I was not a rich kid. My parents gave us a yearly “allowance” to spend on school clothes, and once it was gone it was gone. Being a child of the 80’s, this was typically spent on a pair of white Keds, an Esprit bag, a bunch of stuff from Ross Dress for Less, and a bazillion pairs of colored socks. (Because this was back in the day where we layered them by colors. Remember??) We also loved our skin-tight, lay on the bed to zip up, acid washed jeans.
This one year in particular, I convinced them to let me spend almost all my allotment on a pair of light acid-washed Guess brand jeans. I had to pitch in for half with my hard earned $2.00/hour babysitting money, so it was a genuine sacrifice for sure. But they were AWESOME!!! Complete with zipper up the back of the calf. OMG! I’d been dreaming of making these mine for quite some time and they did not disappoint. I wore them at least 3 days a week, proudly showing off the trademark triangle emblem, and relishing every second I spent in my cherished jeans. Until one fateful day when I decided against changing into my riding jeans after school, and tore a giant hole in the bum trying to get on my horse in my skin-tight, over-bleached, designer jeans. And just like that, they were garbage. True story.
So now 20 years later I get to call the shots on not only what we produce around here, but also on how we stand behind our products. And let me just say, the Heritage Brand warranty is killer.
Our full warranty is here, but to give you a condensed version, this is how we roll:
Every item that we manufacture comes with a LIFETIME warranty against defect. We make high-end, quality stuff here guys and we’re not afraid to stick our necks out there and stand behind it. It’s pretty AND it’s built to last. Brilliant! Our warranty doesn’t expire after a year, or is void if you’re not the original owner. If for some reason something goes awry, we will repair or replace the item and cover all shipping expenses. Indefinitely.
As I was doing a little research for this blog, I scoured the internet to find out what everyone else is doing in the way of warrantying their products. Oy vey people. What I found was not good.
The vast majority of tack manufacturers out there don’t even acknowledge a warranty, and the couple I did find were extremely vague saying they “stand behind” their products (with no details on what exactly this means), one company warranties only the painting, and another that instructs customers to “keep up with your stuff”. Those exact words. Translation please?
So I moved on to saddle manufacturers. And it didn’t get much better.
One of the leading barrel saddle companies (I’ll let you guess!), and definitely one of the most expensive, provides a mere 90-day warranty. Holy freaking I-just-spent-$4,500-and-if-it-falls-apart-in-4-months-I’m-SOL?!? #doilookstupid
Sidenote: I did buy one of these saddles and never even checked on the warranty beforehand. So I guess I am stupid. And yes it was falling apart after 90 days.
The BEST warranty I could find provided a 10 year warranty on the saddle tree (pretty decent) but only a 1 year warranty on all other parts and the silver.
To review up to this point: Heritage Brand = 1, Everyone Else = 0
With every item we sell, we include a Care Sheet that gives you tips and hints for keeping your product working and looking like new. It’s pretty much just common sense stuff, but worth a glance nonetheless.
But sometimes life happens despite your best efforts. I’m recalling the time I hit an elk in the middle of a highway with my brand new, week-old truck. Not covered under warranty.
So, if you ever have any “accidental damage” we’ve got your back there too. Say “Rover” decides your new headstall tastes scrumptious and chews your cheek piece in half like this adorable and obviously guilt ridden pooch here:
Or maybe your set that once sparkled like a million diamonds, has been the victim of a few hit barrels…a couple good fence rubs after sweaty workouts…and that one week you forgot it out behind the barn in the rain. And now your beautiful Swarovski crystals look like this:
No worries! All accidental damage or wear and tear repairs are covered for just the COST. MY cost, no sneaky little up-charges thrown in. Nope, we will fix you up and the cost will always be minimal. Plus, we prioritize all repairs so you won’t have to wait long to get your product back and into commission. If accidental damages are minimal there generally isn’t even a charge. Because we’re just awesome like that!
Just send that sucker back to us and we will give it an overhaul that would make the late Joan Rivers proud. Here’s the link to do that here.
Furthermore, we automatically provide the following services FREE of charge:
Alterations: Need your tugs, cheek pieces, poll strap or any other strap shortened? We’ll do it and you’ll never pay for it.
Cleaning: Anything you send us will automatically be washed, conditioned and thoroughly gone over. It’s like a complimentary mini-detail.
So even years after your purchase from HB, we will still be there for you. Wether it’s a warranty issue, alteration, or just an everyday wear and tear situation. We will not leave you with your bum hanging out!
Until next time ~ Jess