shoe shop. aibu?

[CapeCornwall]

Ok. I honestly don't know if this is a 'everybody knows this is what happens' scenario because I avoid sales like the plague and I am in fact unreasonable, or.. this is as odd as I think it is.

My boots broke on me yesterday, zip fell off..my feet were wet, they'd had their day. So I've been forced out into the shops with two toddlers. I researched online and picked a few from one store in order to minimise faff and toddler tantrums.

I went in . .tried them all and picked the ones most suitable. Not that I particularly liked them but needs must. rrp £89.99 Sale price £69.99 ..so we're talking twenty quid. It's a fair saving but not crazy huge..and while I know boots are expensive I still feel 70 is a fair amount of money to spend.

So I go to the till, I have a set- left shoe brand new from store room, and the right foot from the shelf, very worn.

He puts both in the box. I say something about it and he says 'no I've got the shelf one behind me' - ive got two kids demanding my attention and I shrug it off..pay and leave. Check box as still unsure and there it is, one raggedy old shoe and one smart new one. I go back in and he looks at me like im mad and says that you never get a new pair in the sale.

...'so I just paid 70 for one old, very worn stock shoe, and one brand new shoe?'

'yes?'

'then I'll have a refund'

I am SO confused. aibu and stupid?

He lied at the till and therefore misrepresented the item that he was selling.
£70 is a lot of money for a raggedy shoe, take it back and get a refund and go buy some shoes that you like.

Take it back, and get your money returned.

He lied at the till telling you it was in fact new.

I think he was trying it on and hope you got your refund straight away without having to argue for it.

In a similar vein I was interested in buying a pair of boots for my daughter the other day. They only had 1 pair in her size - a pristine boot from the storeroom, and its partner which had been displayed in the shop and was therefore a slightly different shade. The difference wasn't huge but there was one. I asked if they'd consider reducing it a little bit to take account of this and was told no as they were already in the sale.

So I didn't buy them and they lost a sale.

But the point was, they weren't reduced because each boot was a slightly different colour .... it was the particular style that had been reduced and in another size, where both boots had been taken from the storeroom and therefore hadn't been exposed to the sun etc., I would have paid exactly the same for a pair in perfect condition so I think it very unfair to pay the same for a pair which weren't.

He gave me a refund immediately, but I felt like saying 'you realise I can go next door and buy this exact pair, both shoes being new?'

Its a well known shop so I feel a bit put out!

glad to know im not missing something obvious here.

The more I think about it I should have asked him if they were now sold out in this size now, or if he's about to pur a new shoe on the shelf?

If it a chain write to head office. I'd name and shame too

Shoe shops have one out and one on display all the time, at non sale time it doesn't matter.

I can't imagine the shop assistant noticed how tatty the display one was getting.

Given the stupid price if boots, I certainly wouldn't have bought them.

I do have a pair of long boots, that if you look very carefully one is very slightly faded, but they were half price. I'm happy to spend a few extra minutes polishing £45 Italian leather boots.

Do you think its worth writing to them about? he gave me a refund no fuss. But I just think the whole thing is nuts. Because of the type of material it is clear it marks easy and creases were the foot bends. So one of was little shining in all its perfect glory, and the other scuffed and creased and all sorts, as well as being significantly stretched from all the trying on. ... I literally just looked at him that they could do this.

and now I still have no boots, humpf.

He should have been honest and said something, even if he couldn't then go on to offer you a discount. As a sales assistant, I'd always try to point out an imperfection although reluctantly, as it would always cause hassle - reordering, calling the manager for discount, searching stockrooms etc. Better than having an angry customer coming back though.

I once bought sale shoes with one slightly discoloured from the display, thinking I wouldn't notice, but it still annoys me years later

I really wasn't looking for him to further discount, I could go online and find a branded pair of boots second hand if I wanted, atleast they'd be evenly worn! tbh id have sooner paid the full price for a new

I just cannot believe that someone would spend money on one new shoe..and one old shoe. you know?

Order some from Clarks online, you'll get a new pair that haven't been on anyone's feet then.

They've got boots in their sale. My boots that I paid £72 for are reduced from £89.99 to £34.99!

Ooh ill check out Clarks. I bet if I bloody ordered online clinkards would send a new pair! cheeky bugger. Am annoyed at how much time and energy I just wasted.

sale items are just that though aren't they? sold cheaply because they are outdated or less than perfect... If it was a sale item I would not expect him to have got brand new boots in a box - just the one to go with the one you picked..

I always think of sales items as stuff the shop wants rid of for whatever reason. Sometimes it's because it's seasonal, sometimes it's because it was an unpopular style but there's nothing actually faulty about it. If there is a fault, it should a) be pointed out and b) ideally be sold at more of a discount than the same sale item which is in perfect condition (like the boots I described before).

Yes write to head office. If a member of staff is misrepresenting goods then I'm sure they would want to know.

Of course this isn't normal. He's a twat who was trying to save face instead of admitting his mistake.

Office sell their ex-display shoes as seconds on ebay.

I think it may be a legal requirement to point out if a product is faulty in any way and is being marked down in price to reflect this- hopefully someone can clarify this.

What was the shop?

ok. ive emailed and asked for company policy on sale products.

if both had been evenly worn then no I wouldn't have expected new. But it was a discount in all shoes by this brand, for no other reason.

I wouldn't have paid any price for worn shoes which were being sold as new.

Thought it only fair to come back a nd update for the sake of Google purposes.

-following my email I have been called by someone to discuss, they do in fact have policy to 'put all right shoe out in the sale' and so depending on how long its been out the difference could vary, and you will never get a brand new set.

however they have apologised for me feeling misled at the tills, are sourcing me a new pair and discounting them plus free delivery. So they have redeemed themselves in that sense, the lady I spoke to was very good.

oh and fyi, if you order online its still done the same way. I'll be avoiding purchasing sale items from this particular company to avoid any disappointment in future.

Was it clarks as possibly suggested up thread? If not, please PM me the name of whoever as I will avoid them!

If you order from clarks your order is kept aside from normal store stock until you can get to store to try it. Nobody else gets to try on until yourself, you can order multiple pairs and only pay once you have decided which ones you would like.
Also another good point with clarks is that even with a sale shoe in store they can check stock at warehouse and see if they can order a new pair for you.

No point in pming since their policy is policy and so technically nothing to be secretive about. And as I say the follow up customer service was good.

Store was clinkards.