Clarks shop - can main store refuse to take back outlet?

[Unhappybunnyrabbit]

Not sure where I stand legally on this. I bought school shoes from an outlet store. A member of staff checked the fit and said they were fine.

After wearing the shoes at school for a day or so, the shoes have rubbed my dc’s heels and she has blisters.

I phoned Clark’s and they said they have to go back to an outlet store, not a ‘normal’ Clarks. Outlets are a long way away from where I live - we visited the outlet while on holiday.

Clarks lady on the phone said that Outlet is separately owned and the policies are on the website.

Should a non-Outlet Clark’s take them back? I’m not sure where I stand on this. Thanks.

This is standard for all shops with separate outlet chains - and is usually written on the receipt. Sorry, I think you’re either going to have to send or take them to an outlet.

M&S definitely have the same policy. Outlet goods can only be returned to an outlet store.

As she said they are not owned by clarks so they don't have to take them back

Not a lawyer but I believe they are separate companies so they can’t accept a return for another company.

Also you aren’t entitled to a refund unless the item is faulty or not as described but there is probably someone else who can advise better on this.

can you call the store you purchased from and perhaps post the shoes back?

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses. I added in about being told they are two separate companies in case someone said ‘actually they are the same’.

I feel (correct me if I’m wrong) that as Clarks have a fitting service that we used, that as they are causing blisters, they are not fit for their purpose and therefore it would fall to statutory rights rather than their policies. Obviously if they are different companies then I’m out of luck.

This seems to be a good example of buy cheap buy twice!

Did your daughter wear them in, (indoors) before wearing them to school?
Typically I have my children wear them on carpet to break them in.

No, she didn’t, but in truth I’ve never had a problem before. Maybe I’ve just been lucky.

You can have shoes that fit correctly, as in width and length, but will still rub somewhere when you first wear them, while they wear in. Mum used to put us in our new school shoes at home for a few days with thick socks on, to make sure they had got over the initial stiffness and rubbing before we had to wear them all day. Worked a treat! And I still do it now, with all my new (mainly Clarks) shoes.

Get Compeed blister plasters for her to wear while she breaks the shoes in.

I always get terrible blisters for the first couple of weeks wearing any shoes.

You can get padded heel protectors that might make the shoes ok for your daughter

Sorry but I cannot fathom ever expecting a refund for shoes that cause blisters? They simply need wearing in.

Absolutely reasonable, and I expect there was signage to this effect when you purchased.

If they’ve been worn outside, I’m not sure you’d get a refund from the outlet either. I always wear shoes indoors first to check the fit.

It's actually pretty common to experience rubbing and blisters with new shoes, especially if worn for the first time for many hours at a time - and the recent heatwave will definitely not have helped.

I would suggest you put blister plasters on your daughter's heels until she's got used to the new shoes, which will probably only take a few days.

Ah okay, back a few life times ago I worked fitting shoes. I always advised wearing them inside to break them in, on carpet.

Typically school shoes are the more challenging to break in. They tend to have very rigid backs on them.

Break them in use blister plasters. Check the fit but they probably are rubbing due to possible little growing room.