Uggs quality control going downhill?? Help! Update #16

[IDoDis]

I figured this was the best place to see if I'm correct in my thinking or if I'm just being too harsh with the my thoughts on the quality of my new Uggs.

Background: I ordered two pair of Uggs back in December. One pair for DD for Christmas and one pair for me. They both stayed hidden until Christmas. I ordered them online from http://fleecefootwear.com/ which is an authorized Ugg dealer. So these are authentic. They are both classic short chocolate Uggs.

First, I noticed that DD's boots were from an older lot because the tags inside were the cloth tags whereas my boots had the newer cheap paper tags that has the hologram on one of the tags. My boots seemed to be a lower quality than DD's boots. The heel color did not match the rest of the boot on mine, but on DD's they did. Also, the tag on my boots is lighter. The word "Ugg" is more of a reddish brown which is also the color of the boot heel, not a chocolate brown like DD's. It looked like the heel came from a different lot of fabric or something. The other thing I noticed was that my boots were taller than DD's. Mine are a size 8 and hers are a size 7.

So, I sent them back and asked for an exchange of the same boot saying these were not of good quality that I expect when paying over $100 for a pair of boots. I mailed the boots back on December 28th and received my new pair this Friday, January 14th.

The new pair I received are even worse than the first pair as far as quality goes! The stitching on the back is not centered, the fur inside is rough whereas DD's fur is soft and DD's boots hold their shape really well whereas mine seem to sag a bit. The new boots are also taller than DD's.

I also noticed that the older tag boots have double stitching and the newer ones are single stitched. I'm quite sad because I've already been without the boots now for a few weeks and had to pay $7 to ship the 1st pair back for an exchange. Do I need to go through this all over again??

Should I call Ugg directly and by-pass the place I purchased them from?

Should I just suck it up and keep these boots because I'm being overly critical? If I paid $30 or $40 for them, I'd not be so concerned, but these are expensive. I'm worried I'll send them back again, wait another 2 1/2 weeks and end up with another crappy pair. I paid $118 for them because of a Black Friday sale, so if I get a refund, I'll have to go pay full price in town, plus pay to have them shipped back again!

Please give me your opinions. Should I just keep them or try again to get a decent pair? Am I being overly critical?

The first two pictures show the original pair of my boots and DD's boots. Mine are taller (Don't know why). Notice the heel is lighter on mine.

Here are some pictures of the new exchanged pair. Look at the back seam going down the center of the boot left boot. It is not even centered.

Notice the stitching going down the back and sides of the boot is only single sitched so it doesn't hold it's shape as well as DD's boots which are double-stitched. Mine look more flimsy.

The side seam is flimsy on the left boot and the heel is lighter fabric on both:

DD's boots are on the left and mine are on the right. Her sheepskin is nice and fluffy and stays inside the boot. Mine look cheaply made. I already pulled out a large size of fluff that came loose when I pulled out the insert.

What would you do?

 

[SeaSpray]

At this point I'd call and/or email UGG directly. I don't think that you're being overly critical at all.

 

[tink_lover]

I'd send them back and ask for refund not exchange. Then I would go to a store that carries them so that you can see and pick which ones work for you. I have bought many pairs from Nordstrom, and while I pay full price, I can see the quality with my own eyes. There have been instances where I have had to get and try multiple ones because there seems to be a variety of quality.

 

[mtemm]

I'd send them back and ask for refund not exchange. Then I would go to a store that carries them so that you can see and pick which ones work for you. I have bought many pairs from Nordstrom, and while I pay full price, I can see the quality with my own eyes. There have been instances where I have had to get and try multiple ones because there seems to be a variety of quality.

 

[tvguy]

I have such a hard time finding shoes that fit I could never buy them mail order it the first place. I just think there are some products that you should only buy in person.

 

[Tinks]

I heard that most Uggs are now being made in China. This doesn't surprise me. Contact the company and see what they will do.

 

[Kimberle]

Even though they sell Uggs, they may not be an authorized seller. (Meaning they are not buying from the vendor directly. If the vendor doesn't know the retailer, they can't control the quality.) I'd return them for a refund. After you get your refund, I'd contact Ugg's & let them know. Buy your boots from a store where you can see the quality. I've purchased several pairs of Uggs and never had a problem when purchasing from a store.

 

[agnes!]

I heard that most Uggs are now being made in China. This doesn't surprise me. Contact the company and see what they will do.

Made in China and the price to the consumer stays the same...that's one way to keep the profits up. Coach (owned by Sara Lee Corp.) bags also used to be made in the US but are now made overseas, usually in China.

agnes!

 

[robinb]

Are your DD's boots a women's 7 or a children's size 5? A lot of people get children's sizing in Uggs to save money and that would explain why her's are shorter.

I bought my DD a pair of Uggs at a store in October 2009. By April 2010 they were trashed and the lining was ripped on the inside. Not what I would expect from a $100 pair of boots! So, I returned them to Uggs and they sent me a new pair in September 2010. Her new pair is also chocolate and looks a lot like your pair. The suede on the heels appears to be a lighter color than the rest of the boot. The tag is paper-y and there is another smaller tag with a hologram in one of the boots. I would say that the uneven stitching would be enough for me to return them, though. I would send the seller that photo and insist that they pay for return shipping.

