Shoes ruined in 4 weeks

serenaribena

hi exactly the same has happened to me - I bought a pair of 400 quid Vivienne westwood boots with birthday money and they fell apart within 3 weeks. I did wear them but even so I thought this was outrageous given the cost of them. I was told tough luck as they were damaged due to wear and tear so have found this post really useful. Pls let me know how you get on with small claims etc.

jgallcash

I have tried two local cobblers who said that inspecting shoes isn't something that they do. I'm not going to give up as i think it is obvious this would aid the cause greatly.

If i'm not able to get this fairly soon (I want to get the ball moving) should I just go ahead as is?

just for reference here is the letter that I got from office:

I am writing with regards to your Poste Shoes that you returned to our Head Office for further assessment. I would like to thank you for your patience whilst we have assessed your shoes.

After taking into consideration your comments on your letter and having personally assessed your shoes I regret to inform you that I have been unable to identify any manufacturing faults with your shoes.

It is apparent by the salt marks on the uppers that the damage has occurred due to your shoes coming into contact with an external substance / chemical. The leather has white tide marks on them due to the contamination with chemicals and saturation the shoes have been exposed to.

This however does not affect the function of the shoes and is attributed to wear and tear and subsequent accidental damage as opposed to a fault.

I can appreciate that this will not be the outcome you may have hoped for; however we are confident after assessing your shoes no manufacturing faults were found and as such OFFICE cannot be held responsible for your complaint.

I apologise for any inconvenience. Please find your shoes enclosed.

jgallcash

I have an update on the situation.

I received a response from office (below) and they are offering to replace the item but still do not accept that this is a fault.

I’m worried that a replacement pair will just be equally poor in terms of quality but I do not want to be unreasonable. I have found another pair from another store that seem to be better quality and are cheaper to boot. Should I press for a refund or might this mean I lose the offer of a replacement also? Any suggestions?


I am writing with regards to your appeal to the head office assessment.

I am sorry that that you were not satisfied with our head office assessment. I have discussed your case with the Customer Services manager and sought a second opinion from the Mens' Buying department who liaise closely with our manufacturers.

It has been confirmed that your shoes are not suffering from a manufacturing fault as stated in your assessment outcome, the white 'tide marks' staining the uppers of your shoes, it is clearly a result of external contamination as the uppers would not develop these marks on their own accord.

However as you are unhappy with the outcome I am happy to offer you, as a gesture of goodwill a replacement for your shoes to resolve your matter. Please be advised that if leather uppers come into contact with an external substance or exposed to saturation it may damage the material. I would advise customers to treat their shoes with suitable products to protect them
and ensure a timely repair to prolong the use of their footwear.

To receive your replacement item, please take your shoes and this letter (original copy) to your nearest store where a member of management can !!!ist you. This letter must be read and retained by the store manager. Thank you for your patience and I hope this resolves your matter and restores your faith in OFFICE.

Yours sincerely,

Ivory_Tinkler

I think you'll just have to go with the offer of a replacement as Office have now offered to remedy the situation. If an item is returned to a shop as faulty, the retailer can offer a repair or a replacement and does not have to offer a refund. I would take the replacment and treat the leather before wearing the shoes but make a note not to shop at Office again.

drsquirrel

Is the Head Office "qualified" to inspect the shoes and decide that there isn't a fault?