One night after binge playing basketball at North Hollywood 24 hour fitness (also reviewed), I staggered down the street hoping to consume my body weight in frozen yogurt.
I noticed a barbershop sharing space with a shoe cleaning business. I stopped in and asked if the shoe cleaning business was black owned. The answer to that question, was the last good news I got from this company.
My partner and I decided to support this black owned business, and we brought a number of items to be cleaned: A few pair of Christian Louboutins, a white Chanel bag, and a Louis Vuitton white wallet.
I've had many cool, functional, and meaningful wallets before...but nothing high fashion. Though this wallet was used, it was the first wallet given to me that had a higher value to me, other than any amount of money it could ever carry.
We clearly articulated that we wanted everything cleaned.
The business owner over promised cleaning the shoes to a standard of "Store return" worthy. The business owner went on and on about his "celebrity" clientele, and after light negotiation we received a combined 10% discount for multiple items and veteran discount.
It took longer than expected for the heels and bags to be cleaned. The bag were cleaned relatively well, but the shoes, which were never sprayed with any kind of protectant, and had significant wear and tear, still looked like they had never been sprayed with protectant, and still looked like they had significant wear and tear.
The wallet though...took months, yes...months to...butcher.
I asked for it to be cleaned, and when we came to pick it up the first time, we learned that the business owner had removed our original Louis Vuitton zipper...and replaced it with a genetic zipper. The business owner made a conscious effort to point out that he kept the original Louis Vuitton zipper tag with a large "LV" on it. I asked why the business owner didn't first connect me before taking the liberty to alter my property. Their response wasn't sufficient, but I tried to be solution driven and more forward.
I decided that I wanted the generic zipper removed, and a picture sent to me once it was done. I articulated that from there, I would likely that the wallet to a specialist to sew the edges, making it a more tradition wallet.
The next time I saw my wallet, the zipper was removed, the business owner took further liberty to sew the edges himself, and he painted...yes, painted my Louis Vuitton wallet.
To say is was dissatisfied, is an understatement.
I asked why my simply instructions were not adhered to, and the response was very unsatisfactory.
The worst part, perhaps even criminal, was that my large Louis Vuitton tag that the business owner celebrated keeping after removing my original Louis Vuitton zipper, was now gone...yes, gone.
I don't know if this business owner, contrary to their own previous statements, didn't understand or appreciate the value of my original Louis Vuitton hardware, or that stealing my property, and perhaps selling it or attaching it to some D-list celebrities basketball shoes is in anyway acceptable.
Of all the interactions I've yelped about, this is the only interaction they has led me to consider small claims court.
I wrote, but did not post this review, because it didn't want to harm a black business owner, but if a black business owner lacks business ettiequte, tact, and most of all integrity...then they shouldn't be a business owner.
If you are interested in getting shoes or bags cleaned in this area, and you value them, I'd highly recommend Shoe Doctor Instant Shoe Repair.
I wish I had an extra set of hands to give this business four thumbs down.
With Love,
-@bananarojo read more