I ordered a pair of TOMS espadrilles costing £34.95 through the company’s UK website. Its policy of donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every purchase swayed my decision.
The shoes arrived promptly, but I was surprised that they were shipped from the Netherlands. They were too small. The parcel contained no returns slip or label. The bottom of the order gave an 0800 number to ring to start the returns procedure. The telephone number was not recognised and the contacts given were Dutch.
I went back to the UK site and tried the helpline with no success. I then emailed them to find out how to make a return and had an immediate acknowledgement: “We’ll respond soon – pinky swear”. So far, nothing. But I have ascertained that I will be responsible for shipping them back to Holland, which will cost about £15. It does say this on the website, but only when you hunt for it. Leaving aside the fact that I feel I have not been treated well by a company, which makes so much of its ethical stance, why is its distribution from the Netherlands? SP, Walpole, Suffolk
So much for the “pinky” promise – more a deafening silence– and disappointing for a company which attracts custom by boasting of its ethical credentials.
The TOMS terms and conditions say it accepts returns within 45 days of online purchase, provided the items have not been worn. Merchandise it considers to be worn will be subject to what it calls a “restocking fee”. That said, it seems extraordinary that your attempts to simply get a free returns label were thwarted.
TOMS has emailed you after our intervention and said that, to apologise for the inconvenience caused, it would provide you with a free shipping label so that you can return the shoes with no extra costs. It said it would be sending this label by email, with instructions, within two to three working days. Why it would take this long is beyond us.
The company said in a statement: “We take every TOMS customer experience to heart and always aim to solve any issue if and when it occurs directly and promptly. In this case, we’ve offered to supply a free shipping label to streamline the return process for the customer. We’re always grateful to our community for supporting the TOMS movement … and have apologised to the customer for any inconvenience caused.”
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number