 

[allison443]

Made in China and the price to the consumer stays the same...that's one way to keep the profits up. Coach (owned by Sara Lee Corp.) bags also used to be made in the US but are now made overseas, usually in China.

agnes!

(Coach is no longer owned by Sara Lee.)

OP I agree with others-return the boots for a refund and buy them where you can check them out in person.

 

[southern_redhead]

I would contact Ugg directly and tell them the whole story, ask if they can do anything for you. If not, I would return the pair for a refund. If I *really* had to have the boots (at this point you have lost two months of wear on them - it would depend how long I could wear them this season) I would buy locally where I could put my hands on the merchandise and eyeball it before buying. My eyes may be bad but I didn't really notice anything with the heels. **ETA - okay upon closer inspection I can see the heels. I was thinking the heel area of the soles. I do see the lighter colored suede** However, that uncentered seam is a nightmare! That alone should warrant a new pair, replaced without cost to you!! I don't care if they were made in the streets of Guatemala, that seam is so far off it's ridiculous.

Please come back to the thread and post how it works out for you. This is one ending I will be interested to see. I'd love to know how Ugg responds to this.

 

[RachaelA]

I just bought a pair of Classic Talls that are like yours (crooked stitching, bad lining that falls out, etc). I'm returning them. This was my first pair of Uggs (I usually buy Emus). I was super disappointed in the quality.

 

[IDoDis]

I'm going to call Ugg directly tomorrow and see if anything can be done. I don't want to pay another $7 to ship the boots back and I'd also like the $7 refunded that I paid to ship back the first pair. Then I'm going to follow the advice on this board and buy a pair in person.

How sad that the quality varies so much for something that is so expensive! Either fleecefootwear is selling Ugg seconds, or the quality of Ugg is really deteriorating (like everything else).

 

[RachaelA]

I'm going to call Ugg directly tomorrow and see if anything can be done. I don't want to pay another $7 to ship the boots back and I'd also like the $7 refunded that I paid to ship back the first pair. Then I'm going to follow the advice on this board and buy a pair in person.

How sad that the quality varies so much for something that is so expensive! Either fleecefootwear is selling Ugg seconds, or the quality of Ugg is really deteriorating (like everything else).

I bought mine from citysports.com (another authorized retailer). I think the overall quality has just gone downhill.

 

[agnes!]

Made in China and the price to the consumer stays the same...that's one way to keep the profits up. Coach (owned by Sara Lee Corp.) bags also used to be made in the US but are now made overseas, usually in China.

agnes!

(Coach is no longer owned by Sara Lee.)

OP I agree with others-return the boots for a refund and buy them where you can check them out in person.

Thanks for the correction, the point I was trying to make is that 'Coach' is not American-Made anymore but, at least fairly recently(not sure who or what owns the brand now), was part of a multi-national corporation and the manufacturing was moved overseas. And I was thinking that the same thing might have happened to Uggs.

agnes!

 

[IDoDis]

Update: I called Ugg last night and got a recording saying I reached them after business hours even though there was still 40 more min. before 8:00 Eastern time. Sooo, I called back this morning and this time I didn't get a recording, I only got a ringing phone with no answer once I was connected to the department I needed.

I decided to just send an email to the customer service rep I'd already been in contact with at fleecefootwear. I explained that the new boots were also terrible quality and I wanted a full refund plus the two $7 shipping fees to send both pair of boots back. I also attached pictures of the new boots to the email.

I got a phone call a few hours later from the rep saying that she'd email me a return shipping label and I'd get refunded the other $7 I already paid, plus what I paid for the boots.

So, the boots will on their back tomorrow. I went to Shoes on a Shoestring today and bought a pair in person. I also got 10% off there with their 10% off card which costs $10 to buy. The card paid for itself on my purchase because I got a $14 discount on the boots. The card is good for a year to get 10% off any purchase for me or other family members.

I finally have a decent pair of Uggs!

 

[Lintasare]

I love Shoes on a Shoestring. I worked there many moons ago when they just had the store on Louisiana.

 

[Dommiekazommie]

Heya all.

Just a little point. Uggs Australia is an australian brand. And while they may now be made in china, Chancea are they weren't ever made in USA. My friend works in head office here in aus and here we can order custom made pairs Which are ready in 2-3 days. So I'm guessing at least the custom ones are made here. And there's only a really small custom making fee (like $20 which isn't bad I dont think for a $199 pair of boots). That only from ugg shops though. Do you have ugg shops over there?

 

[krcit]

I love Shoes on a Shoestring. I worked there many moons ago when they just had the store on Louisiana.

Hve you seen their website?? I am inlove with the yellow tag clearance...got some great Nine West sandals for $14, purple suede peep toe's for $14 and just ordered 2 really cool pairs for my bf's birthday for $29


OP, glad you got satisfaction.

 

[Lintasare]

Hve you seen their website?? I am inlove with the yellow tag clearance...got some great Nine West sandals for $14, purple suede peep toe's for $14 and just ordered 2 really cool pairs for my bf's birthday for $29


OP, glad you got satisfaction.

No need to go to the website. I can walk into the store and check out walls of yellow tagged shoes.