With Heavy Heart...

*update 16th March 2012* Kandee contacted me immediately after this post was published.  We emailed back and forth for a couple of weeks.  They felt some of the points I raised in this article were misleading to potential customers and were very surprised that I hadn't notified them of these issues before now.  Finally last week, I received a phone call to go into detail of my issues with the Jezebel booties.  Kandee maintain a portion of the Jezebel boots were made with faulty zips and these were either recalled or the unsold were reduced considerably (to around £50).  The rest of the stock were made with zips in working order and this is where my second pair of boots came from, that I wrote about in this post.  The zips were not faulty.   Kandee felt they had to be objective and could not take into account my past history with the company through all the shoes I've purchased and blog posts I've written.  Quite rightly not everyone has a 'voice' or platform like this to write their opinions, so I had to be treated like any other customer regardless of how big a fan I'd been.  The final decision was based on the timescale and they felt 8 months was too long to do anything about it.  This is regardless of me discovering the issue 8 months down the line and regardless of photo evidence that the boots have never been worn.  Kandee feel they can't verify what has happened to the zips in that period and this was the sticking point.  I will therefore not receive any refund, replacement or offer of repairs.  I did however receive compensation of £20 for the £10 p&p charges I paid returning the original Jezebel boots (that also broke, when I hadn't received money at the time).  This money was placed into my Kandee account.*  Thank you for all your comments regarding this issue-I've read every single one and the emails/messages about it.  The above update does not take into account my feelings on the subject-I wanted it only to contain the facts of the situation as I voiced my opinion in areas of the article below and I think you could guess how I feel.  I respect that Kandee took the time to deal with this issue and especially the phone call-I've always known that they read everything you write about them.  They maintain the customer is key to their brand and I would advise all of you to be very vocal about any issues you have with any items/brand as quickly as possible.  

So here it is, the post I've been dreading writing. I want to begin by saying I am not writing this in anger nor am I mindlessly trying to discredit a company-you don't know me well enough if you think I'm capable of that.  This post is based on the facts of what happened and I have in no way edited the truth to either make myself look better or the company look worse. As a blogger and one that has formed a reasonably close relationship with this company, in an unofficial capacity, it hurts me to write negatively about them all the more. However, I feel I have a duty to my readers to remain completely honest, transparent and open about this situation and also to let it act as a warning. You can leave your views or any questions in the comments section-I would love your feedback on this.

So, I have long championed, boutique shoe brand Kandee. I was one of the few bloggers right back at their launch, writing about them. Over the past couple of years, you've seen several posts about the brand and lots of shoes I've purchased. Comments from my readers have been somewhat mixed for these posts. Many love the designs but have questioned the quality and at times their customer service. I've been a bit blinded by my enthusiasm for the shoes on occasion and forgiven the odd defect, if I'm totally honest.

Last year, in the summer I bought the Jezebel, studded leopard bootie. At £230, they were way out of my price range.  I got them in the sale for £115, which to me and I'm sure most of you, is still a lot of money to spend on one pair of shoes.  When trying the boots on, I found myself in the rather embarrassing and unfortunate situation of the zip breaking once I'd pulled it up (see pic below).  So the boot was stuck on my foot with the teeth of the zip split apart and the zip pull still stuck at the top.  There was no chance of me slipping my foot out and even holding the teeth together, the zip wouldn't budge.  I was home alone and took to Facebook to ask for advice, including asking Kandee and it's founder Josh Wayman.  Everyone was quick to chirp in advice and Kandee had said a little baby oil (in my case I'd tried Vaseline) along the teeth could help the zip to slide as they are quite sticky at first.  Long story short it took me lying face down on the sofa,  Mum holding the sides of the boot together and my Dad with pliers budging the zip one tooth at a time, after I'd waited for them to come home.  A long process and one we laughed about, although I was a little annoyed that such expensive boots could break before I'd even got both on my feet and that I'd wasted half a day stuck indoors with one boot on (just as well I hadn't had an important engagement)!

Kandee said I could get a replacement if I returned the boots and I'd be refunded my p&p charges (for return) as it wasn't my fault.  It cost around £10 to pay for returns which I never got back.  After a few polite reminders, I was too embarrassed to bring it up again (I'm British, it's what we do).  Josh had asked that they include a gift to compensate for the hassle though and I was sent the black patent flats, which I sold on eBay (as I don't wear flats) to get my postage costs back.  What annoyed me at the time was an announcement on their Facebook page that Jezebels with faults (broken zips, missing tassels etc) were being drastically reduced, I think to £50 if I remember rightly.  Obviously having just paid more than double that for a pair in a similar condition, I found that extremely irritating.  The reduced boots appeared to be their entire stock of this style, so I was surprised that they were still sending out my new pair at twice the price.

