Avoid this shoe store like the plague! The most horrific experience that I have ever had at any…read morebusiness in my whole life! If cruel treatment of customers was a crime, Walk in Comfort staff would all be in jail. The owner, George, and his staff at the Oak Bay store subjected me to mental cruelty and abuse. I am outraged at such egregious treatment and am still in shock!
On November 19, 2021, I went into the Oak Bay Walk in Comfort to buy some boots. I decided on some Reiker red boots and went up to the cashier to buy them. An older woman handled the sale and she was rude and downright nasty to me. Their debit machine was not working properly and it would not take my card. I tried to tell the woman that their machine was malfunctioning, but she got very abusive, defensive and aggressive with me. This horrible woman kept trying to blame and shame me -- the machine rejected my card about ten times and each time, she got more abusive and combative, telling me that my card was at fault and "to go and talk to your bank!" Right in front of all the customers, this nasty woman deliberately talked down to me, and treated me in a humiliating and degrading manner. When I got justifiably upset, she ordered me to leave the store. I was picked-on and bullied by this very rude older woman.
I left in tears. When I calmed down, I called my bank and everything was fine with my card. There was more than enough money to cover the costs of the boots and there were no holds on my account. Plus, my card worked fine at all other stores. I have proof that the whole nightmare was due to a defective debit machine at Walk in Comfort.
Then I called and talked to George Kereluk, the owner. He was apologetic and told me that he would make sure that I got the boots. He said that he would have them transferred to Hillside Mall and someone would call me when they arrived. I felt happy that at least I could get the boots that I loved.
The next Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, George Kereluk phoned me. When I picked up, his tone had totally changed -- he very coldly and harshly said that he would not be selling the boots to me. When he told me why, I almost passed out and rushed to the toilet, phone in hand, and vomited over and over again.
It turns out that the older saleslady at the Oak Bay store fabricated a cruel and outrageous lie about me, skewering my reputation and character. She did it to take the heat off herself. Unfortunately, he believed her lie and refused to give me any further service. When I tried to defend myself, George refused to listen, cut me right off, said goodbye and hung up!
What they did to me was planned out and malicious, intended to cause me harm. Never before in my life have I ever encountered such deliberate cruelty by a company. The owner and the female salesperson acted like a couple of thugs, ganging up on me like two bullies in a back alley.
Please learn from my experience and stay away from this store!
From Doreen Marion Gee
