Complaint re leather boots purchased for my daughter

tidyingmargo

I wonder if you could give me some advice please.

I purchased a pair of leather boots for my 6 year old daughter, she wore them for 1.5 weeks to and from school (changing into indoor shoes at school). After this time the toes have worn through the leather and there are other patches where the leather is coming away, including at the top of the boot.

I took the boots back to the shop who said that the fault was with my daughter and she must have done something to them. They sent the boots back to the manufacturer to check if there was a manufacturing fault. The manufacturer has now come back and said that there is not a fault and, again, the fault must be with my daughter.

I have obviously questioned my daughter about it and she says that she has done nothing out of the ordinary with these boots - she has never had a problem like this with any of her other boots or shoes.

I am unsure now what to do, do I just have to accept what they say and take the boots back? The boots cost £60 and I don't feel that they've done what they should - surely they should have lasted longer than 1.5 weeks?

Any advice you can give will be gratefully received.

pinkshoes

I've just taken a £120 pair of boots back to House of Fraser as the toe stitching came undone and they started to split in just 3 weeks of wearing them. I was given an instant refund...

Care to name and shame this shop?

I would speak to trading standards, and perhaps get an independent examination of the boots to prove they are faulty, then write to the shop, showing proof of fault, then tell them you want £60 back, as well as the cost of the independent report, otherwise you'll take them to the small claims court.

tbw

pinkshoes wrote: »

I've just taken a £120 pair of boots back to House of Fraser as the toe stitching came undone and they started to split in just 3 weeks of wearing them. I was given an instant refund...

Care to name and shame this shop?

I would speak to trading standards, and perhaps get an independent examination of the boots to prove they are faulty, then write to the shop, showing proof of fault, then tell them you want £60 back, as well as the cost of the independent report, otherwise you'll take them to the small claims court.

They probably aren't faulty - just complete rubbish as far as durability is concerned! I doubt an independent report would say any different.

I'm fed up with shoe shops that sell shoes which apparently aren't meant to be used for actually walking about in! Any reasonable person expects to be able to walk around in shoes or boots and, even if they aren't faulty, they aren't fit for their implied use. I'd follow this one up and argue for a refund.

pinkshoes

tbw wrote: »

They probably aren't faulty - just complete rubbish as far as durability is concerned! I doubt an independent report would say any different.

I'm fed up with shoe shops that sell shoes which apparently aren't meant to be used for actually walking about in! Any reasonable person expects to be able to walk around in shoes or boots and, even if they aren't faulty, they aren't fit for their implied use. I'd follow this one up and argue for a refund.

Yeah, I had my suspicions about my pair being "cheap" quality when I took them back, although more along the lines of a good brand name having switched to a cheaper manufacturer and whom are now producing boots of a much lower quality but still asking the same price.

I'd definitely pursue this and try to get a refund!

rosalie-lavender

A pair of boots should last longer than 1 and a half weeks. I took a pair of my sons shoes back to Stead and Simpsons after 6 weeks wear when the sole started to come off. There was no quibble at all just do you want a refund or an exchange?

Definitely push for a refund. I work with young children and in my experience when they "do" something to their shoes it is more often either they wear the soles out-football! or they scuff the very front. I see very few (if any) who actually wear through the leather at the toes. My softer leather shoes go like that when I have worn them for a long time but definitely not after 1.5 weeks more like 1.5 years.