When one splurges on a luxury item, they might think that they’re getting something of higher quality than what they could find at fast fashion outlets.
However, that isn’t always the case. For example, some have noted that major designers use materials that quickly begin to peel, while others have simply shared stories of luxury shopping experiences that were anything but luxurious.
Now, a TikTok user has sparked discussion after recounting how she spent $1,200 on a pair of heels from Jimmy Choo—beginning a whole saga that isn’t yet complete.
The shoes have issues
According to TikTok user Michaela Dante (@michaelarose123) in a video with over 9.4 million views, she purchased the shoes on April 19 and, in the time since, had worn them for “a cumulative…maybe five minutes.”
However, upon showing her mother the shoes, her mom realized that a tear was beginning to form down the middle of the shoes. Frustrated, she attempted to resolve the issue with the Jimmy Choo store, which proved difficult. Dante describes their reaction as “nonchalant,” as though her issue wasn’t “a big deal.”
“In my opinion, if you’re charging $1,200 for a pair of shoes—like, it’s a pretty big deal if they rip before you’ve even done anything in them,” she states.
Eventually, she settles on an approximate time to go to the store, and while she faces some initial difficulty, she is eventually able to persuade the worker with whom she was speaking to actually take her issue seriously and attempt to resolve it that day.
Finally, the store offered a one-time replacement of the shoes as a gesture of goodwill. While Dante appreciated the offer, she wasn’t sure whether to accept it given the issues that the previous shoes had presented after minimal wear.
Regardless, she opts to see the replacement shoes—only to discover that they, too, are broken.
“I was like…’I don’t want this pair of shoes anymore,’” she recalls. “Like, clearly it’s not well made. Clearly this is not a product that’s going to last longer than one day. And, like, I could pay, like, so many bills with $1,100…It made me want to throw up because, like, why are we buying luxury items and, like, designer items if they’re not gonna last for longer than, like, five minutes? They can’t even last inside a box untouched!”
Dante’s video ends with her being uncertain about whether she’s going to get a refund—and her swearing off many luxury items for good.
“I’d never purchased a luxury item before and I really thought that, like, if you bought a designer item, like, they kind of stand behind their products, they’re gonna do the right thing. The customer service is going to be, like, really amazing…” she starts. “But apparently not.”
@michaelarose123 I would like to say that with everything happening in the world this is really such a privileged problem to have, but regardless jimmy choo is selling such expensive product that i really dont think there is any excuse for something to be clearly not made with integrity, and for a situation not to be handled with grace by the store. Do better jimmy choo. #jimmychoo @Jimmy Choo ♬ original sound – michaelarose123
Some positive updates
In three follow-up videos, Dante says that not only was she able to get her entire refund, but that several people at Jimmy Choo, including the president of the company, had reached out to her personally and apologized.
“They were both really apologetic and really upset by my video, and they offered to replace the shoes that I had bought originally and give them to me for free,” she details.
Additionally, she says that, alongside the free shoes, the brand offered to send her some other items she could select from their store. The items later arrived, leading to Dante posting her own unboxing video.
@michaelarose123 Replying to @tinkerbell.934 ♬ Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
@michaelarose123 Another update! Jimmy choo has made contact. #weddingshoes #jimmychoo @Jimmy Choo ♬ original sound – michaelarose123
@michaelarose123 The bag came, and i love an uboxing! #jimmychoo @Jimmy Choo ♬ Material Girl – Madonna
Commenters share their thoughts on the saga
In the comments section, users offered their opinions on Dante’s story, as well as Jimmy Choo’s eventual solution to the issue.
“I’m glad this is happening now because I will NOT be purchasing jimmy choo for my wedding,” wrote a user.
“My Jimmy Choo wedding shoes literally lasted 5 seconds on my wedding day. Such a ripoff but they looked good in pictures lol,” added another.
“They were upset bc you have almost 8millon views,” said an additional TikToker. “glad you got it resolved.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Jimmy Choo via email and Dante via TikTok comment.
Update 8:20am, Jul. 4, 2024:
In an email to the Daily Dot, a Jimmy Choo spokesperson shared the following: “We are proud of the quality and craftsmanship of our products, and of our customer service, but it’s clear we’ve fallen short on this occasion. We have been in touch with Ms Dante to apologise and do all we can to put things right.”
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