San Pedro Saddlery - Leather goods

Company Address:

Ed Douglas

San Pedro Saddlery

1108 E. Fremont Box 542

Tombstone, Arizona 85638

Phone: 520-457-3616

Fax: 520-457-2265

General Complaint: On August 5, 2006, I ordered, on-line, a rifle cartridge

belt, known as a “Quigley Belt”, from San Pedro Saddlery under the

assumption that I would receive it within 5 to 8 weeks, as advertised on

their web site. The order number is 37450112. A charge of $175 for the

belt and $8 shipping and handling was charged to my credit card. As of

December 16, 2006, I have not received the belt – nearly 23 weeks after

placing the order. On September 26, 2006, I sent an email to the company

requesting information on the order status. The email was ignored, and

apparently not even opened. Other emails were sent on October 2, October 9,

and October 25. Again, none were opened or responded to. In addition, I

left two voice mail messages at the company and got no response to either of

them. The emails clearly indicated my displeasure, and requested the belt,

or information as to a firm receipt date, or cancellation of the order. I

also indicated that I would begin to tell others of my experience with the

company. Between November 1, 2006, and November 3, 2006, I sent emails to

20 or more shooting web sights describing my experience with San Pedro and

recommending they not do business with them, or do so with caution. On

November 2, 2006, I sent another email to San Pedro informing them of my

actions. As usual, there was no response, and the email was not even

opened. I also sent a letter to San Pedro on November 2, demanding the belt

within seven days, or a cancellation of the order. The letter was sent

return receipt requested, and was signed for by Mr. Douglas’s wife Phyllis

on November 6, 2006.

On November 6, 2006, I finally got two emails form Mr. Ed Douglas in a brief

exchange. My letter apparently finally got his attention. He made several

key statements in the emails:

1. “13 weeks is not a long time to wait for a custom built product Pard!” -

I had never understood that the belt was a custom built item. His web site

does not indicate that.

2. “The reason trhat I have been a little lax in returning phone messages or

answering emails is due to the fact that I am swamped with orders and it is

of far greater importance to me to keep on my bench working on products,

that on the computer or telephone.” - He is clearly stating that he is not

providing customer service.

3. “However, your belt is just about finished and should be shipped out this

coming week. ….Your Belt will ship out this coming week. of that you can be

assured.” - I have not received the belt as of December 16, 2006, well over

a month after these statements were made.

4. “a lot of folks might think that we are a huge manufacturing company, we

are not! It is my wife, one part time employee and myself….. I have a

wonderfull webmaster! he really makes us look big! LOL!!” - His website

does indeed clearly suggest a large manufacturing company, with more

capability to deliver a product than actually exists.

Based on the assurance of delivery of the belt, I decided to wait. As of

Monday, December 4, 2006, the belt had not arrived, and there was no

communication from San Pedro. I sent an email to San Pedro on December 4,

indicating my disappointment in not receiving the belt. I also gave him two

days to either mail the belt or cancel the order and refund my money. There

was no response to the email, and it was not opened! I resent the email on

December 5 and December 6. In typical San Pedro fashion, there was again no

response. On Thursday, December 7, 2006, I sent a letter, return receipt

requested, to Mr. Douglas that left only one option to him: “cancel the

damned order” unless the belt was already in the mail when my letter

arrived. The letter also indicated that other actions would begin seven

days after the letter was mailed, unless I was informed the belt was in the

mail or the order cancelled and my money refunded. That date was Thursday,

December 14, 2006. I also send another email on December 8, telling Mr.

Douglas the letter was on its way. I resent it again December 14. The USPS

web sight indicates my December 7, 2006, letter was received by San Pedro

Saddlery at 3:51pm on December 11, 2006. As of today,December 16, they

have had the letter 5 days and have not responded to my requests. I now

have to take additional action.

Comment On This

I had a complaint I posted to this a couple months ago. I sent a Doc rig back to have the lineing replaced , I sent it in Oct. I got an email from Big Ed yesterday saying he had been swamped and was sorry it had taken so long but that he had shipped it back with a new lineing on Tuesday. It was in the mail today ands looks as good as it did when new the lineing is smooth all the way down and the revolver fits it like a glove. While return was extended I feel the wait was worth it.

