Help! Retailers say we’re supposed to wait for them to fix product problems with suppliers before we are helped

Went to Sneaker Shed at The Glen Shopping centre to buy a pair of shoes on 01/12/2020. The service was great and the consultant helped me find a Sketchers shoe I decided to buy for R800.

A week later I noticed that the sole was peeling off and I then visited the store to change the pair as it does happen that manufacturers have faults. I took the exact same pair and size.They did not consolidate their return with their supplier and quiry the fault at the time.

Again,the same happened with the second pair,the sole again started peeling off.

I went there today to find a solution as to whether they refund the R800 or Change the pair for another.They then explained that they will take the product back to their supplier and have the supplier “confirm” that the defect is within their product before the retail assists me with a product they sold to me.

They commandeered both the first and second pair and gave me a reciept that I refused to sign because all of this happened within the 1st of December up until today.

The service was ridiculous to say the least that I must pay for a product that I’m not using and now have to wait for them to sort a procedure with their supplier that should have been followed the first time I returned a pair.Now I have no product but proof of purchase.This is baffling that business is done this way that customers have to wait for the retailer to follow a process that should have been done in the first place.

The manager is Terocheya, female,about 5.8” and ethnicity and accent are colored and the gentleman I spoke to on the telephone is called “Sam” who is the one who advised that a 14 day period is needed for him to contact his supplier and then let me know whether I get my money back or an exhange is due

I don’t want to do business with them EVER again and I don’t believe anyone else should