Buyer Beware at Gravity Pope
Hip shoe store perhaps, quality control, definitely NOT. On a recent shoe splurge at our famous neighbourhood shoe destination, I decided to exchange a pair of brand new, obviously unworn shoes for a (yet more expensive) model. No problem, right?
Well, with receipt in hand, box and carrier bag, I took it all back to the shop, having had a second pair already on hold (as backup). Once I tried on the new shoes, I had a close look and realized that the surface of these contained several scuff marks on one shoe, while the other shoe was perfect. They took the shoe and tried to polish it for me, however the difference was only marginal. My choices were then to: 1) wait for a week and a half for them to ‘special order’ another pair from their Edmonton store, 2) take the scuffed shoes home and accept it, or 3) keep the other pair that I didn’t want.
Under no circumstance would my credit card be credited back to the amount paid, nor a minor discount offered. I can understand a policy that states no refunds, only exchanges. However, in the real world, one would expect the newly exchanged item to be in new condition! I walked out of there fuming. The shoes that would have taken a week and a half to get back in were over 50 dollars extra and at this point, I am hard pressed to want to support that store with any more money, let alone any future purchases.
All I am saying is, buyer beware. Gravity Pope MAY be Vancouver’s favourite shoe store year in, year out, but the employee attitude completely sucks and their product really needs a careful look over before being taken home!
Gravity Pope kinda jumped the shark for me a while ago. I don’t see anything that totally grabs me in the men’s shoes, and the tables at the front are so cluttery – it’s like a bargain bin or something. Fluevogs own my heart for the shoes and the store merchandising.
Hi Todd,
I agree in that area too. The shoes go from most to least expensive, and ironically enough, it’s the least expensive shoes towards the back and sides of the store that get the nicest displays. My guess is that the store wants the customers to be able to touch and pick out those pricey shoes in the cluttery area right away and fall in love with them, vs. the more normal lines in the other areas. I do love Fluevogs; if only to find a comfortable fit for my feet (Keens seem to do the trick time and time again).
1) wait for a week and a half for them to \’special order\’ another pair from their Edmonton store
I fail to see the problem with this option? I don’t see why you should get a discount on an item that will be available.
Hi Jon,
I don’t have so much a problem with waiting a week as the principle of them having inferior product to offer. As is, I really needed the shoes for two important meetings this week, so yes, there was a bit of a rush (why I’d even have bothered to go into that shop on a busy weekend in the first place).
What an absolutely ridiculous and petty complaint.
So Kitsilano to whine about imperfections on new shoes at a trendy shoe store. Yes, ‘Buyer Beware’ indeed – of psycho shoe shoppers that think the world revolves around their feet.
Gravity Pope offers a huge selections of women’s shoes and the staff have a hell of job catering to a prima donna like you. You returned a pair of “unworn” shoes and then demand that the pair you want look brand spanking new? Lady, get a grip.
Hi Robert,
Do you work at Gravity Pope? I’m wondering why you would feel the need to stand behind inferior quality. I love supporting the small local shops just like the next guy, but come on, they are no bargain shoe store; one would expect the employees to sell shoes in new condition.
And, what the hell is wrong with asking for a pair of spanking new shoes? If I’m gonna enter a shoe store that sells new product, I’d expect nothing less. This isn’t Craig’s List, it’s a retail establishment out for full profit, like anyone else.
[...] Like I said before, I’m not p1ssed off. Instead, I was a little shocked to see such an inconsistent display of service from a store that kind of screams quality and service. Turns out, I’m not necessarily correct with this assumption. [...]
haha in my commercial law class, we were told that if a situation like this ever arose in the real world, we could justify our complaint with the “Sale of Goods Act” (section 18b) that goods sold must be of “merchantable quality”, free from defects, etc.
Hi Vanessa,
Nice to see that something like this protects consumers. Now if only more people knew about the Sale of Goods Act, Section 18b
: )
ARIANE,
Avoid similar problems in the future by shopping at stores with better refund policies. Even some shops with “no refund” policies will bend those rules if you’re reasonable and not a total bitch. While I do think you were justified in your disappointment, I don’ think it’s right to slag a retailer anonymously on a blog. Pursue your complaint with upper management and you might be surprised at what they will do for you.
