ONLINE SHOE SHOPPING
I am not really into online shopping, especially for shoes. Given the many pros like getting great bargains, and finding the many designs and brands at one place, sitting at the comfort of your home, the perceived cons of online shoe shopping are still more than the pros. People believe that offline shopping gives you a better idea about the shoe size, fit, and quality, which you can’t really get while shopping online.
STREET STYLE STORE
Despite the hesitation, people do shop for shoes online. There is a popular site for women’s footwear called streetstylestore.com or SSS. When you look at the collection and the prices, it seems really impressive. There are different collections like 3 for 999 (3 pairs for Rs 999), 2 for 999 (2 pairs for Rs 999), etc, and the bargains are amazing. The designs are pretty cool too, and much different from the usual stuff available on the streets at comparable prices. But, there are a lot of mixed reactions regarding this site and a lot of negativity about the service.
I have shopped with this site twice, ordering three pairs of shoes each time!
In case you don’t have the time to go through the whole review, here are a few pointers in case you wish to shop with them.
Tips for shoppers:
1. Shop with SSS, if and only if you are ready to wait for the order. In case you have an X date and an occasion in mind, think about it.
2. It is advisable to opt for Cash on Delivery.
3. The material details are not there for most of the products, so zoom in a thousand times to find out the material.
THE FIRST EXPERIENCE
I think I came across SSS through a Facebook ad. I really liked the collection and bought 3 pairs of strappy flats from the ‘3 for 999’ collection in the month of July. I received my package in 7-10 days.
Simply Irrestible – Blue from ‘3 for 999’ collection (Available at – http://streetstylestore.com/index.php?id_product=3108&controller=product)
Twist and Shout from ‘3 for 999’ Collection (Available at – http://streetstylestore.com/index.php?id_product=2909&controller=product)
Though I really loved the designs, I was initially disappointed with the quality of the footwear as the straps and the design seemed to be too delicate to actually last more than a week each. But, as I started wearing them, I realized that they were actually good. Those three pairs lasted me the the whole summer, though I admit that I took good care of them by not wearing them on rainy days and cleaning them whenever I felt it was needed. They look a bit old now, but still would last me half the summers this year. Hence, this experience made me fall in love with the site.
My first purchase from SSS, from the ‘3 for 999’ collection
THE SECOND EXPERIENCE
My second experience wasn’t that great. It was almost winter time and my heart was set at these three pairs of shoes – black swede motorcycle boots, a pair of apricot tan oxfords, and pair of light pink ballerinas with a bow, all for a total of Rs 2300/-. I ordered my shoes in the end of October.
Motorcycle Ankle Boots from SSS (I ordered these in black) (Available at – http://streetstylestore.com/index.php?id_product=3203&controller=product)
Sassy Girl Oxfords from SSS (Available at – http://streetstylestore.com/index.php?id_product=3205&controller=product)
Pink Ballerinas or Cute Bow Tied Flats from SSS (Available at – http://streetstylestore.com/index.php?id_product=3218&controller=product)
I was prepared for up to 3 weeks time between order and delivery as the site quotes a maximum period of 21 days. But, when even after that period, I could see that the status of the order on the site was nowhere close to getting delivered. I opened the site to see if I could find a customer care number. Voila! I realized that there was no number listed. So, I used the form on the site to make the complaint.
I received an automated message on my listed email and there was no further response at all. Then again after 4 to 5 days, I repeated the same thing, with the same response status. I swear I would have freaked out by that time if I had used my hard-earned money to make payment online! I have this habit of availing Cash on Delivery whenever and wherever possible.
Pros of SSS:
1. Great Collection and Latest Fashion.
2. Great Bargains
Cons of SSS:
1. Bad Service.
2. Lack of Product Details.
So coming back to the problem, I was really frustrated and disappointed, but kept mum because I hadn’t really lost my money. One fine day, I saw an ad on Facebook about the latest collection and the ongoing offers. So, I clicked on the name, landed on the Facebook page, and checked the ‘Posts by Others’ and came across posts by so many frustrated customers who hadn’t received their orders even after months, some of them had even made the payment online. I decided to write a post too, as I felt I might get a response there. But, again disappointment. Most of the negative posts, including mine, were deleted the next day. The positive ones were duly liked and thanked. I checked the order status on the site. It had changed to dispatched, but even after one week of that, nothing happened. Another post was made, more acidic than the previous one, which was met with a similar fate, no response, but thankfully, this time, I received my package with three pairs within a week.
The bad service left a bad taste. The product also did not make up for it. Some things were pretty good, others not as satisfactory. It was love at first sight with the oxfords.
Sassy Girl Oxfords – My most loved and most worn pair
The ballerinas looked pretty, but I was expecting it to be faux leather, while it turned out to be suede. No material details were mentioned on the site. Personally light pink suede would have been a no-no for me. It is getting dirty wear after wear and I can’t really do much about it.
Cute Bow Tied Ballerinas in Pink – Look good, but getting dirty
The motorcycle boots were the most disappointing. The inner lining had frayed edges and looked shabby. I had to get it repaired twice in first 10 days of wear. Once, the sole pasting came off, and then the back design came out. After that there was a hole in the shoe, and it was an embarrassing day at office. I don’t have the guts to tell my family about it because they always tell me to buy shoes offline!
Black Motorcycle Boots
Black Motorcycle Boots Torn
CONCLUSION
I still wear the summer footwear. I wear the oxfords 2-3 times a week. So, I am happy. I want to order more shoes that I like, so do many people I know, but the service experience gives me shudders, and also the thought of getting more shoes like the motorcycle boots. I’ve already listed a few tips for the shoppers in the beginning.
In, the end, here are a few suggestions for the site owners.
Suggestions for the site owners:
1. A good service experience is necessary for any business to be successful. Deleting Facebook posts is certainly not the way to do it.
2. List a phone number at least, so that we know our complaints are reaching somebody. The number of negative facebook posts would also go down with this.
3. If you list delivery time as up to 21 days, then make sure that the delivery is made in 21 days. In case you are making the shoe on order, stop taking orders after a Y number of orders that you can deliver, and have your site reflect that the shoes are sold out and would be back in stock soon.
