Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think soft play centre is wrong to hold 18 month old dd's shoes to ransom

83 replies

Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 20:04

This happened a few weeks a go but I have been wondering whether I was in the right since it happened.
A while ago I took my 2 dc's to a local soft play area which we have been going to for years. When it was time to collect my dc's shoes I couldn't find the shoe ticket so the lady behind the counter showed me the shoes on each shelf and asked me to tell her when she had my dd's. I did this, put the shoes on my dc's and went home.
A few weeks later we went back to the same place. Whilst paying, the same lady immediatley informed me that last time I had been there I had taken the wrong shoes. It turned out that the someone else had exactly the same shoes as dd, except hers were a size 3 and my dd's were a size 3.5. I had not noticed at all as they fitted my dd and looked exactly the same.
Anyway the owner of the other shoes had insisted that the manager reimburse them for their dd's shoes.
The manager then informed me because I had taken the wrong shoes (implying it was my fault) that I could not have my dd's shoes back as she considered them her property.
I was shocked and said I didn't want the wrong shoes I had mistakenly identified as they are the wrong size and I would like to have my dd's shoes back. She said no. So I gave her back the other pair and said I would not be returning to the establishment.

So they now have both pairs of identical shoes and have lost a customer.
I can't decide who is right.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 21:33

bozza, you are right that i shouldn't have lost the ticket, but they should have a back up procedure. They should record where each pair of shoes is stored so they know, whether or not you lose your ticket.
My dc's are 3 and 19 mths so I have not yet encountered these problems at nursery (and you are right I am a SAHM - although not for much longer as have just got a pt job which i start in a couple of weeks ).

OP posts:
maisym · 05/04/2007 21:35

yes but the op, in good faith, took the wrong shoes - just half a size in difference. The shoes looked the same. he didn't realise it until she went back to the play centre & was told of the situation by staff there. Plus she was forced to give up the shoes when they should have been swapped for the op's actual shoes.

maisym · 05/04/2007 21:36

meant she not he!!!

FrannyandZooey · 05/04/2007 21:38

Having thought about this some more, I am wondering why you weren't happy to keep the other pair of shoes - your dd had been wearing them for a few weeks, after all

and how did the member of staff know it was you who had taken the wrong shoes - weeks before?

am I missing something here?

bozza · 05/04/2007 21:39

I don't think the soft play centre should have kept the shoes, what would it achieve? But I can see why they are a bit miffed at being £25 out of pocket.

Bambi DD goes to day nursery where they have to change into indoor shoes on arrival so her pair of Clarks spend a lot of time in a shoe pocket are initialled. There are a limited number of Clarks designs so duplications are quite common IME.

I have had shoe issues in the past. The Friday DS came home from reception wearing two left shoes in size 9 and size 10 (but same design) springs to mind. And then he got annoyed with me when I insisted he went home and put his trainers on before going on the park.

Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 21:52

Frannyandzooey, I didn't keep the other shoes as I was indignant that I couldn't get my dd's shoes back and said I didn't want to have these shoes as they weren't my dd's and were the wrong size etc. I was unhappy as it was being implied that i had deliberately done something wrong when I had just made a mistake.
The woman recognised me because I had been going there more or less once a week for about 2 years.
Bozza I have learnt my lesson and always check dc's shoes now.
It was just such a bizarre situation.

OP posts:
bozza · 05/04/2007 21:57

It was also very rude to imply that you had done it deliberately, when it was so obviously a mistake.

vitomum · 05/04/2007 21:57

how bizarre. i really don't think i would be able to rest until i had my shoes back AND an apology.

FrannyandZooey · 05/04/2007 22:01

"I was unhappy as it was being implied that i had deliberately done something wrong when I had just made a mistake."

Yes I would be more irate about this even than the loss of the shoes tbh!

Is it a chain? Is this woman the owner? Is there someone you can complain about it to other than her?

ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:01

If they were my dd's shoes I'd be protested outside the place and handing out leaflets because I loath that I pay a small fortune for an 18mth old to wear a pair of shoes for a matter of a few weeks.

Deffo call the police or something - they owe you a pair of shoes. Tight fisted cheeky gits.

FrannyandZooey · 05/04/2007 22:02

sorry that was a really atrocious sentence

FrannyandZooey · 05/04/2007 22:02

oh god I meant MY sentence not ELF's

ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:07

PMSL 'cause I read my post back and thought "go to bed Elf, you're missing words out the sentences!"

sunnydelight · 05/04/2007 22:15

Because they now know who the shoes belong to and refuse to give them back, legally it is theft. (Def. of theft is intentionally depriving someone of something). You made an honest mistake, facilitated by the fact that a member of their staff didn't abide by the rules. Go on, make a show of them in the local paper!

Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 22:21

The play centre is not a chain as far as I know. I think the woman is the owner or manager. Thinking about it she must be, in order to be so adamant about such a petty argument.
It is infuriating but ultimately I don't want to waste my time and energy calling the police about a pair of childrens shoes. I will write a stongly worded letter of complaint.

OP posts:
ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:29

Go down the route of The Sun - pics of you holding your shoeless child outside the soft play centre.
She sounds like a real jobsworth.

How long have they had the shoes? Has your dd's feet grown since then? If so claim for the fact they have held onto the shoes so long you have not had full use of them.

Skribble · 05/04/2007 22:35

I would name and shame and go back and demand the shoes as well telling them you have asked the police (MN Police) for advice and your were advised to ask for them to be returned.

They paid for the other shoes good on them but shame their customer care didn't stretch to the mother who took the wrong shoes in error. If they were that worried about handing out the wrong shoes they shouldn't have handed over the shoes with out a ticket with out checking thouraly that there were no similar shoes.

Big sad face pic in the local paper I think .

Skribble · 05/04/2007 22:36

thouraly

Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 22:43

ELF1981. my dd's feet have actually grown to a size 4 now (another reason I am not desperately trying to get the shoes back!)
Skribble, although you are probably right I will never go to the papers as i do not want at all to be in a newspaper.

OP posts:
ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:45

I would argue the point that the shoes cost £25 (if from Clarks) and you could not get full use out of them as they were holding the shoes to ransom.

Sorry, but it is my pet peeve re the price of childrens shoes so I'd be livid!

ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:46

On a side note - how wide are you dd's feet?

Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 22:50

They are G in width. I too find the price of childrens shoes disgusting. I think I may start buying non-clarks shoes as they are extortianate.

OP posts:
ELF1981 · 05/04/2007 22:57

Thats a shame re the G as my dd has just grown out of her 4Fs and I have two pairs of hardly used shoes.

Original poster
Bambiraptor · 05/04/2007 23:03

Like yoou say Elf the shoes are a rip off. I have several pair of shoes that are almost brand new but are now obsolete.

OP posts:
Aloha · 05/04/2007 23:04

What is this very odd woman planning to do with all these identical shoes? Set up a shoe museum?