Buyer Beware!

[Mr. X]

I recently purchased a pair of boots through the some local online classifieds.  I talked about them here.  http://hhplace.org/topic/10305-mr-xs-travels/?p=336867

I guess I should have been a little more careful inspecting them before I bought them.  Once I got them home I realized that one of the heels was a tad loose.  There was also something sticking up a little and it was right where the heel of my foot was.  So it was somewhat uncomfortable.  From the research I did online they were a less expensive boot so I didn't think much of it.  Plus I paid very little for them.  I hadn't worn them except for trying them on for purchase.  I decided I would take them to a shoe repair and half them checked out.  I figured even if there was something wrong it would be a fairly easy fix.  Plus the cost of a repair didn't sound too expensive from what I read online.

I took them to a repair shop this week.  I told him I might have some boots that need fixing.  The funny thing is that he didn't even bother to ask who's boots they were.  He just treated them as if they were mine.  As soon as I showed them he basically said that they were shot!  He said that with the material they were made from they weren't worth fixing.  He said I would be risking injury to my ankle and such if I wore them.  He pounded down what was sticking up and that helped.  But he still said I should avoid wearing them.

It kinda sucks because they were really nice boots.  At least I didn't pay much.  Oh well!  Lesson learned I guess!

[Histiletto]

Mr. X,

I'm saddened that you got some what of a bad deal with your boot purchase. Knowing how some people try to put things over or just plain deceive, I decided to filter any internet purchases by selecting only the items with the new category stipulation. Most of the time sellers are honest, but there have been some items I know were used a bit.

[HappyinHeels]

Mr X,

 

The old adage of getting what you paid for comes to mind. The Internet and online sites like ebay and craigslist can be great places to find good merchandise at good prices but it can be also be the world's dumping ground for  merchandise of dubious quality sold by people of dodgy backgrounds as they might say in the UK. You never know though unless you try. It might be better to wait until a retailer you already know drastically cuts prices. Just a thought. HappyinHeels

[Steve63130]

I have done very well over the years, buying and selling on ebay. When buying, I always check the track record of the seller, and if it looks dubious, I pass it up. I have only been burned a couple of times buying something that was clearly worn but sold as new. If the fit was ok, no problem. If not, I never paid much for it, so I can re-sell it. Even selling can be tricky. I once sold a pair of shoes to a woman who claimed that when she got them they looked in terrible condition. I can only guess that the plastic bag I wrapped the shoes in must have melted in a hot truck or warehouse and I refunded her money. I've always wrapped shoes in paper ever since. Lesson learned.

 

While I still check ebay on a regular basis, I find myself more and more buying heels in the 20-40 dollar range from discount places like 6pm.com, DSW, Target, and Payless, or close-outs from Aerosoles, Naturalizer, Born, Amazon, etc. Every now and then a must-have pair comes along at 50-70 dollars, and I stew over it until my wife says, "Go ahead, stop sulking, and buy them!" LOL She knows I'm a cheapskate and I'm my worst enemy in that regard.

 

Steve

[mlroseplant]

I buy almost exclusively on eBay these days. Like Steve, I'm in that 20-40 dollar range. I also realize that my success rate is about 50 percent, for various reasons. Most of the failures are because the shoes don't fit right, but a fairly recent failure fit perfectly. I just hated the way it looked on my foot in person. I try to resell the stuff that I don't want.