Schuh shoes: Poor quality and service

Spidernick

Some shoes we bought for our daughter from Schuh about three months ago now have a hole in the sole. They were far from cheap and most companies would just replace or refund these, but not this company. We were told that they would have to be sent for a quality inspection, which seemed a little odd, to say the least. Yesterday the shoes were returned with no offer of a refund or replacement, just a letter citing 'excessive use'. My daughter is a teenager and had not trekked the entire Appalachian Trail in these shoes, but had just worn them day to day.

Not accepting any responsibility (and using the same excuses) does seem to be a common theme based on a number of the reviews here (where things went wrong):

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.schuh.co.uk

Has anybody else had problems with this company? Certainly we will not be using them again and I would urge others to think carefully before purchasing anything from them.

daytona0

Well legally companies only have to remedy situations when the item is:

- Not as described

- Not fit for purpose

- Faulty

If they have the item quality tested and find that the issue was due to "wear and tear" then they are not legally obliged to offer any sort of remedy.

I think that it is a long-standing misconception that such a situation is considered "poor service". It is actually more in the way of 'acceptable customer service'.


Please note that the trustpilot link you provided also shows some positive reviews! There is a review from a user called Skot-Loyd (27th April 2017) which revolves around a faulty item and a relatively hassle-free return and refund. That person gave them 4 stars, despite the inconvenience!!! I'm inclined to believe Skot's version of events over others because it doesn't seem as reactive as some of the other reviews! Also, there's a "Hywel David" who seems to have received a refund but seemed more unhappy with the process involved (like I said, quite reactive!). That person gave them 1 star despite it seeming that a refund was forthcoming.

So yea, they seem quite strict on the legal side but they are refunding at least some people!


In your case you are perfectly entitled to take Schuh to small claims court and present your case there. It may benefit you to obtain an independent fault report which shows that the shoes were any of the 3 above (ie faulty material etc). This would probably be enough evidence to convince the small claims court that Schuh owe you a refund.