Joined Jun 2006
L8: Grand Teacher
Forum Thread
I was just CHARGED for trying on a pair of shoes. UPDATE ON POST #431
June 22, 2007 at
12:00 PM
in
Chat
Okay so today I went into a running store to try on some shoes. I'm in the very BEGINNING of my search for new shoes and I just wanted to try on a few brands that were new to me and see if anything was going on with my foot. So I go into this store, the kid asks me if I'd ever been there before.. I said NO.. I said I was looking for shoes.. he says okay great and asks me to take walk in front of him for him to look at my stride/ gate. I do, it takes 2 minutes for him to determine that I'm mostly neutral/ slight overpronator. I try on TWO pairs of shoes. I tell him okay great, I'm going to look around, I might come back. I don't know. I don't know and I don't BS, its as simple as that. I might come back I might not for the shoes. I'm an informed shopper and I next to NEVER buy things on impulse. Then his attitude changed. He starts giving me this schpeel about how they're a high end running store and they take pride in fitting their customers with shoes and if I don't buy the shoes right then and there he was going to have to charge me $20 for the less than 10 minutes of time and two pairs of shoes I tried on. I asked him if he was freakin kidding me. The lady manager had to come over.. APPARENTLY, on the OTHER SIDE of the boxes of shoes he was stacking next to me was a sheet of laminated PAPER that said about this policy, in a not so very large font size. Okay so why did he NOT tell me about this when he asked me if I had ever been in the store? I clearly said no. Why did he let me walk in front of him and and spend the two minutes looking at my feet and not tell me this? I paid the $20 and left. And I know they talked about me when I left.. you could feel it in the air as I was paying. And I just know they were all like "Oh I hate when people do that.. " when in reality they should LOVE it.. $20 PURE PROFIT for under 10 minutes of time! They didn't tell me about this upfront and they stacked the shoes next to the piece of paper that said this. I couldn't even see it!
So I was thinking should I file a report with like BBB? I think $20 is a lot of money for merely trying on a pair of shoes and less than 10 minutes of time especially since I wasn't told about it upfront. I'm a girl and I've tried on my fair share of shoes in my lifetime and NEVER been charged for trying them on.
What do you guys think I should do? Nothing, something? I might just let it go.. but for right now I'm
Sorry I meant to click the RANT icon not chat.. I don't know how that happened.
So I was thinking should I file a report with like BBB? I think $20 is a lot of money for merely trying on a pair of shoes and less than 10 minutes of time especially since I wasn't told about it upfront. I'm a girl and I've tried on my fair share of shoes in my lifetime and NEVER been charged for trying them on.
What do you guys think I should do? Nothing, something? I might just let it go.. but for right now I'm

Sorry I meant to click the RANT icon not chat.. I don't know how that happened.
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Title 86, Part 150, Subpart D, Section 150.401 "Collection of the Tax by Retailers From Users"
.......Whenever possible and practicable, the Use Tax shall, when collected, be stated as a
distinct item separate and apart from the selling price of the tangible personal property.....
and
"........It will be assumed that the seller is not collecting the tax if he does not state it as a separate item from the selling price........."
I say we get 20 bucks worth of entertainment out of it...
This is the first time in SD history where calling is encouraged so go for it!
PhoebesMeow, please, please keep us updated. And don't feel bad. I'm terrible at confrontation and I'm pretty sure I'd have ended up paying it too.
Absolutely report it to the BBB. Even if they aren't a member, it doesn't matter. Anyone who checks on them will find disputes and very unsatisfied consumers - it will keep them from some business. The BBB can also get you your money back. Courts advise you to always write "paid under protest" to show that you were dissatisfied at the time and paid for fear of prosecution.
Do not feel bad about confrontation. I had to go to a dealership once to get a friend her car back. They had somehow gotten her into a non-binding trade and she didn't want the car. I was like, "She wants her car, she hasn't signed anything, give us the keys now or I'm having the police charge you with grand theft auto. You have 10 seconds."
I'd take them to The People's Court where all of America can learn about their deceptive practice via TV. Also, the signs have to be clearly visable and posted in plain sight. The salesperson should have said something. What if you don't see well?
I smell a con with this store. We have several high end running stores here where you can wear them outside for a month and get a full refund if you change your mind.
I am soooo calling and not even telling them about the thread - just to let them know my friend told me to never do business there because they steal from customers.
Sure. Why not. Is it my fault that I didn't realize it went through 500 times? Oops. Maybe I should've let someone know or posted a sign.
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I say we get 20 bucks worth of entertainment out of it...
This is the first time in SD history where calling is encouraged so go for it!
if u were a girl.........................
BBB- does nothing
So
#1 contact IRS , about the audit
#2 pay a bum $1 to try on shoes in the store.. make sure he looks and smells clean or not too dirty
#3 dispute
#4 local news station
not sure what else but keep the list coming
Also, I went to their site, and they sell shoes over the INTERNET. When I went there I expect to find something custom or really special to warrant such a high-brow policy of not being able to TRY shoes on without paying. But no, it looks like they pretty much sell the same shoes you can get at the outlet mall for much cheaper.
I could sit here and say no way would I have paid it... but the truth is, when you're in the situation and are caught off guard you can't really say for sure what you would've done. As much as I'd like to say I would have refused to pay it, if I were cornered like that I probably would've paid it too. Good luck getting your money back with Discover... I'm thinking this will end in your favor.
Sure. Why not. Is it my fault that I didn't realize it went through 500 times? Oops. Maybe I should've let someone know or posted a sign.
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I got ripped off a couple years ago when we were getting wedding rings. The warranty they offered required you had to bring the ring in every 6 months to have it rechecked and cleaned or the warranty was void. I remember turning to my wife and saying thats no good your never going to remember that. Well the salesperson and my wife to be, were like oh its not hard to remember. Well of course we have never been back and paid the $20 for the warranty that is now void.