Dont ever shop at Office!

ThinkingOfLinking

I agree with everyone else: Sale Of Goods Act, Small Claims Court and Trading Standards are all things I'd be seriously looking into right now. Office staff aren't very friendly and I've heard bad things about their own brand of shoes; I only buy other brands there; eg Puma, Ugg, Fly. They're going to lose a lot of customers with this sort of behaviour.

Also, to roses, in reply to your post, for £45 or more, I wouldn't expect to only have shoes for 3 months...I'd only want £6 ones from Primark for disposable fashion, although I never go in for all that anyway; I buy things to last!!

savemoney

With that sort of behaviour I am surprised they are still in business companies like that dont deserve to trade

It wouldn't be so bad but the OP paid top whack for goods not a cheap pay of plimsolls in a back street market for £3

I love to go back on a busy day and cause a stink but they probably aint got much trade now anyhow

ThinkingOfLinking

To be honest, I certainly, having read this, sincerely doubt I'll be buying any Office own brand shoes...Not that I ever have anyway...I can get my Uggs etc elsewhere so will think twice about bothering to shop there.

wolfehouse

if the op bought the boots with a credit card would the credit card company be able to step in and help?

jenniewb

wow- I thought I was just unlucky with my office experience- they seem like such a decent shop! I bought some trainers, asked for my size, took them away (after paying!). I got home, realised they were marked- or one of them was, then clicked and realised they were the ones that had been on display- I have worked in retail and there are ways to know this (- not just how the shoe looks or the labels, other things.)

I took the shoes back, and spoke to someone in the store and asked for a refund as the shoes were so different, one had clearly been on display, they backed me on that- said that yes indeed they had been on display. I asked for a refund or partial refund (as they were worn and I wouldn't have minded had I had a discount). They said no, they were sold as seen. Only I didn't get a real chance to see them, they were 'flashed' at me as I was in a long que and the store was busy.

I took it as an experience, put the shoes (trainers) in the washing machine and the problem vanished, but was irritated that I had to wash my trainers before wearing them, especially as this is something you are strongly advised NOT to do if you use your trainers for sport/excercise (which I do).

Guess I will be sticking to the proper sports stores! Think footlocker is linked to Office though, and Off Spring.

No_Future

Office customer service is lousy. Both instore and online.

I tried to order some boots online and needed to ask them a question about the order. I emailed them and there was no reply after a few days. I emailed them again and again - I double checked the email address was correct and still no reply. Useless.

kudra23

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post! It's really encouraged me as it seems I certainly have some rights in this situation, but also disheartened me a little because it sounds like Office are institutionally just against good customer care.
Anyway - the boots were Fly London brand and made of leather. I didn't pay by credit card and trying another branch might be a good option if all else fails!

savemoney

If you paid by Visa debit card you may be able to do a chargeback from them

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/7593369.stm

Visa debit card
A Visa debit card offers significantly better protection for shoppers. Their scheme is called Visa Debit Chargeback and any bank that issues a Visa debit card has to comply with the scheme.
You can claim money back if the goods you buy are damaged, or the product or services are not delivered.
There is no limit on what you can claim. But you have to claim within 120 days of the date you expected the goods to be delivered or the firm going bust.

ThinkingOfLinking

kudra23 wrote: »

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post! It's really encouraged me as it seems I certainly have some rights in this situation, but also disheartened me a little because it sounds like Office are institutionally just against good customer care.
Anyway - the boots were Fly London brand and made of leather. I didn't pay by credit card and trying another branch might be a good option if all else fails!

Wow, that's bad. I have 4 pairs of Fly shoes/boots and they're all ancient but still ok. I honestly think you just got a bad pair.

Mistygoth

I had a similar problem, I bought a pair of knee high boots from Evans in September 2008, wore them around twice a week for work- apart from a couple of weeks when I was on leave, and I noticed one of the soles had started to come off. I checked the other when I got home and that too was going the same way but not to the same extent as the left boot. I phoned them up the next day and asked if I could take them back. So i trooped off into town and they were debating whether they were wear and tear or not and asking how far I'd walked in them. I explained exactly how little walking I have done in them and as the manager was on a break, asked if I had anything else to do, I hadn't and said it was a special trip in. They wanted to get them fixed but I didn't want that as they were flat soles and I couldn't see a way to fix that wasn't glue- when I questioned what would happen if they failed again after being fixed, she said that would be managers discretion. I don't know what tipped her mind but she suddenly decided to give me a refund. I'm glad as I don't expect £70 leather boots to fall apart- especially as I have two other pairs of theirs (but with heels) that are a few years old and still going strong.

Just waiting for the refund to go into my bank account now so I can buy some other boots!