Where are they ?

[spikesmike]

I have been looking for estres modes of Spain, site in an effort to order a pair of High Heel Cowboy Boots of theres. QUESTION-- Are they still in business ?   ALSO--

I ordered one pair of high heel boots and one pair of high heel oxfords from Fabulously Fetish in April, 2015.  It is now Feb. 10, 2016. I have not received my shoes or boots

and am unable to get in touch with Cos (owner,forman, whatever) .  Does anyone have any Info. about any of these companys?  spikesmike

[Puffer]

I haven't dealt with the first company but it does seem to be still in business, trading under the 'Extreme High Heels' name; see: http://extremehighheels.net/en/   Unless I am much mistaken, these boots and shoes were previously made by and sold under the 'Omano' name, at rather lower prices.   (Maybe Omano is still the maker, but Extreme High Heels is now the vendor?)   I have noticed some similarity of the cowboy boots etc to those made in Mexico by Miguel Jones - whose products are very well made and reasonably priced; I have a pair of his boots.

As to Fabulously Fetish, I know nothing other than what is on this website (which you will see includes a negative report from another would-be customer):   http://www.shoebidoo.com/9815-Fabulously-Fetish-UK/View-details

Good luck with getting some response.

[spikesmike]

Puffer

Thank you for the update with my problem. Someone by the name of (philan100) was deceived by--Fabulously Fetish-- as was I. SEE and read the: http: above.

I just called PayPal  ( 2-11-2016) about not receiving my order. I placed my order last June,2015.To the tune of $1,162.05. I have not seen my order nor are these people responding to my

inquires. It seems that PayPal has had other complaints about Fabulously Fetish. They would not discuss there actions against them with me. So between all of us,

STAY AWAY FROM FABULOUSLY FETISH--LET ALL OF THOSE YOU  KNOW TO DO THE SAME.  THANKS

SPIKESMIKE

[at9]

When you google Fabulously Fetish it comes up as Cos K, wholesalers of shoes. The address is a private house, less than 5 miles from where I live.

Is it true that Cos K was part of The Little Shoe Box, when that was trading years ago in Holloway Road?

[Fluffybuffy]

I don't know about whether or not Cos was part of LSB.  What I can do however is confirm that I have also had terrible problems with getting delivery of bespoke boots that I ordered.  This order was placed in the early part of 2015.  I paid the full amount upfront - silly me.  I accepted that there were some delays because Cos was moving the business from New Southgate to New Barnet in North London and we all know how disruptive moving can be.  I did not set a specific delivery date when I ordered because I accepted that he couldn't know when exactly they would be ready, due to moving - silly me. However, many months went by and I was persistently let down as to progress, when they would be ready for a trial fitting etc.  

In the end I decided to cancel the order, because I lost all faith in him.  Under UK law, you need to jump through some hoops to get yourself out of an agreement to buy something.  When things are dragging, you should try and agree a date for the order to be completed and confirm to the supplier that 'time is of the essence'.  If you still cannot get the order completed within a reasonable timescale you can advise the supplier that you are cancelling due to the order not being fulfilled and that you want your money back.  If the supplier does not refund you, then you can ask your credit card company to return the money to your account (provided you paid that way in the first place of course).  They will ask you to send them full details, copy of the receipt and probably fill out a claim form.  They will probably suggest that you make one last attempt to get the supplier to refund your card directly, but then if all else fails they will seek the funds from the supplier's bankers.  After that it may take a few weeks but you should get your money back.

Having been through all this mess I did get my money back but it was a complete nuisance.

All the time this was going on, it seems that Cos was finding the time to go off to try and win new business at Fetish Fairs etc.

At best it seems he is very disorganised, at worst he is taking people's money knowing he will not be able to fulfil their orders in any reasonable timeframe.  If you are a fetish model that needs something for a photo shoot that is going to get him publicity then you may get a good service but otherwise that would seem to be unlikely to be the case.

