I ordered a pair of very expensive shoes from Saks online for more than $500. (Actually they were on SALE for this price. The original price was more than $1,000.) The shoes were to go with an outfit I intended to wear for a special evening out in Vegas. The first 5 minutes I had them on the straps, which refused to stay put due to a clearly defective design, came loose allowing my foot to slip out the side. I twisted my ankle and the evening was ruined. I assumed that Saks, under the circumstances, would refund my money and take the shoes back. Boy was I wrong. I returned the shoes with a letter explaining what happened and requesting a refund. A week later the shoes were back on my doorstep with a form letter from Saks indicating that because the shoes had been worn and were not in "sellable" condition, they would not refund my money. Fuming, I send the shoes back to them with a more detailed letter stating that yes, as I had said earlier, I did wear them (for about 5 minutes) but that they were clearly defective and caused me an injury and a ruined evening. Once again, they sent them back to me with the same form letter!
I was astonished by this reaction from Saks, a store that I have been a loyal customer of for more than 25 years. I called and spoke to not less than 7 different "managers" until finally I was offered $322, the price they were then attempting to sell the shoes for at that time. Exasperated and out of time, I told them that I would accept that, however, I would return $1200 worth of merchandise I recently purchased from Saks and that I would NEVER shop there again. And I have kept both those promises.
Sak's so-called customer service is a joke and a disgrace. No one should be put through what I was over a pair of shoes that caused so much grief. Saks' high-end competitors would have handled this matter far differently. Nordstrom and Neiman, as examples, would have taken the shoes back no questions asked for a full refund. Shame on Saks.
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