Refund/repair expensive shoes

Nosy

Hi Everyone, 

I wanted to know what my rights are and some suggestions on how to deal with this situation.

For my birthday my partner bought me a pair of trainers which is now worth £600. I have had the trainers for 9months now and the label has started to peel.

I know 9months is a long time but i didn't expect that to happen to what i consider very expensive shoes especially within the first year. They are still in good condition as i have only wore them when going out.

When we went to the store the Manger said he has taken images and sent it to head office to see if there is anything they can do because it has been more than 6 months.

I have checked the terms on their website and it says after 30days defective goods can be returned for return or replacement but not a refund. I really like the trainers and want to keep them so would be happy with either. Unfortunately it does not state a clear time frame it just says after 30days. The manager said that if its iver 6months they need to get head office apprival buy i didn't see that on their terms.

I am not sure about my statutory rights and what it says about these situations. 


Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

elsien

As it’s been over 6 months the onus is on you to prove that the goods were defective when you bought them. That would normally involve an independent report.  Anything more from the shop would be a goodwill gesture 

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product-aTTEK2g0YuEy

However if the shoes are fine and it’s just the label, I’m not sure that would count as defective anyway since they are still perfectly wearable.

You say the shoes are “now” worth £600. How much did you actually pay for them? 

photome

wouldnt normal wear and tear rub a label off ?

Aylesbury_Duck

I think you'll have trouble demonstrating that what is cosmetic damage isn't a result of fair wear and tear.  

Nosy

Bought them for £425. 

Because i have only worn them a few times and they are expensive just didn't expect that to happen. Guess i will have to wait and see if they offer any repair/replacement which i doubt.

Sandtree

elsien said:

You say the shoes are “now” worth £600. How much did you actually pay for them? 

Presumably they now retail new at £600 rather than the secondhand pair being worth that.

Nosy said:

Bought them for £425. 

Because i have only worn them a few times and they are expensive just didn't expect that to happen. Guess i will have to wait and see if they offer any repair/replacement which i doubt.

Were they in a sale? Outlet store? Full price but there's been a price hike since?

The above wouldnt impact your statutory rights but some brands do have "made for outlet" products (some of which are just poorer quality copies of their standard offering - lower grade skins, jackets with fused canvas rather than floating etc) 

Despite the gross markup these are ultimately just plastic trainers with a lot of marketing to pay for. Footwear, in particular trainers, are not designed/expected to look perfect forever... in leather shoes the "patina" that builds up over time is considered desirable and particularly in men's shoes but unfortunately plastic doesnt go the same way. I do concur with the others that it may be difficult to argue that this isnt within fair wear and tear, your only saving grace is the lack of any damage around the area so it does look more like they've lifted rather than been scraped 

Nosy

They were at full price from retail store but because it was Christmas time and i think due to covid they were offering discounts on all their products at full price. They were bought new not second hand from store called Flannels. 

Not sure why the price has gone up now though, may be popular trainers. 

The_Fat_Controller

Looks like normal wear and tear to me in an area that flexes when you walk.

neilmcl

Could have quite easily come into contact with some sort of fluid, possibly alcohol based, that may have caused that to happen.

As mentioned, there's nothing intrinsically special about these trainers that makes them so expensive, it's just purely marketing. In fact, in pure material quality terms, they're probably no better than trainers a tenth of the of the price. I'd go far as saying, if it wasn't for the fact you purchased them from a place like Flannels, they look fairly cheaply made with the way the name logo has been transferred on, in fact it's the sort of thing you'd expect on a knock off.

Ectophile

photome said:

wouldnt normal wear and tear rub a label off ?

But it's a really expensive label. It ought to last longer.

Without it, the trainers would only be worth about £20.

IvanOpinion

You could try a bit of tippex to fix the damaged letter.  I find that hanging your tongue out of your mouth as you paint helps with the concentration - Mrs O keeps giving me stick about that.

More seriously, my cheapo trainers take damage in exactly the same area.  It is partly down to me curling my feet in under my swivel chair and it rubbing on one of the legs ... or the shoes rubbing together if I cross my ankles.  User damage I am afraid!