Squeaky Vivienne Westwood Pirate Boots - help/advice please

[V.Westwood]

Hello,

I need some advice/help and I hope someone can help me.

I recently purchased (about a month ago) a pair of Vivienne Westwood pirate boots at an online stockist (hervia.com). When I received and tried them, the left boot squeaks rather terribly. I don't know where the sound is coming from...I believe it's somewhere between the heel and a part of the outsole where the straps are. I e-mailed the customer service and their reply was that the leather is new and with more wear, the squeak should go away.

I don't know what to make of the reply because only the left shoe squeaks. And now it's too late for me to make an exchange. I actually decided to wear them out and the squeak was so awful people's heads actually turned.

Does anyone own a pair of the pirate boots and if so, have they ever squeaked and went away with time? And does anyone know any good cobbler services online where I can send the shoe for repair or inspection? There are no good repair shops where I live.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

 

[lv_forever]

I'm sorry I'm not really familiar with Vivienne Westwood boots... VW is quite hard to find in the States I think. But from what you're saying, it seems like the boot is defective. It shouldn't matter that it's been past 30 days because the SA told you to wait it out. I would take it back and tell them to fix it/ exchange it because you took their recommendation which caused you to miss the exchange deadline.

 

[V.Westwood]

Thank you for replying.

It seems the sales associates are adamant against so-called "defects" in their products because when I first emailed them (before I wore the boots out), I did request for an exchange or repair of the squeaky boot. That was when they replied about the new leather needing to be broken in. I emailed them again today but I highly doubt they would accept an exchange.

And yes, you are right: Westwood is hard to find in the States which is why I love these boots (and usually requires a 2 week wait for each pair) and will be sad if I must get rid of them just because of a silly design flaw.

 

[babypie]

Did you by any chance keep a copy of the first email where they told you to wait and wear them? If so, you should forward it back to them and explain that you followed their instructions and the boot still squeaks.

The fact that only one boot squeaks suggests a faulty product, not leather than simply needs to be broken into.

 

[laurapeniston]

Hi,
I'm new here but I think I might know what your problem is. It's possible the shank - the part of the shoe underneath the arch of your foot - has become loose from the heel. If you twist the boot, i.e. hold the front and heel and twist slightly, and you hear a clicking noise this is likely the shank moving. Either way, a shoe shouldn't squeak so if I would raise a stink with VW, as the goods are faulty and in a condition which is unfit to wear. Good luck!

 

[chloehandbags]

^ I agree.

I'm no expert, but I agree that a slight squeak would be one thing, but if it's a really bad squeak, they're probably faulty.

If they're faulty, by law they must refund you, even if you've worn them.

 

[V.Westwood]

To laurapeniston: I think you're right that it might be the shank area but when I tried to twist it, there was no click. I could hear the squeak when I grab the heel and move the front up and down. I think it could an open air pocket somewhere in between the straps and the sole. Here's a picture for clarification http://www.hervia.com/shopload.asp?content=productdetail&search=false&basket_Product_Code=2353

To chloehandbags: Yes, it's a pretty bad squeak that you can hear even when I'm walking on carpet. As for the refund by law, I don't know if it applies to those living in the states? I'm sorry for the stupid questions because I don't know my consumer rights although I've checked the Federal Trade Commission's website...

...speaking of which, I guess I made a very stupid mistake when I emailed their customer service again. I sent one email telling them that I took their advice to wait out the squeak but that I know I can't exchange the boots anymore so can they be repaired at any cobbler shop? *smacks forehead* :s They replied back saying that the shoes can be repaired at any cobbler and that they are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. I recently replied to this message with a complaint and asking for an exchange. They haven't replied back and I'm pretty sure they must think I'm an idiot. I wish I had just demanded the exchange in the first place.

When I first received the boots, I did email them for an exchange or repair (before their 7 day return policy) and they replied about the new leather and didn't acknowledge my request for exchange. Since I thought the leather was the case, I wore the shoes out. Again, I'm sorry for my stupidity but is there any action I can take now? Should I file a complaint or write a complaint letter to their office?

Thank you to everyone who replied, I really appreciate it!

 

[jenskar]

I read their web site and it looks like if you're outside the EU you only have 7 days which given the next set of terms and conditions looks like a "we wash our hands of you" policy (customs duties on return, etc etc).
If you paid by credit card, I would call my credit card company and lodge a complaint. You could take them to a cobbler and ask for an estimate of the repairs needed. You could probably deduct those costs -- your credit card co many indeed back you up as they shouldn't send defective goods.

Good luck !!

 

[laurapeniston]

You might want to try contacting VW directly, not sure if they would be able to help you. I'm not sure if it's possible to repair a loose shank, I work in a shoe store and in any situation like this the shoe is considered faulty and is returned to the company - a replacement pair or refund would be issued to the company. Fixing the shank would not be easy as the entire boot would have to be deconstructed to access it.

Someone is telling tall tales at this website I'm afraid.

 

[V.Westwood]

To jenskar and laurapeniston: thanks for replying. I am planning on calling VW on my day off this Monday (since they didn't reply to my recent complaint email) to try to resolve this problem. If it doesn't work, I guess all I can do is contact my bank to file a dispute. Then I guess I'll also file a complaint using the FTC's international forms...because that's all I can think of do right now.

I hope I can post some good news after I make my call.