd probably have fallen off.

I broke a tree once, but it was an old saddle, roped a maverick bull running downhill and forked a tree, him on one side, me and the knothead I was riding on the other. Funniest story about that I ever heard was from a buddy of mine who was working in northern California and went and picked up his brand new saddle, fully carved, pretty son of a bitch. He also picked up a horse from somebody to take home and ride for a while. On his way back, somebody called him, said there's cattle out on the highway. Okay, he goes and finds them, unloads the horse, and throws his brand new wood up on Mr. Pony's back. Turns out that one of the holes in this horse was that he was a cinchbinder and as soon as mi amigo led him off, the horse flipped over backward right on the blacktop and smashed that brand new, 5000 dollar saddle. Shattered the tree. Had to go home and get another horse anyway. I still laugh at him. Moral of the story is don't carry a cell phone.

Hope that saddle had one of those unconditional warranties. Top quality western saddles are works of art.

[Tuco]

I broke a tree once, but it was an old saddle, roped a maverick bull running downhill and forked a tree, him on one side, me and the knothead I was riding on the other.

TMI!
You forked a tree and broke it? Damn Tuco, you're covered in more manly that Theodor Roosevelt.

Broke the saddle tree. And I'm plumb covered up in stupid, is what I'm covered in.

[Tuco]

Hope that saddle had one of those unconditional warranties. Top quality western saddles are works of art.

Yeah, he came out okay, but it's still funny.