Shoe complaint

Q: My complaint is about a pair of shoes I bought two months ago. The left shoe has come apart and I lodged my complaint to this reputable firm. However, my complaint was dismissed without any explanation.

The salesgirl informed me the refusal came from abroad. What is my position in this situation? Do you think I should write to the company concerned?

I have no time to waste on court proceedings in the tribunal. I have been there before and the expense involved was more than the credit collected at the end.

A: Consumer law gives you the right to request a remedy when the product purchased has a hidden defect or is not in conformity with the contract of sale - it is not as described by the trader or is not fit for the purpose for which it is bought.

In this case what you are legally entitled to depends a lot on what caused your left shoe to break down. If it was yourself who broke the shoe through misuse or an accident, the law does not protect you and you will have to rely exclusively on the company's customer care policies.

If, however, you had no accidents, and the shoe broke down because it was either defective or simply not fit for walking in, then the law gives you the right to either request free repair or replacement.

If either of these remedies is not possible or may cause you significant inconvenience, you may also request your money back. Regarding the costs involved to take your case to the Consumer Claims Tribunal, the fee to open a case varies according to the value claimed. While the lowest fee is that of €9.32 when the claim does not exceed €582.34, the highest fee is that of €25.62 when the claim is between €2,331.70 and €3,494.06.

To take your case to this tribunal, there is no need to hire a lawyer to represent you during the sitting.