Extremely disappointing experience -- I will never shop at DSW again…read more
I am extremely upset and disappointed with my experience at this DSW location. I purchased my son a pair of shoes for back-to-school just three weeks ago, and within less than two weeks of normal wear, the shoes were completely shredded and falling apart. These were clearly defective shoes, not simply shoes that had been worn out over a long period of time.
My husband and I went into the store right when they opened to see if we could exchange them for a different pair or receive a refund. We had the original box and proof of purchase with us.
When we got to the counter, the older brunette employee looked at the shoes, gave me a dirty look, tossed them back into the box, and said, "We don't take worn shoes back."
I understand that stores have policies regarding worn merchandise. However, my issue was that these shoes were purchased only three weeks ago and had fallen apart in less than two weeks because they were defective. I explained that to her and asked to speak with a manager.
The manager was standing right there and was already being extremely rude on the phone with another customer. The cashier even said, "My manager is right here, and she is a very big stickler for the policy."
At that point, I said I would wait to speak with her because I understood that determining whether a shoe is defective was up to management's discretion.
Unfortunately, the manager didn't even properly examine the shoes. She immediately told me, "You don't have a receipt, and it's been worn. I'm not doing anything." I explained that I had proof of purchase and that the shoes were defective. She cut me off and repeated, "No, it's been worn. I won't do anything," while rolling her eyes.
The entire interaction was rude, dismissive, and completely unacceptable. I wasn't asking for something unreasonable--I was asking for help with a pair of shoes that had literally fallen apart after less than two weeks.
What is especially frustrating is that we came in first thing in the morning, had the original box, had proof of purchase, and were simply trying to resolve an obvious quality issue. Instead of even looking at the shoes or trying to help, we were treated like we were trying to return something we had intentionally ruined.
I will not be shopping at DSW again, and I would caution others to think twice before purchasing shoes here, especially for children who wear their shoes every day. If something goes wrong with your purchase, don't expect much help from this location.
