Selfridges refusing to refund £875 shoes- help!

[Shoedisastor]

I ordered a pair of Louboutins on selfridges online to wear for my wedding day. This is the second pair I’ve ordered online. The first were from flannels. Ordered them tried them on, on carpet, way too big in size so I sent them back and they refunded me a couple of days later. They didn’t have the size down in stock but Selfridges did so I ordered from there. They came I tried them on, again on carpet and didn’t love them on me so took them back to the Selfridges store. The staff were really helpful and suggested I try them on in a different colour and I loved them and asked to exchange mine. They said since my shoes were an online purchase they need to go back online. Since it was only 2 weeks till my wedding I bought the new pair in store (as the tailors need me to be wearing my shoes for the final fit of my suit) and I repackaged my shoes and sent them back to Selfridges. A few days later they’ve contacted me to say they’ve rejected my return as the shoes are damaged (red sole). Ive emailed back (and called) and explained that I only tried my shoes on carpet and sent them straight back! I packaged them up in their original packaging, dust bags and packing intact exactly as they arrived to me. As I did with the first pair I returned. They were pristine when they left me. Am I going to have no choice but to accept these shoes back? (That I won’t wear and don’t suit me)

Nonsense. Of course you can send an item back for any reason — just as long as you send it back in the same condition and in the same packaging it came in.

Was every shoe individually packaged? This could happen from rubbing two shoe soles together

If bought in a shop with your physically present when buying then no, you have no right to return anything unless it is faulty.

When ordering online, you can return it for any reason at all as long as it is sent back in the same condition with the packaging not damaged. And again, can return if faulty even if you have opened the packaging.

Nonsense what? Are you saying retailers are legally obliged to refund you for an item just because you've decided you don't want it? They may do so as a goodwill gesture, but I don't think this is a legal obligation.

@IcedPurple

If you’ve bought it online or over the phone then yes, they are legally required to refund you for any reason.

If you buy it in store then no, you have no legal right to refund unless it is faulty (but most shops offer a refund policy as a goodwill gesture).

So, you think Selfridges, a respectable and huge store, is really stupid enough to say "we ain't giving you your money back. We're keeping it because we reckon you may have damaged them but can't prove it"

Nah. That's a PR fuck up destined to go viral

And depending on the retailer, you will probably have to pay the costs of returning the item unless it is faulty.

It's on Selfridges' website that you can return for any reason

Was there a warning sticker on the soles?
https://ae.christianlouboutin.com/pages/terms-of-sale#cancel

@IcedPurple

We weren’t discussing delivery costs. You didn’t believe retailers are legally required to refund just because you’ve changed your mind. They are if you’ve ordered online or over the phone. The OP ordered online. She can return for any reason at all.

It is a legal obligation for something bought online. You can change your mind and the retailer has to refund if within 14 days of purchase.
The same protections.don't apply for something bought in a shop.

I wouldn't. OP doesn't know that, for example, there wasn't something on her carpet that she trod on damaging the soles, and she doesn't even know what condition the shoes were in when she sent them back, so she stands no chance of proving her case. It's a £80 fee to issue the claim, to say nothing of time lost going through the process, and it could well b throwing good money after bad.

I suspect you'd be better off selling the shoes, OP.

Now I've never bought shoes anywhere near that price so standards might be very different.

But to me they do not look like they have been worn outside. The little sticker is perfect. No colour transfer. I've tried on shoes in store that have more wear on the soles from other customers trying them on and walking about.

What’s the issue? Look new to me.

If you try them on then they aren’t technically new anymore. If they can be damaged on bloody carpet, what would a pavement do to them. What happens when you try them on at the shop? Do they throw down cotton wool?

She DID try before she bought.

Selfridges are saying they were damaged when they got them back!

Are you saying retailers are legally obliged to refund you for an item just because you've decided you don't want it? They may do so as a goodwill gesture, but I don't think this is a legal obligation.

Yes. As long as you return it in the condition and packaging in which you received it. You wouldn't expect to try something on in a fitting room in M&S and then be forced to buy it, whether you liked the way it looked on your or not, would you? Same situation with mail order. Have it delivered, try it on, return it if it you don't like it. Any company that insisted an item couldn't be returned unless faulty would be out of business very swiftly.

I think the shoes look absolutely fine and don't see why they won't just refund. I've never had, and never will have, a pair of shoes like these but can I just ask a question? Why is the red colour meant to wear off as soon as you start walking around on hard floors? Why bother having the red on if its going to wear off and won't it look horrible as its wearing off? Surely, the fact it hadn't worn off (if it wears off so easily) proves that OP has only tried them on carpet as allowed?

Well, perhaps times are hard and even the higher class shops are being stricter with their returns.

Even John Lewis aren't the same these days.

what size are they? i’ll give you £200 if they’re a size 6.

Blimey, if the shoes are so easily marked how on earth are they charging such a ridiculous amount for them?

I am sorry OP - I think the advice about looking at the unsold "new" shoes in Selfridge's, if you can, would help. But if not you will still get a good price for the if you sell them on so all is not lost. I would also suggest talking to the staaff in Selfridge's with whom you spoke when you tried on the others.

I hope you have a wonderful wedding day.

If they were brand new and not a return then there would be stickers on the sole warning you not to remove unless you were going to keep.

If there were no stickers, chance are they are a return and they were delivered with the scratches.

OP ask why they didn't have the warning stickers on. Even my Irregular Choice have sole cover stickers on.

There’s a huge difference between ”legally” obliged and company policy. They are only legally obliged to accept returns from online purchases. Any purchases made in store are subject to the company policy, most who have 28 day return window to ensure customer satisfaction.

If the shoes are supposedly damaged, tell them that's another reason you want a refund, they've been damaged by someone else. I'd ask for the email address of the senior manager.

You did the right thing starting this thread OP. No way you won't get a refund.

Try using the (free) Resolver service.
I had an issue with another shop (online purchase) and hit a brick wall with their customer service. I raised a complaint through Resolver and got a full refund quickly. It was really interesting how the customer service at this shop changed their attitude towards me as soon as I raised the dispute via Resolver.