However, the credit card companies are, I believe, fairly strict that if they keep on getting complaints about a business they will withdraw the facility to take credit card orders for the future. So, perhaps if enough people ask for their money back, he will start to provide a more reliable service. 

 

 

[spikesmike]

Fluffybuffy

Thank you for your advice and update. I made a order to Fabulously Fetish through PayPal. The money was paid. PayPal has a lapse time to recover funds paid.

My time to recover my money expired in Jan. I, 2016. So, I just may travel to England to exact a measure of rath with Mr.Cos.   

spikesmike

[Puffer]

On 25 Feb in the UK, Channel 4 transmitted a programme entitled 'The Great British Sex Survey'; details here, programme can still be watched online (until 26 March): http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-sex-survey

Embedded in the page is a clip of the 'Foot Fetish' segment.   It was filmed in a small shoemaking workshop in Barnet (north of London), so presumably is the Fabulously Fetish outfit and the bearded man shown is Cos.   So, he is still in business (or was when the programme was made).   A range of his high heeled footwear is shown and there is mild discussion about shoe and foot fetishism.

If Cos is responsive to publicity (e.g. from intending models), then maybe that presents a way to lure him into either making reparation or possibly becoming the victim of a modest scam which will recover readers' money sent.    (But you didn't read that suggestion here!)

[kabukicho]

Yep, I'm another one who had hopes, then felt like I was being lied to.  My custom order involved paying for a 'last'.  Of which, I recall England only having 1 or 2 last makers.  Being that FabFet. outsourced them, I suspected it was the 1 or two, but their pricing was more than what the last makers charged.  That was the first bad sign but I thought I'll let it go because I'm using FabFetish for the shoe design as well.

 

This was 3 years ago. 

 

Got several test fits, sometimes 6 months would go by, 9 months go, between test fits.

Their most recent email was six months ago about a reorg.  Seemed like a bail and run email, just to set the stage for their waiting customers to give them more time for their great escape.  Their twitter seems cancelled btw.  Cos a a Greek shoemaker based in England.  He used to be connected with BurlesqueBlue, which, though offered bespoke, for what I paid for it seemed like a half bespoke/half off the shelf shoe that I did not have to pay a shoe last for....

So this is 2 for 2 a company where HE is the shoemaker, that doesn't come through. 

This was his last email in Oct 2015.  My two emails to them, last week most recent, have been unanswered.

Excitement is growing here at Fabulously Fetish as we prepare for our brand spanking new website launch, coming soon! Our team are working round the clock to add the finishing touches to the all new site so it can be as sexy as our shoe collections.

There will be many new designs added to the new look website including many more of the classic fetish shoes that have been popular since the early days of the fetish scene, as well as some fresh new ideas for the modern fetishists. However to make way for these, a few of the existing styles will have to be removed. We will be discontinuing many lines to make way for fabulous new designs so this is your last chance to add some of our original pieces to your collections before they are gone for good. We have opened the vaults to give you a unique opportunity to purchase original designs and samples from our archives at seriously discounted prices.

Until then, this is a final opportunity to purchase some of these existing items and at these current prices. As an added incentive, with every purchase we will be sending you a £100 Gift Voucher to spend on the fabulous new items on the new look website. This offer will end once the new website is open so don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Once again we would like to thank you all for your continued support, we cannot continue to make this beautifull footwear without you.

 

 

 

 

And this one in Sept 2015:

 

Contact: Cos K

Tel: 020 8449 7454

Email: info@fabulouslyfetish.co.uk

 

An update from Fabulously Fetish

 

Dear Customers,

It has been a few, seemingly very short, months since my last apology email to you in which I set out the objectives for re-structuring and improvements for the future. I feel it is time for me to update you all on the progress made and to offer a further apology to those of you who are still waiting for delivery of items.
 Firstly, I would like to thank you all for your patience and continued support during this difficult period with an assurance that all orders will be completed in due course and will be prioritised in date order. I do understand the frustration that some of you may be experiencing due to the seemingly endless wait you are having to endure for your items. I apologise for this sincerely and would very much like to be in a position to complete them all for you overnight to keep you all happy. Unfortunately this is unrealistic and in order to maintain the quality it will take time to bring up to date and improvements are being made.

