sashinka | observation orientated, with a twist of lime | a blog

So you probably remember my little Duo boots fiasco last week.

Short story: I paid extra for next day delivery late Thursday (was told Saturday) they eventually turned up Tuesday, and then a duplicate pair Wednesday. Call me old fashioned, but I felt a moral obligation to return them, but the customer service people wanted me to wait in for a day, and I'd already waited in for three, so didn't fancy it. That was last Wednesday, not heard from Maya since. I sort of imagined that I didn't fit into her system so she could just not deal with me and it would all be OK.

I had a busy weekend, but my spare Duoboots are clogging up my office, and I feel they're not mine. I've actually felt slightly unkindly towards my original pair - I had such a bad customer experience, I kinda didn't want to wear them anymore. And they are slightly loose.

I tried to call the MD a couple of times, and today I persisted, and eventually got through to Nick Sinfield. Who was very nice, said all the right things and apologised and everything. I feel better for getting it off my chest. He is going to arrange a pre-9am collection of my duplicate boots. I pointed out to him that someone else would probably have just put them on eBay. I also pointed out that it costs 3p a minute to call his 0845 number, and I spend twenty one minutes on the phone with him, at a cost to me of 63p. OK, it's only 63p, I grant you. He said it's cheaper for consumers, and I told him that (a) most consumers are on flatrate tariffs now, which include national calls, and (b) I'm guessing most people call from their mobiles, where an 0845 number isn't included in your minutes.

Anyway. I feel (a) slightly better that it's off my chest and (b) slightly pleased to be divesting myself of unrequested goods. What would make me really really happy would be if they sent me the Biscay boots in (purple, of course) suede, as a goodwill gesture. I mean, they're £185, but I can dream, right? I sure don't want to actually do business with them again, but if they just arrived magically in the post? That would be amazing.