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Original poster

Can I return my (slightly worn) boots?

27 replies

roary · 28/10/2009 21:37

Tried on a gorgeous but very expensive pair of boots. Very comfy in shop. Wore them to work today and have blisters not only all over my heels but UP MY CALVES. I wore them for quite a while in the shop but frankly this is the sort of thing that you would only notice if you wore them for a bit.

THey look fine, if I wipe the soles you can only JUST tell they've been worn outside. They will be a very expensive mistake if I can't return them....what should I do?

OP posts:
fishie · 28/10/2009 21:39

more info needed. what is causing leg blisters? are you hoping to return them as unworn or as too painful so not fit for use?

Original poster
roary · 28/10/2009 21:49

Either! If I can return them as unworn, I will, and therefore avoid the difficult negotiation about unwearability. But I can't decide if they look unworn enough to do that and have latent guilty feelings about it.

Do you think I could run the unfit for use argument? The issue is that they have a zip down the BACK of the boot, over the heel, and it's just too stiff against the curve of heel/ankle/calf, hence the blisters. But isn't there an element of buyer beware here? (ie, can't they say, too bad they're uncomfortable?)

OP posts:
fishie · 28/10/2009 21:51

are the soles light then? i'd try to make them look as new and do that if possible. too ghastly to make case for discomfort.

Original poster
roary · 28/10/2009 21:53

Black soles, but there are little nicks in them (sadly walk to work involves cobbles). You might have to examine super closely to see. Will wipe them down very carefully and reassess in the morning. I had to take them off at lunch and wear a random pair of Spare Shoes. Very sad as they were gorgeous.

OP posts:
MavisEnderby · 28/10/2009 22:01

Do you have a receipt?

Many moons ago I worked as a Saturday girl for a well known shoe retailer and you wouldn't believe some of the things people returned to the shop on all sorts of spurious reasons,even 6 months after purchase.

I think if you have a receipt and spout summat about the sale of goods act at them you will get a refund or at least a credit note

purplepeony · 28/10/2009 23:01

I sympathise- but how would you feel if you bought this 2nd hand pair and discovered it at home later?

I think that unless the soles look 99.9% new and unmarked you will have to come clean and show your bllsiter s to the manager, make apolite fuss and say you will contact Watchdog and Anne Robinson personally, as well as their CEO, as the boots are a bad design- assuming you have got normal legs and they aren't millions of sizes too small/tight.

dexter73 · 28/10/2009 23:19

I hope they weren't from LK Bennett as people on this site have had huge problems with returning things to them.

traceybath · 29/10/2009 07:16

I agree with Purplepeony - they sound badly designed but don't try and pretend they're unworn - will just get embarassing when they realise you're telling fibs.

I was most shocked to read someone on here the other day who'd bought some skinny jeans and worn them all day with the tags on to decide if she liked them or not. Honestly - when I buy some new jeans I don't expect them to have been worn all day by someone. Not that you're case is like that.

It sounds to me as though they're not fit for purpose so take them back asap and show them your blisters.

Decent boots should not give you blisters especially not expensive ones.

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 29/10/2009 07:21

Don't bother with trying to take them back as unworn, they will likely tell, and then you will not be able to go down the route of painful. Go straight in, show them the blisters, be prepared for a fight, and stick your ground, refuse to leave until they refund them in full as not fit for purpose.

My MIL took an expensive Italian pair of shoes back to the shop 3 years after she bought them as there was a hole at the front. She wore them a handful of times in those 3 years and felt the wear and tear was not enough to cause the hole. She argued with them for an hour and got a full refund, mainly i think to stop her complaining! So, if you have only worn them once and they are causing physical damage, they should be refunded.

But lying, unfortunately, will backfire, there is just no point.

Original poster
roary · 29/10/2009 09:27

Thanks for the advice - that's sort of what I was thinking (ie, they'll notice and it will be embarrassing, and also guilty about returning worn merchandise). Just can't BEAR the thought of having to have a big fight with them just now! Am pregnant and tired and grumpy and likely to do embarrassing things like cry over nothing.

They are from Hobbs. I have another pair of fab boots from them, I think the issue with these is the zip down the back rather than downt he side.

I will be brave and report back.

OP posts:
traceybath · 29/10/2009 09:46

Hobbs generally pretty good customer service and hey - tears may make them feel sorry for you .

Good luck and do report back!

mejon · 29/10/2009 09:51

Not that it excuses badly fitting or designed shoes/boots, but were you wearing tights underneath the boots?

Original poster
roary · 29/10/2009 10:10

Yes, and opaques too - so it wasn't like the boots were rubbing against my skin or against thin tights! It is all very sad as they are beautiful.

OP posts:
cheesebaby · 29/10/2009 13:20

traceybath - re the jeans thing (yes, that was me), exactly how long do you think it would be reasonable to wear an item for before deciding whether to keep it?

I might add that:

  1. 'all day', was actually probably about 3 or 4 hours, at home only - mainly mumsnetting.
  2. I would not have returned anything that wasn't in perfect condition.
  3. How many people do you think will have tried an item on in a shop before you bought it?
  4. This is why shops with good returns policies are great imo - I'm afraid I can't afford to make expensive mistakes, realise it at home and not be able to return items (in perfect nick).
tinierclanger · 29/10/2009 13:24

I had to take back a pair of slightly worn shoes to Hobbs once (they were slingbacks, and the elastic wasn't right, so they slipped, but you could only tell once you'd been out in them).

They were a bit dubious initially but 'sent them to the lab' (!) for analysis and agreed to refund.

traceybath · 29/10/2009 13:31

Well to be honest when you said all day I thought we were talking 10 hours or so.

But I do think that 3 or 4 hours is quite a long time to have an item on and then return as unworn.

But perhaps this is another example where its actually the norm and I'm the mad one.

fishie · 29/10/2009 13:32

i really hate it when you buy something and wear it for half a day or so and it suddenly goes a whole size bigger. i think that's grounds for returning.

firsttimemama · 29/10/2009 13:37

Sorry to hijack but can you actually bring shoes back because they are painful? I bought a pair of peep toe heels from NEXT and they were torture after an hour - can I return them?

traceybath · 29/10/2009 13:40

Fishie - I agree but then you make that clear that they're faulty - I've done that in Gap. And I'd never buy gap jeans again because they're so stretchy.

But I wouldn't personally pretend they were unworn.

To be honest I've probably got the wrong end of the stick with Cheesebaby and thats what would have happened.

I used to work in a shop many years ago and was amazed at how often people would try and return clearly worn clothes though.

CybilAviationAuthority · 29/10/2009 13:42

I think you are within your rights to take the boots back to the shop, show them how they hurt your leg and say they are not right.

cheesebaby · 29/10/2009 13:46

Or maybe I'm just a minger & never knew it - we learn something every day

traceybath · 29/10/2009 13:50

Think I'm just a bit anal - you've now got me obsessing on how many people have tried the clothes on i buy

cheesebaby · 29/10/2009 13:55

oops, sorry , anyway, back to the boots...

Original poster
roary · 29/10/2009 19:09

Went along to Hobbs on my way home from work and explained the situation - no need to show the wounds, thank goodness! But they have to contact customer service to find out for sure what to do as it is not a straightforward return. Customer service was closed so they will call tomorrow to let me know. Presumably customer service gets to decide my fate!

www.hobbs.co.uk/index.cfm?page=1144&pageNumber=4

These are the culprits - anyone seen another version that won't kill me?

OP posts:
fishie · 29/10/2009 20:01

your link but you'll have to tell us their name. put and round it

sole came off my hobbs boots and they immediately took responsibility.