Customer backlog orders and completion times:  To improve the management of our customer orders we are in the process of implementing a CRM system (customer relationship management). This will allow us to have a clear view of the current situation in regards to customers and prioritising work for the production department. The CRM has now been installed and customised for our needs with much of the information from the previous system transferred to this new system. Implementing this new CRM has been a very slow and laborious process and one which is not visible to you, the customer as yet. During this process it probably seems that we are doing very little as there is still no communication and you are still waiting for your orders to be completed. I assure you however that we have been working very hard to get this done as quickly as possible and until this is fully completed it is difficult to give any of you accurate information. We are however, nearing the end of the transference of information and can then focus attention on the production and communication for better customer satisfaction. Although we have not made much progress in reducing the wait times for customer orders and we are aware that we have a number of extremely late orders, the implementation of our new systems will begin to make that progress and once we focus our attention on this I know we will eliminate the backlog in a short space of time. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Staffing: I have recruited new members of staff  who have been invaluable in creating and implementing the CRM, improving the efficiency of our back-end systems and will now use this to contact all customers with information regarding their orders.  They are also in the process of creating new, interesting and informative website content and social media campaigns. I have also recruited a couple of shoemaking trainees who are showing promise and I feel confident that they will be valuable help in the future. It is still early days for them however and they have much to learn. Please remember therefore that I am at the moment the only experienced shoemaker here and my time, by necessity, is divided between many tasks including training these young people who will hopefully be the next generation of great shoemakers.I am still interviewing many more candidates to be trainee shoemakers  some of whom will be the initial trial students for the shoemaking academy. I am also continuing my search for experienced staff in all areas.

Communication with customers: As a result of the above we are working our way through our customer emails, Our aim is to contact all customers with existing orders, providing them with realistic completion dates.  So if you have not from us in a while, we have not forgotten you and we will be in touch very soon.  Customers should be seeing improved response times in regards to email queries.  We are aiming to to respond to your email within 48 hours. I would point out here that all my current staff are part time only at the moment, with  their own responsibilities and commitments elsewhere and so it may not always be possible to respond within this time and I would ask you to be patient and you will receive a response as soon as possible. Now that the CRM is close to completion you should all start to receive regular updates, eliminating the need for you to request information from us.

Facilities: Repairs to the machines have begun with my cutting press fully functioning now. This alone will have an impact on our production volume. I have also started renovation work on the premises but this is a very big task requiring substantial funding and with the long shut down of the website and limited new business this has had to be a secondary objective till now. It is important however that I escalate the work on this now. The facilities that we work in will have an impact on the volume of work we produce and will create a happier and more efficient environment for myself and my staff to become more effective in our work. It will also help in my efforts to attract and recruit experienced staff. It is vital therefore that I also escalate my marketing efforts in bringing in new business which will provide the funds to complete the above projects.

Generating new business and new Website: Whilst we are going through the restructure phase I would like to remind customers that we are a business and we will be implementing new marketing campaigns to generate new business. Developing sales revenue is another critical area that we have to focus on and a healthy cash flow is vital in completing the above projects as well as purchasing materials and product components.  This may seem unfair to those of you who have been waiting patiently for a very long time but I promise that all current customer orders will be processed before any new sales that are generated via our marketing campaigns. I will also be sending out generous rewards to all of you who have been waiting patiently for your orders as an apology and thank you for putting up with the current situation.  
Work on the website is running to schedule and I am hoping to launch at the end of October. As you know, we will be necessarily increasing some of our prices and there will be changes in products on the new website. Take advantage of the current prices while they are still available. As an added incentive I will be offering a gift voucher with every purchase off the existing website to be used on the new website.

Finally, I would like to end this email as I did the last one.
During this process of change, I am doing all I can to make sure the production continues without too much disruption so that you can have your orders delivered without further disappointment. However, some of you may have to endure further delays and although I understand how frustrating this must be for you, I would ask you to please continue with the patience you have shown and I promise this will have been worth the wait. I will not compromise on quality for the sake of speed, to achieve great quality requires time, dedication and attention to detail. 

