[Resolved]  Reebok Shoes — faulty shoes

complaint written by me, to REEBOK CUSTOMER CARE, on 29/01/2009:

Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:39 PM
To: Care, Customer
Subject: faulty shoes

i am from nagpur, but during one of my visits to indore i had purchased a reebok sports shoe from your flagship store - M/S Shubhankar Apparels, 581/1 The Orchid, opp. Indraprastha Towers, M G Road, Indore, on 28/11/2008 vide their invoice number: 4187. the model number of the shoe is[protected] R 178982.

i started using the shoes from the second week of december 2008. i use the shoes only for walking, about 10 kilometers per day for 5 days a week. after using the shoes for about 15 days (1) the mid portion of the heel area starting tearing-off at the top edge, and a white string has started coming out; (2) in the right leg shoe heel portion on the left inner side portion has also torn-off.

now where do i take this shoe for inspection / replacement, in nagpur. please give the contact details.

hope you will resolve the issue immediately, as the shoe is giving me problem while walking and also the tear is increasing day-after-day and my socks are also getting damaged because of this.

i have been walking regularly for the last 5 years and have always worn reebok shoes, never have my earlier shoes given such problems.

awaiting your early reciprocation and hoping you will take immediate action to resolve my problem.

regards,
rajnesh naidu

reply from reebok on 30/01/2009:

fromBhuva, Mayur <mayur.[protected]@reebok.com>
to"Care, Customer" <customer.[protected]@reebok.com>,
[protected]@gmail.com

[protected]@gmail.com,
Chandan Jakhete <chandanj.[protected]@gmail.com>

dateFri, Jan 30, 2009 at 11:48 AM
subjectRE: faulty shoes

Dear Rajnesh,

Kindly walk to any store in Nagpur and they will do the needful.


P.S. Chandhan plz look into it.
Regards,
Mayur

after this I went to one of the reebok outlet and gave my shoes, which was acknowledged by their personnel, also I had spoken to Mr. Chandan on his cell. Mr. Chandan promised that the shoes will be sent to their product quality department and he would revert back to me after three weeks. After almost a month (some time in March '09), when I did not get any response, I called-up Mr. Chandan again and he informed me that the claim has been rejected, as its not a product defect, but the problem is on the way I wear my shoes and that REEBOK cannot do anything about it. since then I have tried contacting various personnel in REEBOK, but to no avail. the shoes are since lying in the outlet, and I have not collected the same. out of frustration, I wrote a mail to REEBOK personnel, on 22/06/2009:

to"Bhuva, Mayur" <mayur.[protected]@reebok.com>

cc"Care, Customer" <customer.[protected]@reebok.com>,
[protected]@gmail.com,
Chandan Jakhete <chandanj.[protected]@gmail.com>

dateMon, Jun 22, 2009 at 2:07 PM
subjectRe: faulty shoes
mailed-bygmail.com

very sorry to say that the response i have got from REEBOK is very
poor, same as the quality of shoes being manufactured in china.

on 6th feb '09, i had bought a shoe R714396/9, vide bill no.
NF0S8/3875, from your store in kadbi chowk, nagpur. this shoes are
being used regularly by me for the last five months, my routine being
10 kilometers walk / 2 hours of hardcore gymming at talkwalkars, and
the shoes are in perfect condition except that the sole has slightly
worn-off. as such, i replace my sports shoes every 4-5 months and
it is due now.

for the last 5 years i have been using only reebok shoes for my
workouts and have never faced any problems, but this time 'round i
will not be going for reebok shoes, also in my gym i have been telling
others also not to patronise reebok anymore.

the simple reason being, that you guys are only into the business of
selling and in case of any problems you try to put it on the customer.
as i had complained on the 29th of january '09, and after telecon's
with your representative i deposited the faulty shoes with your store
in eternity mall, nagpur. after few weeks i was informed that the
claim has been rejected, as its not a manufacturing defect, but the
problem lies in the way i wear the shoes, because of which the shoes
have got damaged. now after having worn shoes for the past 35 years
plus and if i still don't know how to wear shoes, i guess i am not fit
for wearing shoes. and all these years when i have had no problems
with my shoes (including reebok), suppose someone was doing it for me,
and when i started wearing the shoes myself, i damaged a brand new
pair of reebok shoes within 15 days. guess the fault lies with me,
right?? suggest that reebok conducts training courses for teaching
people how to wear shoes.

as per my analysis the defect, in the damaged shoes deposited by me,
lies in the padding provided in the inner heal and the inner sides
(they are too thin) and are in direct contact with the plastic
moulding inside, and because of the rubbing the fabric is getting
torn. incase a thin form lining is provided between the plastic
moulding and the fabric, this problem will not arise.

anyways, the damaged shoes have still not been collected by me from
your store, and i don't intend doing it, as i dont want to wear
damaged shoes.

hope that reebok improves the quality of their shoes and doesn't fool
other customers, as i was.

regards,
rajnesh naidu

BUT TILL DATE (30/06/2009), THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM ANY PERSONNEL OF REEBOK. IF THIS IS THE STATE OF MNC'S IN OUR COUNTRY AND IF THESE GUYS THINK THEY CAN TAKE INDIAN CONSUMERS FOR A RIDE, THEN WE INDIANS SHOULD GET 'ROUND AND SHOW THEM WHAT WE ARE MADE OF AND WE DO NOT THINGS LYING-DOWN. VERY UN-FORTUNATE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN A REPUTED MNC, WHICH IS ENDORSED BY MANY TOP SPORTSMEN OF OUR COUNTRY. I WOULD REQUEST ONE & ALL NOT TO PATRONISE REEBOK PRODUCTS PER-SE, TILL SUCH TIME THEY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY THEM AND SO ALSO THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

requesting your good organisation, to take corrective actions.

regards,

rajnesh naidu