I'd give it zero stars if i could…read more
Last week, 1/11/13 I purchased a pair of $160 lace Brianna Leigh peep-toe pumps for my wedding in May. I'm from the neighborhood so I popped in the store, saw them and fell in love. It's an adorable shoe, that I thought I'd surely wear down the aisle on my wedding day. However, that weekend while shopping I found a different pair of shoes that match near exact to my dress and had to make a decision.
Naturally I decided to return the shoes to South Philly Shoes since the others were such a better match. I looked at the receipt for a return policy before going in. Stamped across the front is "NO CASH REFUNDS". I bought with a charge - no problem!
So I went to return the shoe today, 1/16/2013, just 5 days after purchasing. I hadn't even taken them out of the box. Immediately the two women in the store (who where both there when I purchased the shoes) told me there are no cash refunds. I said that was okay, I bought them with a credit card and would gladly take the refund on the charge.
Now, I too am a small business owner and know the risks and costs of running a small business. But treating my customers and clients with little to no respect, no flexibility and no understanding is certainly not the way I do business. Needless to say, I support small businesses as much as I can. I shop Passyunk Ave to do my part and contribute and thus, shopped South Philly Shoes in the first place to ensure that if I'm going to spend money anyway, why not support the local/small businesses.
The owners/managers/whoever the snide ladies behind the counter are launched into a full on rant about how expensive it is to run the credit card machine, how each time money goes into the register, it goes right out to pay bills, that the recession has hit them very hard and they don't have the money to refund me or anyone and that is the way it has been for 32 years. They insisted that a stamp on the receipt that says "NO CASH REFUNDS" is the same as NO REFUNDS, which it is plainly not. It is, to me, very specifically NO CASH REFUNDS as it clearly is stamped.
Unfortunately, these are the risks and costs of running a small business and it is really hard to believe that in 32 years not one person has received a refund from this place as they suggest. It's sad to say that this is why people shop big box and department stores. I won't let this situation leave a bad taste for all small businesses of course, but definitely for this one.
I stood there a few minutes to plead my case - it's not the same, it's a charge refund not cash, it's less than a week that I've had them in my possession, I don't need them, nor do i need a store credit because I now have shoes etc. etc. and to no avail. She avoided eye contact, told me that if I wanted to stand there and fight her I could but it wouldn't make a difference, quickly wrote out my store credit, handed it to me and said if I didn't want it, to give it to my mother or someone.
I have purchased shoes there last year for my sister-in-law's wedding, 3 of 5 proms and other events and I will not be returning to this store. Each time I find that I could kick myself for going back, the staff is rude and snobby despite the shop being completely run-down and a complete and utter mess. Their bridal selection is vast but has grown cheesy over the years, everything else in the store is as another poster said "tacky".
I am disputing the charge with my bank to at least have some support. Ridiculous that a business can conduct itself like this no wonder they are in such poor shape as they say. Go elsewhere, there are tons of great local small businesses and boutiques around the city, this is not one of them.
