*UPDATED* A problem with high end shoe maker minor job.

Originally Posted by kev777

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You my boy need a "northern" friend to look after you , this will be solved very easily , where do we meet for this showdown? you will go to the ball Cinders and in unmarked shoes !!!!!! Get tough my friend they takin the piss even trying to mend em !!!!!

Being serious there is no confusion here they should be replaced and i think we are all in agreement and 2 months wait to see if they "fix" is totally unacceptable my friend. They broke em they replace them !!! Simple !!

You need to be less British and just demand them replacing , this is just bonkers even talking about it ......

oooooooo i feel so angry and they aint even mine FFS

Originally Posted by jimmyoneill

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They had been worn once, which is the advice I was given as regarding putting metal toe taps on them.

This seems odd considering shoes can be ordered new with metal taps....I've been told this about topys, but never heard this for taps.

Originally Posted by jimmyoneill

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I haven't asked for a new pair yet - no. They were very accommodating but the overall experience is that ultimately I'm probably going to end up with a ruined pair of shoes, unless I get rather aggressively upset and demand a new pair.

You shouldn't even be entertaining the idea of accepting f'ed up shoes.

Originally Posted by kev777

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Being serious there is no confusion here they should be replaced and i think we are all in agreement and 2 months wait to see if they "fix" is totally unacceptable my friend. They broke em they replace them !!! Simple !!

You need to be less British and just demand them replacing , this is just bonkers even talking about it ......

oooooooo i feel so angry and they aint even mine FFS

In all fairness, much of this work is done by hand, by human beings! We all make mistakes. Therefore, was it human error or carelessness? Given it is a reputable company I would give them the benefit of doubt and suggest that it was human error. Chances are that the manager is just as upset as you are.
Here is what I would suggest:
Give them a reasonable amount of time to correct the mistke to your satisfaction. Two to three weeks is fair.
Tell them that you are reserving your demand for a new pair until you see the results.
This way you are being diplomatic while telling them up front what YOUR expectations are.
You can always go to the mat later but you may not need to.

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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In all fairness, much of this work is done by hand, by human beings! We all make mistakes. Therefore, was it human error or carelessness? Given it is a reputable company I would give them the benefit of doubt and suggest that it was human error. Chances are that the manager is just as upset as you are.
Here is what I would suggest:
Give them a reasonable amount of time to correct the mistke to your satisfaction. One week is fair.
Tell them that you are reserving your demand for a new pair until you see the results.
This way you are being diplomatic while telling them up front what YOUR expectations are.
You can always go to the mat later but you may not need to.


Good advice, but the thing is, I shall have to wait up to 8 weeks to see whether the factory has been able to get rid of the mark, when I really doubt they will be able to.

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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In all fairness, much of this work is done by hand, by human beings! We all make mistakes. Therefore, was it human error or carelessness? Given it is a reputable company I would give them the benefit of doubt and suggest that it was human error. Chances are that the manager is just as upset as you are.
Here is what I would suggest:
Give them a reasonable amount of time to correct the mistke to your satisfaction. One week is fair.
Tell them that you are reserving your demand for a new pair until you see the results.
This way you are being diplomatic while telling them up front what YOUR expectations are.
You can always go to the mat later but you may not need to.

The OP has already stated these are higher level manufacturers and they made the mistake , they have quoted 8 weeks!!!!!!!! to repair..... now forgive me but if my company f**ks up we address it immediately not when we feel like it. This should have been sorted on the spot and i think hes being treated very unfairly indeed and is more than within his rights to demand a new pair and an apology in kind !!

Let me have a guess: the modification with the metal toe caps was not fitted in the factory but by a contractor. (I believe all the shops would send that type of work "˜out of house'.) Having received the botched-up job, the shop will have given that contactor hell already and is now sending the shoes to the factory to correct the damage.

The shop staff are sales people not shoemakers or technicians, they will probably not know whether or not the damage can be rectified, So, to be on the safe side they have quoted you automatically eight weeks, as this is the time a full refurbishment takes. It is quite possible in a week or so, when the technical guys in the factory have had a look, they might conclude that a satisfactory repair is not possible and offer you a replacement.

If the problem was discussed only today or yesterday, the shoes might not have arrived back in the factory for an examination. Leave it for the time being. If you haven't heard anything new within a fortnight, contact the shop again and ask straight if the production manager has examined the shoes and if he feels, the factory can do a good job.

At this point, if the answer is not a definite "Yes, we can fix it to your satisfaction", then you might want to up the ante.

But not right now, give them a bit of time.

The company should work feverishly to repair and return the shoes expeditiously. IMO, 8 weeks is unreasonable. Making your shoes right should be their number one prioritym regardless of what they have to do to make it happen. Anymore than two weeks is completely unacceptable IMO.

Originally Posted by JayJay

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The company should work feverishly to repair and return the shoes expeditiously. IMO, 8 weeks is unreasonable. Making your shoes right should be their number one prioritym regardless of what they have to do to make it happen. Anymore than two weeks is completely unacceptable IMO.

Agreed 100%

Originally Posted by bengal-stripe

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Let me have a guess: the modification with the metal toe caps was not fitted in the factory but by a contractor. (I believe all the shops would send that type of work "˜out of house'.) Having received the botched-up job, the shop will have given that contactor hell already and is now sending the shoes to the factory to correct the damage.

The shop staff are sales people not shoemakers or technicians, they will probably not know whether or not the damage can be rectified, So, to be on the safe side they have quoted you automatically eight weeks, as this is the time a full refurbishment takes. It is quite possible in a week or so, when the technical guys in the factory have had a look, they might conclude that a satisfactory repair is not possible and offer you a replacement.

If the problem was discussed only today or yesterday, the shoes might not have arrived back in the factory for an examination. Leave it for the time being. If you haven't heard anything new within a fortnight, contact the shop again and ask straight if the production manager has examined the shoes and if he feels, the factory can do a good job.

At this point, if the answer is not a definite "Yes, we can fix it to your satisfaction", then you might want to up the ante.

But not right now, give them a bit of time.

You are the Gregory House of shoes.

Originally Posted by kev777

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The OP has already stated these are higher level manufacturers and they made the mistake , they have quoted 8 weeks!!!!!!!! to repair..... now forgive me but if my company f**ks up we address it immediately not when we feel like it. This should have been sorted on the spot and i think hes being treated very unfairly indeed and is more than within his rights to demand a new pair and an apology in kind !!

Try reading my post before blowing steam.

Originally Posted by Nick V.

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Try reading my post before blowing steam.

Wasnt blowing steam at you my friend merely the situation that the OP has been put in . Apologies if it seemed that way...............

Personally, I'd wait to see if they do a good job, but if it's not up to scratch definitely a new pair, especially as they are new. At least you're on firm ground. I had a pair of Grensons re-soled by Timpsons and they left a deep cut mark in the side of the left shoe (which they failed to mention). Botch job all round. Fortunately these were a battered old pair that I wasn't too fussed about and was thinking to donating to the charity shop anyway, but even so it's still piss poor.

Originally Posted by Avebury

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Personally, I'd wait to see if they do a good job, but if it's not up to scratch definitely a new pair, especially as they are new. At least you're on firm ground. I had a pair of Grensons re-soled by Timpsons and they left a deep cut mark in the side of the left shoe (which they failed to mention). Botch job all round. Fortunately these were a battered old pair that I wasn't too fussed about and was thinking to donating to the charity shop anyway, but even so it's still piss poor.

The fact they failed to mention it is even more piss poor , if you uck up at least be man enough to own up !!!