EXTREMELY HORRIFYING DISSAPOINTED

Dear Steve Madden Management,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the quality, workmanship and service I experienced while shopping for a pair of shoes for my daughter’s matric ball.

The shoes she wanted, the Larina Pink, cost approximately R2,000, which is a substantial amount of money to pay for a pair of shoes. For a brand such as Steve Madden, I expected a much higher standard of quality and workmanship.

Unfortunately, when my daughter tried on the pair in store, we noticed that the shoes already had visible marks on them. These were supposed to be brand-new shoes coming from your storeroom, yet they were already showing signs of damage or poor handling. This is simply unacceptable for a product at this price point.

To make matters worse, my daughter asked the consultant to check whether another branch had the same shoes in her size. We were informed that the Waterfront branch had the shoes available, only to discover that that pair was also damaged.

I have to ask: What kind of quality control and standards are being app**** to your products? How can a customer be expected to spend R2,000 on a pair of shoes when multiple pairs across different branches are already damaged?

This experience has been particularly disappointing because these shoes are intended for my daughter’s matric ball, which is a very special and important occasion for her. Instead of being excited about finding her shoes, she has been left disappointed and frustrated.

I understand that stock can occasionally have defects, but finding damaged shoes at more than one branch, coupled with the poor workmanship we observed, raises serious concerns about the quality control of your products.

I would appreciate a response from management addressing this matter and explaining what you intend to do to resolve it. As a customer, I expect a premium brand charging premium prices to provide products and service that meet a corresponding standard.

I look forward to your response.

Kind regards, MICHELLE