Buyer's remorse, shoe edition
August 6, 2018 12:25 PM Subscribe
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a pair of shoes from Amazon. Now, having worn them a bunch of times, I'm not sure I'm happy with the purchase. What are my options?
I bought a pair of sneakers from a third party seller on Amazon about three weeks ago. I liked the looks, they had good reviews, and it was an excellent price. In my excitement upon receiving them in the mail, I wore them immediately. That was probably a mistake, because now, I'm not sure I really want to wear them all that much. They're pretty minimal in terms of cushioning, and even though the size is right, they're just not very comfortable. In particular, there's a discomfort/very dull pain in the ball of my left foot, which is somewhere I've had bunions before.
(With all that said, I have gotten several compliments about how nice they look!)
The third party seller uses Amazon's default return policy, i.e., that the item has to be in unused condition in order to be returned. In addition to being worn, I've also thrown away the shoebox. So a return is out of the question. What else can I do? I'm only out $80, so it's not going to break my budget if I can't get the money back. At the same time, though, there are other things I could use that $80 for (a new pair of shoes, for one thing!). I'd rather not just flush it down the toilet.
Should I just post them on Craigslist or eBay for like half the original price? Is there somewhere else I could post them? Do people even buy used shoes? That seems a little icky to me. They're Adidas Adizero Adios 3 in men's size 9, if that matters.
I bought a pair of sneakers from a third party seller on Amazon about three weeks ago. I liked the looks, they had good reviews, and it was an excellent price. In my excitement upon receiving them in the mail, I wore them immediately. That was probably a mistake, because now, I'm not sure I really want to wear them all that much. They're pretty minimal in terms of cushioning, and even though the size is right, they're just not very comfortable. In particular, there's a discomfort/very dull pain in the ball of my left foot, which is somewhere I've had bunions before.
(With all that said, I have gotten several compliments about how nice they look!)
The third party seller uses Amazon's default return policy, i.e., that the item has to be in unused condition in order to be returned. In addition to being worn, I've also thrown away the shoebox. So a return is out of the question. What else can I do? I'm only out $80, so it's not going to break my budget if I can't get the money back. At the same time, though, there are other things I could use that $80 for (a new pair of shoes, for one thing!). I'd rather not just flush it down the toilet.
Should I just post them on Craigslist or eBay for like half the original price? Is there somewhere else I could post them? Do people even buy used shoes? That seems a little icky to me. They're Adidas Adizero Adios 3 in men's size 9, if that matters.
You could try changing out the insoles for something cushier / more supportive, but it's unclear if that would help with the bunion pain. I have been happy going to the drugstore / big box insole aisle and picking the thing that looked right for the shoes I have - I did this with a pair of nice-looking but hideously uncomfortable New Balances recently, and they're pretty comfy now.
posted by momus_window at 1:18 PM on August 6, 2018
posted by momus_window at 1:18 PM on August 6, 2018
Ebay is a way to get some money for them, so long as the shoes are not badly scuffed or torn. Be sure to post pictures of their actual condition. Also, keep in mind seller fees. They are 10% if you don't have an ebay store. An eighty dollar sale means you pay eight dollars in fees. Price accordingly.
posted by Crystal Fox at 1:22 PM on August 6, 2018
posted by Crystal Fox at 1:22 PM on August 6, 2018
I just listed some stuff on eBay, and at the end of the day between eBay fees (10% of everything including shipping) and PayPal fees I think you lose about 20%, and you may need to purchase packing materials too in which case you'll lose even more. Plus there's your time in listing and packing and transporting to the post. So for most items, I don't know if it's worth it, really, but ymmv. Craigslist has its own troubles, including a lot of scams, people haggling even post-agreeing to price, flaking, etc. Again, ymmv. Mostly I tend to donate things to a thrift store and then use the loss to remind myself to be a bit more thoughtful in my future consumption.
posted by vegartanipla at 3:35 PM on August 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by vegartanipla at 3:35 PM on August 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Honestly I did this with a pair of shoes from Amazon that were so uncomfortable: just returned them to Amazon anyway. I also did it 90 days after the return by date and I got a full refund anyway.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 10:04 PM on August 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fairlynearlyready at 10:04 PM on August 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Get some SuperFeet inserts.
posted by jeffamaphone at 7:33 AM on August 7, 2018
posted by jeffamaphone at 7:33 AM on August 7, 2018
I highly recommend Poshmark for selling cute but used fashion items, especially if they’re brand name.
(I’ve absolutely bought used shoes on there.)
posted by Tiny Bungalow at 12:07 PM on August 7, 2018
(I’ve absolutely bought used shoes on there.)
posted by Tiny Bungalow at 12:07 PM on August 7, 2018
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