- Report: #1128285
Complaint Review: The Shoe Mart - Milford Connecticut
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The Shoe Mart
950 Bridgeport Ave Milford, 06460 Connecticut, USA
Phone:
800) 850 - 7463
Web:
www.theshoemart.com
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The Shoe Mart The Shoe Mart Since 1956; theshoemart.com Don't let the return policy fool you. Milford Connecticut
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I saved and saved my money to buy a pair of shoes which I intend to love and make last forever. I researched and read several online forum discussions about the Alden brand and their Shell Cordovan line of shoes. My choice was the Chukka Boot in color 8. On February 17th I made the decision to buy these Boots from The Shoe Mart. Of all the on-line retailers selling Alden brand shoes, The Shoe Mart, although not the best price, because of their shipping cost (priority overnight) it all comes out to be the same and I can get my shoes the very next day. Sure enough my shoes arrived February 18th. I followed the video instructions for trying on Alden shoes. Once I placed my foot gently into the right shoe it was obvious the shoe had been tried on. The boot exploded with the cordovan pink wavy creases up and down the top of the shoe. Thankfully the boots fit perfectly. The ½ size down recommendation is appropriate. I wore my new boots that very day and every other day thereafter. I’ve never had a pair of shoes fit so perfectly and I’d swear the boots had been molding to my feet with each step I took in them.
Two days after arrival of my new boots, I noticed a rough patch about the size of a half-dollar coin on the top portion/vamp of the left boot. I had read about bloom or spew and thought this may be that. However, it appeared more that the finish was flaking off. Resembling a peeling human sunburn. I brushed and brushed with soft horsehair. I also posted pictures and a description of this oddity on the style forums and I sent a copy to The Shoe Mart. I thought perhaps others had seen this before and it may be common enough to have an easy remedy i.e. deer bone. A representative named Linda from The Shoe Mart emailed me and recommended I send the shoes back to them. The Shoe Mart immediately sent me the RMA instructions and provided a packing slip and FedEx ground label. I boxed up and shipped the boots on 02.25 and The Shoe Mart received the shipment Friday 02.28 at roughly 11AM, signed for by JLUBEN. I called the next day, Saturday 03.01 and was told that the boots required inspection by the owner and that the owner would be in Monday 03.03. I had to call again Monday because the online status still only showed “awaiting merchandise” and I was told again that the boots required inspection and the owner would not be in until Tuesday 03.04. With no change of status online, I had to call again Tuesday and was told that Customer Service could not possibly know if the owner was in or not because they are at a completely different location. Each time I’ve called they’ve made a point to remind me that I had called the previous day, as if I’m bothering them. Obviously The Shoe Mart has invested a good amount into their RMA system. If only the owner can inspect shoes and is only in the office one day a week or “never”, how efficient can this system possibly be? Their policy is designed to never give you your money back. I would guess this system would be doing more harm than good especially if you’re not following through with your customers. I was told to look for an update via e-mail (just one) and I would be kept informed of the status of which I have received none.
The return status on-line still simply shows “awaiting merchandise”, remember, they signed for the boots from Fedex 02.28.2014. I’ve been lied to and now I do not trust The Shoe Mart. When you call into The Shoe Mart customer service, they talk at you as if you should be sorry for doing so. Remember, I was instructed by The Shoe Mart to send these boots back as such I would be doing us both a favor. I am a first time customer with The Shoe Mart so I have no frame of reference to compare experiences with, although before I purchased from The Shoe Mart I researched online reviews and it appeared other shoppers have had good experiences with them. The Alden brand Shell Cordovan line of shoes are not cheap but rather expensive and now I have nothing. No boots and no money. I feel as if I’m being stolen from. What other options do I have left but to protect myself and charge this transaction back? I've already posted this feedback to Yelp, Nextag and the BBB of CT.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
TheShoeMart
Milford,Connecticut,
Complaint Resolution
#2UPDATE Employee
Thu, May 22, 2014
At TheShoeMart.com we pride ourselves on our knowledge and customer service, particularly when it comes to Alden shoes. Alden shoes are a unique product, the only men’s dress shoes still 100% handcrafted in the USA, and we are among only a few select retailers that carry the brand. We have been selling Alden shoes at our brick and mortar retail location for over 40 years which houses our knowledgeable and experienced staff.
We strive to bring this expertise to our online retail experience as much as possible. When customers return Alden shoes claiming a defect, the owner of our company likes to personally inspect them. He spends most of his time working at our retail store and sometimes it may be a couple days before his next visit to our warehouse location where online orders are processed. We understand this can delay returns from being processed, which is why we state on our website that returns can take up to 10 business days to be processed once they arrive in our warehouse.
Given the nature of this dynamic, an online Alden transaction can be much slower than a typical online transaction. We try to explain this as explicitly as possible in our online policies, which state:
“Once your return is received and inspected, your refund will be processed and a credit will be automatically applied to your credit card or original method of payment within 7-10 business days. Please note that depending on your credit card company, it may take an additional 2-10 business days after your credit is applied for it to post to your account.”
The complaint on this website was filed before this window had even closed. We received the return on February 28th, making March 13th the 10th business day. The date stamp of the complaint on this website is March 4th.
Despite, this we had a new pair shipped directly from the Alden factory to ensure the customer’s satisfaction, providing special instruction for the factory to inspect the shoes for defects. The customer received these shoes and was ultimately satisfied.
It is also worth noting, that despite the customer’s concern for our business practices, the shoes that we ended up receiving were significantly worn. Upon close inspection, the “defect” described in this report was in fact bloom (a non-defect that can be easily buffed away). Curiously, the customer changed the size on the replacement pair we sent to him.
In the end, TheShoeMart.com has origins as a brick and mortar store that has been in business since 1956. We are a small business which specializes in retailing one of the finest quality shoe brands in the world, Alden. We go to great lengths to ensure customer satisfaction, and despite the story told in this report, the customer ended up with a brand new replacement pair of shoes. If you are interested in purchasing Alden shoes from us we encourage you to call and speak with our expert staff, not to make your buying decisions based off a dubious claim on “RipoffReport.com”.
Emory1
Littleton,Colorado,
Owner making an attempt to make it right
#3Author of original report
Tue, March 11, 2014
I received a call from the owner Ed who did offer a reason for the delay in the processing of my return. I was also offered a refund or a new pair of boots. I have requested a replacement pair of boots. We'll see how this goes. Stay tuned for further updates.
Emory1
Littleton,Colorado,
An update from the original author of the complaint
#4Author of original report
Wed, March 05, 2014
I called back in this morning 03/05. Of course they reminded me I called yesterday. Now I'm being told that they may be "repairing" my boots and this takes week(s). I've spoken with my bank and they advised that a charge back can be done especially if what I received did not match the description from the on-line shop. This would be fraud. Also, I do not have the merchandise and no communication from The Shoe Mart unless under duress from my phone calls.
