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anyone receive a flat branch saddle recently?

I ordered a saddle from FBO back in December. I had emailed them a couple of times, and they responded with supply issues, asked me to check back in a month, or in a couple weeks, but it has been over six months since I placed my order. Now when I email them I get a canned response about network issues. I tried to file a dispute with paypal, but they denied it because it had been over 180 days since the purchase. Anybody had any luck getting a refund from them?
 
I ordered a saddle from FBO back in December. I had emailed them a couple of times, and they responded with supply issues, asked me to check back in a month, or in a couple weeks, but it has been over six months since I placed my order. Now when I email them I get a canned response about network issues. I tried to file a dispute with paypal, but they denied it because it had been over 180 days since the purchase. Anybody had any luck getting a refund from them?

At this point I believe most folks are going the route of filing a claim with Alabama Attorney General Consumer Protection Division. Sucks it has to be that way, but might be the only option.

Depending on your payment method used within PayPal(credit card company) you might have luck trying to claim fraud, but maybe not.
 
I ordered a saddle from FBO back in December. I had emailed them a couple of times, and they responded with supply issues, asked me to check back in a month, or in a couple weeks, but it has been over six months since I placed my order. Now when I email them I get a canned response about network issues. I tried to file a dispute with paypal, but they denied it because it had been over 180 days since the purchase. Anybody had any luck getting a refund from them?

same here

hard to believe from a small saddle company
 
same here

hard to believe from a small saddle company

I have filed a dispute with paypal (We'll see how that goes). I had contacted FBO a few times earlier this year, and they responded until the last couple of months. Now the website appears to be down too. I also filed a report with the AG. If paypal doesn't come through I'm sure I will never see that money again. Lesson learned I guess. The NY saddle hunter's video plus the legit looking website convinced me to make the purchase. As an Alabamian I was pleased to see that FBO was a local small business, but now I'm just mad that I waited this long to get screwed.

So back to the saddle hunting drawing board I guess. Whos got the best pleated or 2 panel saddle that's made in the USA.?
 
I have filed a dispute with paypal (We'll see how that goes). I had contacted FBO a few times earlier this year, and they responded until the last couple of months. Now the website appears to be down too. I also filed a report with the AG. If paypal doesn't come through I'm sure I will never see that money again. Lesson learned I guess. The NY saddle hunter's video plus the legit looking website convinced me to make the purchase. As an Alabamian I was pleased to see that FBO was a local small business, but now I'm just mad that I waited this long to get screwed.

So back to the saddle hunting drawing board I guess. Whos got the best pleated or 2 panel saddle that's made in the USA.?

woods hunting saddle deluxe is awesome....i bought it recently

would've never bought the flat branch if i'd known about them first

they are everything the flatbranch claimed to be and probably more

they are made by a user here (@Fl Canopy Stalker )
 
Well, it looks like the Flat Branch Outdoors website is down, finally.

They were advertising 14-21 days to ship new orders as of Monday.

8872E83E-595E-40FB-810B-16792D97FAAE.png
 
This is probably why everyone has gotten the autogenerated email response. If you let your webpage domain lapse it becomes available to the public…. Sorry to see that happen to anyone and hopefully they get everything resolved. 115F3C44-2536-4BCF-92B6-45415574F79C.jpeg
 
Predator Tactical. Owner Matt Burkett. Charging guys big money for high end Taran Butler style three gun STI pistols and ARs and shotguns. Accepted hundreds of thousands in pre orders from customers during the gun scare of the Obama administration time frame.
Kept all the money and never shipped a single item.

It’s been happening for years. A fly by night company gets into a hot market with good marketing and hype and steals everyone’s money on purpose or because they are horrible at business.

Also pled guilty in federal court haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
In the adventure motorcycle set, aluminum saddlebags (panniers) are the thing the cool kids use. They can easily go over a grand. A dozen or so years back there was a guy that started selling $500 panniers on ADVRider. So, of course, at that price a lot of people picked them up. He got in over his head very quickly, shipping time skyrocketed from weeks to months, and his reputation suffered as a result. People called him out as a scammer and demanded their money back.

However, he stayed active on the forums, owned his failures, re-organized his operation, and stayed in business. Some people never forgave him, but others extended grace and second chances. He meant well, is fundamentally honest, and at the end of the day had a quality product. I ordered from him and kept in contact regarding shipping, etc., and got what I paid for. What saved him was, he wouldn't accept money for anything that he didn't physically have in hand - he wouldn't take orders for 10 sets and then make them. Now, he makes a dozen sets, sells them, and stops taking orders until he has another run built.

It's possible that FBO, or the people behind it, can recover from this. However, the 'radio silence' doesn't suggest this; and the fact that they let things devolve to AGO complaints suggests that, even if they are honest, they should find another line of work.

One of the things I like about this industry is, for the most part, the "companies" we buy from are a dude, maybe with a couple of employees, in a garage or pole barn someplace. With a name, and a reputation, who you can call on the phone. Not a faceless conglomerate or subsidiary of something that doesn't care about hunters.
 
In the adventure motorcycle set, aluminum saddlebags (panniers) are the thing the cool kids use. They can easily go over a grand. A dozen or so years back there was a guy that started selling $500 panniers on ADVRider. So, of course, at that price a lot of people picked them up. He got in over his head very quickly, shipping time skyrocketed from weeks to months, and his reputation suffered as a result. People called him out as a scammer and demanded their money back.

However, he stayed active on the forums, owned his failures, re-organized his operation, and stayed in business. Some people never forgave him, but others extended grace and second chances. He meant well, is fundamentally honest, and at the end of the day had a quality product. I ordered from him and kept in contact regarding shipping, etc., and got what I paid for. What saved him was, he wouldn't accept money for anything that he didn't physically have in hand - he wouldn't take orders for 10 sets and then make them. Now, he makes a dozen sets, sells them, and stops taking orders until he has another run built.

It's possible that FBO, or the people behind it, can recover from this. However, the 'radio silence' doesn't suggest this; and the fact that they let things devolve to AGO complaints suggests that, even if they are honest, they should find another line of work.

One of the things I like about this industry is, for the most part, the "companies" we buy from are a dude, maybe with a couple of employees, in a garage or pole barn someplace. With a name, and a reputation, who you can call on the phone. Not a faceless conglomerate or subsidiary of something that doesn't care about hunters.

Come over and join us at the Tethrd One Stick thread! haha, one is falling outside the 'for the most part' category.
 
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