False Advertising: Fake Leather & Return Nightmare!
My order arrived 17 days after I placed it, two days past their latest projected delivery date, even though I live in the same region of the US as their headquarters.
The bigger problem is the product itself. Their Materials & Construction page lists a “premium full-grain leather” upper and a “breathable leather lining.” What I received has a man-made upper and a non-breathable, man-made lining. The upscale packaging and high price tag suggest luxury, but the materials don’t match what’s advertised.
As soon as I saw that both the upper and the lining were man-made, I put the shoes back in their box, unworn, and requested a refund. My order shipped via YunExpress, a China-based cross-border carrier, and the Shop app tracking lists the service in Chinese as an economy-tier international line, although the website references FedEx, DHL, & USPS as shipping partners. This explains the overseas-style packaging and long delivery time for a brand that presents itself as US-based.
The return process has been just as frustrating. Their returns page promises requests are “often approved instantly, no waiting on a reply.” Instead, I submitted a return and was told it would go through a 12-hour review. The response offered only an exchange. When I replied that I wanted a refund to my original payment method, I got a canned message announcing another 12-hour review. Hours later, an unsigned email said approval would come within 24 hours. I just received their email confirming my return was approved, 5 days after submitting my request. Their approval email confirmed a 10% restocking fee, which isn’t disclosed in their return policy, terms, or at checkout. Their alternative was keeping the boots for a 50% refund. Either way, you lose money on a product that has a false description. I called their customer service line, I reached only a voicemail inbox, with no option to speak to a live person.
Their general T's & C's include a clause saying they aren’t responsible for errors on their website, which is not reassuring when the website is where the leather claims are made. I’ll be paying return shipping out of pocket and their site says refunds typically take 5 to 10 business days after the item is received and inspected. Their approval email confirmed a 10% restocking fee, which isn’t disclosed in their return policy, terms, or at checkout. Their alternative was keeping the boots for a 50% refund. Either way, you lose money on a product that wasn’t as described. Buyer be very aware!