I love the shoes at Gravity Pope but I don’t enjoy shopping there. I do not find the sales people there very eager to assist, (or perhaps there aren’t enough of them), and I have a hard time swallowing their no refund policy. Sometimes you bring the shoes home and they just don’t work with your wardrobe or you discover that each shoe is a slightly different colour once you take it home and see them in natural light, (which happened to me with no recourse because those shoes were the last pair in my size and I didn’t want a different style). I do prefer to spend my money in the small shops in my neighbourhood but with that much money at stake I need to be sure. I spend my dollars at Gravity Pope if I can’t find the shoes elsewhere. When I spend high end dollars I expect the service to match.
Hey Monica,
Thanks for the post. Your experience pretty much matches mine, so it’s good to know I’m not the only one feeling this way.
This thread’s got legs for sure; I posted originally over a year ago
Cheers,
Ariane
I have not been to Gravity Pope or even Vancouver but all you people are cry babies. Maybe if you finacky, (but $ poor) people were willing to buy shoes that were not on the discout rack you wouldn’t be defaming companies on the net over polices that are fair and are in place to protect a business. Why does one ever need to take shoes back? Just decide to buy them and leave until it’s time tobuy new shos again. If I worked in retail I wouldn’t be hesitant to help you too. After all, I would be getting myself involved with a problem customer that would just ruin my day. Sorry you were fat and had no friends in highschool but life is tough so don’t take it so seriously.
Hi Claudio,
I don’t even know what finacky means (do you mean finicky?), but realize that we ‘rich’ or ‘hard-working’ people also don’t like to spend a lot of money on items of substandard quality.
You only need to visit Gravity Pope on a weekend day (such as the day I bought those shoes) to realize how jam-packed the store is at any given time.
Please look over your spelling and sentences. It’s atrocious and annoying to try to muddle though. Life is tougher having to navigate your writing.
I agree with Monica. The refund policy is definately hard to swallow when you don’t find out what it is AFTER you punch in your PIN number and get the receipt that tells you no cash/visa refund. This is after the store clerk follows you around telling you if you are not sure, take them home and try them because you have 10 days to return them. Then you are taken to the far till nowhere near the return policy. You are told again how great it is to get 10 days to return them. Most people take a return to mean cash/visa refund and NOT a store credit. Certainly the receipt states the return policy but you get that AFTER you authorize the payment. Sure there is a sign up–ONE sign that is NOT in front of the cashier you used, and then the store clerk not being specific about what you can return the shoes for.
The shoes there are not cheap by any means. I brought the shoes back in 3 days. I find their tactics deliberately deceiving.
BUY BEWARE GRAVITY POPE’S SALES TACTICS.
Okay called the store and finally got to talk to a manager to explain my case (above). Now, the key is to find somebody who actually cares to help you and wants you to come back to shop again. I have to report: we came to an amicable resolution and I have a completely different view of Gravity Pope because of it.
Lesson learned: don’t jump to conclusions just because one staff member is not customer service oriented. They probably won’t last long anyways. Talk to a manager.
THANKS FOR CARING, GRAVITY POPE.
But wait – They’re totally f*&ing me around.
Brought back a $700 pair of boots after owning them for . to get a broken zipper repaired and they told me that I’d have to pay $100 to get them fixed! They said that because they are high quality boots, I obviously must have broken the zipper by “walking funny”.
After much debate they finally agreed to fix them, but I waited for over a month and each time I called the shop they said they weren’t ready.
Turns out they were ready. They were sitting at the cobbler’s. I went to the cobbler myself to retrieve them.
And the staff at Gravity Pope? Consistently surly throughout the whole experience.
GRAVITY POPE IS A NIGHTMARE.
Just bought a pair of shoes at Gravity Pope. Went to a cafe and put them on. Decided they were uncomfortable. Brought them back in identical condition, 10 minutes after I bought them, and found they wouldn’t refund my purchase, only give store credit. Boo. Last time I buy shoes there.
I was looking at shoes there. The staff is commission-driven. Most are very helpful, due to the commission-based salary. However, their refund policy is years behind the times. NO REFUND – only exchange or credit. I tried on a pair of shoes that had ripped (not intentional) fabric on the tongue that would have quickly unravelled with use. They did not pull the pair out of stock. Then I tried another pair of the same shoes but in a different colour. This pair had a twisted edge on the heel – something that should have been caught in a quality control check at the factory, and by the staff at Gravity Pope. It was EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. They put it back in stock. There is something VERY VERY unethical about Gravity Poop.