Complaint Review: Shoe Station

I purchased a pair of Pierre Dumas flats from Shoe Station in Tallahassee during the last week of December 2010.  The flats were comfortable and I received many complements from friends about the shoes.  I only wore the shoes on occasion--whenever I wanted a different look.    In February, 2011 I noticed that the bottom of the shoes felt different.  I turned them over and discovered that the top of the shoe was tearing apart from the rubber sole--this happened with both shoes. 

I had some medical issues shortly thereafter and was in the hospital during the month of March.  I focused on getting my health back and could not take care of the shoe business until May.  Meanwhile the shoes just sat in the closet for over 2 months.  Thelast of May I called and spoke with a manager, Bob, and told him about the shoes to see if I could get a different pair at no charge because apparently they were not made correctly.  I had purchased shoes from there before and kept them for over 2 years and they didn't look like the flats I had just purchased in December. 

He told me to bring them in so he could look at them to determine if they could be exchanged.  When I arrived at the store Bob was not at work so they sent a manager named David to the front.  I explained my situation to him and showed him the flats plus 2 other pairs of shoes that I had purchased from them over 2 years ago so he could compare how they lasted.  David looked at them briefly and said "You've just worn these shoes out!".  He then tossed the shoes back over the counter at me. 

I tried to tell him I had hardly worn the shoes and they were not everyday wear so they couldn't have been worn out.  He became belligerent and told me there was nothing he could do because it had been too long.  I left the shoes with David, took my receipt and left a message for Bob to call me.  I also got the name and phone number for Shoe Station's corporate office.     I waited almost 3 weeks for a return call from Bob and got none.  I left 2 more messages in the meantime. 

On July 6, 2011, I discovered that the corporate regional manager, Chuck Whiteside, was going to be at the store.  I left a message with his assistant and she told me to call him at the store.  I called the store and they claimed he wasn't there.  After 3 attempts, he finally came to the phone.  However, his attitude was very hostile and judgmental.  Whiteside didn't let me finish explaining the situation before he interrupted and said that I waited too long to bring shoes back--they had a 30 day policy.

I told him that he apparently had got together with the other managers and discussed my case because he was giving an answer before he knew all the facts.  I told him that I left the shoes with David 3 weeks ago and they should still be in the back if he did not throw them away.  He kept bringing up the fact that I waited until July to let him know; I reminded him that I waited 3 weeks for his manager to return my phone calls.   His attitude was that he did not have time to be bothered but he would see what he could do and called me back. 

30 seconds after I hung up the phone, Mr. Whiteside was on the line and said that he was looking at the shoes with Bob and that they were just worn out.  There was nothing he could do about it.  I told him the same facts that I relayed to David and Bob that (1) I hardly wore the shoes and (2) the shoes must have been poorly constructed because they tore up in 3 months.  He kept saying it was July and he was just finding out about it.  It was obvious he didn't want to admit that his store sold a pair of defective shoes. 

He kept accusing me of having bad feet, that I was hard on the shoes and any other allegations he could use to make me responsible for the shoes not holding up.  I stated that I had bought shoes from other shoe outlets that had lasted more than 2 years while his shoes only lasted 3 months.  I also pointed out that it was highly unusual to wear out shoes in 3 months time.  He said that had nothing to do with his store and he had been in the shoe business for 35 years and knew what he was talking about.  

Chuck then had the audacity to ask me for my address so he could mail the shoes back to me!   I was so outdone that I told him to give the shoes to his daughter, his wife or his mother and let them wear them! This is a clear case of consumer fraud, customer abuse and discriminaton.  When the managers saw an African Amercian female walk through their doors returning shoes, they had stereotyped me a person who wears out shoes!  WARNING!!  Do Not Buy Shoes From Shoe Station--you might live to regret it!  After this experience, I will never buy another pair of shoes from Shoe Station again.