I figured so long as the zip was able to freely run up and down smoothly without sticking then it would be ok.  So I used a little Vaseline again and just ran it along the teeth and tested out the zip right when they were delivered and again a few months later.  It was very stiff at first, so I was always a little reluctant to try them on and find myself in the same situation as before.  In the back of my mind I had this fear of being stuck in them, so this is why I took so long to wear them.  This has been my downfall and was stupid of me, but I naively believed the zip would be ok on this pair so long as I got it in working order.  This week I looked them out and decided I would wear them, on Valentine's Day no less (yet another reason to hate that day).  I was satisfied the zip was in working order (tested it again a few times with no problems) and put them on.  On one foot the zipper flew completely off the top (with no effort) leaving the teeth and boot wide open.  The other foot did exactly the same as my first pair, when the zip pull got to the top, the teeth split open.  Fan-freakin-tastic!  I was furious obviously and very disappointed.  Clearly there is an issue with these zips and it all came flooding back to me about them being sold off cheaply because of that and how obviously the ENTIRE batch were faulty and my positivity about this pair being any different was completely wrong.  Also, the boots are a size larger than I usually take so fit perfectly-in no way is there any issue of my foot being too big at the heel and pulling the teeth apart, just in case you wondered.

I emailed Kandee including photos of the fault and of the soles to prove I hadn't worn them at all.  I was completely honest about the lapse in time since I'd purchased them but figured that when you can see they've never been worn I still had a very valid 'case'.  Never at any point did I suspect they'd flat out refuse to do anything about it, but unfortunately for me that's what they've done.  How any company or person can have no guilt about this situation is beyond me.  The facts are that these are £115 boots ('worth' £230) that have broken before the first wear and I personally think that time shouldn't come into it when it involves shoes of that value.  In two or ten years time I'd expect a pair of shoes to be in working order even if I'd never worn them. Likewise I'd expect shoes costing a fiver to be worn several times before breaking. I own both high-end designer and high-street shoes, I've owned possibly thousands of pairs, so I know shoes and I know what quality feels like.

With hindsight it's easy to see I was duped.  They knowingly sold a pair of faulty boots at a price well over their value. For anyone that wants to dispute that-why did they sell off all their Jezebel stock as faulty? Do you really believe they thought I had the one pair that worked perfectly in that batch?  Unfortunately my replacement was already being sorted out when the 'faulty-sale' happened and had I been aware of that once my zip had broken but before I'd arranged for the replacement, I would have asked for a straight refund.  Knowingly sending out that replacement to me is what is most sneaky and dishonest and in no way a brand I'd want to have anything to do with.  I can forgive faulty zips, I can't forgive that.  All it would've taken was for them to say, 'well actually you've paid £115 for these and we suspect the zip may break too because the others have; would you still like them or seeing as we're selling off the entire stock at £50 you could have yours for that too'.  That would have been honest and the right thing to do rather than just hope I would never complain a second time.  Legally you have something like 3 months to return faulty items and I'm not disagreeing with that-I know my time was up, but you'd reckon under the circumstances there would be some sort of goodwill gesture or that they could use their discretion.  Perhaps an offer to repair the zips or a credit note if a full refund is out of the question.  I emailed again after their first reply but was flatly refused anything once more due to 'timescales'.  I have not personally approached Josh through Facebook or written anything on their Facebook pages about this.

On a more personal note, I've owned 13 pairs of Kandee over the years and I would think this would put me in the position as one of their best customers if not the best.  I've spent hundreds of £'s and given them oodles of free publicity through Facebook and my blogs.  I have acted as an unofficial ambassador for the company if you like (but please note, I have never been offered nor received money or goods for this 'role') and I was happy to do so because I believed in the company.  I can no longer feel comfortable in that position.  I would be heartbroken if I thought I'd influenced any of you to make a purchase that you were unhappy with and this is why I have to put the record straight now.

The faulty zip scandal aside, there are other points that I see as constructive criticism that I would like to bring up.  The quality (other than zips) isn't always there with Kandee shoes.  My Caramel Kisses were again bought in the sale but I don't think that should mean there are scratches or dents to them.  Specifically speaking, in places the metallic gold was matte and in others areas there was a clear film (mainly at seams) sticking out.  I was disappointed with this from the moment I opened the box, definitely.  Don't get me wrong, I loved this design and was desperate to own them but I did expect more of them, after all I was still paying over £100 for them.  Had I spotted these shoes in a shop I probably wouldn't have purchased them in that condition.  It's a hassle and expense to return them though, so I did nothing about it.  Plus as I said, I was desperate to own them and buying the last pair in that size, it was all or nothing.  Kandee need to look at either their warehouse storage of the shoes or whether the issues occur before that stage and address it, before people wise-up and stop purchasing goods that don't meet their expectations.  Sale prices shouldn't mean shoddy goods and I reckon even at full price they'll be in the same condition.