Once again I would like to thank you for your custom and continued patience. Please continue to support my efforts and purchase with confidence knowing that I and my team are working hard for you. I cannot do this without your continued support.

Regards and best wishes to you all,
Cos. K 

[Puffer]

Kabukicho (and others):   I sympathise with your plight; it certainly seems as though CK is unable to satisfy many customers, regardless of any intention to be less than honest.   His latest messages smell strongly of bullshit and are just an attempt to fob people off during his magnificent 'restructuring' phase.   If you look at the TV clip I mentioned, there is little about the modest workshop to inspire confidence or to suggest that facilities are being improved - but I don't know when it was filmed and maybe something worthwhile has happened since.   The FF website http://www.fabulouslyfetish.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact gives the workshop location as being in Enfield, north of London and visitors are apparently welcome.  If I was nearer his location, I would try to find out more, but alas it is some 55 miles away across London. 

If you look here:   https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09275087/filing-history   you can see that the company is 'Cos.K.London Ltd' and has Constantinos Kyriacou as its sole director.   Although the company was recently threatened with compulsory strike-off (probably because it had not filed its initial return on time), it has successfully applied for that threat to be lifted - for the time being.   Its accounts are due to be filed by July.   You can draw your own conclusions about the company and CK (who was previously a director of another company that was dissolved).

[at9]

His workshop is on an industrial estate in Enfield though the google map on the website shows a different location, possibly his old workshop. Not too far from me so if I'm over that way I'll take a look.

The registered office is very near me in a road that's full of Victorian terraced houses. Looks like the address is of an accountant who has his office at his house. http://accountants.b99.co.uk/finchley/p-r-s-accoutancy-and-taxation-services/

It's impossible to say whether CK is dishonest or overwhelmed. In either case I wouldn't be prepared to place and order with his company.

[HappyinHeels]

The business appears to still be operating. With operation comes licencing and thew ability to collect taxes on behalf of the Crown. I monies were collected and no products were distributed it seems equally as likely no taxes were remitted from those either. And  there's the Crown's interest. Euro governments love their taxes and I believe will take action if evidence of tax evasion can be shown. Somewhere there is a digital trail of spikemike's transaction in the form of an EFT from a Michigan bank to a routing number in the UK in the time frame spikesmike said he bought the shoes. Even if no products were mailed or distributed (theft by deception) there is the issue of unreported income (tax evasion). Perhaps someone in the UK could knock on a door or get the help of the TV station which used the footage. Test the ability of their "investigative journalism" credentials. My guess is one of these strategies will produce results and likely product delivery or a  refund. You really have nothing more to lose. HappyinHeels

[kabukicho]

thankyou everyone for carrying on this thread further.  i'm in the states, so i'm an ocean away.  otherwise i'd very much like to visit him in person. 

[kabukicho]

i've tried to phone fabulous fetish multiple times last week, but only get a voice message.

[spikesmike]

I Would like to thank all of you who have chimed in on this subject. I feel that HappyinHeels has what sounds like a workable solution. Alas, I am also an ocean away.

I would not presume to ask our British cousins to take on the task of implementing his idea. I would love to take a trip to England some day (before I die).If I am able to

manage the trip, rest assured, I will spend time attempting to get the British Government involved on behalf of all of us who have been ripped off by cousin COS. For those of us who have experienced this problem with COS, send a detailed list of Dates, Items ordered, Money spent, etc. to this site, and I will keep copies and take them to England. spikesmike.

.

 

 

[kabukicho]

Hi Spikemike, I merely called Cos a month ago, and he picked up, perhaps mistakenly.  I asked him what gives.  He promised me he'd get mine done.  that time has passed.  He hasn't been reachable recently.  How do you mean send our detailed list to this site... you mean literally post it to this thread?  I'm going to read up on contacting the British equivalent of the BBB.

