when I first discovered AyyA in 2008, I ordered a pair of their original spiral tabi (ninja shoes) that turned out to be the wrong size. they were extremely helpful and communicative, and exchanged my boots for just the cost of shipping (despite it being my mistake). I've worn them for years, recommended them to friends, and spoke highly of the company and their product at every possible opportunity.
on december 20th 2011, I placed an order for tabi sneakers for my partner. the order wasn't processing, so I sent an email to the company inquiring why this was:
"
Hello! upon placing an order, I was told my card was declined (on a $190 purchase.) this didn't seem right, so I checked my available balance and found that there was more than enough money in my account. I don't have another card. help! thank you! very best, (my name)"
three days later I received an email from customer service:
"
Hi (my name), Thank you for your info to us... We have some problems with our web at this moment. Instead, you can use paypal... But you can not place your order through website. We can help you placing your orders by our systems. We will give you Ayya order number, after the payment is through. Please let me know what you think on this... Thank you (my name)... Best Regards,"
my reply sent later that day:
"
when will your site be back to running normally?"
to which I was sent no response.
my partner and I both agreed that that was a little sketchy, so I backed off the order for a few days. on January 4th 2012, I tried to place my order again, and it went through no problem. my card was charged, I was given an order number and a date to expect the ordered items at my door.
I know it takes a few weeks to get boots, so I put it out of my mind and didn't think about it again until the estimated arrival date (february 18 2012) came and went. I went to ayyawear.com to track my order and found that the site was now just one page that says
"
WE ARE SAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT AYYA IS OUT OF BUSINESS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE YOU, AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO RESOLVING ALL OPEN ORDERS WITH US. WE HAVE APPRECIATED YOUR PATRONAGE AND ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS
FOR ORDER RESOLUTIONS PLEASE CONTACT [email protected]"
(it actually says "ayyaewar.com". that is not my typo. I tried sending something to this address just to be sure:
Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
[email protected]
Technical details of permanent failure: DNS Error: Domain name not found)
I sent an email (to customerservice@ayya
wear.com) saying it was terrible to see them go, and inquiring about the status of my order. to this I received no reply, nor did I receive a reply to any of the followup emails. some googling of this issue revealed I am not the only one with this problem. there is an anti AyyA facebook group "
scammed by AyyA", full of similar stories.
they are (were) a small company, and they have struggled to keep up with demand over the years. I have been patient with them and courteous in my emails, but I have been ignored by them regarding my order and I find this unacceptable.
I sent one final email:
"
subject: order resolution and final attempt to contact before filing a report. I was told to expect my item on february 18th 2012.
I have ordered items from AyyA before, and my experience has always been good, and I was given no reason to worry. my item did not arrive, which I expected due to ordering to near the Christmas season. I went to ayyawear.com to check up on my order and was troubled to find AyyAwas out of business, but they were working to resolve open orders. I sent an email to [email protected] (as the website instructed) asking for information. I have since sent multiple emails and patiently waited for a response, but have received none. I am deeply disappointed.
I have since found that I am not the only customer experiencing this treatment. I would like to resolve this issue and have my order filled and delivered to me. if additional time is needed I will wait, but I will not tolerate being ignored by someone who has accepted my money. if my order can not be filled, I would like a refund and an apology. this is my last attempt to contact AyyA. if I do not receive an email with information regarding my order within 2 weeks (by March 17 2012) I will file a report with my credit card and Ripoff Report. I DO NOT want to do that. I love AyyA products and have had wonderful experiences in the past. I hope that we can resolve this issue, and I sincerely wish you the best. thank you. (my name)"
and true to my word, here I am.