You bought them how long ago!!!

[CrazyShoeGirl]

For some reason, over the past 2 months, customers have decided to attempt to return very old shoes because they didn't last as long as they wanted them to. Now I'm not talking a year or two old. I'm talking at least 6-7 years old, and they feel we should be willing to give them somthing for it.

Problem is, these shoes would not even be in our system anymore, and even if they were they'd be worth about $10.

The oddest one so far has been the woman who brought in a pair of 10 year old shoes that were falling apart and insisted we show our district manager. She even called to make sure we did it. Our DM was willing to give her 20% off a new pair. Well when she came in to grab her shoes, she refused the discount. Apparently she just wanted to let us know what happens to our shoes after 10 years.

There have been at least 3 that have tried this. Now I don't know about you, but I would never think to return shoes that old. I expect to have to replace my shoes every couple of years.

[Arm]

I have some all-leather combat boots that are that old. 8 years, now. They're beat all to hell, of course, but I take decent care of them. In spite of that, they'll probably only last a few years more.

But these are not $10 shoes. Probably more like $150-$200. And worth it.

I can't imagine having cloth shoes and expecting not to have to replace them... what're they made of, Kevlar?

[Android Kaeli]

I would think that if there was something wrong with the shoes after a few times of wearing them over the course of, say, a week and they needed to be replaced because they were defective or something. But over 5 years of normal wear and tear? Um, no. I don't think normal shoes lasted that long, of course I've got a couple of pairs that I've had for almost that long and haven't been worn down. o.o

[LadyAndreca]

Wow. I expect to replace my shoes within a year if I've been extra harsh on them (walking a mile and a half to and from work 5 days a week, fencing practice/competition 6 days a week), 2 years if I'm being nice to them. My favoritest sandals ever lasted me...hmm...I just got rid of them this spring because the sole cracked in half so I guess that was 5 or 6 years of only wearing them in warm weather, and I had a pair of Hush Puppy pennyloafers that lasted me 3 years of daily wear in high school. I nearly cried when I had to throw both those out. *le sigh* Never been able to find another pair like either.

How on earth do you even make a pair of shoes last 10 years? Never wear them?

[Dave1982]

For some reason, over the past 2 months, customers have decided to attempt to returwoman who brought in a pair of 10 year old shoes that were falling apart and insisted we show our district manager. She even called to make sure we did it.

And you told her to get lost, right? At least in regards to showing the DM an old, smelly set of rotten shoes?

[sprocket79]

I'm talking at least 6-7 years old, and they feel we should be willing to give them somthing for it.

I've posted this story before, so I'll just do a quick recap. When I worked at Macy's a woman wanted to return a 7 year old pair of sandals that were covered in foot fungus and other nastiness. The manager actually made me return them!

Full story here: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...934#post468934

[Lingering Grin]

The oldest pair of shows I won is about 3 years old... and it's a pair of Vans (very durable shoes, made primarily for skate boarders)... and even THEY have a hole in them side of em


only pair of shoes I've seen older than a few years, was a pair of 25year old Birkenstocks... that belong to a friend's dad back in high school... you could NOT destroy those things.... and believe me we tried (ran over them with a car at 50mph)

[DeltaSierra]

My oldest pair of shoes is a 10 year old pair of steel-toed boots. Theyr'e still mega comfy.

[infinitemonkies]

This reminds me of a good story about boots & Walmart.

It's important to note that Walmart "doesn't have sales" they have "everyday low prices."

Several years ago, I had bought a pair of workboots the day before fathers day. They looked sturdy enough, they were comfortable, and only $35.

They were also shit. They totally fell apart in about 3 weeks.

So I take them back in. I don't have my receipt, but I'm not asking for a refund, exchange, store credit, etc. All I wanted to do was say "Look, this is a bad product, and you should probably pull it from your shelves."

I go to customer service, wait in line, I'm polite, I say my piece.
They offer me a full cash refund anyway, so I thankfully accept.
Except its not the day-before-father's-day-not-a-sale-everyday-low price. Turns out, the 'everyday low price' when they arent having a not-a-sale is $65.

So I made $30 profit on those boots, went to a competitor and bought a better brand that WM doesn't carry.

[sms001]

My only shoe return ever was also Wally world. I essentially need 'disposable' shoes for my job. Month and a half, two months, and in the trash they go. One pair lasted three days Same brand has worked fine since though.

So I made $30 profit on those boots, went to a competitor and bought a better brand that WM doesn't carry.

I was going to be pretty snarky here, but I've enjoyed and respected your writing in the past so I'll simply straight up ask - is this in some way justifiable? I really am curious.

[LillFilly]

Funny, sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes not. I've had cheapo shoes that just wont die, and expensive ones that wear holes in the heels after 5-months, and visa versa. I do a lot of walking and my regular pair of shoes I replaced about every 6-months; I think the fact they are slip-ons make the heels wear-out faster.

My true love of shoes are my basic training combat boots I was issued in the Air Force. 10-years and they're still going strong!!!

[infinitemonkies]

I was going to be pretty snarky here, but I've enjoyed and respected your writing in the past so I'll simply straight up ask - is this in some way justifiable? I really am curious.

I'm not quite sure what you mean.
Making a profit off it? Thats because of thier extremely open return policy, and misleading not-a-sale pricing. I didn't ask for a refund, nor did I expect to see anything at all, I just wanted to politely lodge a complaint about a shoddy product. No reflection on the store or the staff there. However, they offered me a refund at the price of the boots were marked at on the day I happened to return them, and I accepted.

As for going to a competitor, no malice there either, I just decided to spend more on a pair I knew would last a few years, and WM didn't carry the brand/style I perfer.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I wonder if the recession has something to do with this, people getting desperate to make ends meet so they try more and more outrageous ways to take advantage of return policies.

[bainsidhe]

I suspect a lot of returns, including these outrageously old ones, are taken because it isn't worth the OMG argument that results. In the long run, it's better to eat the loss than to have some raging a-hole front and center for all customers to see. Does that make it right? No, but welcome to retail.

Personally, I've never understood how someone can do this without being completely embarrassed. Someone mentioned the recession and that's possible, depending on the person. I knew one person who lost her job and went around finding things to return in order to pay her bills. It doesn't make it right, but I understood why she did it.

Most of the returns I see are from abusers (meaning people who abuse the system) or the renters (they purchase seasonal merchandise to use and then return at the end of the season) or people with unrealistic expectations. Returning ten-year-old shoes is unreasonable, period.

[Dreamstalker]

The oldest pair of shows I won is about 3 years old... and it's a pair of Vans (very durable shoes, made primarily for skate boarders)... and even THEY have a hole in them side of em

I have Vans that I bought 2 years ago. I have a bit of an odd gait so soles tend to wear down...not so with these guys. I've even managed to walk on ice with the things.

My oldest pair has to be some police-issue boots from Galls--bought em in 2003. The only repairs I've had to make besides polishing up scuffs is fixing a zipper. Yeah they're $80 a pair, but if you'd otherwise buy new shoes every year that works out to less than $10/pair.