Saddle trial ..online shopping

leoluong
leoluong Posts: 4
in Road buying advice
Hi,

I have looked online on site like wiggle... Evans cycles etc and seen some saddle I would like to try and possible buy Looking at their return policy is sometimes... 365 days ... with the clause..Returned goods should be unused, in a saleable condition and in their original packaging with all labels still attached. This is very similar to what local bike shop do, with the exception it is for 28 days and as soon as you give them an unscratched saddle with all the packaging and papers they just refund you.
Hence wondering if anyone on this forum has ever tried a saddle from online shopping and had any problem in getting refunds

Comments

  • mrdsgs
    mrdsgs Posts: 337
    No. You cannot realistically expect to geta refund for something you have used. What would the online retailer then do with your used saddle?

    However most LBS have trial saddles supplied by manufacturers/distributors for exactly this purpose. If you use this service and then go and buy online you are not supporting the kindness and generosity of your LBS.
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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,738
    mrdsgs said:

    No. You cannot realistically expect to geta refund for something you have used. What would the online retailer then do with your used saddle?

    However most LBS have trial saddles supplied by manufacturers/distributors for exactly this purpose. If you use this service and then go and buy online you are not supporting the kindness and generosity of your LBS.

    I think a system where you "buy" the trial saddle from the LBS and then swap the trial saddle for the one you actually buy from the LBS is the ideal solution to all of the above.
    Maybe "buy" it at 50% (random figure) and cough up the extra 50% on purchase to allow for an LBS not being able to supply the ideal saddle? The LBS isn't wasting it's time and it is not financially viable to buy online instead plus the buyer is only down 50% instead of 100% for no ideal saddle.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
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    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,495
    Many of the saddle manufacturers have an online way of recommending a saddle for you. A few years ago, I tried some of these and from various recommendations, I narrowed down to one or two saddles. I bought one (Prologo) and tried it - it worked for me.
    Also, I think Prologo offer a comfort guarantee / return policy themselves which might give you more options.
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    Specialized used to have a system whereby if you bought a saddle from one of their Concept Stores, you were allowed 30 days (I think) to test it out. If it did not suit you them you could return it and swap it for a different model. Don't think they offered any refund - only the swap option so you were locked in to their brand.

    Maybe not surprising as a policy but at least it gave some flexibility to test saddles for comfort and swap if they were not suitable.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Or get a charge spoon. Pretty good for a lot of people.
  • wotnoshoeseh
    wotnoshoeseh Posts: 531
    Is the saddle swap shop not still running in the Classifieds section of this site?

    You could start there...
  • ibr17xvii
    ibr17xvii Posts: 1,065
    Buy on eBay for as cheap as you can & then if you don't like it IME you'll usually get back pretty much what you paid for it.

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