[spikesmike]

Kabukicho

My passport is now up to date. I am planning a trip to England - Germany - and Spain in September 2016. During this trip, I plan to contact

the British police or some organization to bring Cos up on fraud charges. He took me for over $ 1,100.00 on an order I placed with him

over a year ago. I will spend 10 times that amount to get justice for myself.  Note: What is the BBB ?

spikesmike

[Heelster]

BBB - Better Business Bureau.

 

[at9]

You are most unlikely to get the police interested in bringing fraud charges. Their usual reaction would be be to say that it's a civil matter which you are free to pursue in the County Court system.

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

[kabukicho]

Spikesmike that is awesome that you will have the opportunity to be there, and chase this guy in Sept.  He has passed on me for 3 years.  all from shop relocation, to employee changes, to being on travel, family leave, da da da,  wow, so many lies this guy has made to me.  the most recent one was this spring, as I mentioned, he picked up the phone, told me he's staring at my shoes and if i send him a detailed write up of what i want, he'd complete them and ship them to me in two weeks.  Lol.

[spikesmike]

To all high heel Lovers.

Well here it is-- September is close. I have been to the Bank--Ordered Pounds and URO's. Why not get money exchanged here instead of procrastinating.

My plane leaves for England the 1st. of sept. It is my intension to do something about Cos. even if all fails. SOMETHING !  Can any of you suggest some

places in England and Germany where I can shop for high heel boots and/or shoes while I am overseas? If any one would care to get together for a beer

or dinner and conversation, With high heel attire, let me know. Sept. will be here soon, so, let me know. Have a safe trip.

spikesmike         August 8, 2016   Monday

 

 

[elk4712]

Hi,

a cold beer and heeling sound good as long as you are somewhere in the Frankfurt area. If so I should be able to join you. Let me know the exact date when you will be here and where you will be staying. Send me a PM if you don´t want to post the info here. Near Frankfurt I can recommend HighFeelings(dot de). It´s mostly an online shop but you can make an appointment to pick up your purchase and try them on. They are located 25 minutes from Frankfurt airport. I have been there a couple of times, a very friendly couple runs the place, he also wears heels, but not all the time.

Have a nice trip

 

Eric

Edited August 16, 2016 by elk4712
Spelling

[spikesmike]

To  elk4712

Eric : After a stop in London, I will arrive in Frankfort, Germany. I will be there from Sept. 7, 2016 to Sept. 11, 2016. I am staying at the Wyndham Grand Frankfort

on Wilhelm-Leuschner-StraBe 32/34. Would love to meet you and any of your friends or other heelers. Any time is good- Day or Night. I am looking forward to this trip.

Michael Johnson = spikesmike

[Fluffybuffy]

Sorry not been on here for a long time to see if I can give any more advice  (I managed to get my refund quite a long time ago as mentioned above).

At the time that I first came into contact with Fabulously Fetish they were in the Southgate are but then moved to New Barnet.  Their address was 16 Leicester Road. (rear of). New Barnet. EN5 5DA. telephone =44 (0) 20 8882 9083

The local government that runs this area is The London Borough of Barnet.  If you want to complain to local government about a particular business then you can contact what we generally call 'Trading Standards' who may be able to help.  Their web page and contact details are here...

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/environmental-health/consumer-advice.html

However, there is another address for FF that is coming up on their website as  Unit 4, 50-52 Alexandra Road Enfield EN3 7EH Telephone: +44 (0)208 935 5687

So, if you've been ringing on the New Barnet number and never getting a reply that may be that it was an old address. 