Secondly the design of the shoes are great, there's no faulting that for me and it's what attracted me to the brand in the first place.  They look fabulous...in theory.  However I'd be keen to know the stages they go through from designs on a piece of paper to samples to production.  I say this because as a woman who has worn heels for the past 20 years and is a pro at tackling platforms and skinny heels and can pretty much walk in anything, Kandee heel heights are too extreme.  It's rare I find a shoe that breaks me, but I have to be honest and say Kandee do, so what are they like for those that usually struggle?  I thought the chunkier heels this past season (Bubble Gum, Caramel Kisses etc) would perhaps be easier (you wouldn't have that fear of the thin heel buckling under your weight), but owning both those styles I can say they're even harder to walk in.  Their construction is such that your foot is practically vertical, thus it's very difficult to find the strength to lift your feet off the ground to power your walking, actually almost impossible.  I was completely blinded (again) by how much I liked the look of those shoes that it wasn't until I properly tested them out last week that I realised I couldn't walk in them.  It's a complete struggle each step, not to stay balanced but to actually walk.  It's slow, unnatural and clompy and 95 year old Granny's with zimmer frames would overtake me if I ever venture outside in them!  I in no way mean this as a sexist statement, but with a male designer, I just wonder if there's a female somewhere to road-test these shoes before they hit the site.  Without actually walking in them yourself, it's difficult to comprehend the issues.  I'm finding myself more drawn to styles that deliver a safe feeling heel (and this doesn't mean low heels) and this comes from construction and quality.  You need to feel safe enough to walk with confidence no matter the heel height, without fear of it breaking or you falling.  

I know the shoes are seen as 'occassion shoes' mostly, but you still need to be able to walk in them.  Also for their price, I doubt many could warrant paying that for a one or two time wear.  Personally I can handle glitter, bright colours and a formal feel during the day, so I'd prefer a more wearable heel like the studded Mash'A'Mallow rather than those over 6".  M'A'M feel sturdy enough and there are no issues getting your feet to take steps.  I think the price points therefore need to be looked at.  Very few will pay over £200 for a pair of shoes that a) are not up to quality and b) are too difficult to wear.

This last collection were made in extremely limited numbers-I think it was something like 40 pairs across all sizes.  Yet I found after they'd 'sold-out' on Kandee they were available on New Look and Spoiled Brat as well as several pairs being sold in their Facebook sales.  Considering the very low numbers of shoes available, I would sincerely hope that Kandee weren't bending the truth about that to make the shoes seem more appealing-but obviously I have no proof of this, it's purely speculative.

Finally I know how PR works, it's great to get a celebrity pictured wearing your creation or to be featured in a magazine, but overlooking your core customers (like me), who helped 'build' the company is completely the wrong route to take.  The emphasis I feel lately with Kandee has been on celebrity image and events which is great publicity but when people start to hear of poor quality and bad customer care none of that will matter.  You need publicity but you need a good, honest business behind that.  It's people like me that dip into their purse to pay for the shoes at the end of the day that keep that company going and got it off the ground.  Without me and those like me the company wouldn't exist and that's not an exaggeration.

In conclusion,  I will no longer act as an unofficial spokesperson for the brand nor will I purchase their shoes again.  At this point, I'm feeling so dejected that I'm considering selling all the pairs I do own, because they are a constant reminder for me.  I'm extremely hurt that anyone could take £115 for a worthless pair of shoes and knowingly do so and feel no remorse for it.  I've been feeling depressed all week about this situation and cried about it twice, which no shoe purchase should ever make you do.  I feel extremely embarrassed and will be forever kicking myself about it.  That money means a lot to me and I never take for granted the value of it.  To a company, it probably doesn't mean much, but it does to me and it's loss hurts just as much as them 'stabbing me in the back'.  The whole way this situation was handled right from the original pair of boots was underhanded and sneaky and no matter how much I love shoes and loved Kandee, I don't think I can forgive them for that.  I like Josh, he's a young guy who's made a unique brand and started from scratch and has great ambition, there's nothing wrong with that but I'm disheartened with the path Kandee are on.  I hope they can rectify that before it's too late because customer care and 'getting what you pay for' should be it's core values.  No company will last without that, people will see sense eventually.  I'm sorry if any of you have felt I've mislead you over the years-I can get carried away with pretty things and the excitement of getting them, but I would never lie about the quality or service or influence you into buying something that wasn't up to standard.  Kandee have always replied promptly to emails no matter what it's regarding and I'm sure I've mentioned that in previous posts.   I've overlooked slight defects in the past, but this last instance was just one step too far.  I'm sad it's come to this and I'm sad to make it public, but like I said I have a duty to you and could not pretend everything was ok when it wasn't.  As I said in the introduction I value your opinion, you're welcome to comment below and in no way have to agree with my views.  If there are any further developments, I will update accordingly.