Comment On This

I bought several items from Big Ed in the past and yes he did do good work. I bought one of his Doc Shoulder rigs because due to a back problem a regular waist belt is hard for me to wear for very ling. I was useing this shoulder rig to carry one of my SA revolvers as a back up while feral hog hunting. One of the members of my hunting group had wounded a big boar and it ran off into some underbrush I was closest so I went into the brush to find it. the boar charged from about ten feet. My handgun hung up on the lineing of the holster. I sent Big Ed a email and was told to send it back and it would be repaired at no charge due to the life time garantee. I sent the holster back in Oct. of 2007 A week later i sent an email query to find out if he had got it. I looked on his site and it said they were takeing no more custom orders. So I sent another email and tried teliphoneing. I got a machine by phnoe and nothing by email. This was in December of 2007. I continued attempted emails and phone calls with the same results. In January of 2008 I got a reply via email from Mr. Douglas himself. He said the same as what he has told others that he is swamped, he did add that he had run a needle through a finger and that had slowed him down some. So I have tried sending a query email every month or so since. I have even suggeted that he just send the holster back and i will repair it myself or have it done locally. No answer. The Ho;lster is not a real big deal but it is my property I paid for it and was only takeing advantage of his "Life time Garantee" I can replace the rig, I can also get custom work done but it will not be from Big ED. Yes he did do nice work, but I have seen better. I have also seen a lot better customer service.

Comment On This

It took a long while but Big Ed Douglas did what he said he would and I finally did get my leather goods this past week. It's some of the finest leather work I have ever laid my eyes on! I hate to say it... but it was worth the wait.

So, I would like to say that if you remain patient and perhaps contact Big Ed again... he will make you the leather goods you paid for.

Comment On This

My name is Zeke (not singingZeke) and I too ordered from Big Ed. After almost a year and reading all the stories I tried to get my money back. No response as you have all heard. So I got smart and filed a complaint with Discover card. I got my money back thanks to them. Big Ed's products are excellent. I ebay pieced a couple of rigs together and they work nicely. Too bad for Big Ed, I understand he had quite the following over the years. No way to do business though. He's lucky this "isnt" the old west.

Comment On This

I am the author of this complaint. The complaint was filed with the BBB of Southern Arizona, and a consumer fraud complaint was filed with the Arizona Attorney Generals office. The BBB responded with the comment that Big Ed had not responded to the complaint, so they dropped it. The Attorney General replied with the statement that He claimed to no longer be doing business in Arizona, so nothing could be done, and no recovery was likely. (That was February of 2007) I checked his websight, and he was still taking orders. He was also selling on ebay. I informed the AG's Office that he had told them a bold-faced lie, and the office never responded. At least on member of my CAS club has placed an order with him in the last six months, and apparently actually received the product!

Comment On This

I received a gift certificate for a holster from a SASS club in WI. I have been waiting since Oct 2004. Gift certificate took over a year to get to me and I talked to Big Ed. put down all the measurements that he asked me for on the back of the gift certificate and sent it back immediately. I still have never received my holster after at least 20 emails and 15 phone calls all with no response. I too have forwarded all of this information about lack of communication from the company in response to some thing that should have already been taken care of. We are now going into 2008 and I still have no holster.I am still looking forward to receiving my master gunfighter holster. I will provide the measurements again.

Comment On This

Well i see I'm not the only one he ripped of. I walked into his shop and ordered a simple IWB holster. he was to make it for me and i would pick it up 3 weeks later at helldorado days, ....2005. of course it wasn't ready, then it was going to be mailed to me,,,never showed, then he stopped replying to emails. anyhow, never got the prepaid holster but at least i got off lightly compared to others.

Comment On This

Like you I too had placed an order for 2 modern holsters which Big Ed assured me would be no problem to do. After a year and no holsters and after several emails which went unanswered, I called the store and got Phyllis. I told her I either wanted my holsters or my money. She responded with "we have no money to refund". As an alternitive I suggested he make me several items from his catalog. I got an email from Ed and he said he would do that. After nearly 2 years I finally got my stuff. I will say his work is good but the rest leaves a lot to be desired. Seems he is now not accepting any more retail orders but will only sell to dealers and distrubtors. If he can't keep up with the other orders how is he going to be able to supply dealers?