Returning Wellies - have I made a fool of myself??

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spottytom

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Bought Aigle Wellies three weeks ago and the left boot leaks. Took them back this afternoon, with receipt, and asked for replacement. Told by Manager that Aigle and Countrywide's policy is to send them back to Aigle for assessment before exchanging! I stood my ground and insisted on exchange, but told absolutely not. Then I lost it a little and said I wanted a full refund and would not leave the shop until I had one!!! Eventually the Manager agreed to phone Aigle - but came back and said that the decision was the same. I tried to tell Manager that I believed that my rights were to either receive a replacement or a refund as my contract was not with Aigle but with Countrywide.

To cut a very long story short the Manager eventually gave me what he called a "good will" refund, but also insisted he had run water onto my boot and that it didnt leak - so effectively calling me a liar too!

Drove home furious, but not sure if I am in the right. Can I ever show my face in the shop again.....
 
You are most definately correct that your contract is with Countrywide and legally you're only entitled to a refund if an item isn't fit for purpose/is fault, so correct on that count too.
 
This is typical of all shoe issues, my mum once stood outside a shoe shop and told everyone going in not to bother as I had no school shoes. They wanted to send away my school shoes which were faulty . In the 70's we didn't have more than 1 pair! after 20 minutes she got a refund! I learnt a lot from my mum :D
 
Thank you. I was so damn angry, but did not shout, just kept insisting he was wrong. The Manager kept telling me he had been in his job years and he was right that the boots had to be returned to Aigle for assessment before any decision could be made. I so wanted to prove to him he was wrong. I think the only reason he gave in was because I told him quite seriously that I would not leave the store without a refund.
 
You did well. I took leaking Mammut walking boots back to Go Outdoors and they would only send them back to Mammut. After a couple of weeks I did receive a new pair. I didn't realise the buck stopped with The seller, not the manufacturer so thank you!
 
You are absolutely and I was very intersted in your post because I bought a pair of Aigle Wellingtons last year and have been very disappointed with them. They lasted a bit longer than yours but started to leak after a much shorter time than I think was reasonable. The sheepskin lining flattened after a very short time and didn't keep my feet warm at all.
I went back to a pair of Muckboots that had a split above the ankle as a temporary measure and have now bought a pair of Dublin Wellingtons which seem to be doing well, so far. I wouldn't recommend Aigles to anyone.
 
Well done op, but it makes you get so cross when retailers flout the law :mad3:

Had similar with local large feed store, bought a rug, took it back next day as leaked in the centre of the back on the loins. Held up to the light you could see the outer had flaws in it.
Ended up having a discussion with the manager ....... who offered to send it back, then was eventually offered a credit note, so i phoned trading standards from the store, they were very interested.

i came away with full refund, but pretty mad that i had wasted nearly an hour of my time
 
Countrywide told me the exact same when my Hunters split.
Wonder who's rule this is? Countrywide or wellie manufacturers?
Well done OP I was softer than you and had to go without my decent wellies for a time which as everyone will understand in mud with horses is just a pain!
 
It's probably company policy to try and offer a fix before a refund (certainly my years old experience of working for a company that sold their own wellies hated refunds of any kind)
 
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Seems to be par for the course with saddlery outlets, crap customer service, always the customer or horses fault, me and daughter have stopped using our regular one after they ruined a rug and won't replace it, vote with your wallet, I reckon we used spend about £3000.00 a year between us on feed bedding etc etc, not only don't they seem to know the law on consumer rights, they don't have seem to have any business sense either, for what it would cost for them to replace the rug they ruined, in what we spend in a year, 15mins after we walked out in disgust we spent about £200.00 in the other local saddlery. NOA
 
I'm not disagreeing with anything said as obviously goods have to be fit for purpose but wonder what the situation is if you can't see what's wrong with the item just by looking at it Would it then have to be examined properly?
 
There is no specific legislation w/r to footwear, the same rules apply, as to anything else. And the problem sin't confined to saddleries/tackshops. I once had exactly the same discussion with Boots about a faulty hairdryer. I stood my ground and got a replacement.
 
I don't think there are any specific rules on footwear just the consumer law that already has been linked, goods have to be fit for purpose and satisfactory quality. So if you had a pair of boots and the zip broke or the sole came apart after a few weeks they are not of satisfactory quality.

If they are sold as waterproof then they have to be waterproof otherwise they are not fit for purpose. But you can't tell if something is waterproof just by looking at it. And I wouldn't think that running water a bit of water from the tap is an adequate test as it's not the same as wearing them for a couple of hours in wet conditions.
 
teapot said:
You are most definately correct that your contract is with Countrywide and legally you're only entitled to a refund if an item isn't fit for purpose/is fault, so correct on that count too.
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^^ this absolutely!!^^ everything you said and did was absolutely right! Well done!!
 
I had something similar with a nail product. The company said that t was fine and I was not entitled to a refund. Also had it with game and a PlayStation. They tested it and said it worked fine so no refund / exchange. I didn't know at the time this was illegal!
 
Definitely not. You are absolutely right.

That's really poor customer service IMO. I worked in retail for 10 years & would have taken your word for it, returned the item & taken it up with the manufacturer- not your job to do this. Well done standing your ground :)
 
Pity the Manager or other shop staff didn't try out the wellies in a deep puddle to see for themselves. Then the boot would have been on the other foot.
 
Well done OP!

And so to a funny story.

Once Upon a time I worked in a saddlery store and a man came in and bought a New Zealand rug. A week or so later he came back, bringing the rug with him advising that it leaks. The shop replaced it. A few weeks later the man returned again and advised the rug leaked. So the rug was replaced and man went away happy.

A few weeks later the man returned and shamefaced apologised for complaining about the leaking cover - he had caught the naughty horse rolling in a puddle!

Even our local Warehouse store has a six month replacement/money back policy on shoes - I do remember many decades ago deciding I'd never buy a particular brand of yard boots after they split along the side after only a couple of months wear. I now buy cheap gum boots and wear extra thick socks.
 
Sorry you had trouble with CW & well done for sticking to your guns. I must admit to have returned several pairs of wellies to our local CW & never had any trouble, either a swap or refund given. Did it make a difference that we are account customers, I wonder?
 
See...I did this with my Dyson. The rubber kept breaking. Argos dully replaced it. 3 times. Till I looked up on the Internet and found it was a safety procedure when the Dyson was jammed up with dirt??!
 
Good for you - I do think as a nation we accept too much. I took some back to our Countrywide and had a similar response (less clear cut in that they rubbed my heel and were unwearable). Then I mentioned Trading Standards and as if by magic a refund appeared, it seems to be company policy to try and duck out of their statutory responsibilities.
 
Thank you so much for all your replies in support. I have wooshed an email off to their Head Office today telling them of the incident yesterday and asking them for clarification of their returns policy and how this fits in with the law. Will keep you all update.
 
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