London Borough of Enfield Trading Standards webpage doesn't seem to exist right now but you can find contact details for them here http://uktradingstandards.co.uk/enfield-trading-standards/

You can also follow the route of taking FF to court to recover your money.  In some cases just the threat that you will take them to court may get them to pay up.  If not then it is possible to take them to what is generally known as the Small Claims Court.  I haven't used this myself but I think that it is possible to advise the court that you are unable to attend the court (if FF try to defend the claim) because you live abroad and ask the court to proceed based on the documents you submitted only (danger is that Cos gives them some cock and bull story in person to get out of it, but could be an option if your case is clear - e.g. clear timeline, correspondence, receipts for any money paid etc).  Anyway, the government guide to using this is here

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/overview

There is also a good more detailed guide here

http://www.courtroomadvice.co.uk/guide-small-claims-court.html

If you win the case, then the court will order FF to pay.  However, they may ignore the court order.  If they do this then you can ask the court to enforce the order, in which case they will send bailiffs to visit FF to recover the money or goods to that value.  Obviously, there is a cost to bring the small claim in the first place and bailiffs costs if they have to be brought in, but it might be worth it depending on how much you have paid FF.

 

Further actions that you may wish to take is advising FF that you will post all over social media about his poor service if he doesn't refund you.  E.g. Join every Fetlife group that you can that may be related, particularly UK group, and make posts about the shabby way you've been treated. Contact the London Alternative Market and ask them not to have FF listed on their directory and not to have them as a stall holder/exhibitor due to the high number of complaints about them on HHPlace until the complaints are resolved http://londonalternativemarket.com/contact-us/  etc etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[Puffer]

Fluffybuffy's suggestions are helpful as far as they go but need some careful consideration:

1.   No court of other legal action should be commenced unless and until a formal letter of claim has been sent to the registered office address of the company (COS.K.LONDON LTD), preferably by recorded delivery.   (The RO is a matter of public record - currently at 36 Glebe Road, London, N3 2AX.)   The letter need only be a statement of the transactions concerned (with dates and details) and the remedy sought, i.e. a demand for the goods to be supplied, or the money fully refunded, within a 'reasonable' time - a month would be adequate.   Only if there is no response should formal action be taken. 

2.   It will not be so easy for someone resident outside England & Wales to bring or enforce any court action, even in the Small Claims Court.   The fees are not exactly trivial and will be wasted if the action fails.   A claim can be initiated online and this is the easiest option.   Read the guidance notes online carefully.

3.   Be very careful if posting anything derogatory about the business in any public media or to any third party.   Unless such comments can be proven to be true, they may be treated as defamatory (libellous) by the subject and you do not want to be on the receiving end of an action for that!

Good luck anyway.

[Shyheels]

Very sound advice!

[Chorlini]

On 7-5-2016 at 9:03 PM, spikesmike said:

Kabukicho

My passport is now up to date. I am planning a trip to England - Germany - and Spain in September 2016. During this trip, I plan to contact

the British police or some organization to bring Cos up on fraud charges. He took me for over $ 1,100.00 on an order I placed with him

over a year ago. I will spend 10 times that amount to get justice for myself.  Note: What is the BBB ?

spikesmike

I'm impressed with your desire for justice. Vengeance! Remember that nothing says 'don't mess with me!' then a severed head on a stick.

Seriously though, has it worked out? Or is it working out?

[Shyheels]

A lot of severed hands dangling from fence wire is good too.

[Puffer]

Spikesmike:   Did you get anywhere with your dispute with Cos K?   And how did your European trip go otherwise?

[spikesmike]

Puffer

The address I had for COS was a good address. However, There was NO Cos and NO work shop. The day I tried to find Cos

I returned to where I was staying and made phone calls to both numbers I had. When I made the calls the operator responded

with " We do not recognize that number ".  In Germany I went to the location ( Army camp ) where I was stationed in 1958 and

1959. The camp closed in 2006. I got a couple of pictures of the camp from the outside, but that was it. In Spain I managed a

visit with Pablo of Estresmodes. I placed an order for a pair of 7" high heel, 1 1/2" plat. cowboy boots. Returned Sept.14, 2016

in good health. I am excited to see and wear my new boots.

spikesmike

[Kathry]

Since Feb 2015 nothing but empty promised received. Doesn´t look good at all. For the European customers there is a way to start the process: 

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/solving_consumer_disputes/non-judicial_redress/ecc-net/index_en.htm

Good Luck for all!