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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

NO refund when DD's shoes have dropped apart in 8 weeks?

78 replies

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 16:27

I bought from a very expensive kids shop some shoes for DD age 5. They have completey dropped apart and the shop will not give me a refund!! I am furious! Kids shoes should last until they grow out of them shouldn't they!

OP posts:

Georgimama · 05/03/2011 18:23

That's funny candleshoe, because I bought a pair of startrites from there some time ago (yes apples and pears in Sherston - small world) which fell apart and although I didn't bother to take them back, when I mentioned that I wouldn't be buying startrites again because of that they were horrified and said I should have brought them back. So usually that shop is very good.

Was it one of the dippy teenage girls that seem to populate shops and pubs around this area at weekends? They tend not to be capable of making a decision.

Georgimama · 05/03/2011 18:24

Sherston's in Wiltshire btw

Original poster

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 19:06

All I know is it was a flippin' long way to drive today to get a refund! Sorry Wiltshire types!

OP posts:

Original poster

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 19:12

I thought Start-Rite were supposed to be the top quality brand!

OP posts:

FairhairedandFrustrated · 05/03/2011 19:13

I once bought DD a pair of startrite musical shoes (she was my first & I didn't know any better!) There was a magic wand that you waved over them to make them play...

Anyway, the music got stuck on for days.. so she had to wear different shoes to school etc.. I called the shop, explained the problem & got them replaced (with a non-musical pair!)

I don't think they were being entirely honest with you when they said they couldn't replace them because the manager wasn't there!!

Original poster

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 19:18

I am going to call the shop on Monday and have a few choice words with the manager I can assure you!

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aristocat · 05/03/2011 19:20

yes, dont let it go until you get a result, keep us all posted candleshoe

aPixieMomma · 05/03/2011 19:23

This makes me so confused!

On this thread people are saying 8weeks is unacceptable and they should last longer but another thread recently people where saying 5months sounds like a good time to last for kids shoes.

So what is it? If 8 weeks is unacceptable and 5months not? What is the cut of date for asking for a refund when the shoes are quite clearly not fit for purpose?

Sorry op, slightly off topic there but IMO shoes should last longer than 5months and should last a damn site longer than 8 weeks.

I would definitely be back in demanding a refund?

Georgimama · 05/03/2011 19:28

Depends on the shoes and the age of the child. DS (except for the start rites) has outgrown every pair of shoes he has owned before they were worn out.

Original poster

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 20:23

I have 3 DC (8,8 and 5) and I can honestly say this is the first time shoes have dropped apart before the child was grown out of them! It is staggering to me that the shop didn't immediately 'cough up' a full refund!

OP posts:

pizzadelivery · 05/03/2011 20:25

I buy DS shoes each half term without fail. I have tried Clarks, Golden Boot, Marks, BHS, Tesco, ASDA and independant shops. He ruins them everytime so I don't think its the shops fault, can't be all of them!

I think the school should let me buy proper boots/sturdy shoes. But its against H&S apparently....

So far I have brought 3 pairs of shoes since 3rd Jan this year. I do only buy one and he buys the other though

4madboys · 05/03/2011 20:32

i get my kids their shoes from an independent shoe shop, they need ricosta, or geox or ecco as they have wide feet with a high instep, have to say my four boys put their shoes through HELL, esp ds2 and ds3 and only once have i had a pair come apart and i took them back and got a refund NO problem at all.

i wouldnt be happy if shoes only lasted 8wks!!

and what school says they cant wear boots pizzadelivery? every winter i get my boys the ricosta boots, that are waterproof, they last brilliantly and under school trousers who can tell they are boots anyway?

pizzadelivery · 05/03/2011 20:40

Its a secondary, DS is 14, I sent him in with boots hoping they would last, but got a note home saying they were not part of the school uniform and they could send me a copy of the uniform list if I needed it!

Haven't heard if ricosta boots, off to have a google, cos half term is in 5 weeks

pizzadelivery · 05/03/2011 20:44

Googled and remembered the other problem...he has size 9 feet!!

4madboys · 05/03/2011 20:44

ah right, my eldest is at high school as they call it here! anyhow he has ricosta shoes, we bought them in sept and they are still fine, and he also wears his shoes hard, they were £50 but imo if they last then they are worth it and also at his age, 11yrs, they arent growing out of shoes quite as quickly as when they are younger!

Original poster

candleshoe · 05/03/2011 20:46

DDs shoes were £45 which for 8 weeks wear works out at more than £5 a week!

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pizzadelivery · 05/03/2011 20:50

I wold be more than happy to spend £50 upwards if they would last! Last Clarks ones cost £45 and lasted until hlaf term. I now buy the same pair of BHS ones X amount of times a year. Cost me £22 pound but I've given up on quality going for quantity!

He has been the same size for a while but know if I stock up he will grow!

You have made me think though, maybe there is something similar to ricosta I can find in his size.

gilmoregirl · 05/03/2011 20:53

I actually had a thread on here about my son's clarks shoes that had a rip after four months (I said five as I cannot count).

In my opinion children's shoes should last until the child grows out of them. Mosty kids feet grow enough to need new shoes in six months to one year so I think that is reasonable. They should be hard wearing enough to wishstand normal wear by whatever age of child they are aimed at.

So eight weeks is COMPLETELY unaccpetable in my opinion.

I have had a very hard time in the past with clarks when DS was two (and hardly walking or hardly putting much wear into shoes) a pair where the seam came unstiched they refused to refund and argued with me - they argument was that as his feet were a half size bigger (allegedly) he had streached the shoes and caused the stiching to come apart. I eventually got 50% credit voucher - very grudgingly and after numerous emails to their head office.

After that I avoided clarks like the plague until October when I eventually bought DS the only navy shoes I could find which were clarks.

The developed a rip after four months - of not continous wear as not worn during snow etc. I was DREADING taking them back as expected a battle (in my opinion this fault was less obvious and the shoes more worn than the previous time) but when I went to clarks and explained showing them the shoes and receipt I had a FULL refund in about 30 seconds flat and they could not have been nicer. I was not expecting a full refund after four months - perhaps a 50% credit voucher....

In your case I would definitely take it further and would expect a full refund. Good luck

bloomingnora · 05/03/2011 21:12

Oh my god! I bought DD some boots from there and they also fell apart after about 3-4 months. I took them back and they couldn't have been more helpful. They replaced them with another pair but not the same style (actually they were nicer) and didn't charge the extra. But that was the manager. She's the one with the horendously loud voice....

My DH is from that village....

fedupofnamechanging · 06/03/2011 10:44

Just want to add that if a shop can't carry out normal transactions (such as replacements and refunds) because the manager is away, then I don't think they have any business being open at all until the manager is back on the premises.

BoffinMum · 06/03/2011 13:14

I would expect more than six months out of a pair of shoes, and if a shop did this to me I would take them to the small claims court online, and charge my petrol for the wasted trip to get a refund, so it would end up costing the shop a lot more than the original refund would have. That would teach them to be a bit nicer to customers.

Moneyclaim online

80sbabe · 06/03/2011 15:38

Apart from a flower decoration coming off the sole I can't work out exactly how these shoes have "completely dropped apart".
Does the hole that this flower has left go right through the insole ?
Or is it only that an imprinted shape is missing from underneath the shoe ? If so does the op still have the flower that has come away ?
Has anything else happened to the shoe ?
Is the flower the sole reason for the complaint and return or are there other problems with the shoes ?

Original poster

candleshoe · 06/03/2011 19:26

The flower shaped hole is right through the sole!! This has now let in water and the insoles have fallen into pieces as well.

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80sbabe · 06/03/2011 20:43

Right, that makes sense now, I just wasn't clear from the earlier posts.
Without seeing them, it's really hard to tell for certain, but it sounds to me as though there may have been an air bubble formed in the flower at manufacture which will have weakened the sole and caused that section to detach.
There is no way the retailer would have been able to see that at the time they sold you the shoes. Air bubble defects don't show until the shoe starts to be worn and the bubble is exposed.
With regards to the Saturday assistants not being able to help you, that is not uncommon. My Saturday girls are not allowed to make decisions on returns or faults either. They don't have enough knowledge or experience to know what they are looking at or for.
It's nothing to do with not being nice to customers shops can't afford to refund every complaint, only the genuine ones and believe me not all items returned are genuinely defective. When you work in retail it's quite an eye opener.
Perhaps you could speak to the manager tomorrow and rather than making another trip as it's such a long way for you, suggest that you email photos of the shoe and then return them by post.
I would be happy to do that if I were the manager (yes I would cover any postage too) and it might make it all less stressful for you too.

Original poster

candleshoe · 07/03/2011 14:50

Just spoken to manager quoting sale of goods act and small claims court info. Thank you very much guys! A full refund will be apparently be issued this afternoon....I will be checking online later!

No apology was forthcoming at all though!!!

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